NBA Playoffs must-follow storylines: Toronto Raptors vs Brooklyn Nets

Predictions

The presence of Irving alone would’ve made this a far more intriguing series. Perhaps a healthy Durant alongside him leads to a rematch with higher stakes as early as next year.

For now, these Nets are simply too overmatched against a Raptors team that continues to scratch the heads of conventional wisdom. They were supposed to step back. Instead, they’ve pushed forward and enter the postseason riding a four-game winning streak, posting a sparkling 7-1 record in the bubble.

LeVert might find a similar stroke to the one that netted him his career-high 51 points back in early March. The same could be said of Harris from beyond the arc. Perhaps the remaining Nets scrap together enough production to keep any one of their games close.

Whatever route Brooklyn must take to make things interesting, it’s hard to imagine that type of lightning striking no more than a single time. Against an elite defensive force like Toronto, even that’s a little generous.

The Raptors of old made every first-round matchup interesting, but this current iteration has burst through its ceiling and hasn’t looked back since. With championship medley as their foundation, it’s hard to imagine they play around too much with their sights ultimately set on much bigger things.

Prediction: Raptors in 4