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The Cavs head north of the border clinging to a one-game lead over the red-hot Raptors in a game that could determine who ends up with the last automatic play-off spot. The Raptors are 40-32 and have won 6 of their last 8. The losses were to the 42-30 Bulls (with the Raptors missing Gary Trent Jr and OG Anunoby) and in overtime to the Lakers (missing Anunoby).
Both Trent and Anunoby are listed as game time decisions but based on the importance of this game I expect they will go if at all possible.
The Raptors rank 19th in points per game. They are not great shooters, ranking 27th in effective field goal percentage. They miss a lot of shots but get a lot of second chances because they rank 2nd in offensive rebound percentage. Taking care of the defensive glass and limited the Raptors to one shot will be huge for the Cavs.
The Raptors rank 28th in assists so they do a lot of one-on-one. They are 28th in 2-point percentage and 20th in 3-point percentage so they are better shooters from long range. They have the second fewest turnovers so they will get their shots off. The Cavs can’t give them open looks from the 3-point line and they need to get those defensive rebounds.
Defensively the Raptors are above average, ranking 10th in scoring defense. They only rank 21st in effective field goal percentage but where they excel is steals, where they rank 2nd. They are also 2nd in forcing turnovers and they are 3rd in fast break points. They excel in stealing the ball and turning it into an easy transition bucket, which is why they are 19th in scoring despite being 27th in effective field goal percentage. They get lots of points on fast breaks off steals and on offensive rebounding. They're a very athletic team that goes for steals, runs the floor, and crashes the offensive boards.
In order to win the Cavs need to protect the ball on offense and minimize turnovers. On defense they need to rebound the first missed shot and not give up a lot of second chance points. Those are the keys.
It would also help if Trent and Anunoby can’t play.
The Cavs are 3-0 against the Raptors this season but that won’t be a factor tonight. The first win was by one point in November, the second was when the entire Raptors starting lineup was out with COVID, and three weeks ago the Cavs won by 8 points with VanVleet and Anunoby out.
Siakam and VanVleet lead the way with 22.0 and 21.0 points per game. Trent averages 18.0 ppg and Anunoby 17.5 so if they are both out the Raptors will be missing their 3rd and 4th leading scorers who combine for 35 points per game. When you include Scottie Barnes the Raptors have five players averaging between 15-22 points. They are a very balanced scoring team.
The third key for the Cavs, in addition to avoiding turnovers and rebounding the first missed shot, is starting to get back to where they were defensively earlier in the season. Chris Fedor wrote about it after the loss to the Lakers, where the Cavs allowed more points than they have since the second game of the season.
Beyond the missing pieces -- a season long problem -- the Cavs aren’t playing with the same effort, looking mentally and physically exhausted. That scrap and grittiness -- a clear identity at the core of the surprising start -- has fluctuated more than Bickerstaff would prefer. The transition defense, often put in bad spots by the turnover-heavy offense, has been lackluster, giving up an average of 19.5 points off miscues. The closeouts haven’t been as disciplined. The attention to detail hasn’t been as sharp. They aren’t executing the game plan with the same precision. Rotations have been slower. Trust hasn’t been as prevalent.
On top of everything, Allen and Mobley aren’t there to protect the perimeter defenders, which means the guards must be better.
Both teams have had two days off to prepare for this one. I’m assuming the Raptors will have a full house of rabid fans. It will definitely be a playoff atmosphere and the Raptors have more playoff-tested players than the Cavs. This game is going to be a big test for the young Cavaliers - on the road in front of a noisy crowd against a more experienced team with a lot potentially riding on the game.
Bickerstaff lit into them after the Lakers game, calling their performance “terrible”. Usually they bounce back after a bad game. Let’s hope they do.
Both Trent and Anunoby are listed as game time decisions but based on the importance of this game I expect they will go if at all possible.
The Raptors rank 19th in points per game. They are not great shooters, ranking 27th in effective field goal percentage. They miss a lot of shots but get a lot of second chances because they rank 2nd in offensive rebound percentage. Taking care of the defensive glass and limited the Raptors to one shot will be huge for the Cavs.
The Raptors rank 28th in assists so they do a lot of one-on-one. They are 28th in 2-point percentage and 20th in 3-point percentage so they are better shooters from long range. They have the second fewest turnovers so they will get their shots off. The Cavs can’t give them open looks from the 3-point line and they need to get those defensive rebounds.
Defensively the Raptors are above average, ranking 10th in scoring defense. They only rank 21st in effective field goal percentage but where they excel is steals, where they rank 2nd. They are also 2nd in forcing turnovers and they are 3rd in fast break points. They excel in stealing the ball and turning it into an easy transition bucket, which is why they are 19th in scoring despite being 27th in effective field goal percentage. They get lots of points on fast breaks off steals and on offensive rebounding. They're a very athletic team that goes for steals, runs the floor, and crashes the offensive boards.
In order to win the Cavs need to protect the ball on offense and minimize turnovers. On defense they need to rebound the first missed shot and not give up a lot of second chance points. Those are the keys.
It would also help if Trent and Anunoby can’t play.
The Cavs are 3-0 against the Raptors this season but that won’t be a factor tonight. The first win was by one point in November, the second was when the entire Raptors starting lineup was out with COVID, and three weeks ago the Cavs won by 8 points with VanVleet and Anunoby out.
Siakam and VanVleet lead the way with 22.0 and 21.0 points per game. Trent averages 18.0 ppg and Anunoby 17.5 so if they are both out the Raptors will be missing their 3rd and 4th leading scorers who combine for 35 points per game. When you include Scottie Barnes the Raptors have five players averaging between 15-22 points. They are a very balanced scoring team.
The third key for the Cavs, in addition to avoiding turnovers and rebounding the first missed shot, is starting to get back to where they were defensively earlier in the season. Chris Fedor wrote about it after the loss to the Lakers, where the Cavs allowed more points than they have since the second game of the season.
Beyond the missing pieces -- a season long problem -- the Cavs aren’t playing with the same effort, looking mentally and physically exhausted. That scrap and grittiness -- a clear identity at the core of the surprising start -- has fluctuated more than Bickerstaff would prefer. The transition defense, often put in bad spots by the turnover-heavy offense, has been lackluster, giving up an average of 19.5 points off miscues. The closeouts haven’t been as disciplined. The attention to detail hasn’t been as sharp. They aren’t executing the game plan with the same precision. Rotations have been slower. Trust hasn’t been as prevalent.
On top of everything, Allen and Mobley aren’t there to protect the perimeter defenders, which means the guards must be better.
Both teams have had two days off to prepare for this one. I’m assuming the Raptors will have a full house of rabid fans. It will definitely be a playoff atmosphere and the Raptors have more playoff-tested players than the Cavs. This game is going to be a big test for the young Cavaliers - on the road in front of a noisy crowd against a more experienced team with a lot potentially riding on the game.
Bickerstaff lit into them after the Lakers game, calling their performance “terrible”. Usually they bounce back after a bad game. Let’s hope they do.
