#ProveEm Playoffs – 7 Thoughts Heading Down the Final Stretch

The Bench Mob Effect

The NBA playoffs are considered to be the ultimate showcase of star power. Rotations tighten and overall team success correlates almost directly with its best player(s) performance(s). As legitimate as that assessment may be, the fact remains:

The Toronto Raptors boast one of the league’s most dominant second units and anybody expecting them to part ways with a proven winning formula should think again.

It’s not entirely unforeseen to have a championship team feature a bigger-than-usual rotation, even recently ,the Warriors did it in their two title runs.

In the case of Toronto, their primary second unit: Delon Wright, Fred VanVleet, CJ Miles, Pascal Siakam, and Jakob Poeltl have played just under 200 minutes together. In that span, they have torched opposing lineups with their frantic pace, relentless defending and overall commitment to team basketball. As a lineup, they have outscored opponents by just under 28 points per 100 possessions. That’s the best point differential among qualifying lineups that have logged at minimum 100 minutes.

Next: What do the New Look Cavs mean for the Raptors

‘The Mob’ will undoubtedly be mobbin’ in the postseason. They are too good, and too talented not to rise to the occasion. Even against opposing starting units, they will hold their own more often than not. For Raptors fans everywhere, making certain that starters routinely match the intensity exhibited by the supporting cast will go a long way in bringing Toronto to its first ever NBA Finals appearance.