The Raptors had exit interviews on Tuesday and it wasn't a happy atmosphere. Despite finishing the regular season with a franchise-best 59 wins and the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, it's hard to not see this season as a disappointment. They were swept out of the playoffs by LeBron James and the Cavaliers for the second year in a row.
Dwane Casey is now on the hot seat and Fred Van Vleet is calling out the entire franchise for not being able to step up to expectations.
Kyle Lowry, meanwhile, is calling the Raptors season 'a wasted year.' Toronto's been happier, to say the least.
"For me it was championship or bust, that's what I feel," Lowry said. "That's what I always feel, so a wasted year for me."
"The regular season doesn't matter," Lowry said. "Whatever happens you've got to be ready for this time (of) year, the physical strength. That's what's important."
It's hard to agree entirely with Lowry. Did this year's Raptors team have a disappointing end? Yes, but that doesn't make the entire season a waste. This year's Raptors team was the most successful in franchise history. They made major strides forward in terms of becoming a modern basketball team. That's something that couldn't be said about previous iterations of this core.
However, like Lowry said, the regular season eventually doesn't matter. Teams that succeed want to see success beyond the regular season. They want to win in the postseason and compete for championships. The Raptors failed to do that and despite all the positives to be taken from this season, they once again couldn't win a single game against LeBron James's Cavs in the playoffs.
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