The Raptors will go mismatch hunting in their first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers, hoping to exploit their lack of size against Brandon Ingram. The Raptors are a strong defensive team, but the Cavs can also create some mismatches, and Immanuel Quickley is an obvious target amid the Raptors’ size and versatility around him—especially since he is dealing with some injuries and won’t be 100% by the time Game 1 rolls around.
Replacing him with stronger defenders (and fully healthy players) could create some offensive issues, though, as Zach Lowe broke down on the April 16 episode of The Zach Lowe Show.
“Jamal Shead has guarded Donovan Mitchell quite a bit and done pretty well against him, and he’s also guarded Harden a little bit,” Lowe noted. “Murray-Boyles can guard anybody. Quickley is dealing with this hamstring thing. We’ll see if he plays or not. Obviously, the Cavs will go at him. But if the Raptors have to play Shead more and Murray-Boyles, can they score enough to hang in these games?”
Let’s not forget about Ja’Kobe Walter
Jamal Shead and Collin Murray-Boyles will undoubtedly play big roles in their playoff debuts, but Ja’Kobe Walter will also get his chance to contribute. The second-year player emerged as a tough perimeter defender and excellent 3-point shooter this season. He even started a bunch of games when Quickley was out to improve the spacing in the starting lineup, as Scottie Barnes took over the point guard responsibilities.
His 3-point shooting, paired with solid defense, could be a game-changer against the Cavaliers. Cleveland boasts a high-scoring offense and outstanding scoring guards. The Raptors will have to figure out a way to hang with their offensive output. Stifling defense and forcing turnovers will be a big part of that, but they will also have to hit some shots in the halfcourt, and that’s where Walter and his accuracy from three could be a big factor.
There are some offensive concerns with Shead and Murray-Boyles
Shead has been a great playmaker for the Raptors this season, averaging 5.4 assists per game. He has not been an efficient scorer, however. He finished the regular season shooting 36.7% from the field and 32.1% from three. The Cavs will be fine leaving him open behind the arc, and attacking the rim isn’t an easy thing to do with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in the paint.
Murray-Boyles also does most of his damage in the paint, which doesn’t create much spacing when he shares the court with Scottie Barnes or Jakob Pöltl.
Nevertheless, the Raptors will have to give them both a chance to prove that they can contribute despite these concerns.
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