2. Toronto Raptors vs Cleveland Cavaliers
If Toronto and Cleveland cross path in this year’s playoffs, it will be their third straight postseason meeting.
It started in 2016, where Cleveland won their second round series 4-2 en route to their first championship. While the Raptors did win two games, the average margin in Cleveland’s wins was 26 points.
Last season they met in the Conference Finals, and there wasn’t even the illusion of a close series. The Cavaliers swept the series 4-0, and the perception that Toronto crumbled in the playoffs continued.
We’ve talked about the Cavs previously, so let’s look at Toronto.
While no one wants to jump the gun, this year looks like it could be different. The Raptors are currently first in the East with a revamped bench and a modernised gameplan.
They shoot 32.8 3’s per game, third most in the league, after being in the bottom ten last season. Dwayne Casey has completely rebuilt his team’s style of play with personnel many thought were incapable of doing so.
DeMar DeRozan in particular has embraced the 3-point revolution. He’s more than doubled his 3-point attempts per game (1.7 to 3.6), and is subsequently posting his highest effective field goal percentage since his rookie year (48.8).
DeRozan has been a fringe MVP candidate, and Kyle Lowry has continued to play at an All-Star level, but it’s been Toronto’s bench that has surprisingly elevated them to the top of the Eastern Conference.
Toronto’s regular bench lineup is Fred VanVleet, Delon Wright, CJ Miles, Pascal Siakam and Jakob Poeltl. When those five players are on the floor, they have a net rating of plus-21.3.
That’s good for fifth in the league among all five-man lineups (minimum 100 minutes). And yes, that includes starters as well.
This team, and this recent era, is Toronto’s most successful ever. All they need now is to finally take down the Cavaliers, and their legacy will be forever.
It’s that narrative that would make this series awesome.