The major storylines surrounding the Toronto Raptors heading into the season almost all related to how they can convince Kawhi Leonard to re-sign with them in free agency.

The consensus seemed to be that the Raptors should be in prime position to compete for an NBA Finals appearance for a few reasons. It started with the fact that they were swapping out DeMar DeRozan with a top five player and the thought process included the likely improvement of Pascal Siakam.

Toronto has needed Kyle Lowry and their supporting cast players around Leonard and Siakam to step up against a team that is so loaded in talent like the Philadelphia 76ers — and it has yet to happen. As a result, they are facing a 2-1 series deficit heading into a Game 4 that will undoubtedly require a win on the road.

The scoring breakdown from the Raptors' players has been quite telling. So far in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals, Leonard (37.7) and Siakam (23.3) have combined to average an impressive 60 points per game on 56.5% shooting from the field. Meanwhile, the rest of the team is averaging a mere 37.3 points per game with a horrendous 30.5% field goal percentage.

“We've got to help him,” Lowry told ESPN. “I was literally saying it during the game. We have to help him. He's doing everything he can possibly do offensively and defensively to f—ing win games, and myself, I'm not helping him enough.

While there is plenty of blame to go around across Toronto's supporting cast, they at least need more from Kyle Lowry. He has underachieved consistently in playoff games throughout his Raptors career and averaging 12 points per game on 36.1% shooting from the field against a team as stacked as Philadelphia is not going to cut it.

“I've got to play better,” Lowry told ESPN. “Literally that is the only thing that matters. I have to play better. Nothing else matters. Plus-minus, charges, everything. Nothing else matters. I have to score the ball and play better offensively.

“If I can get close to where I can be, it would be a different series. We might be a little better off than 2-1, but it's been like this all year for me. It's been an up-and-down year for me, and I can't dwell on anything but continue to try to get better at some point.

“Hopefully it'll be Sunday.”

It has gotten to a point for Toronto that it almost doesn't matter how many little things that Lowry does well that don't show up in the box score throughout games. His lack of reliability as a scoring option in the playoffs has surpassed a concerning level and with his contract taking up so much of their salary cap spending, it is arguably impossible to construct a championship team if he isn't performing.

The lack of offensive production that the Raptors' supporting cast players have produced extends beyond Lowry. Their offensive rating goes from 110.7 with Leonard playing to a truly terrible 54.1 when he is off the court. There is practically no chance to win games when one player is being relied upon so heavily.

It is not going to be an easy task for Toronto to provide the level of offensive production around Leonard and Siakam that they need to win this series. A critical issue for the Raptors has been that the 76ers have two stars that set the tone — Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler — while having a group that consistently provides strong contributions extending beyond just two players.

Even with Embiid (33) and Butler (22) combining for 55 points, Philadelphia received a total of six individual double-figure scoring performances. That is the level of supporting cast production that is required for a team to be able to ‘out-class' their opposition in the playoffs and Toronto must find a way to overcome it — and it needs to happen soon.

The emphasis that the 76ers placed on bolstering their roster since the start of the season has truly shaken the top of the Eastern Conference to its core. The season began with Embiid and Ben Simmons with the hope that Markelle Fultz could return to the lineup and make an impact. At the time, Toronto was considered as one of the heavy favorites to earn a trip to the NBA Finals.

The hierarchy of the Eastern Conference has changed since the start of the regular season. Instead of being satisfied with a talented core of young players, Philadelphia was aggressive in their efforts to create a title contender. They acquired Butler in November and added Tobias Harris, Mike Scott, James Ennis III, and Greg Monroe at later points during the season.

There was some belief that a potential lack of team chemistry could be the downfall for the 76ers after they traded for Butler. The theory was that there wouldn't be enough touches between Embiid, Butler, and Simmons — especially after acquiring Harris into the mix — but it has worked because they all have the same team oriented goal in mind.

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“The playoffs are a different sport,” 76ers coach Brett Brown said. “Whatever we might have judged in the regular season, everything is just amplified now. There aren’t many teams still playing, and it’s the NBA playoffs, and it’s May, and it’s rare ground that players and coaches and teams have to play at this time of year. There’s a serious side, and there’s now a growth of a student who understands this is a different date. It’s not February. It’s May. And the rules change. The rules change a lot.”

The simple fact of the matter is that the Raptors need their supporting cast to produce greater results on the offensive end of the floor. It is not uncommon for role players to underachieve in the post-season — even when doing simple things like putting up catch-and-shoot attempts and finishing around the basket– but it's truly troubling when so many are underperforming at the same time.

“We're being unselfish, and we have to be more selfish,” Lowry told ESPN. “We have to help Kawhi and Pascal, and score more and be a little bit more assertive.

“We're just being very — we're passive. We're too passive to a fault.”

The pressure meter for the Raptors should be at a 10 on a scale of 10 because it is difficult to envision Leonard choosing to re-sign with a team that is failing him. A team like the Los Angeles Clippers that took the Golden State Warriors to a six-game series without even one All-Star on their roster may be a more attractive option.

While it may sound hyperbolic to say that Toronto is heading into the most important game in the history of their franchise — it may be true. The difference between a 2-2 series tie heading back to Scotiabank Arena for Game 5 and a potential 3-1 series deficit is truly substantial and potentially franchise altering.

It would be time for a full-scale rebuild that is centered around Siakam if Leonard were to leave in free agency. It is simply too depleting to lose an MVP caliber wing player for nothing in today's NBA climate and expect to be able to bounce back.