Roundtable, Part 1: Inside the long-awaited Raptors-Celtics playoff matchup – The Athletic
Inside the Xs and Os
Can the Raptors’ turnover-heavy defence, which fuels an elite transition offence, make its usual impact against a more isolation-oriented Boston attack?King: It should be an entertaining clash between the Raptors defense, which cranks out forced turnovers, and the Celtics, who generally handle the ball very well. Over four regular-season games, the battle largely went to Boston. The Celtics had the fourth-lowest turnover rate against the Raptors of any opponent. That’s partly why Toronto had so much trouble scoring against Boston. If the pendulum swings the other way, the Raptors offense should get going. As much as just about any other team, their defense drives their offense. Not many teams can force Tatum and Walker into turnovers though. For high-usage guys, they’re among the best at controlling possession.
Koreen: This is the question, right?
Murphy: Yes, it is The Question, Eric, that’s why I asked it.
Koreen: The Raptors’ defence held up pretty well regardless of the opponent. Not so much for the Celtics, who hung 110 points per 100 possessions on the Raptors. That is 2.8 points fewer than the Celtics averaged for the season, but 5.3 points more than the Raptors allowed for the season. I don’t think Boston will necessarily become a turnover machine in this series, as the Celtics have enough playmakers and ball-handlers to respond well to what the Raptors do. At the same time, I think the Raptors have a good shot at lowering the Celtics’ percentage from deep, and of forcing them to be more conservative than they would otherwise be in fear of the Raptors’ transition game.
Weiss: The irony is that the team with the most transition possessions lost each game of the season series, with the team being even at 22 in the bubble matchup, per Synergy. The Celtics are the best transition defense team in the league, according to Cleaning the Glass’ points added metric that balances efficiency with frequency. Toronto does get a lot off steals, but they really grind out value from their possessions where they push off defensive rebounds. The Celtics are fifth in offensive rebound percentage, so they are going to limit those opportunities, especially when they are shooting well. That number is inflated to a degree by Enes Kanter, who won’t play a ton in this series, but their wings and Daniel Theis are good at creating second-chance opportunities. None of what I said matters though because one of either Smart or Brown will turn it over five times every night. In the end, Toronto’s steal proficiency is probably going to have neutral impact.
Murphy: The Raptors forced turnovers on 16.7 percent of opponent possessions this season (second in the league), including a 15.2 percent mark against the league’s top 10 offences (third). That dropped to 14 percent against Boston. That might seem like a small difference, but that’s an extra two possessions or so over the course of a game, and the Raptors score at an elite level in transition. Considering the spread for Game 1 was only two points, it’s the kind of thing that can swing games and swing series. I’ll go with “Yes” as an answer, as the Boston rotation changes with Hayward out should allow the Raptors to stay pretty aggressive off of at least one shooter at a time.
Roundtable, Part 2: Who has the edge when the Raptors and Celtics finally meet? – The Athletic
What’s the biggest concern for the Celtics?
Koreen: Their depth. Can you play four guys 36 or more minutes per night while playing every other night for up to two weeks? Maybe. It won’t be comfortable, though. If Brad Stevens goes searching for a new answer every night, the Raptors’ relative rotational certainty might prove disastrous for Boston’s ability to hold serve in the middle of both halves.
Weiss: A cold streak. The Celtics have been well balanced enough to thrive in the bubble, but the level of competition is about to leap dramatically. One or even two of their top players have had down shooting nights fairly routinely, but it hasn’t really been an issue because their opponents can’t score. But if Boston’s stars get cold at the same time, things could go south quickly.
Murphy: How good my Celtics slander tweets are. And probably that they only have six players they know they can trust for sure right now, with big question marks if they need a fourth guard or third forward. I’m a believer in Grant Williams and Semi Ojeleye, so it may be fine, but Stevens is going to be doing some trial-and-error with his transitional units.
King: The bench. They just don’t have much scoring in the second unit. The 76ers couldn’t expose that, but the Raptors are far better suited to take advantage of the flaws. Every time Grant Williams, Romeo Langord and to a lesser extent Brad Wanamaker hit the court, Toronto will be flying off those guys to limit Boston’s more threatening players. Every shot made by the Celtics bench could be huge, not just to add a few points to the scoreboard but to loosen up the Raptors defense just a bit.
