Toronto Raptors: 3 keys to W over Cleveland Cavaliers

The Toronto Raptors begin the most anticipated season in team history tonight when they meet Cleveland. What does the home team need to do to start off  on the right foot?

We don’t have to count sleeps anymore, Rapture Nation. The Toronto Raptors regular season is finally upon us, as they face the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game One.

Superficially, both teams have continuity in their roster. Eleven players return from last season for each, but that raw data masks a crucial point: Toronto and Cleveland lost their best players over the summer.

Here’s where matters diverge. The Raptors replaced DeMar DeRozan with someone even better, that being Kawhi Leonard, of course. The Cavaliers had no way to patch their lineup when LeBron James departed as a free agent for the famed purple and gold of the Los Angeles Lakers.

How do they replace the world’s best player? It’s impossible, which is why they are being downgraded so severely by analysts. The Cavs are projected to tumble out of the playoffs, a nasty fall for last year’s Eastern Conference champions. Their top man now is Kevin Love, who will certainly command considerable defensive attention.

Lots of issues in Cleveland

That’s about it for star power. The point guard is George Hill, who has carved out a respectable career for himself but isn’t anyone who will be mistaken for a difference-maker. Kyle Korver needs to be blanketed on offense, but can be exploited at the other end.

The Cleveland roster is full of question marks. Is this the year for Sam Dekker or Rodney Hood to break out? Is Cedi Osman ready for his close-up? Do JR Smith [note: out with an elbow injury] and Tristan Thompson still have tread on their tires? Everything may break right for them, but that’s asking a lot of the basketball gods.

 3 keys to Raptors victory

1. Play them tight on D. The Raptors can only lose this game from beyond the arc. The Cavaliers don’t boast reliable scoring in the half-court set. However, Love, Korver and even Channing Frye are proven shooters from deep.
2. Switch everything. This is point 1(B). We don’t know the Raptors’ starting five, but I won’t be surprised to see Serge Ibaka at center. He’s more mobile than Jonas Valanciunas, and has shown signs of once again being a fearsome shot blocker. We don’t really need blocks, but everyone needs to contest those deep tries – without fouling.
3. Crash the boards. With the number of 3-balls I expect the Cavaliers to launch, there will be a lot of rebounds. Many of those will be well beyond the iron (long shot = long rebound), meaning that every Raptor must box out.

Prediction

After seeing a bunch of crazy lineups during pre-season, it will be a pleasant surprise to watch the Raps’ real players. That said, I suspect we’ll see a lot of exasperating turnovers and shot-clock violations on offense. Take a breath; these things will work themselves out. If we defend hard, we’ll be fine.

Raptors 107 – Cavaliers 96