The Challengers: Where do Raptors rank among East threats to Celtics?

The Boston Celtics have gone through some unexpected adversity this offseason, but make no mistake: The target is still on their backs.

After knocking off the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat in the 2022 postseason to surge to the NBA Finals, the Celtics enter the 2022-23 campaign as odds-on title favorites. They were the best team in basketball from February to early June, and they're still the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.

So, who has the best chance of beating them?

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It's not a short list, as the top half of the East is loaded with championship hopefuls. In our series spotlighting "The Challengers," we'll examine the five East teams that have the best chances of preventing the Celtics from repeating, starting with No. 5 and working our way up.

First up: The Toronto Raptors. (Scroll down for the two teams that just missed the cut.)

Raptors' 2021-22 results

• 48-34 record
• Fifth in Eastern Conference
• Lost in first round to Philadelphia 76ers (six games)

Raptors' 2022-23 NBA title odds (via PointsBet)

40/1 (15th overall, seventh in East)

Notable offseason acquisitions, departures

Acquisitions: Otto Porter Jr., Juancho Hernangomez

Departures: Svi Mykhailiuk, Yuta Watanabe, Isaac Bonga

Projected starting five (2021-22 stats)

• PG: Fred VanVleet (20.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 6.7 apg, 40.3% FG, 37.7% 3PT)
• SG: Gary Trent Jr. (18.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.0 apg, 41.4% FG, 38.3% 3PT)
• SF: OG Anunoby (17.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.6 apg, 44.3% FG, 36.3% 3PT)
• PF: Scottie Barnes (15.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.5 apg, 49.2% FG, 30.1% 3PT)
• C: Pascal Siakam (22.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 5.3 apg, 49.4% FG, 33.4% 3PT)

Matchups with Celtics in 2022-23

• Dec. 5: Celtics at Raptors
• Jan. 21, 2023: Celtics at Raptors
• April 5, 2023: Raptors at Celtics
• April 7, 2023: Raptors at Celtics

How likely are Raptors to finish ahead of C's in East?

If the Celtics are looking up at Toronto in the standings at the end of the season, something went very wrong in Boston.

Despite a sudden coaching change and injuries to Robert Williams and Danilo Gallinari, the Celtics are expected to be a top team in the East. The Raptors could surprise people as a dark horse contender, but they're in a clear class below Boston.

Toronto exceeded expectations last season to win 48 games and earn the No. 5 seed. Aside from picking up Porter, though, they didn't really get much better this offseason. The Raptors' path to contention rides mostly on Scottie Barnes taking a significant leap after earning 2022 NBA Rookie of the Year honors.

If Barnes becomes an All-Star in Year 2, he'll form a formidable trio with Siakam and VanVleet. The Raptors don't have much scoring depth outside of those three, however, and none are elite shooters. The Celtics have better offensive depth and the No. 1-ranked defense from a season ago. Barring a disaster, they should be a few spots ahead of Toronto in the standings.

Who wins in a playoff series: Boston or Toronto?

This question will get harder over the course of the week, but right now, it's easy.

The Raptors are scrappy, versatile and long, with nine players listed between 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-9. But they also lack a strong interior presence with Siakam as their starting center. More importantly, they can't shoot: Toronto ranked 20th in the NBA in 3-point percentage last season and don't have a single player on their roster whose effective field goal percentage was above the league average.

The Celtics have won five of their last seven matchups with the Raptors and have been able to keep Siakam mostly in check. Boston's elite defense would suffocate Toronto in a seven-game series, and even if Nick Nurse can get his group to overachieve again, the offensive talents of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown should carry the C's to victory.

Prediction: Celtics in five

"The Challengers:" Honorable mentions

Cleveland Cavaliers: Yes, a starting five of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Isaac Okoro, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen sounds good on paper. But the Cavs vastly overachieved early last season before petering out down the stretch, and we're not ready to group them in the East elite after the addition of Mitchell, whose defense leaves plenty to be desired.

Atlanta Hawks: Even if Dejounte Murray is the perfect backcourt complement to Trae Young, the duo is likely to have some growing pains as two ball-dominant guards in the same lineup. Until Atlanta dramatically improves on the defensive end, it won't be able to hang with the top half of the East.