1. Can the Toronto Raptors win a playoff game?

Last year, the Toronto Raptors racked up an impressive 49-33 record and landed the 4th seed in the East, only to get swept in the first round by the 5th seeded Wizards. This season they've done even better: their 56-26 record earned them the 2nd seed in the East. However, they've already lost their first HOME game to the 7th seeded Pacers. This makes it 7 straight playoff losses in a row. Toronto, aka the 6ix, has somehow managed to become the coolest zip code in American rap music. If this city wants to do the same in the NBA, they have to find a way to win a damn playoff game.

2. Drake reactions

Watching Drake watch basketball is oftentimes more amusing than the game itself. One of Drake's greatest and most accurate lines comes in "Thank Me Now," when he declares that "Sports and music are so synonymous, 'cuz we wanna be them, and they wanna be us." There is a part of Drake that clearly wants to be a basketball player, as evidenced by his dramatic and meme-ready court-side reactions. Another thing about Drake? He is perhaps the biggest bandwagon fan in sports history. In the course of his music catalog, he has shouted out Steph Curry and Draymond Green of Golden State, Lebron James of the Cavs, James Harden of the Rockets, Cory Joseph of the Raptors, and Lou Williams of the Lakers (formerly Raptors). All of these teams are in the playoffs, except, of course, the Lakers. Drake is officially the global ambassador for the Raptors, and he made the 6ix what it is today. But it will be interesting to see who Drake aligns himself with if (big IF) the Raptors make it deep into the playoffs.

3. Memes

Aside from Drake, there are several other elements of the NBA playoffs that have the potential to generate some truly dank memes. Michael Jordan's team, the Charlotte Hornets, are in the playoffs as the #6 seed in the East. This means that they are likely to be eliminated in the first or second round, and any time anyone or anything associated with Michael Jordan loses, you are sure to see the Crying Jordan meme make an appearance. I almost feel bad for Jordan, that in his old age he has become the butt of an internet joke he probably doesn't understand. But then I remember that he invests in private prisons and sells shoes for 200 dollars that cost about 10 bucks to make. I'm also hoping for some memes from the Golden State Goddess, Riley Curry. Last year, Steph Curry brought her to postgame conferences with him and, since it was probably way past her bedtime, Riley said a bunch of hilarious and weird shit into the mike. The best moment was probably her rendition of Big Sean's "Blessings." Barring the Apocalypse, the Golden State Warriors will make it deep into the playoffs, and I hope their star brings his adorable daughter with him.

4. Warriors vs. Spurs

One critique of the 2015 NBA Champion Warriors is that they had a 'easy' path to the Finals. They never had to face the San Antonio Spurs, who lost a 7-game series to the LA Clippers in the second round. Instead, they made easy work of the Rockets in the semi-finals in a 5 game series that was never close. This year, myself and most NBA fans hope that the Warriors and Spurs will meet in the West semi-finals. The Spurs have the second-best record in all of the NBA, and have had a historically great season that would have made headlines if the Warriors weren't breaking records every other night. Some NBA fans would argue that a semifinal between the Warriors and the Spurs would be more competitive than the eventual NBA championship.

5. Warriors vs. Cavaliers

Everyone loves a rematch, and the Cavaliers definitely deserve one. They entered the series without Kevin Love and then lost Kyrie Irving two games into it. Lebron James is amazing, but he can't win a championship by himself. With all three of their stars healthy, the Cavaliers would make this series much more interesting this year. This matchup also presents a battle between Lebron James and Steph Curry. To many viewers, Curry and Lebron represent opposing archetypes. Lebron is a Type A alpha-male, scouted since high-school and long expected to become "this generation's Jordan." (Forget Kobe, I'm sick of hearing about him.) Steph Curry, on the other hand, was a scrawny, 6'3, baby-faced player who wasn't recruited by any big-name schools. In the last two years, to virtually everyone's surprise, he has become the most dominant player in the NBA with his crazy handles and ability to shoot three pointers from the moon. The battle between Steph and Lebron is somewhat of a David and Goliath type situation. I'm actually rooting for Lebron; I admire his desperate attempt to bring a championship to his hometown, and I find Steph's "Jesus helps me shoot this ball better than you" shtick a little off-putting. In any case, if these two teams meet in the finals it will be a battle for the ages.