Home Game – Toronto Raptors 96 – 107 Washington Wizards on November 5, 2017
Home Game – Toronto Raptors 100 – 91 Washington Wizards on November 19, 2017
Away Game – Toronto Raptors 119 – 122 Washington Wizards on February 1, 2018
Away Game – Toronto Raptors 102 – 95 Washington Wizards on March 2, 2018
The season series was split 2-2 with both teams winning one on each other’s home floor. Analyzing the four games that these two teams faced off each other is quite difficult. In all 4 of these games, John Wall was not playing thus, this will be a different team that the Raptors will have to prepare for. It has been noted that John Wall’s presence does reduce the ball movement, number of assists and the amount of touches Bradley Beal gets. The Raptors number one problem will be guarding Bradley Beal. He has all the tools to score: a step-back, 3-point shot, mid-range and able to drive into the paint. He has been killer in all four match-ups averaging 29.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg. 4.3 apg, 1 stl, 0.5 blk, 49% field-goal, 50% from three, 86% free-throw, and 3 turnovers. These numbers are definitely inflated without the presence of John Wall, but Raptor fans must understand that John Wall himself is a 20 points and 10 assists player so, not really an advantage that John Wall is playing.
Looking into the match-ups, every game both rosters had missing pieces. The Raptors did not have the entire Bench Mob in the first three games, but had the entire bench in the fourth game where they took the game on the road. This team early in the season had not figured out what the rotations were, who was going to get minutes and how will the revamped offense work. The first two games happened in the second month of the season and both teams were trying to get a rhythm. It was a tight contest in all four games, but this series can go either way.
The Toronto Raptors match-up well with the Washington Wizards compared to any other team in the Eastern Conference. Both teams have All-Star backcourts, legitimate centers, and the same cornerstones for their respective franchises. This Raptors team does have a stronger bench than the Wizards. The Raptors bench is ranked number 1 in defensive efficiency, offensive efficiency, 2nd in minutes, and is a top five in every other category. The Wizards bench is ranked 18th in offensive efficiency, defensive efficiency and minutes. The Washington Wizards rely heavily on their starters and will be looking to do so against the Raptors.
My prediction for this series: Raptors in 6
I have belief in this Raptors team to get revenge on the Washington Wizards who beat them in the playoffs in 2015. This series is still fresh in my mind when the Wizards swept the Toronto Raptors in 4 games. But this team has been completely changed and the holes that were missing from before have been filled. The Raptors have acquired a prototypical power-forward in Serge Ibaka, a strong bench, more experience, and a vastly improved DeMar DeRozan, Jonas Valanciunas, and Kyle Lowry. Only Lowry, DeRozan, JV, and Nogueira are the remaining members of the team that faced off against the Wizards in 2015.
This team has a lot to prove and losing in the first round will obviously be a huge disappointment. This team’s playoff woes have been noted by the media and other NBA members, but this year the vibe is definitely different. This team has more depth, less reliance on the isolation, and a lighter load on the shoulders of DeRozan and Lowry. Now, it’s time to put all that hard work from the regular season and convert it into big time wins in the post-season. Let’s Go Raptors. We will show the world who the Kings of the North are. #WeTheNorth
Pictures courtesy of:
www.raptors.com