Playoff Matchups That The Raptors Could See In The First Round

Detroit Pistons

Season series: Raptors lead 1-0 (3 games remaining)

Best Player: Andre Drummond

Watch Out For: Avery Bradley

This series would be the best option for the Raptors considering the number of fans who would travel to Detroit for away games. However, this could be a challenging series for multiple reasons.

Detroit is the only team that I have listed without a 2018 All-Star (although you can debate whether Andre Drummond was snubbed). They will usually get written off as the easiest opponent. Toronto has only played them once this season, so there is not much to judge, other than that it was only the 9th time this season Toronto did not score over 100 points. This is not a surprise considering Detroit is currently in the Top 5 for defense, yet at the same time, their offense is ranked 25th in the league. Also, the Raptors have struggled rebounding to secure wins which could be a problem against a top rebounder in the league in Drummond.

Another player to watch out for is Avery Bradley. He has not been as efficient as he was in Boston, but he is still a threat from three. His defense is also a problem for DeMar who shot below 40% 3 times in their last 6 matchups. Overall, I believe this matchup can be won if they can contain the shooters like Bradley, Harris, and Kennard while making shots easier for themselves.