It's been 356 days since the Washington Wizards completed their sweep of the Toronto Raptors. We all knew that Raptor team was flawed, but the way in which the exit happened, once again at the hands of a Paul Pierce-led crew, made the fans feel like:
It would be easy to dwell on that feeling. Many have, all season long. I've talked to friends and acquaintances who are nervous for this series with Indiana, not really because of the Pacers, but just because we've been here twice before. It doesn't matter to them that this is the best Raptors team in history, that the defense is far stronger this year, that Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan are better than ever before, that the emergence of Norman Powell has given the team a boost they've rarely received from a late draft pick or that DeMarre Carroll has finally made his return, just in time to help guard Paul George, one of the guys he's best suited to defend.