The Toronto Raptors take on the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs with big matchups all over. However, the one to look out for is Pascal Siakam vs Jonathan Isaac.
The first round of the NBA Playoffs is set, and the Toronto Raptors will take on the Orlando Magic with hopes of progressing to the second round, where a potential showdown with the Philadelphia 76ers or Brooklyn Nets awaits.
All attention should now be focused on Orlando, though. A team that hasn’t made the playoffs since Dwight Howard was a member of the team is hungry for success, even as a lowly seventh seed.
Don’t expect the Magic to lie down easy, much the opposite. We’ve already seen Orlando dispatch the Raptors twice this year, both wins coming in a fairly comfortable fashion. The series was split though, with the Toronto Raptors winning the most recent game last Monday.
There are potential matchups all over the court that are going to be interesting to watch, but one stands out as a treat: Pascal Siakam vs Jonathan Isaac.
The Tale of the Tape
Defensively, both players have had standout years and are two of the better defenders on their respective teams. Hell, it’s fair to say Siakam has been the best defender on the Raptors all season.
Siakam has obviously been the better player of the two. He’s headed for the Most Improved Player of the year award, averaging 16.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists across 80 games this season. Isaac, however, averaged 9.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and just over one assist per game in 75 contests.
The difference between the two players, excluding the points differential, is their prime role on their teams.
Siakam has excelled as the nightly number two option for the Raptors this season, behind Kawhi Leonard. He even took on the scoring load when Kawhi was rested and helped the Raptors maintain a winning record in his absence.
Conversely, Isaac sits behind the likes of Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier in terms of scoring options.
Both players are long and agile wings who can rely on their motor to help them succeed on both ends of the court, and both pose considerable problems for each other in the postseason.
Isaac has proved to be a thorn in the side of Pascal at every turn in their previous matchups this season. His long wingspan and ability to shift his feet stifles Siakam when he’s attacking off the dribble, which is becoming his bread and butter.
On average, Isaac has guarded Siakam for just over 32 possessions per game in the four games the teams have faced off in this season. In that span, Siakam is averaging a little over two points per game on a worrisome 21-percent from the field.
Even in the scenarios where Siakam isn’t shooting, that’s down to Isaac pressuring him and forcing him into making a pass away from the basket. Realistically, the Raptors are going to win this series in five, maybe six games at most.
Either way, this is a matchup that can really slow them down on the offensive side of the ball, even with the option of throwing numerous attacking options at the wall. The Magic have proven to be one of the more stingier teams in the NBA since the All-Star break, and boast the leagues fifth best defensive rating since that time. Conveniently, the Raptors own the third-best defensive rating.
While Isaac is an incredible defender, he’s probably the weakest offensive player in the Magic’s starting line-up, posting a -1.41 offensive RPM in the regular season. The Raptors should look to exploit that weakness and invite Isaac into shooting.
His three-point percentage improved over the course of the season but he still finished with an underwhelming 32-percent on 3.5 attempts per game. Putting him outside his comfort zone is a way to get him out of his rhythm offensively, and Siakam is a strong enough defender to make light work of Isaac.
If the Raptors can take advantage of getting Siakam mismatches, they’ll take care of the Magic. But, no game comes without a wrinkle or two, and this is a matchup to look out for.