The Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers both finished off their respective first-round Eastern Conference playoff series last night, setting up a second-round matchup with the second and third-seeded teams in the conference.
This is one of two incredibly intriguing second-round battles in the East, and while the Raptors are the favorites, there are some who feel that the 76ers can give Toronto a run for its money in this seven-game set.
Let's break down a few key things to watch for in this upcoming series:
4. The Raptors' Depth
The Raptors are one of the deepest teams in the league, which is part of the reason why they have been so good this year.
Yes, they have arguably the best player in the East (and maybe even the entire league) in Kawhi Leonard, and yes, guys like Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka are terrific veteran pieces, but that is not the only way the Raptors beat teams.
They also beat you with their depth, as Toronto has a plethora of options that can score the basketball and guard multiple positions off the bench.
Think about this for a second: one of Ibaka or Marc Gasol will be coming off of the bench in this series. How many teams can say they have that type of luxury?
Not only that, but the Raptors have the likes of Norman Powell, Fred VanVleet, Jeremy Lin and potentially OG Anunoby if he is able to recover from his appendectomy in time to play in this series.
Contrast that with the 76ers, who have one of the worst benches in the league, and it's clear that Toronto has a massive edge here that could ultimately be the difference in this matchup.
3. Experience
Another thing the Raptors have on their side in this series is experience. Both Leonard and Danny Green have won a championship before, as they were teammates on the 2014 champion San Antonio Spurs, a finals in which Leonard won MVP.
Plus, Toronto also has battle-tested veterans such as Gasol, Ibaka and Lowry.
Basically, the Raptors have experience up and down the roster, which is something that cannot be said for Philadelphia.
Outside of Jimmy Butler, who doesn't even have all that much playoff experience in his own right, and J.J. Redick, the Sixers have little to no postseason chops on their roster, as this is only the second playoff appearance for Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
Late in games when things get tight, Toronto will be able to lean on Kawhi and the rest of its veterans to make big plays late. We really don't know if Philly can do that yet.
Sure, the 76ers showed some signs against the Brooklyn Nets, but the Raptors are not the Nets.
2. The mental game
This ties into experience a bit, but it is slightly different.
There is no doubt that the 76ers are a mentally shaky team. Embiid and Simmons are not exactly what you would call mature players, and Butler is not exactly known for being the world's greatest teammate, either.
Meanwhile, in Toronto, you have a bunch of seasoned veterans who are all business. Leonard doesn't have time to crack jokes in postgame interviews. Lowry is on a mission to shake his playoff demons. Gasol wants a title in his old age.
You can think this type of thing doesn't matter once the ball tips, but it does, as it has everything to do with how teams handle adversity, such as calls not going their way or shots not falling.
1. The health of Joel Embiid
Which brings us to the biggest factor in this series: the health of Embiid.
Embiid is dealing with tendinitis in his knee, which means he could wake up feeling great one day and then like death the next. Make no mistake about it: Philadelphia stands no chance in this series without a health Embiid.
The big man certainly looked great for stretches against Brooklyn, but there were also times where he looked very limited, especially defensively.
If Embiid has any performances against the Raptors like he did in Game 1 of his team's first-round series against the Nets, the 76ers will lose. They absolutely, positively need Embiid to be at or at least near 100 percent in this matchup.
We also need to keep in mind that Toronto is much better equipped to defend Embiid than Brooklyn. While Jarrett Allen and Ed Davis are both very light in the tail for the Nets, the same cannot be said for Gasol, who is a load. And while Ibaka may be the strongest guy on the block, he is a savvy veteran who will make Embiid work for everything.
Not only that, but neither Allen nor Davis could spread the floor Brooklyn. The same cannot be said for Gasol and Ibaka, who frequently burn teams with their perimeter shooting.
If Embiid is at all compromised, the 76ers will be in deep trouble.
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