NBA playoffs debate – East favorites and new NBA title predictions – ESPN
1. What intrigues you most about the Celtics-Raptors series?
Tim Bontemps: That it is finally happening! For years, these two teams have been at or near the top of the East yet have never met in the postseason. It has been a topic of discussion on both sides throughout the season — particularly after it became clear before the season shut down in March that this second-round showdown was a very real possibility. Two deep, versatile rosters with strong coaching should lead to a very compelling matchup.
Andrew Lopez: In Toronto’s 12 games since the restart, the Celtics are the only team to beat the Raptors. What I’ll be watching most is the frontcourt matchup: How does Boston handle Marc Gasol, Pascal Siakam and Serge Ibaka? Also, can Jayson Tatum stay hot against whatever defense Nick Nurse has planned for him?
André Snellings: Celtics-Raptors should be one of the most competitive matchups of the playoffs. Both teams are peaking at the right time, and they’re built as the inverse of each other: Raptors are best at the point and in the paint with the Celtics dominant on the wings. Also, two of the best defenses in the NBA should make for a slugfest.
Eric Woodyard: Two teams with the same goals, but coming from different directions. The Raptors are the champs but are fighting for respect after Kawhi Leonard’s departure. The Celtics are younger and trying to reach the heights Toronto did last season.
Kevin Pelton: Whether Toronto can score consistently against a quality defense. The Raptors feasted against weak defenses but struggled against strong ones, posting a subpar 104.8 offensive rating against the league’s other top-10 defenses (a group that includes Boston). Meanwhile, the Celtics were second best in the league against top-10 defenses with a 109.9 offensive rating.
Numbers preview: Toronto Raptors (2) vs. Boston Celtics (3) | NBA.com
Matchup notes:
The Celtics were the only team to beat the Raptors three times this season.
Pascal Siakam, Marc Gasol and Norman Powell all missed both December meetings for the Raptors. Marcus Smart missed the Christmas Day game for the Celtics. (Gordon Hayward played in all four.)
The Celtics had the lowest turnover rate (14.5 per 100 possessions) among Toronto’s Eastern Conference opponents. The Raptors’ own turnover rate (19.6 per 100 possessions) was their highest against any East opponent.
The 11.8 fast break points the Raptors averaged was their fourth-lowest output against any opponent. The four games account for four of the 19 times the Raptors were held to fewer than 14 fast break points.
The Dec. 28 game was the only game in Boston in which the Celtics scored less than a point per possession (97 on 99).
Jayson Tatum was a plus-67 in the season series. That was the best total plus-minus (by almost double) against the Raptors this season. Kemba Walker (plus-32) and Gordon Hayward (plus-31) had the fourth- and fifth-best marks.
Serge Ibaka was a minus-46. That was the fourth-worst mark against the Celtics this season.
Kyle Lowry had an effective field goal percentage of 64.8%, his best mark vs. any Eastern Conference opponent.
Jaylen Brown had an effective field goal percentage of 66.1%, the eighth-best mark among 92 players with at least 25 field goal attempts against the Raptors this season. Marcus Smart had the ninth-worst mark (30.4%).
The most common matchup in the season series was Walker and Fred VanVleet. No player (for any team) defended Walker more than VanVleet (25:32) and no player defended VanVleet more than Walker (20:37) this season. Walker (8-for-25) shot better than VanVleet (5-for-24) when they were matched up and the Celtics outscored the Raptors by 7.7 points per 100 possessions when both were on the floor.
Only Ben Simmons defended Tatum more than Lowry (17:04) this season. Tatum, who was the player that defended Lowry most this season, shot 7-for-11 with Lowry guarding him and 16-for-50 (32%) otherwise.
#3 Boston Celtics vs #2 Toronto Raptors: Second Round Playoff Series Preview – CelticsBlog
Unlike in the first round, where Philadelphia was at a decided disadvantage, this one is much, much closer. Kemba Walker is playing at the All-Star level he was at before having knee issues. He averaged 24.3 points per game on 49.3% shooting in Boston’s sweep of the Sixers. More importantly, Walker got the line 6.3 times per game, as he looked quick and explosive.
