Raps Fans Anticipate Possible Vince Playoff Visit

The Raptors are locked into the third spot in the Eastern Conference, but on the final day of the 2007 regular season they still don’t know which team will be at the Air Canada Centre when the first round of the playoffs begins.

On Wednesday it was down to two clubs, and depending on who you ask there are reasons for Raptors Nation to hope for visits from both.

The New Jersey Nets and Washington Wizards have the same record with one game to play, with the Nets holding a tiebreaker, making them the Raptors’ current opposition.

New Jersey plays host to the Chicago Bulls Wednesday, while Washington visits the Indiana Pacers. If New Jersey loses and Washington wins, the Wizards will be the Raptors’ first-round challenge. Regardless of what Eddie Jordan’s team does though, if Jersey wins, they’re it.

Since Chicago’s secured the East’s second seed and no longer has much to play for, there’s a solid chance the surging Nets will have an easy go of things, and the depleted Wizards have had their hands full just competing down the stretch.

Still, the eyes of Raptors fans will be on the scoreboard Wednesday night.

Most are hoping the Wizards can complete the last-minute leapfrog. Without MVP candidate Gilbert Arenas and star Caron Butler, on paper Washington hardly presents a formidable first-round foe, something appealing to a franchise that’s only made the playoffs on three occasions and gotten out of the first round once. Toronto’s also owned Washington this season, taking three of four meetings.

Most experts agree that playing Washington is the path of least resistance, but those that really know their basketball understand that’s not always the way to win.

Sure, the Nets boast eternal nemesis and former Raps star Vince Carter, as well as future Hall of Famer Jason Kidd, and losing to their division rivals in the first round after such a strong season would sting considerably.

Of course the flip side of things is that beating Vince and the Nets on home court would not only solidify 2006-07 as the greatest in franchise history, but exercise the few remaining demons that linger from his last days in a Raptors uniform and the tumultuous time that followed. Toronto split the season series with New Jersey at two games apiece.

It’s a rare opportunity for the Raptors organization to truly prove itself, and one that might not be available should they slip past Washington and lose to the likes of Chicago in the second round.

But regardless of which team fans are hoping to see, the playoff field will be set Wednesday night, when Toronto also wraps up its season against the lowly Philadelphia 76ers.

The game has no bearing on the Raps’ playoff position or anyone else’s, but a win would give them the best record in franchise history, while a loss would tie them with the 2001 team at 47-35.