The #2 seeded Cleveland Cavaliers and #3 seeded Toronto Raptors will face off in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Game 1 will be held tonight (Monday) at 7:00 PM EST on TNT. The Cavaliers swept the Pacers in the first round while the Raptors took out the Bucks in six games.
Given how easily the Cavaliers took out the Pacers and how the Raptors struggled to take out the Bucks, the Cavaliers come into this series as the heavy favorites. They are at full strength and appear to be on a mission to get through the Eastern Conference playoffs as swiftly as possible. LeBron James is playing elite basketball right now, averaging 32.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 9.0 assists per game while Kyrie Irving is averaging 25.3 points per game. The James/Irving one-two punch will likely be too much for the Raptors to handle, especially considering how much they struggled in the first round against the Bucks.
If there is any reason to give the Raptors some hope, it's that they found a way to close out the Bucks in six games and stepped up under serious pressure. They could have folded or let the Bucks take them to a Game 7. Instead, they turned up the heat and didn't let the Bucks get back in the series after it was tied 2-2.
A big reason for that is the play of DeMar DeRozan, who averaged 23.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game against the Bucks. DeRozan is turning into an elite swingman in the NBA and he isn't afraid of anybody. He definitely has the mindset and instincts of a superstar and his play reflects that.
If the Raptors want any chance at winning this series or making it interesting, they need a big series from DeMar DeRozan and they also need other guys to step up, namely Kyle Lowry, Serge Ibaka, and Jonas Valanciunas. If DeRozan has a big series and he gets enough help from Lowry, Ibaka, and Valanciunas, the Raptors could give the Cavaliers a bit of a scare.
The problem is I don't see those guys giving DeRozan the help that he needs. While there was some growth that we saw from the Raptors by closing out the Bucks in six games, I just don't see them having what it takes to contain LeBron James and win this series. I see the Cavaliers winning this series in five games. LeBron James will be too much for the Raptors to handle as the Cavaliers waltz into the Eastern Conference Finals.
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