As the Toronto Raptors prepare for their round-two matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, we went to Facebook and Twitter and answered your best questions.
The real NBA playoffs are here. No, not that phony first-round series we were forced to call the postseason. A real series with real consequences. For the first time this year, the Toronto Raptors results will truly matter. The regular season was a warmup for this. Even the first round was a warmup for this.
So what are the some of the key factors in this series? We went to Twitter and Facebook and gathered the best fan questions in this week’s mailbag:
NBA Player Scout (@NBAPlayerScout) asks: What is the 76ers biggest advantage?
The amount of versatile offensive players they can put on the court at the same time. Tobias Harris, Jimmy Butler, and Ben Simmons all average more than 15 per game. J.J. Redick is a sniper from beyond the arc. And Joel Embiid is the top-10 talent to wrap it all together.
Philly is still gelling and needs to put it all together, but there is no denying how talented they are. If multiple players get cooking offensively, watch out.
Josh Wilson (@JoshWilsonFS) asks: How terrified are you of Mike Scott?
Actually, due to a bruised right heel, Mike Scott will likely miss Game 1 and could miss longer than that. Scott isn’t a particularly great player, but due to the 76ers lack of depth, his absence could be huge.
With Scott out, the 76ers will need to turn to T.J. McConnell. McConnell is a solid backup point guard, but he’s a point guard without a jumpshot. When he shares the court with Simmons and either Embiid or Boban, the Philly offense gets crowded real quick.
If Scott is not able to play, the Raptors bench is going to be put in an even more advantageous position.
Greg R (@g_roumanis) asks: Do you think Greg Monroe will be able to share any secrets with the 76ers from his time in TO that may benefit his new team?
No not really. The Toronto Raptors have played 86 games, and the Philadelphia 76ers, like all NBA teams, have a sizeable video staff. Philly knows every play, every sideline action, and each player’s individual tendencies.
Philly knows what percentage of the time a player drives right or left, when he pulls up, when he passes. Greg Monroe won’t tell them anything they couldn’t find out themselves.
Where he could impact the game is on the court. If Boban Marjanovic isn’t able to stay on the court with Serge Ibaka, will the 76ers look to Jonah Bolden? Or will Brett Brown try to steal a few minutes with Greg Monroe.
Sebastian Niedzielski (@seb_niedzielski) asks: we all know that the Raptors’ defense is great. is the main key to win this series? or should we actually be scared of Joel Embiid?
Perhaps scared is too strong of a word, but the Raptors will absolutely respect and focus their gameplan around Embiid. Marc Gasol is a great post defender, but no-one can handle Joel by themself. I’d guess the Raptors send a “soft-double”, poking and prodding at the big man without ever fully committing.
But what makes Philly so dangerous is that they’re not totally reliant on Embiid offensively. Butler, Harris, and Simmons are all capable of 20+ point games, and the Raptors will need to find the right balance of stopping Embiid without losing the other main options.
Johnny Crooks (Direct Message) asks: Philly is really good. Do you think the odds are 50/50?
No, I think the odds are much more in the Raptors favor than 50/50.
As I’ve said in a couple of different previews, Toronto and Philly are similarly talented teams. However, the Raptors are a matchup nightmare for the Sixers and should be the considerable favorites. I’d put the odds closer to 75/25 in favor of the Raptors.