Don't look now, but the Toronto Raptors have the best record in the entire NBA.

Basketball may not be the most popular sport in Canada, but with the Toronto Maple Leafs having not won a Stanley Cup since 1967, the Raptors are hometown favorites.

The Raptors are an NBA-best 13-2 this season with losses to the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat. Since losing to the Bulls in their ninth game, the Raptors have won their last six consecutive games. The Raptors have notable victories over quality teams such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, Memphis Grizzlies and Washington Wizards.

Not only have the Raptors been winning at a high rate, but their divisional opponents have been absolutely pathetic to start this season. The Brooklyn Nets are in second place with just six wins and eight losses. Outside of the Raptors, the rest of the Atlantic division has a combined 14-43 record.

DeMar DeRozan has been the Raptors' leading scorer all season, and Kyle Lowry is averaging a career-high 18.1 points per game. The Raptors have the No. 2-ranked scoring offense in the NBA, only behind the Dallas Mavericks. The Raptors' defense has been underrated all season ranking seventh in the league and second in the Eastern Conference, only behind the Indiana Pacers.

Lithuanian center Jonas Valanciunas has emerged as one of the most underrated big men in the NBA. On Nov. 24, against the Phoenix Suns, he had a career-high 27 points in a 104-100 victory. The former No. 5 overall draft pick is averaging a team-leading eight rebounds per game this season.

The Raptors have made the postseason just once in the last seven seasons, which came last season. Unfortunately, that playoff appearance ended with a loss to the Nets in seven games. Dwane Casey has been coaching the Raptors since the 2011 season.

At 13-2, the Raptors are on top of the Eastern Conference by four wins. The Washington Wizards, who are 9-5, are in second place. The Raptors have been a great home and road team this season, and have the longest active winning streak in the East. The Raptors have also yet to lose a game this season to a divisional opponent.

Critics of the Raptors bring up the fact that this team doesn't have a "superstar." The Raptors don't have a LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard, but they are getting the job done as a well-balanced team. Even though the Eastern Conference has been abysmal this season, the Raptors are 4-0 against Western Conference opponents so far this year.

The last time the Raptors won a playoff series was the 2000-01 season, when they defeated the New York Knicks in five games. The Knicks and Boston Celtics each have just four wins, and the light at the end of the tunnel appears to be train. As for the Philadelphia 76ers, 0-82 may not be an impossibility for the City of Brotherly Love.

It's time for NBA fans to take notice of the Raptors. Balanced scoring combined with the most underrated center in the game make this team a threat come playoff time, especially in the East.


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