Hoops Habit
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Toronto Raptors: 5 keys to series vs. Magic

By Jonathan Turco

TORONTO, ON - APRIL 1: Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors dribbles the ball as D.J. Augustin #14 of the Orlando Magic defends during the second half of an NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on April 1, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - APRIL 1: Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors dribbles the ball as D.J. Augustin #14 of the Orlando Magic defends during the second half of an NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on April 1, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /

1. Breaking old habits

The biggest hurdle for the Toronto Raptors in this playoff series is the ghost of postseasons past. They have a horrendous record of losing Game 1 at home, losing their home-court advantage. They have a terrible habit of buckling when the stack is against them, especially against teams that have large, athletic superstars on the wing (i.e. LeBron James, Paul Pierce).

This is not suggesting Aaron Gordon is that caliber of player, nor that he will haunt the Raptors, but it is still a mental hurdle they have to get over. As mentioned plenty in this article, this is not yesteryear’s team. President Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster have gone all in this season, and brought in a playoff boogeyman in Kawhi Leonard to haunt opposition. Kawhi has the fourth-most win shares in NBA playoff history, and is a former Finals MVP on a team that had arguably three Hall-of-Famers on its roster.

The Raptors had issues closing out games in the past, but this year they have a 22-17 record (seventh), a net rating of +6.9 (fifth) and a defensive rating of 102.1 (seventh) in clutch situations. The emergence of Siakam and less reliance of their All-Stars in those moments has created the opportunity for improvement in closing out games. Siakam, Green, Leonard, and Ibaka all have had a game-winning moment this season, showing the versatility and depth in the roster.

Gasol, Green, Ibaka, Leonard and even McCaw, have all had successful playoff runs, and know what it truly takes — physically and mentally — to prepare for each and every game. This group is built to perform in the playoffs, and has yet to be proven otherwise.

There’s a saying, there are players two types of players: those who are built for 82 games, and others built for 16. The Raptors have at least four important and capable 16-game players.

Next. Top 100 moments of the 2018-19 NBA season. dark

It starts with the first round series against the Orlando Magic this weekend and will hopefully end with another one in June to compete for an NBA championship. Raptors in five.

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