Marcus Smart was inserted in the starting five in place of Hayward. He had a nightmarish series shooting the ball, as he hit only 33% of his shots and just 13% from behind the arc. As per usual though, Smart made several big defensive plays throughout the series.
Smart’s defense will be huge in this series, and in some ways is a better option than Hayward would be. If Hayward were playing, Jaylen Brown would have to check either Kyle Lowry or Fred VanVleet. While Brown is an outstanding defender, small/quick guards still give him trouble. Now, Brad Stevens can match Smart to either Toronto starter and know he’s got a solid chance of slowing them down.
On offense, the Celtics are going to see different looks from the Raptors defense. When Marc Gasol is in, Toronto has favored drop coverage, not unlike what Boston saw from Philadelphia. In those instances, Walker (and Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum) need to take advantage via the pullup jumper. When Serge Ibaka comes in for Gasol, the Raptors tend to play up more. In those cases, look for the Celtics to force switches to attack the matchup they like best.
Defense is going to be a challenge, as both Lowry and VanVleet are capable of big scoring games. They both also make plays as passers to set up their teammates. In addition, both are strong enough to get inside and finish against the Celtics bigs.
One huge key to this series: stopping Toronto’s fastbreak offense. The Raptors were first in the NBA this season in fastbreak points scored. The Celtics guards and wings have to get back, or they’ll give up easy points.
One other note: Get ready for an epic flop-off. These four starting guards are all known for embellishing contact, especially when they take charges. It’s going to be frustrating and maddening at times, and it’s going to be that way for both sides.
NBA Playoffs 2020: Toronto Raptors vs. Boston Celtics Game 1 Preview – Raptors HQ
After years of anticipation and multiple unforeseen delays, the Raptors-Celtics series that fans have dreamt of is finally coming to fruition. Before we look into this afternoon’s Game 1, however, it remains vital to remember that police brutality and racial injustice still run rampant across North America. If you haven’t already (or if you feel inclined to do so again), please consider supporting Jacob Blake’s family by donating to his mother’s fundraiser, as well as reaching out to your local government official to push for change in police accountability and defunding.
Okay, let’s talk about basketball. Both the Celtics and Raptors swept their first round series with confidence against injury-ridden teams. Now, the challenge really begins. For some context, both teams are known to be defensive powerhouses — Toronto finished second in defensive rating this season, while Boston finished fourth. On the offensive end however, the Celtics were the league’s fourth most efficient team, while the Raptors were just 14th.
While Toronto does tend to struggle in the half-court, the team’s middling offensive ranking may also be due in part to the countless injuries that have plagued the team all season long, up until recently. Kyle Lowry suffered an ankle injury in the last game against the Brooklyn Nets, though he recently participated in a team practice, which hopefully bodes well for his odds of playing. And, even if Lowry isn’t totally, physically healthy upon his return, his basketball IQ, hustle and facilitation shouldn’t suffer. On the Celtics’ side, Gordon Hayward went down with an ankle injury and left the bubble to seek treatment. The chances he returns mid-series are quite low.
Celtics vs. Raptors preview: Why Jaylen Brown is C’s most important player – Yahoo!
Offensively, the Celtics need Brown to knock down 3-pointers when the Raptors give him open looks – he had a trio of third-quarter 3s in that early August meeting – but he’s gotta again thrive on his versatility. We think back to something Raptors coach Nick Nurse said in December after Brown had a couple big games, including a 30-point outing in Boston’s Christmas Day win in Toronto.
“It’s interesting to me. It seems like he’s getting a little bit of everything, a lot of open-floor play,” said Nurse. “He’s getting some isolation play, post-ups, putbacks, but not a lot of any one thing. I was looking at the film like crazy because, obviously, he’s had two great games here, a career high [34 points against Cleveland in December]. And there’s not a lot of opportunities to take the ball out of his hands.
“He’s making these plays kind of in the flow of his game. He’s not coming down and running 10 mid pick-and-rolls in a row and they’re going to him like this and you can blitz him out of that or whatever. It’s just he’s really being efficient, he’s getting it all over the place and he’s shooting the ball really well. The 3-point shooting, when you’re really hot from 3 that always helps your efficiency.”
