It was easy to understand why the Boston Celtics were heavily considered the team to beat in the Eastern Conference heading into the 2018-19 season.

After all, this was a team that had reached back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals. They took LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games last season, even though top stars Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward had to miss the entire postseason.

With these two rejoining a core that consisted of do-it-all veteran Al Horford and young standouts Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, there was good reason to believe Boston would reach its first NBA Finals since 2010.

But through the first three games of this season, it's clear that the Toronto Raptors are the better team so far, and they have to be considered the team to beat in the East. Not the Celtics, and certainly not the Philadelphia 76ers. This is Toronto's conference until proven otherwise.

The Raptors tuned in a statement victory over Boston on Friday, a 113-101 victory in which Kawhi Leonard and co. completely dominated the final frame. There were no Irving, Hayward or Tatum heroics. The two-time Defensive Player of the Year and fellow newcomer Danny Green shut down Boston's top stars, and they drilled the key shots to put this game away.

A day later, the Raptors visited the talented - albeit constantly underachieving - Washington Wizards. Leonard was rested for that game, yet the Raptors pulled away with a 117-113 victory.

The Raptors got 28 points out of All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry, who hasn't showed any signs of slowing down thus far as he nears his 33rd birthday. The depth was on display in that victory as well; OG Anunoby had 12 points and four rebounds on the night, while Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and C.J. Miles also tuned in double-digit performances.

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Though Boston is renowned for its incredible depth - the likes of Terry Rozier, Aron Baynes and Marcus Smart - the Raptors still own the NBA's best bench. Their second unit matched up well against the likes of Irving, Hayward and Tatum, who simply couldn't find the open space in Friday's contest.

Maybe Boston has a little more star power when it comes to comparing the starting fives, but they don't have a Leonard on their roster. When healthy, the 2014 NBA Finals MVP and champion is a top-five player in the league. It's no secret that the Raptors own the best player in the Eastern Conference, and having that one superstar is all a team needs to get by.

Leonard and Anunoby - two of the league's premier defenders - matched up well with Boston's top stars. Green also deserves more credit for his strong defensive skills. He and Leonard have the championship pedigree and experience to help Toronto get over its long withstanding playoff woes.

That bodes well for a Toronto team that consists of young players and veterans without much postseason experience on their resumes.

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The Celtics are obviously Toronto's top threat, and these two teams are going to be vying for the top seed like they did in 2017 and 2018. But when you see how the two teams have fared thus far - and how much better Toronto already looks from the team that won 59 games a season ago - there should be no denying that they really are the class of the East for now.

Let's not forget Toronto owned the NBA's second best defensive rating a season ago at 106.56, per Basketball Reference, while the Celtics were seventh at 104.65. But oh, the Raptors added Leonard - a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, and Green. The sky is the limit for the Raptors when it comes to defense, and head coach Nick Nurse surely knows this.

One can cite Toronto's playoff failures all they want, but let's keep in mind LeBron James was the forefront of those. This man took down the Celtics, Raptors, Chicago Bulls Indiana Pacers, Atlanta Hawks multiple times in the playoffs. All top teams in the East, and he was able to end those five potential Eastern Conference "dynasties." Not one of those clubs could get to the NBA Finals on his watch.

LeBron did the whole Eastern Conference a favor when he went to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Raptors don't have to deal with the top player of their era anymore; the tables have turned completely. The rest of the East has to deal with a new top player in the conference, and Mr. Leonard happens to be on the Raptors.

There just aren't any notable flaws on this Toronto team. Defense is a strength, the starting five is top-tier and the bench is still the NBA's best until another unit across the league steps up.

The Raptors, Celtics and 76ers will be in a thrilling three-way horse race for the Eastern Conference crown this season. But unless someone else is ready to step up fast, Toronto has to be considered the biggest threat to the Golden State Warriors, let alone the top team in the East.

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