2019 NBA Playoffs: Toronto Raptors vs. Philadelphia 76ers preview

Predictions

Sure, the Sixers have all the talent in the world. And yes, Kyle Lowry has shown signs of aging. But Kawhi Leonard is the best player in this series, and the Raptors have a bevy of lineup combinations to dismantle Philly.

Next to their Big 3 in crunch-time will be two of: Danny Green, Gasol, Ibaka, VanVleet and Jeremy Lin. Someone will have a mismatch, and the defending Sixer will get exposed as a result.

Granted, Philly can attack mismatches too. The problem, though, is that Toronto doesn’t have many liabilities to exploit. Everyone it deploys can shoot and defend capably, except maybe Gasol and Lin.

The Sixers will have some sort of stylistic weakness to overcome no matter the lineup, and their best player will also be less than 100 percent. Not to mention, Ben Simmons still can’t shoot, which will cramp offensive spacing.

Overall, the Raptors are the most balanced, cohesive team in the league. A consolidation of stars not on the level of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, LeBron James or Giannis Antentokoumnpo will likely fail stand in their way.

Prediction: Raptors in 5 games