The Toronto Raptors are headed to the NBA playoffs for the first time since the 2021-22 season. The Raptors finished the season fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 46-36 record.
Since Toronto clinched a spot in the postseason, the Raptors will face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the quarter-finals, as the Cavaliers are fourth in the East. The game will take place on Saturday, Apr. 18, at 1 p.m. in Cleveland.
The Raptors’ playoff history against the Cavaliers
Both teams have met each other in three series. Cleveland has won 12 of the 14 games they have played against each other. Unfortunately, the likelihood that things will change for Toronto this time around is slim to none.
Now granted, out of all of the teams that the Raptors could’ve faced, the Cavaliers are the team they have the best chance to defeat and move on to the second round. But they will still get eliminated in the quarter-finals due to the fact that the Raptors are inexperienced in the playoffs.
AJ Lawson is the only player to make it to the Finals. And he’s unlikely to play in meaningful minutes in the playoffs. RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Jakob Poeltl only went to the second round, while Scottie Barnes and Brandon Ingram only played in the first round. Meanwhile, most of the Cavaliers’ players have playoff experience.
James Harden and Donovan Mitchell are a tough duo to stop. Harden averages 23.6 points per game, 4.8 rebounds per game, and eight assists per game, shooting 43.4 per cent and 37.5 per cent in threes, while Mitchell averages 27.9 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game, and 5.7 assists per game, shooting 48.3 per cent and 36.4 per cent in threes.
Harden is known to play poorly in the postseason. He had a history of missing key shots and fumbling in important plays, like when he got his game-winning shot blocked by Manu Ginobili in game five of the 2017 Western Conference Semi Finals against the San Antino Spurs.
In the next game, Harden responded with a terrible performance of 10 points, three rebounds, and seven assists. The Houston Rockets were eliminated from the playoffs in this game.
There’s also the time when his team missed 27 consecutive threes during game seven of the 2018 Western Conference Finals. They ended up losing this game against the Golden State Warriors.
Mitchell performs well in the playoffs, but his teams never go past the second round. Last season, Cleveland was considered a top championship contender in the East, but they were bounced out in the second by the Indiana Pacers.
The Raptors are a top-five defensive team in the league. Their defensive rating 112.1 per cent. It’s not realistic to think that Toronto can stop both Harden and Mitchell. However, if they can stop one of them, then they have a good shot to go to the second round.
Three players that has to step up for the Raptors to move on to the second round are Barnes, Ingram, and Poeltl. Barnes has to be the best player on the team for Toronto to have a chance. He just needs to keep on being a facilitator and a defensive stopper.
Barnes doesn’t have to be the number one scoring option because Ingram has to be that guy. Ingram is averaging 21.5 points per game in the regular season. He needs at least 25 points per game for Toronto to compete with Cleveland.
Poeltl has to be healthy in the playoffs. He has to be their defensive anchor while defending either Jarrett Allen or Evan Mobley. Anything that can weaken the Cavaliers is beneficial for the Raptors.
Who wins?
My prediction for this series is that Cleveland beats Toronto in six games. The Cavaliers are the better team, and they need to win this series more than the Raptors. Even though it would be awesome to see Toronto upset Cleveland, I just don’t see it happening. So, get experience from this series and use it to improve the team for next season.
