The Toronto Raptors have looked like one of the best teams in basketball since the NBA restart began.

After going 7-1 during the seeding games, the Raptors absolutely throttled the Brooklyn Nets in a four-game sweep. Toronto won three of the four games by at least 24 points, and managed to put up 150 in Game 4 despite an early injury to Kyle Lowry.

The Raptors are barreling towards what they hope will be a second straight berth in the Eastern Conference finals and, eventually, a second consecutive NBA championship.

First, however, Toronto must take care of the Boston Celtics.

Boston swept the Philadelphia 76ers despite the absence of Gordon Hayward, and the team's scoring at the guard and wing spots could pose an issue for the Raptors.

Any number of players could be deemed the “X-factor,” including both Lowry and backcourt mate Fred VanVleet, who had a massive series against the Nets. But swingman OG Anunoby can help the Raptors win the series by forcing Jayson Tatum to work for every bucket.

Taking on the tough matchup

It remains to be seen how the Raptors and head coach Nick Nurse will draw up the defensive assignments.

If Lowry is unable to play in Game 1, it seems like Norman Powell will be inserted into the starting lineup, which makes things easier at the two-guard.

But should Lowry be able to go, the Raptors will have to account for a huge size disadvantage on Jaylen Brown.

That said, it is likely Anunoby draws Tatum for the entirety of the series. He guarded Tatum for a quick run during the seeding game between the two sides, holding Tatum to 1-for-5 shooting and a pair of turnovers. Given Hayward will not be on the floor, it is all but certain Nurse rolls with Anunoby against Tatum.

This is a huge matchup, for both teams. Anunoby is one of the better on-ball and isolation defenders in the league. Conversely, Tatum is one of the better isolation scorers.

In fact, John Hollinger of The Athletic previewed the matchup back in July:

At the center of it all, however, will be the one-on-one matchup between these two rising stars, the first edition of what could be a decade of faceoffs between the two. Both made massive leaps this season – Anunoby with his emergence as a top-flight on-ball stopper after missing last year’s title run due to injury, and Tatum via his more celebrated eruption as a tentpole offensive star and no-brainer max-contract guy.

Anunoby's ability to stick Tatum and make things difficult for him could almost single-handedly win the Raptors the series.

While this might sound like an exaggeration, the Celtics have limited shot creators and playmakers, especially without Hayward on the court.

If Daniel Theis cannot spread the floor and force Toronto's bigs to leave the painted area, it will be equally difficult for Tatum and Co. to find clear paths to the rim.

Anunoby is big and physical and will likely look to get right into Tatum's body, which could result in the former Duke star settling for more heavily-contested midrange jumpers.

That is bad news for Tatum, whose progression has stemmed mostly from his willingness to get all the way to the rim and shoot efficiently from beyond the arc.

Offensive threat?

The Raptors can bank on Anunoby's abilities as an individual defender, but will he be a presentable scoring option.

Anunoby played his “3-and-D” role to perfection during the regular season, averaging 10.6 points while shooting 39 percent from deep on 3.3 attempts per game.

But the 23-year-old is going through a bit of a shooting slump, having made just one of his last eight triples. Granted, his proficiency as a cutter still allowed Anunoby to get some easy baskets around the rim. However, the Raptors need the youngster to shoot the ball more effectively.

Much like Toronto's own defense, the Celtics are excellent at hounding ball-handlers and forcing contested jumpers from the perimeter. Sixers center Joel Embiid dominated Boston down low, but it did not matter because Philly could not shoot the ball.

The Raptors should still get perimeter looks, especially given how well they spread the floor and move the ball. But they need Anunoby to capitalize on open jumpers and score when needed, much like he did against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first seeding game.