Toronto Raptors 2013/2014: A nation's strong support should see them sparkle this season

Rudy Gay was drafted from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Raptors last season. (Getty Images)

Year after year, fans in Toronto become more frustrated with hopes of a successful season only to be rudely shunted by the end of April. It’s a pattern us Canadians are far to familiar with.

On the positive side, we still show up and have one of the best fan to seat ratios in the NBA. I firmly believe (the eternal optimist that I am) that the 2013 – 2014 season will bring a winner the city so desperately wants.

With the addition of Rudy Gay, the rapid development of DeMar DeRozan, our big man rookie Jonas Valan?i?nas, and with the consistency of our beasts Amir Johnson and Quincy Acy, the Raptors have a core strong enough to compete in the Eastern Conference.

In the past few years, we have been the laughing stock of the NBA, being ridiculed by expert analysis weekly. It’s time the Raptors get the respect they deserve and the only way to gain respect is to earn it, which you do through developing a winning formula for the organization.

Eras don’t last forever and that is the case with the brain behind the Raptors leaving his empire, Bryan Colangelo. The man behind the hot seat now is Masai Ujiri, who has already cleaned the needless clutter with new staff, and got rid of a burden in former number one draft pick Andrea Bargnani.

Masia Ujiri is a proven professional in his field, coming off the biggest reward of his impressive career when he claimed the NBA’s Executive of the Year award.

Mr. Ujiri knows all about working hard to achieve success in anything you do. He came from Africa to the United States to slowly work his way up to the top of running his own organization. This organization is one he is familiar with as he was the assistant GM for the Raptors till five years back.

With his vision, a load of hidden talent when it comes to our young players and a nation that is hungry for a winner, we will be an underrated force to be reckoned with in a star-studded Eastern Conference.

‘Fear the East’ is what all Western Conference coaches should be thinking about as the East has powerhouse rosters in Miami, New York and now Brooklyn.

Toronto Raptors have to work together as a unit to create an opportunity to be a top-seeded team in the East. Denver & Indiana are teams the Raptors should try to follow but at the same time, they should develop their own identity. These two teams worked together as one and used their strengths to the best of their abilities to create a contender which had no superstar leader that is in the same league as Lebron James or Carmelo.

If this is done, the Raptors will compete next season and earn the respect of basketball fans all over the world.