It’s Game Day and the Cleveland Cavaliers can go up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals as they take on the Toronto Raptors at The Q.
It’s time. The Cleveland Cavaliers will take on the Toronto Raptors at home tonight and have the chance to go up 2-0 in the series, one in which all Cavs fans hopes ends in a sweep. With the dominant play of LeBron James so far this postseason, that’s not a possibility that’s out of the question.
After averaging 32.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 3.0 steals and 2.0 blocks per game against Paul George and the Indiana Pacers in the first round, James put up 35 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists against the Toronto Raptors while adding a steal and a block, both which were memorable defensive plays.
The first, a play that started with James darting into the passing lane at the top of the key, ended with James finishing an alley-oop off the backboard with his left hand.
The second, a play that was a little reminiscent of James’ stuff of Tiago Splitter in the 2013 NBA Finals. Watch James come up from inside the circle to swat Derozan’s dunk attempt after you see that ridiculous finish on his lob and try to tell someone that he’s slowing down.
The Toronto Raptors aren’t the best at the start of the series, so I don’t necessarily expect the rest of the series to be a cakewalk. However, if James can sustain this level of play throughout the playoffs, I don’t see anybody beating them.
Still, a new playoff series for the Cleveland Cavaliers gives us the opportunity to reach out to one of our colleagues in the FanSided network.
Prior to the beginning of the series, Raptors Rapture site expert Brian Boake and I did a Q&A session in an attempt to get a different perspective of the two teams. You can read Boake’s piece here.
Here is our Q&A:
Q: Do Raptors fans notice any change in (DeMar) Derozan this season compared to last season (in terms of intangibles or his play on the court)?
BB: I think savvy fans have noticed an improvement in DeRozan’s defense. He’s been a pushover for too many years, but his positioning and footwork is markedly improved. He’s a more consistent scorer on offense, and is waaay better at seeing double teams and passing out of them.
He’s well-regarded for not resting on his laurels after signing his megabucks contract over the summer. Instead, he’s enjoyed his best season as a pro.
Q: Why do you think (Kyle) Lowry struggled against the Milwaukee Bucks?
BB: Kyle Lowry had a double whammy to cope with. He missed most of the last quarter of the season following surgery on his shooting hand. Then when he returned, his back started acting up. He was in considerable pain throughout the Milwaukee series.
Everybody around the team has pasted on a smile and says in unison “He’s fine” but I’m not so sure about that.
Q: What do you think the additions of Tucker and Ibaka, in addition to the increased playing time of Powell, will do for the Raptors in their series against the Cavs?
BB: In last year’s playoffs, the Raptors didn’t have enough quality swingmen to move in and out of the lineup, particularly when the Cavaliers went on a run (which happened a lot). Also, the Raptors lost Jonas Valanciunas to an injury in the Miami series, so our center was Bismack Biyombo. He’s a wonderful defender but of little use on offense.
This time, the Raptors can put out a big lineup with Valanciunas and Ibaka, or go small with Ibaka moving over the 5-spot. When that happens, Tucker is usually on the floor making a pest of himself.
Ibaka is six, or twenty, times the scorer Biyombo is, and doesn’t give up much if anything in shot-blocking or -changing, and rebounding.
The Raptors haven’t had a power forward of Ibaka’s skill since Chris Bosh left town.
Q: Is there a player that didn’t play in the last series that could make a difference in this series? Pascal Siakam played well against the Cavs in the regular season.
BB: We like Siakam a lot, and I’ve floated the idea that he should move to the 3-spot in future. For this series, I doubt we’ll see much of him. He just helped the D-League team win the Championship, along with Bruno Caboclo and Fred VanVleet. Chances are those guys will be in street clothes.
Delon Wright has pushed himself into the rotation with smart play against second-unit point guards, particularly long ones. Don’t be surprised to see him cover Kyrie for a few minutes. Dwane Casey may give rookie lottery selection Jakob Poeltl (the NBA’s first Austrian!) some minutes as a back-up center.
*Editor’s note: Cory Joseph played 10 minutes in Game 1, Delon Wright played 8 minutes)
Q: Do the Raptors finally have “IT”? Paul Pierce notably said that the Raptors lack the “IT” factor that makes teams worry about playing you. If they didn’t have “IT” then, do they have “IT” now? Should the Cavs be worried?
BB: That’s a tough one. I’d say they have more “IT” than any Raptors squad ever, and I was at Game 1 in 1995. As to whether the Cavs should be worried…the Raptors you saw early in the season aren’t the same ones you’ll be seeing now. The roster is deeper and tougher. I think we’re in for a great series. Being the homer that I am, I’ve called for Raptors in 6.
Cavs-Raptors: What we learned from Game 1
On behalf of King James Gospel, I’d like to thank Raptors Rapture site expert Brian Boake for his idea on doing this Q&A. He provided quality and insightful answers that provide Cavs fans with a view of the visitor’s locker room.
In Game 2, head coach Dwane Casey of the Toronto Raptors may try to use more small-ball lineups to generate ball-movement and match up better with LeBron James. Before Game 1, I wrote about how that will play right into the Cleveland Cavaliers hands, regardless of how it benefits the Raptors.
Mr. Boake, you called Raptors in 6.
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What do you think will happen in the Cleveland Cavaliers series against the Toronto Raptors? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section or Twitter @KJG_NBA.
*All stats gathered from www.basketball-reference.com