Raptors mailbag: What constitutes a playoff success? And is Pascal Siakam ready? – The Athletic
The big question
What outcomes would be considered a disappointment at the end of these playoffs for the Raptors? My take is a first-/second-round exit is an absolute disappointment. If they lose competitively in the Eastern Conference finals to the Bucks, that’s still a great outcome. — Omair
This is definitely one that’s going to vary by person. For me, I tend to reset before the playoffs in this way: What were my preseason expectations, and how did they meet them? What were my concerns, and how did they address them? Has the root of my preseason analysis changed fundamentally, and if not, should it for the playoffs?
Going through those paces for this year, there’s no question the Raptors overperformed. I was on the more optimistic end of things, picking them to finish third in the East and be out in the second round of the playoffs. The specifics of them “narrowly” beating that are important — they were second in the East, a one-spot jump, but their win total and overall performance blew away expectations. They held up better than even optimists would have thought.
What makes things difficult is that the specifics of our preseason analysis haven’t changed much. We thought the Raptors would be an elite defence (check), an elite transition offence (check), an average half-court offence (check) and a team with a limited floor if injuries struck (ha!). So they certainly beat expectations, but I’m not sure they did so in such a way that my priors have fundamentally shifted. They addressed only one of their two biggest concerns — the ability to withstand injury, not necessarily the half-court offence — and even the depth question is still somewhat relevant as Nick Nurse discusses a seven- and maybe eight-man playoff rotation. The Raptors are better than I thought, but the problem area that made me hesitant to pick a deep playoff run before the year still remains.
So, I get where you’re coming from. Obviously, a first-round exit would be a disaster. But I don’t think getting bounced in the second round by Boston, a top-five team in my estimation, would be a grave disappointment. It’d be a mild one, sure — the Raptors were a slightly better regular-season team and very well could beat the Celtics (I’d pick Toronto at this moment). I just don’t think losing to a roughly equal team in a competitive series would be a huge issue. Anything beyond the second round is a serious accomplishment, whereas a second-round exit is underwhelming but well within what qualifies as a successful season to me.
The Toronto Raptors 2019-20 NBA Season Report Card – Raptors HQ
Kyle Lowry – A
For this season, all we can really do is grade Lowry against himself. In that spirit, his production this season stands as better than last year — when he had to accommodate Kawhi Leonard — but not as good as his peak a couple of years ago. That said, putting up 19.4 points and 7.5 assists per game as the tactical and emotional leader of the Raptors is damn good (even if the first two numbers of his 42/35/86 shooting splits are a bit of a concern). It remains a comfort to have Kyle Lowry in Toronto.
Armstrong: Raptors need to keep LeVert in front of them – Video – TSN
While a lot of the Nets’ big names aren’t in the bubble right now, there is one player the Raptors need to keep an eye on in their first round match up. Jack Armstrong joins SportsCentre to explain why Toronto will need to keep Caris LeVert in front of them come Monday.
Raps know Siakam can handle the extra attention he’ll get from Nets – Video – TSN
The Raptors are preparing for their first round match up against the Nets and after averaging 19 points and seven rebounds in last year’s playoffs, Pascal Siakam will be the focus of Toronto’s offence and his teammates are confident he’ll be able to handle the extra attention from Brooklyn’s defence.
NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs Round 1: Easy tests for high seeds – Sportsnet.ca
In the history of the franchise, the Toronto Raptors have never swept another team in the playoffs.
That should change this post-season.
The Brooklyn Nets’ roster has been decimated, either by injury or players opting out of traveling to Orlando to play in the bubble, and what’s left after the removal of Kevin Durant (Achilles), Kyrie Irving (shoulder), DeAndre Jordan (opted out), Spencer Dinwiddie (opted out), Taurean Prince (opted out), Wilson Chandler (opted out), Nicolas Claxton (shoulder) and Jamal Crawford (hamstring) is an interesting albeit inferior cadre of misfits.
Attempting to peg what precisely this team is as presently constructed is difficult, seeing as this group has only really existed over the past seven games. And yet, despite the sample size being comically small, looking at them through such a lens is probably the best way to analyze them.
Put simply, Brooklyn has been a little better in the bubble than what most people expected (they finished 5–2). They own the ninth-best net rating (0.5) over their Orlando stretch, though it hinges largely on their ninth-place offence (114.6) and is bogged down significantly by their lacklustre 17th-place defence (114.1).
