How the Raptors plan to dethrone King James | The Star
“That’s the guy I want to play against,” Anunoby said.
There was no awe in Anunoby’s eyes, no fear in his speech. Even before he’d played a single NBA minute, Anunoby clearly saw himself as ready to go head to head against the game’s greatest player. Less than a year later, he’s getting a high-profile chance to prove it.
As Toronto’s starting small forward in the Raptors-Cavaliers second-round series that begins Tuesday night at the Air Canada Centre, Anunoby will get the first crack at guarding Cleveland’s famed No. 23.
Raptors Practice: Pascal Siakam – April 30, 2018 – YouTube
Do the Raptors Have Any LeBron Stoppers on Their Team? – The Ringer
Siakam, the no. 27 pick in the 2016 draft, started 38 games as a rookie, but he fell out of the rotation in the playoffs, playing only 10 minutes against the Cavs. At 6-foot-9 and 230 pounds with a 7-foot-3 wingspan, he’s bigger than Anunoby and just as athletic. He’s not a 3-point shooter, but he’s a smart and instinctive player who’s figured out ways to be productive on offense. Siakam averaged 2.0 assists on 0.8 turnovers a game this season, an impressive ratio for a defensive-minded big man. He’s the best passer in Toronto’s frontcourt, and his ability to read the floor and make plays on the move has been a key factor in their transformation to a less isolation-heavy style of offense.
Raptors’ Anunoby has chance to make a name for himself against LeBron – Sportsnet.ca
“I’ve literally never seen him [outside of basketball], I’ve never run into OG. It’s crazy,” Raptors forward C.J. Miles was saying the other day. “That’s who he is. He’s opened up more as the season has gone on, he’s got more comfortable with the guys — we spend so much time together — but he’s naturally quiet, to himself some. But he’s very… intriguing… that’s the word.”
The intrigue will continue to build as Anunoby and the Raptors set up base camp at Mount LeBron for their third attempt to summit the tallest peak in the Eastern Conference.
Raptors Practice: O.G. Anunoby – April 30, 2018 – YouTube
Raptors vs. Cavaliers: It’s now or never for Toronto to dethrone LeBron James – SBNation.com
The Raptors are the only team among the four who require no label. Everyone else has a ready excuse that everyone will buy. Everyone else can lose in the second round and simply be disappointed. The Cavaliers would spin into crisis not due to a playoff exit (one that looks increasingly likely at this point) but because of James’ looming free agency. The Sixers would lament a missed opportunity but have faith that they will be heard from for years to come. The Celtics would count the days until Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward returned to action.
The Raptors, though — losing now would crush this team.
NBA playoffs: LeBron James and Cleveland Cavaliers will come up short
Forget about talk of James getting old. Yes, he’s 33, but he’s still the player you want on the court in every imaginable situation. The problem is he’s a one-man team who now will try to stave of the No. 1-seeded Toronto Raptors starting Tuesday.
But that’s not the only reason time will catch up with James. He, and the Cavs, have spent far too much of it on the court.
The Raptors, already better, younger, fresher, and more technically stocked than the Cavs, got to put their feet up for two extra days ahead of the Eastern Conference semifinals series.
Raptors Practice: Dwane Casey – April 30, 2018 – YouTube
Asked on Monday if he thought he had the pieces to execute an anti-LeBron strategy, coach Dwane Casey was realistic.
“Well, we felt like we did last year,” Casey said. “We’ve got some very flexible players, versatile players, some flexible schemes and different looks that you want to put at him. He’s one of the best in the league as far as reading. He’s seen every defence you’ve thrown at him. As a young kid, it would have been harder for him, but now there’s nothing new under the sun for him. So we’ve just got to be ready with a variety of looks and be ready to throw them at him.”
How Raptors can make life as tough as possible for Cavaliers – Sportsnet.ca
Yes, it will be a series of adjustments, as all series are. And in that chess match, the Raptors will have a definite advantage in Game 1, having been waiting at home for their opponent for 72 hours while Cleveland played an intense Game 7 against the Indiana Pacers Sunday.
And, in turn, Toronto will have a distinct strategy for the first confrontation, which many presume will be similar to one the Pacers utilized, which left James in singular coverage. Indiana focused on taking away Cleveland’s options, forcing the 33-year-old James to carry a significant offensive load. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. It’s likely the Raptors will try it out, but not marry themselves to it.
Raptors Practice: Kyle Lowry – April 30, 2018 – YouTube
LeBron tired? The Raptors aren’t buying it – Sportsnet.ca
“You believe he’s tired? I don’t believe it,” the Toronto Raptors head coach said. “I’ll believe it when I see him sitting over on the bench, and I haven’t seen that very much because he’s playing at such a high level. It’s amazing the type of condition he’s in. We’re not banking on that.”
The Raptors practised Monday on the eve of Game 1 of their second-round playoff series against old foe Cleveland at the Air Canada Centre. And if there was any suggestion James is worn out, the Raptors are fully expecting the 33-year-old to be at his best despite logging 41 minutes a game through the first round.
Raptors vs. Cavaliers: In series of stars, ‘Bench Mob’ could turn the tide | CBC Sports
So much of this series is about LeBron James. The four-time NBA MVP has averaged 30.9 points against Toronto in their last 12 meetings, and proved once again in Cleveland’s 4-3 series win over Indiana that he can almost single-handedly win games, scoring 45 points in Game 7. The 33-year-old James logged 41.1 minutes a game in the opening round, sitting briefly in Sunday’s deciding game because of muscle cramps.
Toronto Raptors on Instagram: “And so we meet again. #NorthOverEverything”
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Raptors’ DeRozan, Cavs’ Love team up for mental health awareness PSA – Sportsnet.ca
Other athletes credited DeRozan when they publicly spoke about their own struggles afterward, like Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love. In March, Love penciled an article for Players Tribune titled “Everybody is going through something” in which he detailed episodes of anxiety during games this season.
DeRozan and Love will face one another in round two of the NBA playoffs, but the two have teamed up as part of a new PSA released by the NBA to support and promote mental health awareness.
NBA Playoffs 2018: The Raptors First Round Report Card – Raptors HQ
The first round has been done for the Raptors since Friday night, and we’ve had a lot of time to sit back and reflect on it. It’s a strange new world to be in if you’re a Raps fan, but it’s also very exciting.
Now that we know Toronto’s second round opponent — gulp, the Cavaliers — let’s take one last look at how the squad did in the first round against Washington, and what each player (and coach) needs to improve if they’re to advance past LeBron James.
Toronto Raptors on Instagram: “When the spice is just right”
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