2019 NBA Playoffs: Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers preview
By Alec Liebsch
The first round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs went swimmingly for both the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers. This round won’t be so smooth.
Like most first round matchups go, the series that the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers participated in were not exactly nail-biters. Toronto made a frightening statement in its demolition of the Orlando Magic, but Philly showed its true colors as well, capped by a 22-point win (that felt much larger) over the Brooklyn Nets.
Neither team lost after shockingly ceding Game 1s, but those win streaks are likely to end in this series. Both these teams have sky-high hopes, with expectations only capped by the superpower that is the Golden State Warriors.
The Raptors seem more prepared for this bout. Led by a former Finals MVP in Kawhi Leonard, battle-tested Kyle Lowry and Most Improved Player candidate Pascal Siakam, they’ve been a well-oiled machine virtually all season. With all their length and athleticism, they’re sure to make the Sixers work.
Executive of the Year candidate Bobby Webster deserves a boatload of praise. Not only did he and Masai Ujiri have the guts to ship out DeMar DeRozan and spare parts for one season of Leonard, but the duo also had consistent success in multiple drafts, quietly building one of the best benches in the league.
Philly, meanwhile, has constructed itself a little differently. Rookie general manager Elton Brand arguably had more gaul, evidenced by trades for Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris, but they came at the expense of depth. The Sixers are trying to figure out just how far they can go in the direction of consolidating talent.
Granted, it’s not like they had much of a bench before making these moves; Mike Muscala was the first big off the bench until the Harris trade. The necessary draft picks to execute these deals were in surplus, but in terms of actually turning draft assets into players, the Sixers haven’t been too good at that recently.
This contrast in team-building styles will be quite telling for the rest of the NBA. Can a team win with four stars and essentially seven playable guys total? Or does cohesiveness still win the day?