2018 NBA Playoffs: Toronto Raptors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers preview
Predictions
As mentioned before, the Raptors are the better team, and with home-court advantage and an offense that’s become significantly less reliant on its two All-Stars, Toronto has put itself in the best spot to dethrone LeBron James.
If the Cavaliers are hoping to pull off the upset, it all hinges on the performance of their supporting cast. We know what James is going to do from Game 1 all the way to Game 7. He’s going to pick apart Toronto’s offense and bend it to his will.
What nobody knows, however, is how guys like Smith and Love are going to produce.
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None of Cleveland’s supporting cast is asked to do too much on the offensive end. Their main job is to simply hit open shots off James’ penetration, something they’ve had trouble doing over the course of the season.
If the Cavaliers can get solid contributions out of players not named James, LeBron’s greatness should be able to carry them into the Eastern Conference Finals. However, that’s a big if, as Cleveland’s supporting cast hasn’t shown the consistency necessary to pick them in a seven-game series.
Meanwhile, the Raptor’s supporting cast has been reliable throughout this season, and if they’re not hitting shots, they’re defending at a high level.
With two All-Stars capable of taking over games and an offensive system that involves all five guys on the court, Toronto’s home-court advantage will be the key in this series, as James simply won’t be able to overcome such a balanced offensive attack with such a weak supporting cast of his own.
Next: Full two-round 2018 NBA Mock Draft
Prediction: Raptors in 7