After dispatching the Brooklyn Nets with relative ease, the Toronto Raptors find themselves in the second round of this year’s 2020 playoff bubble. Brooklyn gave them a run for their money in the second game but ultimately the Raptors talent gap showed, and they were able to achieve their first ever series sweep. However, going into this next series with the Boston Celtics should prove to be a tougher test for the boys from the North.
During the Nets series, many different players stepped up for Raptors. Fred VanVleet was the star and Serge Ibaka had his moments as well. Norman Powell and Kyle Lowry were awesome not to mention Pascal Siakam was always a towering presence. All hands-on deck is going to be needed to beat the Celtics, who like the Raptors have plenty of depth and star power of their own. What will make this Boston team a challenge is that their strengths match a lot of the Raptors’ strengths. What the Celtics do well is that they score a lot and can play tough defence much like the Raptors. Perimeter shooting is not an issue for this Celtics team. In order to win this series, the Raptors will have to outhustle, outmuscle, out effort, and out focus the Celtics. Unlike the Nets series, buckets will be harder to come by against Boston.
Brad Stevens is a great coach like Nick Nurse, this has the makings of a true playoff classic. I am expecting this series to go at least 6 games if not more. Jayson Tatum is the Celtics primary on-ball threat, although they also have other weapons such as Kemba Walker and Jaylen Brown. What Kyle Lowry does for the Raptors is what Marcus Smart does for the Celtics. It is a pretty even matchup through and through. Where I see the Raptors having the advantage is when the game goes to the bench. It is understandable to say the Raptors have more depth when It comes to bench scoring. This is safe to assume considering the bench mob scored 100 pts in the Raptors last victory over the Nets. In this series, that bench can come in handy if the starters from both sides cancel each other out. Enes Kanter is another name for the Celtics that jumps out at me. From an outsider looking in, he seems like an adequate scorer and rim protector for the opposition. Raptors big men Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol will need to be a factor for the team to have prolonged success.
Compared to other teams out there the Celtics do not seem that big in terms of the size matchup, so this could be an advantage to the Raptors. Although, they do match the Raptors in speed and quickness. Marc Gasol in particular struggled offensively in the last series; he needs to find his scoring touch to put extra pressure on Celtics defenders. Kyle Lowry needs to stay fully healthy to be able to defend the Celtics properly because they come at you with aggression just like the Raptors. On the plus side, not having Gordon Hayward for Boston hurts them, so the Raptors should look to exploit his absence. OG Anunoby’s defence on Jayson Tatum is going to be crucial to slowing down Boston’s offensive attack. An interesting matchup should be the Fred VanVleet matchup with Kemba Walker. Not to mention Jaylen Brown who I would assume is going to be tasked with trying to slow down Pascal Siakam. Siakam has not yet reached is peak performance level this postseason, and we are all wondering if that could play out in this series when needed most.
Raptors have to keep in mind this is a marathon, not a sprint. Celtics may get the better of them in some games and quarters, but if they play Raptors basketball at its finest, things should turn in their favour. The X-factor for me is Norman Powell because many times I feel like teams overlook his talent level and what he brings to the Raptors. At any given moment he can come off the bench and provide that extra spark and explosiveness the Raptors may need to push things forward. It would not surprise me to see Powell have some big games, as we have seen him do in the past when called upon. Both teams have players that excel on the defensive side of the ball and want to play fast, it should be a good/entertaining matchup. No excuses as each team have had the same amount of rest, so now its time to lace ’em up and get after it. Put all the talking and planning into game action on the court and may the best team “cough cough” the Raptors…come out on top LOL!
All in all, the Raptors have to look to capitalize on miscues and mistakes by the Celtics. Good news is that the Raptors thrive on transition offence, steals, and other teams’ errors. They must not allow the Celtics to slow the game down, because that is where they might run into some issues offensively. If you know anything about this team, it is that they never quit no matter what seems to be happening on the court. Part of the reason they won a championship last year is that they have the heart of a winner and are relentless. Win at all costs is how the Raptors play and each player who wears the jersey embodies this playstyle perfectly. Next man up mentality is a real thing for them. Whether the Raptors are down or up in a game they play the same way. Which is to say they play hard and like each game may be their last. In reality, if a team does not possess this sort of mindset, they cannot hope to be a real champion in the end. That is the belief you must have to even get an opportunity at winning the whole thing. You can be sure of one thing though, Nick Nurse(Coach of the Year, basketball genius btw…) and his coaching staff will have the Raptors ready to go, and I trust that they will push the right buttons to keep this team focused on the prize at stake. Let us not forget there is a reason this team was second in the east and broke records this season. Having said that, let’s go Raptors! And as always #WETHENORTH.
Until the next one, signing off
Matt
(Team 6ixhappening)
6ixhappening stands in solidarity with the Toronto Raptors players as they fight against racial injustices. #BlackLivesMatter
