Toronto Raptors tickets are suddenly becoming a very hot item for NBA fans, and that's something that's rarely been said in the past, as until recently, the Raptors have ranged in success levels from up-and-coming playoff team to total disaster. The current Raptors are attempting to put their checkered past in the past for good, however, and there are several reasons for this rapid transition into legitimate contender. We'll examine a few of these reasons below.

Chris Bosh

There have been several new developments within the Raptors' organization, but one of the few mainstays has been Bosh. He's an All-Star, he's represented his country and is continuing to blossom before everyone's eyes. Bosh is a force down low, and that reality was driven home with a recent 41-point effort against Dwight Howard and the Magic. Bosh is a star who can drive up the sales of Toronto Raptors tickets all by himself, and he's locked up in Toronto for years to come.

Management

For many years, the Raptors seemed to lack any sort of direction from the top. That all changed recently with the hiring of Bryan Colangelo in February of 2006. Colangelo brought the experience of helping build the dynamic roster of the Phoenix Suns, and his direction and clear ideas in regards to acquiring talent have given the organization a clear direction for perhaps the first time. His personnel moves have been shrewd both from the standpoint of immediate results and long-term development. Basically, the Raptors are now in good hands at the top, and that's a dividend that never stops paying off.

Point Guard Play

One of the first moves Colangelo made during the past off-season was to trade young PF Charlie Villanueva to the Milwaukee Bucks for PG T.J. Ford. The move was widely panned, as it went against the NBA norm of never trading "big for small." However, Ford has come aboard and given stability and dynamic energy to the PG position, and his up-tempo style is a perfect fit with the talent around him on the floor. To date, Ford has averaged 14 points, 4 rebounds and nearly 8 assists per game, and his desire to constantly push the tempo only makes players like Bosh better.

Where They Stand

As of this writing, the Raptors sit with a 27-23 record, and in the weak Eastern Conference, that's good enough for first place in the Atlantic Division. Barring a totally unforeseen collapse, the Raptors will make the playoffs, and their style will be tough to deal with once the games really begin to count.

Overall, it'll be anyone's title to grab in the Eastern Conference playoffs, and those who use Toronto Raptors tickets may be seeing a team moving towards its first NBA Finals appearance.