This, immediately, spells good news for the Raptors, who thrive off their stalwart defence (second-best in the league and best since entering the bubble) and whose greatest struggles lie in their half-court offence (ranked 15th overall). Should Toronto muster the grit to slow Brooklyn offensively, they shouldn’t find much resistance when it comes to scoring themselves.
The path to bottling up the Nets is quite clear, though there’s a chance it may prove to be a little more difficult than first glance would predict. Over the past seven games, Brooklyn has moved away from the isolation-heavy basketball it played for the majority of the season (the team ranks fourth in isolation possessions, but in just the 27th percentile) and has instead become more egalitarian, averaging the sixth-most assists (27.4) out of the clubs within the bubble.
To all appearances, that would seem to be a boon for the Raptors, who thrive against pass-happy teams by generating turnovers (they snagged 8.8 steals per game on the season) and subsequently getting out on the break and scoring at a lethal rate — Toronto is second in the league in points off turnovers (19.4) and ranks first in transition (93rd percentile).
And yet, the Nets have impressively managed to limit their turnovers (13.1), ranking as the sixth-best team in the bubble when it comes to holding onto the rock. Even so, continuing to accomplish that feat over the course of seven games against a team like Toronto will undoubtedly prove arduous, and the Raptors are certainly prepared to put their defence to the test against any foe standing in their way.
Brooklyn will also rely heavily upon Caris LeVert as their go-to guy — he owns a 32.1 per cent usage rate through the five games he’s played in the bubble. He’s been good in that tiny sample, and could potentially cause problems for the Raptors if his isolation play keeps the ball from moving and allowing for the possibility of turnovers.
However, while LeVert has been successful against Toronto’s defence this season (averaged 23.3 points on 60 per cent shooting), he hasn’t been particularly dangerous as an isolation scorer, ranking eighth in the league in isolation possessions per game (3.8) but generating just 0.78 points on those possessions, putting him in the 30th percentile.
Add to that the fact that OG Anunoby, the Raptors’ best defender who will surely see the bulk of his time devoted to LeVert, only spent 3:38 of game time (through three contests) guarding him this season, and Toronto probably isn’t too concerned about LeVert swinging the series.
Overall, the Nets just don’t have the personnel to make this an intriguing series against the Raptors, and their defence is so porous that Toronto’s half-court offence shouldn’t even be that much of a concern here.
Prediction: Raptors in four.
Toronto Raptors HQ Podcast — That’s A Rap #100: Nets playoff preview – Raptors HQ
In This Episode:
2:30 — 2014 Revival
For the third time this season, the Toronto Raptors will begin their title defense. In October, they kicked off the season with an overtime victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Two weeks ago, they re-started the season with a statement victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. With the Playoffs finally upon us, the defending champs renew pleasantries with an old playoff foe.With the help of Ariel, the boys discuss the 2014 first round series between the Nets and Raptors. It might surprise you how our guest viewed that Nets team.
10:00 — Nets season recap
Brooklyn’s season was doomed to fail before it even started. With Kevin Durant expected to miss the season, the team’s depth, as well as its coach (Kenny Atkinson) would be put to the test. How they’ve managed to win five of eight re-seeding games, despite absences from KD, Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAndre Jordan, Taurean Prince, and Wilson Chandler, is nothing short of a miracle. A lot of that success is driven by Jacque Vaughn.16:40 — Vaughn’s performance
This playoff series also pits a pair of .700 coaches against each other. Nick Nurse’s outstanding coaching job has led the Raptors to a franchise record .736 win percentage. Jacque Vaughn took over for the fired Kenny Atkinson days before the hiatus. He’s done a great job so far and won seven of his first 10 games. What’s the secret to his success? How much of Jarrett Allen’s success is attributed to the team’s coach? What about Caris LeVert and his continued growth?21:55 — Do the Nets have any chance?
