Ranking all 4 potential Raptors first round playoff opponents
By Mike Luciano
It remains to be seen if the Toronto Raptors will escape the clutches of the play-in tournament or how they will perform should they end up in that four-team mini-competition. No matter who they face in mid-April, they will be scheduled to take on a legitimate title contender from what has become a very deep top tier in the East.
The Raptors could be pitted against a paint of division rivals in the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics. Taking on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Bucks or Kyle Lowry’s Heat might not be ideal either given how both of those sides have been performing in the last few months.
At the very least, Toronto can take solace in the fact that they’ve been surprisingly adept at winning games against the premier competition (especially on the road). The Raptors have all of the ingredients needed to pull off a massive upset if a few lucky breaks end up going their way.
Toronto will likely need to gear up for one of these four teams if they make it past the play-in tournament. Based on how the Raptors want to play and how Toronto has looked so far this season, some teams would be a much more favorable matchup for Nick Nurse.
Toronto Raptors best potential playoff opponents.
4. Philadelphia 76ers
The Raptors’ recent victory against Philadelphia should have rightly instilled some confidence in the squad. Toronto held a team that featured Joel Embiid, James Harden, and Tyrese Maxey to just 51 points in the final three quarters on their way to a very hard-fought road win.
Slowing down Harden is no easy task, but the Raptors have managed to blunt his scoring with both Brooklyn and Philadelphia. While Maxey and Tobias Harris are excellent complementary scorers, Toronto should like their chances if Doc Rivers is forced to lean on them in a seven-game series.
The Toronto Raptors could defend the 76ers well.
While the Harden trade makes Philadelphia a much deadlier offensive team, adding him means that you’ll have to completely overhaul your offensive scheme to accommodate both him and Embiid. It might take some more experimentation for Rivers to find the perfect combination.
While the 76ers could eventually crack the coke on Toronto’s Embiid defense, a long-limbed bench might be enough to keep the rest of Philadelphia’s second unit in check. Embiid and Harden are good assets to have in your corner in an elimination game, but Toronto shouldn’t be petrified of them.