The Raptors often pick their poison defensively. And it’s fair to wonder if Brown’s big nights against them during the regular season will make him more of a priority than maybe he seemed at times in those games.
The bottom line is that Brown could dictate how this series unfolds. He’s been exceptional against Toronto this season and needs to maintain a high level of play – particularly with Hayward sidelined – in order for Boston to advance.
Raptors vs. Celtics 2020 Playoff Preview: Mirror images on and off the floor – Sportsnet.ca
Though he’s the team’s No. 1 option and was the Raptors’ all-around best player during the regular season, Siakam’s game has still seemed a bit off since the team first arrived in Orlando. Throughout his time in the bubble (including the playoffs), he’s shot just 40.3 per cent from the field. Granted, during that same time period he’s averaged 18.3 points per game, which certainly isn’t bad, but when you consider before the restart he was averaging 23.6 points per game and shooting 45.9 per cent from the field, his production hasn’t looked right.
During this second-round affair, though, he’ll have an opportunity to break out of his funk in a big-time series matched up against a big-time defender.
Siakam saw a lot Brown during the regular season and performed all right against him, scoring 23 points on 10-of-24 shooting in about 12:40 of time when guarded by the Celtics wing.
The efficiency isn’t where you want it to be, but for the most part, if the Celtics were to go with Brown on Siakam again, the Raptors star should have an advantage as he’s bigger and probably quicker and more athletic, meaning moves like the one shown below should be constantly available for him.
Siakam isn’t a player to be ignored, but given some of the struggles he’s experienced there’s a chance that him finding his game again might take the Celtics a bit by surprise.
What is the mentality of the Raptors and Celtics as they prepare for Game 1? – Video – TSN
It has been an emotional few days for players across the NBA, and there are some challenges that come with easing back into the playoffs. TSN Raptors reporter Josh Lewenberg has more on the Raptors and Celtics and the struggles they face heading back into playoff mentality.
Raptors v Celtics – Game 1 Preview | Toronto Raptors
Boston’s newest Big 3
From Bird, Parish and McHale, to K.G., Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, the Celtics thrive on having a three-headed monster of talent for opponents to deal with. Hayward’s departure is a blow to the Celtics, but they still have a talented trio in Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Walker is a consummate point guard with blazing speed and more than capable of dishing off, even if the assist numbers (3.8 per game to lead the team) don’t scream it. He averaged 24.3 points per game against Philly and put up similar numbers against Toronto in their regular-season/bubble meetings this year. Brown will be handful in the backcourt, averaging 20 points and 6.4 rebounds per game this year. Tatum will be the biggest challenge of all. The third-year power forward put up 23 points, seven rebounds and three assists per game this year.
Even without Hayward, the Celtics should be a very tough opponent.
Raptors must switch their focus after an emotional week off the court | The Star
Nick Nurse leads and he teaches, he listens and he learns, about basketball and greater issues, about today and the years to come.
In these tumultuous times, with the continent reeling from social unrest, the fight for social justice, the battle against instances of police brutality and racism, Nurse’s balancing act has never been more difficult. Nor has it been more important.
The head coach of the Raptors, Nurse has been talking to his players about their experiences while trying to guide them to be more active in their own communities. He is hearing what he calls “personal and disheartening and disappointing” stories from a roster overwhelmingly Black and helping them summon the resolve to do more.
It’s tiring and important to him and a way to affect change and increase awareness. For here and now and in other locations in the years to come.
“(It’s) preparing these guys for life after basketball so that they’re prepared to continue to make an impact — even if their platform shifts or diminishes a little bit — they’re still prepared to continue to work as teachers, as coaches, as mentors, as businessmen, whatever it is,” Nurse said Saturday morning. “We (have to) continue to prepare them to be lifelong learners and lifelong impacters in their local communities.”
Nurse and the Raptors, a Canadian team in an American league, are trying to affect the election process in the United States while living outside the country. They will ramp up their voting registration drive for Americans living in Canada. One of the key components to the social justice initiatives hammered out between the league and the players this week was using arenas as voting places. That’s not possible in Toronto, obviously, but there are ways Nurse wants his team to take part in the movement.
