3 Raptors roster flaws 76ers are exposing in playoff series
By Mike Luciano
2. Questionable frontcourt size
The Raptors came into this series with questions about how a roster without anyone taller 6-9 would defend the gargantuan Embiid, and the Barnes injury has made it tough for Toronto to answer them. The Raptors have switched all sorts of bodies onto Embiid and Tobias Harris, but none seem to be doing the job.
Khem Birch has been less than impressive in his limited minutes, and Thad Young’s injury has made it tough to be a valuable contributor. Chris Boucher was one of Toronto’s best players in Game 2, but he had very little to write home about in their Game 1 defeat.
The Toronto Raptors’ lack of size is hurting them.
Siakam’s performance in this series has been perfectly acceptable, as he’s shooting with efficiency and getting his teammates involved. Even with Siakam playing some solid basketball, Toronto is going to need consistency from their bench big to replace Barnes and help out Siakam.
Saying “just stop Embiid” is the dictionary definition of something that is much easier said than done, but it’s clear that Toronto’s foul trouble and inability to keep the MVP candidate in check has made it tougher for their swarming defense to be aggressive and generate turnovers. This needs to come to an end in Toronto.