Gameday: Raptors vs. Celtics, Sep. 1

The Celtics did a great job of targeting the Raptors weaknesses in Game 1. It’s time for the Raptors to pay them back in kind in Game 2.

First up, here’s Es:

Despite being touted as favorites coming into this series, the Raptors got punched in the mouth early by the Celtics, and that deficit proved to be too big to overcome. Nurse & co. had a tough time figuring out how to attack the Celtics in game 1, somewhat due to a horrible night from 3-point range, and also due to the Celtics defense that extended them beyond the 3-point line, or pushed them inside – showing the lack of genuine 2-point scoring on the Raptors roster.

And hey, it’s not always easy to identify what works on the basketball court, and even if you do know, the ball doesn’t always end up in that situation. I mean, the Rockets employ James Harden, but Westbrook still ate up most of the possessions late against the Thunder, and guess who’s going to Game 7?

Left to their own devices against a Celtics defense that bet the farm on leaving Marc Gasol alone; without their big man acting as a conduit, any transition opportunities, or Fred VanVleet’s typical output in these bubble games the Raptors offense looked as unimaginative as it ever has. The usually uber-effective grifting that Kyle Lowry brings to the basketball court only served as a turnover magnet early on. Pascal Siakam established post position early and often, creating good shots but not converting any, and maybe most disappointingly, got stuck in a style of play that would be much better suited for Zach Randolph in 2010. No flex cuts, no screen actions, no motion. Siakam subjected us and the Celtics to vanilla post-ups from 15 feet out.

The Raptors couldn’t create any downhill traction. Lowry, VanVleet, even Powell – they all struggled to turn the corner against Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Marcus Smart.

And yes, the whistle was really tight to start the game, but I don’t think that’s the reason the Raptors lost. The biggest takeaway I have from the refs, is that we were rewarded with this incredible photo:

When it came to the Celtics, they looked dangerous attacking downhill, which as it turns out, is a very big deal in the NBA. When we consider that the Raptors are very help conscious and typically allow corner 3-point shots after squeezing in to help-side, the Celtics launching from the corners was, perhaps a foregone conclusion. Whether or not the Raptors can improve how they cover the court (I think they can) remains to be seen. Hopefully we’ll get some feedback on that in game 2.

The Gasol and Ibaka minutes have been a hot topic for most of the time in the bubble, and have possibly reached their fever pitch. Ibaka came in like a house on fire in the first game of the series and immediately alleviated some of the shot making woes the Raptors were having. However (comma) there’s still a gap that separates Gasol and Ibaka on the defensive end, and the Raptors have to decide whether they want Ibaka to join the starting lineup as a scorer (because he takes shots no matter who he plays with), or keep Gasol and his pseudo-creator role.

The biggest difference is obviously Ibaka’s willingness to shoot and his potential to make the Celtics pay from the parts of the floor they’re conceding to the Raptors offense. Do the Raptors want Ibaka taking shots away from Siakam, VanVleet, and Anunoby? On the one hand, it seems like a surefire way to make sure they have a counter to a slow start. On the other hand, if you’re elevating Ibaka to that big a role on this team, what does that say about VanVleet and Siakam in particular? What does the Raptors ceiling look like if they’re trying to find guys to take the shots their stars (or pseudo-stars) won’t?

I’d expect Gasol to stick it out in the middle and for the Raptors to try and embolden their young stars to take more shots and hunt for opportunities before handing it over to Ibaka. It’s okay to disagree of course, but I view the best version of this team with Gasol complimenting the Raptors starters, and Ibaka hammering and dominating bench bigs. Both played those roles incredibly well last year on the road to a championship. It’s a bit early to abandon their ceiling in search of a higher floor, in my opinion.

Hopefully we’ll see less static possessions from the Raptors offensively in Game 2. It seemed like Lowry figured out the Celtics defense in the second half, or at the very least he figured out how to create for others inside the arc. The Celtics length will be prevalent the whole series, but they’re not the type of defense that should render the Raptors completely useless in the half-court. There are some gaps there, Anunoby was fairly good at finding them, and Siakam and VanVleet are both All-Star level players – they should find some space.

Nick Nurse has earned his reputation as a coach who can adjust with the best of them, and he’s become a trendsetter of sorts league-wide. The game plan for game 2 should be much improved. We’ll see.

Game Info

Tipoff: 5:30pm EST | TV: Sportsnet | Radio: SportsnetTheFan590. The Raptors are, perhaps shockingly, a 2.5 favorite despite the Game 1 drubbing. Before you decide to advance your retirement fund on this one, check newbettingoffers.co.uk for offers that maximize your return and minimize your risk.

Raptors Lineups

Oshae Brissett (knee) is out, and Patrick McCaw (knee) is out.

PG: Kyle Lowry, Terence Davis II

SG: Fred VanVleet, Norman Powell, Matt Thomas, Paul Watson

SF: OG Anunoby, Malcolm Miller, Stanley Johnson

PF: Pascal Siakam, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Chris Boucher

C: Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, Dewan Hernandez