Levert’s leadership will likely land him a spot on the All-Bubble team. (Yes, that’s a thing) His ability to penetrate, get defenders on their hip, and score will help tremendously in trying to pull off an upset. Brooklyn owns the bragging rights of ending Toronto’s franchise record 15-game win streak.24:50 — Matchups and X-Factors
Joe Harris, while known as a sharpshooter, is quicker that you’d imagine. Just as Matt Thomas is driven off the line, Harris uses his deadly shooting to lure defenders in before blowing by. Rodions Kurucs will also test Toronto’s penchant for allowing 3-point shots.29:35 — Predictions
Will the Raptors lose another Game 1? Can the Nets steal a game or two with hot outside shooting? In a season full of franchise firsts, are the Toronto Raptors capable of completing their first playoff series sweep?
The Nets Are Playing Hard. But Can They Dethrone the Raptors? – The New York Times
The Nets win if …
1. The Monstars steal Toronto’s talent.
Maybe the entire Raptors team could oversleep and forfeit several games. Or the Nets could put Flubber on the soles of their shoes. I don’t know. You pick.But the bottom line is that the Nets are — as another New York institution might say — “outgunned, outmanned.” Even with Irving playing, the Nets would be huge underdogs in this series. But missing most of their best players? It would be one of the biggest upsets in N.B.A. playoff history if the Nets won.
Everything needs to go right for the Nets at the same time that everything needs to go wrong for Toronto. The Nets have very little margin for error. But it’s a weird year! (The Raptors, of course, are familiar with this scenario of weird things happening from last year’s run: Leonard’s last-second shot that bounced in against the Philadelphia 76ers; the Warriors losing several key players to injury.)
It will be clutch time by committee for the Raptors in the absence of Kawhi | The Star
Still, as any coach who’s come out on the right side of the NBA playoff grind can tell you, there are moments when all the Xs and Os in the world can’t replace a class-A shot maker.
“In tough playoff games you need somebody that can get you a bucket. You need somebody that can just get the ball, and put their head down, and score you one. Or step back and score you one, or whichever way,” Nurse said. “It’s just to kind of keep things ticking over, and keep momentum and spirit and all that stuff going.”
This season, of course, Toronto’s designated propeller of positive momentum, in lieu of Leonard, has been Pascal Siakam.
“He’s done a tremendous job of that this regular season,” Nurse said. “I would imagine he answers every step-up call, every step-up-and-play call. He’s probably ready for that.”
Still, given that the entirety of Toronto’s identity is wrapped up in collective responsibility, it probably won’t be a surprise if, as willing and able as Siakam may be, there aren’t moments when the ball goes elsewhere in the midst of a crucial offensive moment. More than a year after Leonard put his head down and produced “The Shot” — the first Game 7-winning buzzer beater in NBA history in a second-round thriller against the Sixers — it seems as though the Raptors are comfortable enough pondering the notion of navigating crunch time by committee.
“We have a lot of guys who can take over at the end of the game. Maybe that’s better,” VanVleet said. “Maybe that’s better than having one guy you can load up on. We’ve got a bunch of different guys who can make shots. We’ll roll the dice and see what happens.”
Excited about next year? Sure. How about next WEEK! – NetsDaily
Now, it’s Toronto they’ll face, the team with the best record in the NBA over the past five years, including last year’s NBA championship. Even with Kawhi Leonard abandoning the cold winds off Lake Ontario for the cool breezes of L.A., the Raps under Nick Nurse and Masai Ujiri are a formidable team, winning 53 of 72 games.
They still have Kyle Lowry and Marc Gasol and Fred VanVleet and of course, Kawhi-Lite, Pascal Siakam, from last year’s ring-holders and are 10-point favorites in Game 1 which starts at 4 p.m. Monday and continues on alternating days until someone wins four games.
“We played a great eight games, but now it’s time to really lock in,’’ said LeVert who’s assumed the role of team leader. “That’s why we came out here — for the playoffs. There’s no moral victories. We have to lock in the next couple of games.”
Despite the loss of so many players —we’ll spare you the list, you know it by heart— the Nets strength was its offense. Simplified by Vaughn, it finished with the seventh best offense in the “bubble,” led by LeVert’s 25 point per game output and Joe Harris’ 20, bolstered by his 54.2 rate from beyond the “bubble” arc. Jarrett Allen averaged a double double: 15.7 points and 11.0 rebounds while shooting better than 67 percent overall. And in a big surprise, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot averaged 14.8 points off the bench, with a sparkling 52/45/90 shooting line.
Of course, it was all a big surprise, as LeVert said and it will be up to him to surprise Toronto. Vaughn thinks he’s right where he needs to be.
