Toronto Raptors: 5 keys to series vs. Cavaliers
By Chris Conner
5. DeMar DeRozan being the second-best player in the series
As much as we love DeMar DeRozan, it’s impossible to rank him any higher than No. 2 in regards to the best player in this series. But him being the clear runner-up to LeBron James could be huge for Toronto.
No offense to Kyle Lowry, but Toronto’s best player is DeMar DeRozan now. It’s no coincidence that in the same year he improved as a playmaker and long-range threat, the Raptors did as well.
Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey on DeMar DeRozan's massive improvements from 10-16 feet (59.4% this year; 41.5% in 2015-16): pic.twitter.com/AW7EWXFldD
— Adam Fromal (@fromal09) November 18, 2016
This is the best team DeRozan has ever played, on hands down, but to finally dethrone the East’s Chosen One, the Raptors need superstar DeRozan present every game.
Against the Washington Wizards, he was present often.
.@DeMar_DeRozan (32 PTS) leads the Raptors to a Game 5 win and a 3-2 series lead over the Wizards pic.twitter.com/0NVxSPKs8M
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 26, 2018
For Toronto, no other matchup compares to Cleveland.