Listed below are 10 takeaways from the Toronto Raptors‘ season-ending 132-97 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in Sport 6 in their playoff collection on Thursday.
One – The Sixers made the important changes and hit every other equipment that the Raptors simply were not in a position to check: For the entire grievance over the Sixers’ limp performances in Video games 4 and 5, the danger used to be all the time that their skill would play as much as their attainable, which used to be the case right here. The Sixers do not have a lot of a bench, however their most sensible 4 is as proficient as any group within the league, they usually have been in a position to return in combination and dismantle the Raptors as they’d in Video games 1 and a pair of. They have been the deserved winners, and for as a lot doubt and disregard as they gained over the process the collection, they will have to be given the similar appreciate and credit score for completing the activity within the way that they did.
Two – The floodgates opened within the 3rd quarter: The Raptors defence had already struggled within the first 1/2, the place the Sixers have been in a position to get downhill as soon as once more, which pulled Toronto out of place. No less than the Raptors have been in a position to stay tempo with opportunistic scoring, however that trend used to be all the time going to favour the Sixers, who’ve a ways higher offensive avid gamers to take care of the tempo, as in comparison to Toronto which is basically a defence-first group. When the Raptors inevitably went thru their drought, the Sixers have been in a position to double their efforts offensively by way of enjoying at the speedy spoil, and the sport used to be successfully over within the blink of a watch. Credit score James Harden for stepping as much as the problem and environment the tempo early with a couple of riding layups. He ruled this recreation and had the Raptors chasing ghosts all evening. The Sixers will move so far as he’s going to take them. When the MVP model of Harden displays up, the Sixers can compete with any person.
3 – Document Rivers confronted essentially the most scrutiny out of any person heading into this recreation, however confirmed his high quality: The Sixers made the entire proper changes on each ends. Offensively, the Sixers honed in on attacking the Raptors’ weakest defenders in Khem Birch, Gary Trent Jr. and Thad Younger Jr. in the course of the pick-and-roll, which brought about consistent breakdowns. And general, the rush to play quicker in point of fact exploited the Raptors’ overzealousness at the offensive glass and were given the Sixers simple baskets to construct the lead. Defensively, the renewed effort to play zone, in spite of the numbers suggesting that the Raptors have been successfully countering it, used to be a gutsy gamble that paid off handsomely. It compelled Pascal Siakam to play extra laterally somewhat than riding downhill, and it compelled the Raptors to hit out of doors photographs, which is the most obvious flaw within the group particularly with Fred VanVleet sidelined. Rivers pressed the merit in the second one 1/2, opting to outright lure Siakam once he crossed half-court to pressure any person else to overcome them, and the Raptors merely didn’t have the concord to get it finished. That is the place a loss of capturing hurts essentially the most.
4 – Secondary scoring used to be the variation within the recreation and within the collection: Siakam used to be superb when he may play in unmarried protection, and even towards a 2d defender rotating over within the paint, however there used to be no person to give a boost to him when he used to be compelled to present it up. The Raptors have such a lot of hesitant shooters, or even fewer dependable ball handlers who could make a play towards a rotating defence. Distinction that to the Sixers, who’ve been provided with dependable scoring from Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey, who’re all the time there to capitalize at the added consideration given to Harden and Joel Embiid. Maxey and Harris scored 22 in their 44 issues within the 3rd quarter. In the meantime, the Raptors were given simply seven issues within the 3rd from their supporting items in Trent Jr., OG Anunoby, and Scottie Barnes.
5 – This used to be a studying revel in for Barnes: The Sixers actively funneled the motion in opposition to him and dared the rookie to overcome them, and he couldn’t. Barnes optimistically stepped into his threes, however each group within the league will are living with him making an attempt seven in a recreation as a result of he’s nonetheless very inconsistent at this level of his construction. The Sixers additionally had Embiid assigned to Barnes, despite the fact that he in large part neglected him and roamed within the paint. Within the events the place Barnes did assault, he used to be in a position to attain on Embiid now and again which is in point of fact spectacular, nevertheless it wasn’t on the consistency the place the Sixers have been made to reshape their technique. In a couple of seasons, when Barnes expands his skillset and turns into the famous person that he’s succesful of turning into, he’s going to be at the reverse finish of this technique the place he’s the only being doubled. However for now, he must toughen his out of doors shot, and to increase his scoring even additional as a result of groups will stay difficult him because the Sixers did right here.