“[LeVert] had a great pace to him, mixing it up, attacking the rim, that balance and making the right play,’’ Vaughn said. “The team believes in Caris. This is an opportunity for him to show not only his teammates but the rest of the league the work he’s put in and [get] honors and achievements he deserves.”
The Raptors are the Raptors. They know what it takes to get to the final game of the season, which should never be underestimated. They have veterans and players playing for their next contract. They, like any team, have vulnerabilities. Their big one, despite their overall solid defense, is stopping the three, particularly those from the corner. The Raptors gave up more corner three’s than anyone. Cue Joe Harris, among others.
Toronto Raptors Playoff Preview: Breaking down matchup vs. Nets – Tip of the Tower
Long the pride and joy of Raptors Nation, the bench mob disappeared for a beat during last year’s playoffs. At times during their series with Milwaukee, head coach Nick Nurse was forced to shorten his rotation to eight, putting more exertion on an already exhausted Lowry and Leonard.
This season, there’s a feeling around the team that no such absence will occur. En route to their 7-1 bubble record, the Raptors have had the opportunity to give their starters some rest.
This has allowed the bench to test themselves against the league’s best. And they passed with flying colours.
Chris Boucher, who played sparingly in last year’s playoffs, has now established himself as a bona fide bench threat. Terence Davis, who has already started a couple of games in the bubble, remains the Raptors’ X-factor.
On top of those two more well-known names, some Raptors deep cuts are proving they have what it takes too. Matt Thomas is shooting 50 per cent (12/24) from three since the restart, and Paul Watson, who has played a grand total of nine NBA games, came out of nowhere to drop 22 points on the Denver Nuggets in the Raptors’ final regular-season game.
And that’s to say nothing of this from Stanley Johnson. This team is deep, unified and experienced; a recipe for success in the pressure cooker that is the NBA playoffs. As far as the Raptors’ starting five goes, well, you know what they can do.
NBA Playoffs: 4 individual matchups to watch in the East first round – Sir Charles in Charge
Fred VanVleet vs. Caris LeVert
A battle between the two shooting guards in Toronto and Brooklyn’s matchup, this is one I’m highly looking forward to for a variety of reasons. Caris LeVert has led the way all through the bubble for Brooklyn, with KD, Kyrie, Spencer Dinwiddie, and all the other stars sitting out the restart.He burst for 37 points in Thursday’s nail-biter loss to the Blazers. Fred VanVleet is poised for big moments, helping aid a championship run last year in Toronto with big shots and major hustle minutes at the shooting guard.
Both LeVert and VanVleet bring an edge to the table that is so fun to watch and rare amongst many players. They aren’t the most hyped up players, they aren’t household names, but whenever these two hit the floor you know they’re bringing 100% energy and when either get locked in, are dynamic scorers from anywhere on the floor.
Series Preview: Raptors should have no trouble with Nets – Sports Illustrated
The Nets will win the series if…
If LeVert is the best player in the series, Harris gets hot from 3-point range, and the Nets dominate the boards, Toronto could lose.
It’s all incredibly unlikely to happen. Even though LeVert has looked really good in the bubble, averaging 25 points, nearly seven assists and five rebounds on 48% shooting, the much larger sample size of the season suggests he’s not the best player in the series.
Brooklyn’s 3-point shooting could be a little problematic if the Nets get lucky. They’ve taken the fourth-most 3-pointers of any team since the NBA returned, averaging just over 40 attempts per game. Harris is certainly the scariest Nets shooter, shooting 42.4% from 3-point range this season and 54.1% inside the bubble. If he gets hot, that could give the Raptors some trouble for a game or two.
And it’s possible the Raptors could overlook Brooklyn, but based on what VanVleet said Saturday, that won’t be an issue.
“From my perspective, I just think every team in the playoffs is dangerous,” VanVleet said. “They’re talented enough to be here. It’s not like we’re going in disrespecting them or overlooking them. We know what we have to do to go out and perform. Obviously we’re confident in our abilities, but we’re going to have to go out there and play and the rest will take care of itself.”
The Raptors will win the series if…
If the better team wins most games, the Raptors won’t have trouble against Brooklyn. They’re too talented and too experienced to have a hiccup here.
Pick:
Raptors in four. 🧹🧹
