Gameday: Raptors @ Cavaliers, April 29th
Things are getting excellent in this series. Some phrases I’ve greatly enjoyed from Raptors Republic’s coverage:
“The series is a meatgrinder, and Toronto’s bones are stronger than Cleveland’s flesh.”
“Spoken like a coach who’s been in this situation many times before, even if he hasn’t.”
The Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers may be tied, but the Raptors have all the momentum, if such a thing exists in the playoffs. Toronto’s defence has become close to unsolvable. Scottie Barnes has been the best player in the series. And in the form of Ja’Kobe Walter’s jump-shooting and Brandon Ingram’s scoring, Toronto still has plenty of meat left on the bone of this series.
Expect the Cavaliers to come into Game 5 with a new approach. The same old has not been working for them. This game will in all likelihood determine the series. The Raptors have made a host of adjustments. This will be the make-or-break moment for this iteration of the Cleveland franchise. The Raptors will have to respond with equal intensity, on the road, and quickly find their own adjustments to Cleveland’s changes.
A tough and important game.
Series 2-2
Raptors Outlook
Offensive Rating: 112.3 (5th) | Defensive Rating: 111.0 (10th) | Net Rating: +1.3 (7th)
The Raptors went from one of their hottest performances in Game 3 to one of their coldest, most brutal shooting games in Game 4. And they won regardless. It’s not that the Raptors have survived on the back of their own hot shooting. It’s more that they have made the series entirely defined by their own defence. Any shooting they get on top of that is cherries.
In Game 4, the Raptors shot 4-of-30 from deep. Woof! Walter went 0’fer. Ingram was basically the only source of shooting for the team. Though he missed his middies, and especially his layups, he played very well in terms of process. His defence was as strong as it has been for the Raptors in the series.
And the defence defined everything. The Raptors have Barnes matching up with James Harden. Because Harden is such a limited off-ball player, Barnes has been helping liberally, blowing up everything. Preposterous defence. RJ Barrett has guarded Jarrett Allen, having no trouble wrestling with him, even if he has been losing some battles on the glass. Walter (and Jamal Shead off the bench) has done fantastically guarding Donovan Mitchell. Toronto is switching when it feels comfortable, or running switch-to-blitz when it doesn’t feel comfortable switching. The Cavaliers just haven’t found answers. Toronto is rotating at the speed of the ball, taking away everything. Perfection.
Cavaliers Outlook
Offensive Rating: 111.0 (7th) | Defensive Rating: 112.3 (12th) | Net Rating: -1.3 (10th)
Can Jarrett Allen find ways to impose himself against wings? It doesn’t need to be post-ups. He has to roll harder, screen better, cut with better timing, seal with more force, and generally find his way into the series. Ditto for Evan Mobley. If they can’t, this series is basically over.
Harden and Mitchell can certainly play better, and they can shoot better in a variety of ways. But their teammates are doing nothing to help them. They are facing more attention than even stars usually face, and they are not finding easy paths to points. The other side of that coin should be that Cleveland’s bigs are able to feast. They haven’t been. Can Harden and Mitchell just shift more scoring to their plates? If the bigs don’t come around, expect Cleveland to shift to more pull-up shooting.
Game Info
Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m. ET
Television: Sportsnet
Venue: Rocket Arena, Cleveland
Starting Lineups (Projected)
Cleveland Cavaliers
PG: James Harden
SG: Donovan Mitchell
SF: Dean Wade (Although I would not be surprised if Max Strus got the nod here)
PF: Evan Mobley
C: Jarrett Allen
Toronto Raptors
PG: Ja’Kobe Walter
SG: RJ Barrett
SF: Brandon Ingram
PF: Scottie Barnes
C: Jakob Poeltl
Injury Report
Toronto Raptors
Immanuel Quickley (Hamstring) – OUT
Cleveland Cavaliers
None reported.
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