Nurse will try to get arenas where he has coached open for voting. “I was a D-League coach in Iowa, where I’m from,” he said. “(I’m) making that call, and maybe some of our players are maybe trying to do the same in their local areas, too. So we’re working on it.”
Nurse said fewer than five per cent of Americans living in Canada voted in the last election — “that’s a ridiculous number, 30-some thousand out of 650,000 plus is mind-boggling” — and the team will air a second public service announcement promoting voter registration during Game 1 of its Eastern Conference semifinal against the Boston Celtics.
How the Raptors react to playing a game after an emotional week will be interesting. Nurse said some players told him this week they were doubting their original decision to restart the season in July but that no one has left.
How they play? Another matter entirely.
GANTER: NBA restart another test for Raptors | Toronto Sun
Almost to a man, the players feel their stated goal in agreeing to the first re-start — to use the platform such an event would provide to further social change and make a real and impactful change — fell short, or, at the very least, got sidetracked. The Milwaukee Bucks’ refusal to come out for Game 5 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with Orlando on Wednesday was the start of a re-start for that, too, with the players insisting all of the NBA — from the league office to the team owners to the players themselves — zero in on the issues they came here to highlight and hopefully begin changing.
Nurse, whose Raptors will kick off re-start No. 2 with Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series with Boston at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, said his team spent Saturday just trying to get the rust off after things ground to a halt for a few days.
“It’s like you haven’t played a game for a while and now you haven’t practised for a while and you go back and you’re just working on passing and catching the ball and dribbling a little bit and just kind of getting the cobwebs out and I think it took a while, to be honest with you,” he said of Saturday’s practice. “It took almost, I’d say, three, half, or three-fourths of a practice before it felt like we kind of were moving OK and were zeroed in on basketball a little bit, but all understandable stuff, but that’s kind of what was going on.”
The Raptors players were given the opportunity to speak with the media Saturday as opposed to being told it was part of their obligation as would normally occur. To a man, they chose to take a pass on that offer.
It wasn’t surprising. Since the Jacob Blake shooting in Kenosha, Wisc., and that unbelievable video went viral of a police officer shooting him in the back seven times as he attempted to leave, the emotions within the bubble have been raw.
It’s the very kind of act that those who agreed to the re-start in the first place came in hoping they could deter, so when it happened again just three months after another police officer kneeled on the neck of George Floyd until Floyd was dead, players throughout the bubble decided what they were doing was not enough.
How Raptors, Nurse are continuing push for voter access in U.S. election – Sportsnet.ca
Of this trio of commitments, the most difficult for the Toronto Raptors to actually be able to execute seems like it would be No. 2.
Due to the nature of the Raptors being a franchise based in Canada, Scotiabank Arena can’t really be converted into a voting location for the U.S. election.
Nurse, however, has a solution.
“We’re certainly in a different situation. We’re really trying hard, we’re trying hard to target the U.S. citizens living in Canada,” Nurse said. “We think there’s 650,000-plus. We know that only 30-some-thousand of them, around five per cent, voted in the last election. We know that the FVAP.gov folks are really happy that we’re helping, they’re getting a lot of action, they’re excited to have us helping. I mean, that’s a ridiculous number, 30-some thousand out of 650,000-plus is mind-boggling. We’re trying to help with that.
“I don’t see any, as far as our arena, there’s just not any, it doesn’t really fall into the plans. However, it doesn’t stop me from trying to get some of the, at least one of the former arenas I was a D-League coach in Iowa, where I’m from, opened, making that call, and maybe some of our players maybe trying to do the same in their local areas, too. So, we’re working on it.”
Nurse, Raptors ‘trying hard’ to target U.S. citizens living in Canada to vote – Video – TSN
With only around 5% of the U.S. citizens living in Canada voting in the last presidential election, Raptors head coach Nick Nurse explains how the team is trying hard to target as many of them as possible to vote in the upcoming November election.
Jaylen Brown: Promises are being made, but nothing is changing in America – Video – TSN
Celtics guard Jaylen Brown says he is not as confident as he would like to be in seeing actual change in the country’s climate and the number of instances of police brutality.
