I almost threw-up during game 7. I could barely breath, was shaking uncontrollably, found myself unable to sit down for large portions of the game, and even when I was standing I was pacing back-and-forth across the room.
So that probably is a bad sign for what round two could do to my heart, but here we are.
It’s been 15 years since the Raptors were able to smell the air of the second round. 15 years of mostly suffering. Long playoff draughts, excruciating first round defeats (Hi Brooklyn and Washington…I hate you both!), and seeing stars leave town for better chances of winning.
In some ways it feels like anything that comes now is gravy on a successful season, but I know I won’t feel that if this goes poorly. I want the Raptors to crush the Heat, and it begins tonight in Game 1.
Round 2, Game 1…damn it feels good to write that.
We had all hoped (expected?) an easy round one win, which clearly didn’t work out. So here is the good news:
- We don’t have to face Paul George anymore
- The Raptors won despite DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry shooting a combined 31.8 percent from the field
The hope among Raptors’ fans seems to be this: DeRozan and Lowry can’t possibly continue shooting this poorly, and hopefully getting the first round monkey off their back will help the team as a whole.
As for the Miami Heat, they pose some unique problems for the Raptors.
Heat Starting Line-up:
PG: Goran Dragic
SG: Dwyane Wade
SF: Joe Johnson
PF: Luol Deng
C: Hassan Whiteside
Raptors Starting Line-up:
Despite not knowing what to expect from Toronto game to game, quarter to quarter, or even minute to minute, one thing we do seem to know is the 9 man line-up that Casey has settled one.
PG: Lowry, Joseph
SG: DeMar, Ross
SF: DeMarre Carroll, Norman Powell
PF: P
atrick Patterson
C: Jonas Valanciunas, Bismack Biyombo
3 Things to Look For:
- Battle of the Bigs
Assuming Lowry and DeMar play average (not safe to assume based on the first round), the series might come down to the battle between Jonas and Hassan Whiteside. Few players in the league can compete with Hassan when it comes to help defence. He looks to block every single shot, and blocked a league best 3.4 shots per game in the first round.
Toronto will need to be mindful of Whiteside’s presence on the court, dumping the ball off to Jonas or Bismack in the paint. If the Raptors can cause problems for Whiteside, they Heat have few other options, as front court depth is a big issue for Miami.
- Stretchy Trouble?
Even with the absence of Chris Bosh, the Heat still sport a formidable starting line-up. Wade is having a resurgent season after being hampered by knee problems in the recent past, and he dominated the Hornets in the opening round with averages of 19 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 block, while shooting a solid 47.1 percent from the floor.
Between Wade, Joe “7 Time All Star” Johnson, and Luol Deng, the Heat bring plenty of versatility on the wing and could cause the Raptors some significant problems in this regard. Stretchy bigs such as Deng have caused significant problems for the Raptors historically, as we have recently experienced with Myles Turner.
Unlike Turner though, Deng is able to step back a few extra feet, shooting 51.3 percent from three during the first round. He could be a serious problem for a Toronto team that was a little too switch-happy against Indiana.
Will DeMarre primarily guard Wade? And if so, does DeRozan relive the 2014 playoffs by trying to guard Joe Johnson? Could Patterson take a shot at ISO Joe, while DeMar takes Deng? Lots of transition switching could be on the table.
- Hit The Boards
Miami as a team has owned the glass better than any team in the playoffs, having a league best rebounding percentage of 56.1. Meanwhile, Toronto came out of the first round with the best offensive rebounding percentage at 32.8 percent. Toronto needed every extra possession they got to escape the first round, and they’ll need to do their best to keep Miami off the glass.
As for prediction…I got no clue. Until proven otherwise I am going to buy into the theory that the Raptors were overwhelmed by the first round monkey on their back, and will now be able to return to their regular season abilities of this season. Raptors get a game 1 victory, because I want to be optimistic.
