Representing Canada in the NBA The Toronto Raptors have made some exciting changes this offseason. It seems that the organization has decided to do everything possible to win the title. Of course the timing isn't the best with GSW still going strong with its 5 stars, but not all circumstances can ever be perfect. I liked the Raptors with Vince Carter, but I wasn't a fan of the team; I simply appreciated the greatness of Vince Carter and his power dunks. However, when the Raptors signed Jonas Valanciunas, a great player from my country, in 2011, I started paying a lot more attention to the entire organization. To be completely honest, I haven't liked the Raptors' style in recent years, and I think Valanciunas could have been used much better by Coach Casey. However, all this is now a thing of the past. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay I believe this Raptors team is ready to win the Eastern Conference. I'm sure fans would be disappointed with something less, because with Kawhi likely leaving next year, it's now or never. Summer Signings Img Source (Are you happy to see Kawhi in Toronto?) Dwane Casey is finally gone (am I the only one happy about that?) I could never understand Casey's ideas and plans. To be honest, it seemed like Casey only knew one tactic: give the ball to DeRozan or Lowry and expect them to score points on their own. Nick Nurse, previously an assistant coach with the Raptors, takes the wheel and we can expect some serious changes. This will be Nurse's first season as head coach of the NBA team, but he has plenty of experience coaching at a lower level. Nurse prioritizes offense so we can finally see the Raptors play some new schemes on the offensive end of the court. However, bigs like Valanciunas and Ibaka might expect to play less as Nurse relies on modern basketball and generally doesn't have a big role for bigs. It's a little sad for me because I'm a big Valanciunas fan, but I guess everything will be fine as long as the team wins. However, Nurse who took over as Raptors head coach was completely overshadowed by a controversial trade between the Raptors and the Raptors. Spurs. Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green joined the Canadian team. In return, DeMar DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl, a 2019 first-round pick, moved to California. There are a lot of different opinions on this trade, but in my eyes, the Raptors came out on top. The Spurs also made the most of Kawhi's contract which is set to end next year. Of course, I don't expect Kawhi to sign with the Raptors after the 2018-19 season, and I understand that this will likely be the last season we see the Raptors at the top. However, I like this risk of betting everything on a season with Kawhi as the leader rather than being mediocre for years with DeRozan. I have no doubt that Kawhi will be in great shape to start the season and help the Raptors win the regular season, as always. However, things should change in the playoffs – DeRozan and Lowry choked each other every year, especially against LeBron James. This year, LeBron has joined the Western Conference and Raptors fans won't have to watch DeRozan's bricks. This year, Kawhi will dominate the weak Eastern Conference and will have the opportunity to prove his worth against the Boston Celtics in ?)