May 7, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; A general view of t-Shirts draped over the seats at the Air Canada Centre prior to game four of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
The only realistic option for the Toronto Raptors is to make the most of the current window of opportunity. A sweep doesn't change that.
The Toronto Raptors are coming off of a polarizing 2016-17 NBA season. Toronto won at least 50 games for just the second time in franchise history, but it was also unceremoniously swept out of the playoffs by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Knowing that to be true, the Raptors have reached a crossroads—one that has prompted the masses to call for Masai Ujiri to blow up the ship.
The first step in evaluating the current situation is to define Toronto's core. The common theory is that the core consists of DeMarre Carroll, DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, and Jonas Valanciunas—all of whom have been together for multiple seasons.
Fair a belief as that may be, the core in this scenario consists of Carroll, DeRozan, Serge Ibaka, and Lowry—and we'll get to Valanciunas.
The truth of the matter is, the Raptors shouldn't fully commit to keeping the entire core intact—nor should they blow the team up. Instead, Toronto should evaluate every member of the roster and determine who does and doesn't fit the current vision.
One may be surprised to find out that the current core doesn't need to be blown up, but instead modified. The Toronto Raptors can salvage this fractured hull.
May 7, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Cory Joseph (6) talks with Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) )during the fourth quarter in the second round of game 4 of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at against the Cleveland Cavaliers Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
5. The Circumstances
If you can only process things in black and white, then you'll likely view this as an excuse. The reality is: Toronto acquired two key pieces at the NBA trade deadline and then lost the glue to the entire team before they could play a game together.
Getting swept is never acceptable for a team with championship aspirations, but the Raptors are a productive offseason away from making the leap.
Toronto made the move for power forward Serge Ibaka and small forward P.J. Tucker at the 2017 NBA trade deadline. Both moves signaled a sense of urgency, as well as a desire to become a truly elite defensive team.
Unfortunately, star point guard Kyle Lowry was injured before Toronto returned from the All-Star Break and the development of chemistry was thus placed on hold.
Considering Lowry only played in four regular season games between the All-Star Break and the playoffs, Toronto wasn't at full strength against Cleveland. Even taking Lowry's injury during the series out of the equation, the Raptors haven't reached their ceiling.
This team is worth developing, and that's especially true for an organization that's never made it this far before the current run it's on.
May 5, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The Toronto Raptors game day hosts get the fans to cheer during game three of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
4. The Fans
Above all else, general manager Masai Ujiri has a responsibility to build a championship contender. On that front, he can be graded better than any Toronto Raptors executive before him, although there remains some measure of room for improvement.
True as that all may be, the Raptors owe it to the loyal fan base to not completely blow up what's been the best run in franchise history.
Losing Kyle Lowry may be necessary, but falling out of the postseason altogether is not. Keep in mind: Toronto made the playoffs five times between 1995 and 2013, and has made it four times between 2014 and 2017.
The Raptors have also won more division titles between 2014 and 2017 than they did between 1995 and 2013, and recorded the only two 50-win seasons in franchise history in 2015-16 and 2016-17.
After making the Conference Finals in 2016 and the Conference Semifinals in 2017, Toronto has proven it can win in the playoffs. Unfortunately, most viewers remain unconvinced that the Raptors can win in a stronger Eastern Conference.
Toronto's stars are inconsistent in the playoffs—one more than the other—but that doesn't necessarily mean the core of the team needs to be obliterated.
Jan 22, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas (17) talks to point guard Kyle Lowry (7) as they warm up before the start of their game against the Phoenix Suns at Air Canada Centre. The Suns beat the Raptors 115-103. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
3. The Kyle Lowry And Jonas Valanciunas Dilemmas
The Toronto Raptors could conceivably let Serge Ibaka, Kyle Lowry, and P.J. Tucker walk in free agency. Masai Ujiri would then be allowing three quality players to leave with no compensation, however, and that alone is a risky proposition.
The question is: what exactly should the Raptors do about the point guard and center who are the source of this confusion?
Lowry recently turned 31 years of age, which could make it difficult to justify a five-year deal. The five-year contract would trust that the next two-to-three seasons would be worth it, however, and that's an investment worth making.
Lowry has come up short in the playoffs, but that's only true because he's being asked to score—and that's on Jonas Valanciunas.
Valanciunas has shown flashes of brilliance on offense, where he can go to the post, work the pick and roll, and dominate the offensive glass. If he were to become a consistent source of offensive production, Lowry would be able to focus more on facilitating than scoring.
Toronto's next task: determining whether or not Valanciunas can be trusted to develop into the scoring threat that would complete the formation of a championship contender.
Apr 18, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas (17) shoots for a basket over Milwaukee Bucks forward Thon Maker (7) in game two of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
2. It's Easier To Retool
Rather than pondering how to blow the Toronto Raptors up, Masai Ujiri should figure out a way to retool. DeMar DeRozan is signed long-term and entering his prime, and wasting a year of it would be a costly decision on Ujiri's behalf.
The question is: what moves would the Raptors need to make in order to adequately retool the roster and prepare for a championship run?
First and foremost, the Raptors need to determine whether or not Dwane Casey is the right coach to lead them to a championship. This situation is quite similar to what transpired with the Golden State Warriors, when Mark Jackson laid the foundation and Steve Kerr put on the finishing touches.
If Casey is unable to elevate the Raptors to the next level, then Ujiri may need to look for a coach who's capable of doing so—no matter how otherwise effective or respected Casey may be.
Upon making that decision, the Raptors could re-sign Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka, and make a splash by trading Jonas Valanciunas. Keeping Valanciunas is certainly an option, but if the idea is to retool, then he'd command a helpful return.
Toronto could blow it up and start over, but it has the tools at its disposal to be more effective in making a move to improve the current roster.
May 5, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) looks to pass the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers during game three of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
1. DeMar DeRozan
During the 2016 NBA Playoffs, DeMar DeRozan was written off as an inefficient volume shooter who was hurting the Toronto Raptors. Those who watched the games, however, saw the Raptors' supporting players shy away from shot attempts and thus force DeRozan to attempt to take over.
During the 2017 NBA Playoffs, it was DeRozan who, once again, stepped up to close out the first-round series—and that shouldn't be taken lightly.
Kyle Lowry has proven to be an unreliable postseason performer, but DeRozan showed signs of improvement in 2017. Statistically, he averaged more points, rebounds, assists, and steals per game in 2017 than in 2016, and he did so while shooting 4.0 percent better from the field.
Beyond the numbers, DeRozan seemed to be more comfortable with his responsibilities as a No. 1 scoring option—a development that directly coincides with him entering his prime.
Already a three-time All-Star, DeRozan is coming off of the best regular season and postseason of his NBA career. At 27 years of age, he's entering his athletic prime and developing a greater understanding of how to utilize his abilities.
DeRozan may or may not be Toronto's savior, but Masai Ujiri signed him to a five-year contract worth $139 million—and wasting a single one of those years on a rebuild would be inadvisable.
The Toronto Raptors may not be able to win with the current core, but retooling and building around DeMar DeRozan would be more responsible than a complete rebuild.
More from Hoops Habit
This article originally appeared on 
