Are The Raptors in Trouble?

The Toronto Raptors are down 0-2 in their second round series. They advanced to the second round after beating the Washington Wizards 4-2 in the first round. The first seed Raptors beat their eighth seed opponent (the Wizards), and looked like they would be a threat in the East. However, things are starting to change. Let's document how this series has gone so far.

On Tuesday, the Cavs beat the Raptors 113-111. The win came in overtime. The Raptors outscored the Cavs by 11 points in the first quarter. Then, the Cavs closed in on the deficit in the second quarter. I wrote about this game earlier this week, so I won't spend much time on it now. I thought mentioning Tuesday's game was needed to discuss the Raptors performance in this series.

On Thursday, the Cavaliers beat the Raptors 128-110. The Cavs practically dominated in this game.The Raptors led at half-time, but then LeBron James took over.

LeBron James scored 43 points and had 14 assists. James was also 2 rebounds away from a triple-double. James also shot 68 percent from the field. At one point, James started taking difficult shots, such as step-backs, and made most of them. LeBron James was in the zone, and it seemed like nothing could stop him. I even saw the phrase "LeBronto" trending on Twitter. James played well, but he was not alone.He was also one of five Cavaliers that scored in double figures.

The Raptors had three starters in double figures. DeMar Derozan scored 24 points. Kyle Lowry scored 21 points. Jonas Valanciunas scored 16 points and 12 rebounds. The Raptors' bench scored 42 points altogether. They actually outscored the Cavalier bench. The Cavs bench scored 21 points altogether. The Raptors actually played a decent game, but the Cavs (more so the starters) were too much.

The series continues later today. Game three takes place in Cleveland. The Cavs won two games in Toronto. This game them a 2-0 advantage over the Raptors. If the Cavaliers play remotely close to what they did in Game 2, they can take Game 3. The Cavs could also potentially sweep their opponents. But, the series is not over. The Raptors should be concerned, but they shouldn't give up. If they can get one game in Cleveland, they can get back into the series.

As I mentioned, the Toronto Raptors are the first seed of the Eastern Conference. They fought through the regular season, and finished with a record of 59-23. In the regular season, the Raptors showed promise. When a team has the first seed of their conference, it is safe to say they'll at least make it past the second round. But, in this case, it may be unlikely.

The Raptors went into the playoffs with a chip on their shoulder. They had something to prove. They had to prove that their first seed was not a fluke. After years of being one of the top teams in the East, this was their moment to get over the hump. They had a reputation of choking in the playoffs. This year was arguably their moment. And now, their moment could be coming to an end.

If anything, I expected them to win one of the games in Toronto. They could have won Game 1, and then the Cavs could have tied the series in Game 2. However, things did not go in the Raptors favor.

The Raptors are a talented team, but they are still lacking something. Personally, I still haven't figured out what it is. If the Raptors want to get to the next level, they must address the issue themselves.