Playoff Live Thread: Cavs @ Raptors, Game 1 (#TryTryAgain)

The Toronto Raptors did not succeed against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 playoffs, losing in six games… so they tried again in the 2017 playoffs… and got swept. 2018 brings another year, and another opportunity to try, try again. Only, this matchup should be different because neither of these teams is really the same as they once were.

The team from the North may still have many recognizable names from their past two iterations, led by an All-Star back court tandem of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, and featuring big men Jonas Valanciunas and Serge Ibaka in their starting five. However, the difference isn’t only in their overhauled bench unit, but also in their overall philosophy of play as a team under head coach Dwayne Casey. The Raps have mostly transformed themselves away from an ISO heavy reliance on their star guards, and have embraced a balanced inside-out attack. They have real gunners on the perimeter, including CJ Miles, Fred VanVleet and Delon Wright, in addition to the already dangerous Lowry. Even DeRozan spent last summer focusing on his three ball with a decent degree of success. Add some length and energy in the form of Pascal Siakam and Jacob Poeltl, and there’s a demonstrable reason why Toronto finished with the best record in the Eastern Conference.

Which leads to another thing that’s different… this being the first time the Raptors have home court advantage over the Cavaliers. That’s because the wine & gold limp across the border, battered and bruised from a roller-coaster season that landed them in the four seed, and led to a harrowingly physical series against the upstart Indiana Pacers. Injuries, roster upheaval and role uncertainty have all plagued the Cavs, requiring LeBron James to put forth a near superhuman effort to carry the team much sooner in these playoffs than anyone expected. Without some timely help here and there from the few veterans populating the Cleveland roster, the Raptors could have very well not even had the opportunity to try and redeem themselves against their biggest stumbling block to the NBA Finals.

So, all should be set up well for Toronto, right? They’ve got LeBron and the Cavs right where they want them, no? And, they’ll have all the fans in The Six screaming for possibly four home games, eh?

Yeah, not so fast. There’s a reason Canadians don’t typically have a high degree of confidence in these Raptors. Because when the pressure is on, they aren’t always the most mentally tough team. Sure, they finally exorcised the demons of playoff Game 1s in the first round against the Wizards (they had lost 10 straight Game 1s before that), but they also still seem to be at their shakiest when playing Cleveland. Even with this new, reconstituted squad, they went just 1-2 against the Cavs in the regular season… with the only win coming during that dark period when Isaiah Thomas started for Cleveland. They lost one of the signature games of the season (for the Cavs anyway) 132-129, when LeBron, missing five teammates and his head coach, scored 35 points with 17 assists and zero turnovers to overcome a 79 point half by the Raptors. During the second half of that game, Toronto reverted back to their old ISO ways as the Cavs applied pressure, and there’s no question Cleveland will look to do that once again.

No word yet on which starting five Ty Lue will incorporate in Game 1… although it does sound like George Hill’s back will allow him to suit up and be available…

Ty Lue wouldn't reveal his starting lineup for Game 1. Tristan Thompson was a hero in Game 7, but Jeff Green was very effective against the Raps in the Cavs' two regular season wins against them when they went small. Lue also said George Hill's back is "good" to go.

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) May 1, 2018

One thing for sure, however, if the Cavs hope to maintain their dominance over the Raptors, they will once again need some heroics from LeBron James, as well as solid contributions from their veterans. It would be a bonus to see one of their young guys (Hood, Clarkson, Nance Jr.) have a good series, but if the Cavs can defend the way they did against the Pacers (for most of the first round), they should have at least a decent chance to get back to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Sticking with my non-predictions for the playoffs, but I do think there’s a good possibility the Cavs can steal Game 1, especially if they can put the requisite pressure on the Raps.

Catch all the action on TNT starting at 8pm EST… and, as always, chime in below…

GO CAVS!