Toronto Raptors Two-Man Game: Raptors vs. Cavaliers Series Preview
By Demar Grant
How big of a role does the Toronto Raptors bench play in this series? What’s the Raptors starting and final 5? Will Drake ever return to the ACC? To help pick up the pieces, Demar Grant and Chris Okrainetz bring you the Two-Man Game.
We all knew the Toronto Raptors and Cavaliers would meet again in the playoffs, the circumstances are just different now. It’s the second round, not the Eastern Conference Finals and the Cavs defense sucks, while the Raptors are the second best in the postseason.
Serge Ibaka answers some questions posed about the match up last year and so does Norman Powell, but there are still some quandaries about the series that remain unanswered hours before tip-off. So, to help clear the air, Demar Grant and Chris Okrainetz are here. Welcome to the Two-Man Game, dear.
What do the Raptors do to defend “Raptor Killer” Channing Frye
Demar: Switch the screen-and-roll. There just isn’t a choice in the matter. If there is even the slightest mistake in any other coverage then it’s going to be an open three point shot by Frye or a two-handed jam by LeBron James. Switch and stop the initial action. If Frye’s in the game Ibaka should be too, Lebron posting up Ibaka ain’t a trip to Mordor but it’s definitely not a walk in the park.
Chris: Considering Frye’s minutes will likely come against the Raptors’ bench, Patrick Patterson or Serge Ibaka need to be on him. I’d prefer to have both of them on the floor together, which is something we saw against the Bucks, and just try to switch everything. We all know the LeBron-Frye pick-and-roll is coming, so this won’t be a surprise. However, stopping it is no easy task. If it’s not Ibaka or Patterson, though, I’m not too confident in the Raptors other options. Jonas Valanciunas on Frye has been an absolute nightmare, so I think it has to be Patterson or Ibaka.