Philadelphia 76ers at Raptors: Preview & 3 keys to victory

Someday, a Raptors-76ers game will have meaning, but not this year. Let’s get everyone some touches and win late.

I can’t recall ever writing a preview for a game with no significance to either side. The Cleveland Cavaliers held serve against the Atlanta Hawks last night. Consequently, the Toronto Raptors are locked into the Eastern Conference’s second seed, regardless of what happens this truncated week.

Time to loosen my personal shackles and try some gonzo journalism.

Philly is wrapping up another disastrous season. How can you win 19 and lose 63, then get worse the next two years? We Raptors fans get all angsty about two straight early exits from the postseason. The Sixers aren’t on the same planet as the postseason. They were eliminated around Christmas.

I’ll be at the game, and hoping for a Bryan Colangelo sighting. Now that he’s le grand fromage of 76ers basketball, and a long-time Toronto resident, one assumes he’ll be in the hallway beside his protege [two French references in the same sentence, mes amis!] Masai Ujiri. Will they be talking trades?

To the game: while the Raptors list the usual suspects as starting, I doubt we’ll see 20 minutes of play from either DeMar DeRozan or Kyle Lowry. Our coach will roll out his most important assets barely long enough to break a sweat. It’s FANapolooza, the regular season’s last home game, so Dwane Casey will be under some pressure to allow the homies one last look at their heroes before ticket prices double for the second season.

Luis Scola has been conspicuous by his absence lately. While I’m no fan of his, I’d be happy to see him drain some long balls. Speaking of those, Mississauga-born Nik Stauskas will have a personal cheering section. His 3-ball shooting was supposed to be his meal ticket, but he hasn’t proven consistent yet in his two NBA seasons. Philly can and should wait for him.

Rather than keys to victory, I’m going to mention some things I hope to see from the Raptors:

1. …solid defense on their point guard, presumably Ish Smith. In the post-season, teams play slowly and deliberately, with emphasis on establishing their half-court offense. If Kyle Lowry can bother Smith, that bodes well for his ability to do so when it matters. Cory Joseph, let’s see some steals from you.
2. …winning the rebounding game within the game. The 76ers have some young big men with promise, like Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor (though he’s gone for the season with knee problems). Hopefully, Jonas Valanciunas and Bismack Biyombo can dominate on the glass while protecting the paint.
3. …getting meaningful contributions from the second unit. Run some pick and pop stuff for Terrence Ross. Ensure decent spacing for Patrick Patterson to attack the hoop, once he’s established his 3-ball shooting. And defend with vigour. How about a few minutes of Bruno?
4. (why not – I’m off the reservation)…ensure that Norman Powell gets his number called enough times to restore his confidence after a disappointing night in New York. His defense is not at issue, but he’s got to make some shots to take the pressure off our All-Stars.

I like the Raptors to win, largely because Casey won’t have it otherwise. Toronto 109 – Philadelphia 98.