Six – Anunoby by no means in point of fact were given concerned: He used to be in foul hassle for the primary 1/2, and used to be forcing it in the second one 1/2. His methodical dribble strikes slightly moved the defence, and the loss of ball motion didn’t permit Anunoby to get his same old nutrition of catch-and-shoot probabilities. It used to be an uncharacteristic appearing from one of the vital leaders of the group, however now not essentially unexpected. The constraints of his recreation stay the similar, in that Anunoby continues to be reliant on others to create his scoring, somewhat than having the skillset to start up, and whilst this is rarely a knock towards him, it does turn out to be a noticeable shortcoming when the group as an entire lacks scoring. His ambition is to be greater than a 3-and-D participant, so as soon as once more he’s going to head into the low season with the objective of increasing his recreation.
Seven – This used to be a reminder that Valuable Achiuwa continues to be so younger in his construction: For the entire pleasure and hype over his super appearing in Sport 5, he used to be a non-factor on this loss. The one occasions you spotted Achiuwa used to be when he attempted to pressure it into site visitors to make a play, which noticed him simply bottled up by way of the defence. No longer best have been they set, however Achiuwa made it simple for them by way of making the unsuitable reads and riding immediately into site visitors, which best ended in unhealthy photographs that were given the Sixers getting in transition. Achiuwa has proven on this collection and over the process the season that he’s a skill, however as of at the moment he’s nonetheless inconsistent and missing in polish. As soon as he makes the three-point shot a constant weapon, and hones in on a couple of dribble strikes to open his riding recreation, Achiuwa might be a key starter for the Raptors. However till he turns into constant in his skillset and in his reads, Achiuwa will proceed to swing up and down.
8 – The Raptors’ general loss of capturing used to be all the time going to be their undoing: They ranked nineteenth in three-point makes at the season, and ranked bottom-five after the all-star spoil. Within the remaining 3 video games of this collection, the Raptors hit 23-of-100 from deep, which isn’t even all that unexpected while you imagine VanVleet’s absence. Probably the most shortcomings of establishing a whole group of forwards is that you just lack the capturing that guards most often supply, and at the Raptors, there have been best 3 constant shooters all yr in VanVleet, Trent Jr., and Anunoby. Everybody else used to be inconsistent to the purpose the place defences have been relaxed leaving them open, and the margin for error used to be simply too low. The Raptors obviously place confidence in their construction program to toughen capturing, however the entrance workplace will have to even be proactive in this entrance. It’s lovely to look at the six-foot-nine forwards assault the rim or hit the glass, however this group sorely lacks a 3rd guard who could make performs and hit photographs.
9 – Chris Boucher ended his promising season on a prime be aware: Boucher’s process stored the Raptors aggressive within the first 1/2, the place he had 19 issues in large part off cuts, transition, and putbacks. His reference to Younger is plain, particularly as a counter to the Sixers’ zone coverages, and Nick Nurse introduced them in previous than same old within the first quarter and performed them for lots of the 1/2. Boucher began this collection gradual, simply as he did within the common season, however settled in well and become a game-changing piece off the bench together with his hustle and process. Boucher and Younger are the one two key unfastened brokers for the Raptors, who dangle complete Fowl Rights on each avid gamers. There’s no reason each avid gamers shouldn’t be retained, particularly making an allowance for that they so completely have compatibility the best way the Raptors need to play.
Ten – Finally, I need to say thanks to everybody who reads this column: What originated as a screenshot of stray ideas has advanced into seven years of recaps throughout 4 other publications. The principle objective has remained the similar, which is to supply an informative and succinct manner of organizing ideas on each and every Raptors recreation, and whilst they’ve turn out to be longer over time, my hope is that it has a minimum of turn out to be marginally extra insightful. Thanks to the entire editors who’re incessantly left to untangle my messy replica this is most often despatched in after nighttime, and get ready to edit every other 82 issues subsequent season.
