2014 NBA Playoffs: Eastern Conference First Round Breakdowns
By Shane Young
(3) Toronto Raptors vs. (6) Brooklyn Nets
Toronto: 48-34 overall, 26-15 at home, 22-19 away
Brooklyn: 44-38 overall, 28-13 at home, 16-25 away
Season series: Split 2-2, Raptors +2.75 in scoring margin
Lets get something out of the way. Do I believe Brooklyn fell on their face in Cleveland in the season’s final game just so they would fall into Miami’s side of the bracket? It’s possible, that’s all I’ll say. With Paul Pierce, Joe Johnson, Kevin Garnett, Deron Williams, and Alan Anderson all sitting out for various reasons, it just seems plausible that Jason Kidd would rather have his odds at the team Brooklyn swept in the regular season 4-0 (Miami) rather than the top-seeded Pacers that swept them 4-0. That, of course, wouldn’t have happened until the second round, and only if Brooklyn grabbed the five seed.
But, hold up. They first have to get past a hungry, surprising feel-good story group in Toronto. Next to Phoenix, they are credited with my biggest shock of the season. When Masai Ujiri cut the throat on the Rudy Gay experiment, they were supposed to tumble toward Philadelphia level. Instead, it’s been a show of freakish athleticism, All-Star snubbish point guard play, and second unit additions that not only kept the Raptors afloat …. but sent them soaring for the East’s three seed.
“Wait! Wait! Phoenix would be tied for the three seed if they were out East!”
Correct! Instead, battling in the West is like getting through one of Jigsaw’s deranged games in the Saw series, forcing them to miss the playoffs with 48 wins.
Toronto and Brooklyn competed in one of the more exciting four-game series of the regular season, splitting the series 2-2, with three of the games being decided by four points or less. In the four meetings, Kyle Lowry averaged 22 points and six assists per game vs. Brooklyn, shooting 30-of-60 (50 percent) from the field. Neither Shaun Livingston or Deron Williams can properly contain Lowry, and he doesn’t even serve as Toronto’s top threat to the Nets’ defense.
DeMar DeRozan continues to demonstrate why having Rudy Gay in the lineup created star collision and redundancy. Having DeRozan as the first option with the ball helps Dwane Casey’s offense flow perfectly, with everyone getting a chance to break through. Consult with Terrence Ross on that one, as he poured 51 points on the Clippers in January with DeRozan starting.
Defensively, the Raptors’ youth and frontcourt toughness from Amir Johnson and Patrick Patterson allow for the rotation to stay potent in terms of rim protection. While we tend to think of the Raptors’ backcourt of offensively minded individuals, there’s something to be said about using their younger, fresher legs to prevent Deron Williams from getting to the rack or Paul Pierce from burying them with pull-up jumpers. Through the six months of the season, Toronto held their opposition under 100 points per game in four of them. During January, the Raptors’ defense took a stance by allowing an average of 93.8 points in 17 games. That’s nearly Pacers-like defense for a month, which enabled them to get where they are now.
Joe Johnson’s disappearing act in the playoffs is on my radar, because it always happens. It’s time to bring out the same sure-fire Joe that strings together 20+ point quarters, or he’s worth giving up on in terms of making a postseason impact.
Toronto’s Jonas Valanciunas is the most monumental key if the Raptors want to find themselves in South Beach for round two. As the game slows down in the playoffs, Toronto will be expected to develop more scores from the paint, and the Summer League MVP can’t shy away from proving himself.
With the talent near the rim Valanciunas has, it’s the only knock that most have on Toronto’s offensive plan. You could see this team soaring through the East if he was fully developed and ready to have a lot of responsibility in the middle. He remains the factor that either puts them over Brooklyn, or sends them back north of the border. The way rookie Mason Plumlee has defended some of the scariest talents in the last month, it appears these two squads have individual matchups we can’t wait to see unfold.
Jason Kidd has come too far with this team, and it’s up to Marcus Thornton off the bench to relieve some of the pressure with his deadly microwave of a stroke. Garnett is battling age, Pierce is battling a loss of quickness. But Johnson and Williams are battling utter disappointment from 2013’s first round, and that extra push they’ll bring gives them the nod. I’ll take veterans, and the team that should have 10+ extra wins on their resume if their star center was healthy.