The Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers will face each other for the first time since Kawhi Leonard hit that game-winning buzzer-beater in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
It is one of the cruelest ways a team can be knocked out in the NBA playoffs. Even more cruel is seeing that exact same team win the NBA Championship.
Previewing the Toronto Raptors vs the Philadelphia 76ers
Kawhi Leonard is gone, but most of the team that played against the 76ers in the playoffs are still in Toronto.
The same can be said for the 76ers, who with the notable exception of Jimmy Butler, have been kept mainly intact.
The Raptors and 76ers have almost identical records this year. The Raptors are tied with the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics for second place with an 11-4 record. The fifth-place Philadelphia 76ers are only a half-game behind the Raptors with an 11-5 record.
However, the 76ers have not had to deal with the injury issues the Raptors had. Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka, Patrick McCaw, and at points in the season OG Anunoby was also injured.
What the 76ers have going for them is Ben Simmons improved jump shot so far this season.
The same improvement can be said about Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet, which could be the Raptors two NBA All-Stars this season.
Toronto Raptors Depth
The Raptors seem to be stronger in terms of team depth compared to the Philadelphia 76ers.
According to NBA.com, both teams are in the bottom of the league in bench scoring, with the Raptors being 22nd and the 76ers being 27th. However, one thing to note is some of the Raptors bench players are starting because of the several injuries they endured in the regular season.
Despite several injuries to the Raptors organization, other players have stepped up. In specific Chris Boucher, Terence Davis, Matt Thomas, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. These players have come from the bench and have picked the Raptors up.
An example would be a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. These four players combined had 43 points with Chris Boucher leading with 15 points.
Saying that the 76ers have come into this season with a more serious attitude than last year.
Philadelphia 76ers
Ben Simmons hit his first three-pointer against the New York Knicks on November 20th. It was the first three of his career.
Although he will need to drain more three-pointers, it is a good start, and maybe a sign of things to come.
Joel Embiid does not have the stats he had last year. However, he is still playing well, but more importantly, he is staying healthy which is the most important thing for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Tobias Harris is also continuing his good play, as he averaging 18 points per game. New signing Al Horford is also playing well. He is averaging 14.7 points per game
The guy the Raptors should look out for though is Josh Richardson who scored 32 points against the Miami Heat.
The one area the Raptors will have to watch for is rebounding. The 76ers have long, athletic big men that can get a lot of rebounds, which the Raptors must be careful of.
Philadelphia 76ers Rebounding
The 76ers have a slight edge over the Raptors in rebounding. The 76ers are eighth in the league in rebounding and the Raptors are 11th.
The Philadelphia 76ers dominated the boards against the San Antonio Spurs, outrebounding them 51-32.
What has been noted is that in a lot of the losses the Raptors suffered was because of a lack of rebounding.
An example would be the Dallas Mavericks who outrebounded the Toronto Raptors 55-42.
Serge Ibaka could make the difference in the game in the rebounding department. However, a tweet from Vivek Jacob states that Ibaka is doubtful to play against the 76ers.
Verdict
This game is a toss-up. If Serge Ibaka is playing, it will help the Raptors’ chances. However, since he may not be playing on Monday, the game will be a lot closer.
The Raptors will win by two points because they play hard and have more players to score than the 76ers.
However, both teams are going to be looking at the bigger picture beyond this game and try to win the NBA Championship.
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