Philadelphia 76ers: 5 keys to second round series vs. Raptors

In order to advance past the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA Playoffs, the Philadelphia 76ers need to take care of some things in their second round matchup.

The Philadelphia 76ers have advanced to the second round of the NBA playoffs for the second consecutive season. As the 3-seed in the Eastern Conference yet again, they will head to Canada to face off against the 2-seeded Toronto Raptors.

Philly went an unflattering 1-3 against Toronto during the regular season, but context matters greatly when placing value on these four games in particular. Markelle Fultz started in the first matchup between these two, while Jimmy Butler was still a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Wilson Chandler was a starter in the second. Mike Muscala started each of the next two and rookie Landry Shamet was a member of the starting five for the final battle as well. Those three are no longer on the roster, shipped west to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Tobias Harris, who averaged 17.6 points and 8.8 rebounds per game in Philly’s five-game series victory over the Brooklyn Nets in the first round.

This means the Raptors have never seen this Sixers team as currently constructed, which could be used as an advantage early on in the series. On paper, Philly should blow Toronto out of the water by the virtue of the star power in its starting lineup. As we all know, though, the game is played on the court, and if the 76ers are to advance to their first conference finals since 2001, it’ll take a lot more than their mere presence to get it done.