Brandon Ingram is a walking mismatch with his size and versatile offensive skill set. That will be no different in the Raptors’ first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs don’t have a ton of size outside of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, which is bound to create some mismatches, as Zach Lowe broke down on the latest episode of The Zach Lowe Show.
“Who’s guarding Brandon Ingram when the starters are on the floor, if Mobley is on Barnes and Allen is on Pöltl?” Lowe asked. “Is it Dean Wade? Is he going to start the series as the fifth starter? I think he probably will, but they’ll go smaller than that a lot, and can Brandon Ingram just manufacture some buckets over Max Strus? Donovan Mitchell? Sam Merrill has guarded Ingram a lot.”
Lowe also added that the Cavs are probably okay with Ingram taking a bunch of mid-range shots over smaller defenders if it means that they can shut down other aspects of the Raptors’ offense.
That leaves the Raptors with one all-important question: Who else will create offense and make shots besides Brandon Ingram? Ingram may have a favorable matchup, but the Raptors cannot expect him to score over 30 points every game and deliver victories without any substantial help.
The Raptors cannot get caught in a half-court battle
The Raptors will have the best chance of keeping up with the high-scoring Cavs offense in this series if they can force turnovers and run fastbreaks. That’s what they excel at, and what Cleveland isn’t overly comfortable with.
Things will get much trickier if the series turns into a battle in the halfcourt, where the Cavaliers and James Harden thrive. Ingram will be able to create offense in the halfcourt, considering the mismatches he will go up against, but who else will be able to do that, especially if Quickley isn’t playing a ton?
If Quickley isn’t playing or not feeling great, Scottie Barnes will already have to handle the brunt of the playmaking responsibilities. Doing that while also scoring a ton against the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and leading the charge on defense is a lot all at the same time. RJ Barrett, who finished the regular season as the Raptors’ second-leading scorer, is probably the most viable option here.
Brandon Ingram delivered mixed playoff results in the past
Ingram has been to the playoffs twice. He made his debut in 2022 with the Pelicans, averaging 27 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.2 assists in a six-game series against the Phoenix Suns that the Pelicans lost.
His second playoff outing looked much different. In 2024, Ingram only averaged 14.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists against the Oklahoma City Thunder, struggling to score against Lu Dort’s stifling defense. Fortunately, the Cavs don’t have Dort or a perimeter defender of his caliber, so, hopefully, the Raptors can expect positive offensive results from Ingram.
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