IN WHICH AN ATTEMPT IS MADE TO LOCALIZE LEBRON'S GREATEST MOMENT

Seeing LeBron James (pictured, with Game 6 hero Daniel 'Boobie' Gibson) lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals begs the question of what ramifications it has for the Raptors.

Much like Sonny Liston when he was whupped by 22-year-old Muhummad Ali in 1964, the Detroit Pistons seemed to age rapidly as LeBron (also 22) and the Cavs took over the Eastern Conference final. The Pistons face a possible summer breakup, with a coaching change and some of their nucleus, namely Chauncey Billups, leaving, so they no longer get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the pecking order in the East.

The Raptors, who went out in six games to New Jersey, who in turn were ousted in six games by the Cavs, weren't capable of reaching the NBA Finals this season. However, the gap between the Raptors and the Cavs isn't wide. Cleveland won three of the four regular-season matchups, but one of those was an 86-85 decision where James took over in the endgame and the Raptors had a last shot (two, actually) to win.

The 2007-08 Raptors, with the young stars continuing to improve and a new small forward to replace Mo Peterson, should at least match this season's 47 wins. The Cavaliers' playoff run suggests the conference is wide-open, if markedly weaker than the West. There's a lot to be sorted out over the summer, particularly in terms of what the Chicago Bulls do and where Billups and Vince Carter sign as free agents, but the balance of power might have shifted enough to clear the deck for a deep Raptors playoff run next spring.

Of course, that's just optimism talking, but consider where the Cavaliers have come from. Now it should hit home for a Raptors fan. And yes, thanks to LeBron, there's much more reason to watch the Finals.

Related:
Making his teammates better (Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports)
Pistons ponder uncertain off-season (SI.com)