Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers: Matchup Breakdown

Kyle Lowry vs. Ben Simmons

Lowry and Simmons probably won’t guard each other very much during the series, though inevitably there will be times that they do. This is a matchup of two of the league’s best point guards, but they each bring very different skills to the table.

Simmons is freakishly athletic, and the tallest starting point guard in the league right now. His advantage is in transition, where he can use his excellent court vision to find shooters and trailing big-men, or where he can use his long and athletic frame to attack the rim.

When the 76ers lock in on defense, and Simmons can push the ball after turnovers and missed shots, Philadelphia is a nightmare to handle. The Raptors need to control the pace of the game and limit Simmons’ ability to get easy baskets.

In the half court, Simmons won’t hurt the Raptors with jump shooting, which is the one glaring weakness in his game.

Lowry, on the other hand, will need to hit a high percentage of his outside shots in this series, because when Joel Embiid is on the floor, Lowry’s chances of scoring at or near the rim are small.

Lowry can expect to find J.J. Redick guarding him for much of the series, primarily due to their similar size.

Lowry can still focus on facilitating and affecting the game in other ways, but he needs to be aggressive as a scorer when Redick is on him. Redick is one of the 76ers weak links defensively. if Lowry is passive, it’s a win for Philly.