Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Keys To Beating Toronto Raptors

Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Keys To Beating The Raptors

May 8, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) hugs teammate forward Kevin Love (0) after defeating the Atlanta Hawks 100-99 in game four of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /

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Nov 25, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) goes to the basket past Toronto Raptors forward DeMarre Carroll (5) at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /

5. LeBron James vs. DeMarre Carroll

One of the reasons why the Raptors signed DeMarre Carroll during the offseason was his effort on defense. Carroll only played in one of the three regular-season meetings between the two ball clubs during the regular season, but he certainly made his presence felt.

In that contest, Carroll helped limit LeBron James to 6-for-15 shooting from the field. James did have an all-around solid performance, scoring 24 points to go along with eight assists and six rebounds, but his 37.5 percent shooting percentage was the worst of any of the three meetings.

It is also worth mentioning that Carroll had success guarding James as a member of the Atlanta Hawks in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals.

In that series, James converted just 43.8 percent of his attempts, which was a 5 percent drop-off from his shooting percentage during the regular season.

While James does not have to carry the scoring load as he’s had to do in years past, it would definitely be an advantage for the Cavaliers if he is able to produce at an efficient rate against Carroll.

Next: No. 4

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