Toronto Raptors: Three keys to beating the Boston Celtics in semi-finals

Team Depth

Team depth is the major advantage the Raptors have against most teams that they face.  This will include the Boston Celtics when round two of the playoffs begin. Both of these teams will begin the Eastern Conference semi-finals banged up. The Raptors may be without Kyle Lowry when this series begins but Boston Will also be without Gordon Hayward as well.

Kyle Lowry, who sprained his ankle Sunday about nine minutes into the Raptors victory over the Brooklyn Nets is a bigger part of Toronto’s success than Hayward is to Boston’s.  Both might be suffering from the same ailment but Kyle Lowry is listed as day-to-day and Gordon Haward is out for three-four weeks.

Despite the loss of a key player, all the Toronto Raptors did was score 150 points with the bench contributing 100  led by Norman Powell with 29. Its been this way all season long.  Nick Nurse has the benefit of a team well-coached – he is the coach of the year- and highly professional.  Every player is ready to play and contribute to the success of the team.

Only Terence Davis played in all 72 regular-season games for the Raptors in 2020 and he is a rookie averaging 16.8 minutes per game on a top-three team in the NBA.  He was one of 12 Raptors’ players who averaged more than 10 minutes a game.

If Kyle Lowry is to miss any significant time in this series, Nick Nurse will probably replace him with Norman Powell who’s plus/minus was +9 and averaged 16 points per game off of the bench in a breakout season.

While Serge Ibaka comes off of the bench and scores more than Marc Gasol, the depth and quality of secondary players do not stop there. Players like Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is always in the right place at the right time and hustles. Matt Thomas may struggle a bit defensively but he can make up a deficit with his three-point shooting. Thomas recorded a 47.5 percent average on three-pointers this season.

The Raptors young roster also has already accrued a significant amount of playoff experience.  Excluding Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol, and Serge Ibaka, the young core of Fred Vanvleet, Norman Powell, Pascal Siakam, and OG Anunoby have competed in a total of 155 playoff games.  The Raptors’ roster is battle-tested and can handle the pressures of competing for a championship.

Fred VanVleet averaged 21.3 points per game in the first-round vs the Brooklyn Nets, Pascal Siakam averaged 20.8 points per game and Norman Powell 17.5 per game. Even rookie Terence Davis averaged 11.3 points during the sweep of the Nets. Boston’s second unit does not inspire the same confidence and challenge that the Raptors bench presents.