Toronto Raptors: Previewing a season-long battle with the Philadelphia 76ers

The Toronto Raptors face the Philadelphia 76ers four times this season. Do the Raptors have the firepower to win the series?

For the time being, the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics are the class of the Eastern Conference. If there is one team in the East that can challenge them, it’s the Philadelphia 76ers.

For the 76ers, it’s a matter of when not if. They have two legitimate superstars in Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons as well as the future cap-outlook and draft capital to land another big fish. This season, however, they might not have quite enough to match the NBA’s elite powers.

After a disappointing offseason, Philadelphia will look for internal growth, rather than the acquisition of talent to improve their team. Ben Simmons is 22, Joel Embiid is 24, and the often overlooked Dario Saric is 24 as well. All three should improve this season. If any of them can make a significant jump in development, it could catapult Philly to the same tier as Toronto and Boston.

Of course, the big elephant in the room is Markelle Fultz. The former number one pick sat out nearly all of last season with a “shoulder injury” that has since been confirmed to actually have been the “yips.” Fultz was a kid who was clearly struggling with a mental hurdle. Hopefully, for his sake, that hurdle has been cleared.

However, the harsh realities of the NBA don’t grant leniency, even for 20-year olds. If Fultz isn’t able to provide Philadelphia with at least a league-average starter or better, the Sixers will have wasted one of their most valuable assets.

Fultz will help improve what was already one of the NBA’s best defenses last season. The 76ers finished third in defensive efficiency last year, and with improved personnel this season, there is no reason they can’t end just as high, if not better.

Offense will be a much bigger issue for the 76ers. If they’re not able to improve to at least a top-10, it’s hard to find a realistic path to the NBA finals.

Toronto can push Philadelphia in both areas.

Offensively, the Raptors have enough scoring threats to challenge every Philadelphia defender, particularly when J.J. Redick and Mike Muscala are on the court. However, will they have enough top-end scoring to consistently beat one of the best units in the NBA?

Defensively, Toronto has enough versatile wing defenders to give Philly trouble, but will they be able to handle Embiid down low? Let’s take a look at both ends of the court, the matchup to watch, and give predictions on how all four games will turn out.