ECQF | P1 (2) Toronto Raptors vs (7) Orlando Magic

[El Chivo]

4-1

[itsme23]

What? Lol are you a new Raptors fan? Let me give you a hint "Wizards, sweep".

That was a 4 seed and 5 seed team, so it was far from an upset.

Regardless Raps should take Orlando in 4 or 5. They have the clearly superior team, Orlando has no playoff experience and their point guards are pretty weak. I mean the Raps backup point guard would probably start in Orlando.

But Orlando is a young and scrappy team, if Ross and Vuciec get hot they could push it to 6.

I was just pointing out you stated incorrect information "Raps never lost to any team without the player LeBron James on that team."

Thank you for the correction. You are an internet warrior.

[Blaze4G]

That was a 4 seed and 5 seed team, so it was far from an upset.

Regardless Raps should take Orlando in 4 or 5. They have the clearly superior team, Orlando has no playoff experience and their point guards are pretty weak. I mean the Raps backup point guard would probably start in Orlando.

But Orlando is a young and scrappy team, if Ross and Vuciec get hot they could push it to 6.

I was just pointing out you stated incorrect information "Raps never lost to any team without the player LeBron James on that team."

Thank you for the correction. You are an internet warrior.

Thanks! Internet warrior and proud .

[pingpongrac]

Love how so many people are downplaying this as a regular 1st round game. One of the worst things to start a Playoffs against a team that surged their way into the playoffs compared to... being "middle of the pack" all season long. If the magic were playing at the level they finished the season at consistently over the entire year... this team would be in the top 4 of the east/league.

so... when people just look at the name "Magic" and envisions a trash team over the last 6 or so years... they will be making a huge mistake. I'm more than positive Nurse is not preaching to your team... "Whelp... this is going to be an easy one... let's get it over with and get to the second round"

And if they are sleeping on us... hope we catch em with their pants down. lol

This IS a regular 1st round series that should go no more than 5 games. Toronto has the best player, the best supporting cast, the most playoff experience and has been the much better team over the course of the season. The 2-2 head-to-head record during the regular season seems to be fooling some people.

Similar to how Miami finished 30-11 in the second half of 2016/17, Orlando came on strong in the last 30+ games, but that doesn't make them a ~60-win team (which Toronto actually is). Orlando lacks the consistency. Miami didn't squeak into the playoffs, but I don't think anyone would have expected them to beat the Celtics regardless; Boston was a much inferior team than they are now (being an IT-led team at the time), but still had two of the best players in the series and obviously had HCA.

Credit to Orlando for this nice run to end the season, but they've mostly been getting by on playoff-like intesity and effort while other teams that don't have as much to fight for (teams locked into playoff positions lately, lottery-bound teams, etc.) have been a bit caught off guard. Toronto's starters are just too much for a team like Orlando who has no stars or playoff experience.

It wouldn't surprise me if Orlando loses a bunch of close games and steals one by catching fire/Toronto going ice cold, but these teams are not near as close as you think. There's a reason why Toronto won 58 games despite their two all-stars each missing ~20 games and Orlando won 42 games despite having their main rotation healthy for almost the entire season.

[Jadoogar]

Orlando has been playing great basketball recently, I wouldn't be surprised if Toronto blew this given their history and Lowry's lackluster play in the post season.

lol "lackluster" lowry averaged 17/9/4 on 51% from the field (44% from 3) in last year's playoffs. Let's stop with this nonsense.

I want to pick Raptors in 5 but Raptors never make it easy on themselves, i'll go with 6.

[MagicFrenchie]

I don't understand why Orlando is taken lighlty here. They have a lot of arguments : Isaac , Gordon , Iwundu and Birch, long and athletic players that are bothering the Raptors offense.
Ross will shoot like his life depends on it from 3 and make it rain on the Raptors.
Vucevic is gonna drop 30/10 on this series.
Siakam will be lockdown by Isaac and Kawhi by Gordon.Lowry will go to his usual self and will wander on the court like a dead whitewalker.

So don't be surprised if my prediction will shock some people :

4-1 Raptors

If by miracle all those things happens we might snatch one game.

[timO]

I mean you know the Raps will drop Game 1.

4-1 then.

[jlokine]

vuc always had upper hand on jv.. I think Gasol is x-factor. if he can (and should) negate vuc with defensive bbiq, vuc is going to have trouble going off on 30/16 games

[yoyojw17]

Love how so many people are downplaying this as a regular 1st round game. One of the worst things to start a Playoffs against a team that surged their way into the playoffs compared to... being "middle of the pack" all season long. If the magic were playing at the level they finished the season at consistently over the entire year... this team would be in the top 4 of the east/league.

so... when people just look at the name "Magic" and envisions a trash team over the last 6 or so years... they will be making a huge mistake. I'm more than positive Nurse is not preaching to your team... "Whelp... this is going to be an easy one... let's get it over with and get to the second round"

And if they are sleeping on us... hope we catch em with their pants down. lol

This IS a regular 1st round series that should go no more than 5 games. Toronto has the best player, the best supporting cast, the most playoff experience and has been the much better team over the course of the season. The 2-2 head-to-head record during the regular season seems to be fooling some people.

Similar to how Miami finished 30-11 in the second half of 2016/17, Orlando came on strong in the last 30+ games, but that doesn't make them a ~60-win team (which Toronto actually is). Orlando lacks the consistency. Miami didn't squeak into the playoffs, but I don't think anyone would have expected them to beat the Celtics regardless; Boston was a much inferior team than they are now (being an IT-led team at the time), but still had two of the best players in the series and obviously had HCA.

Credit to Orlando for this nice run to end the season, but they've mostly been getting by on playoff-like intesity and effort while other teams that don't have as much to fight for (teams locked into playoff positions lately, lottery-bound teams, etc.) have been a bit caught off guard. Toronto's starters are just too much for a team like Orlando who has no stars or playoff experience.

It wouldn't surprise me if Orlando loses a bunch of close games and steals one by catching fire/Toronto going ice cold, but these teams are not near as close as you think. There's a reason why Toronto won 58 games despite their two all-stars each missing ~20 games and Orlando won 42 games despite having their main rotation healthy for almost the entire season.

Ok.... see... what you are saying actually carries weight. My post was pointed towards those that really make it seem as though they are going to steam roll straight through the first round. consistency is something that is learned through... and the results will vary from team to team. If this team has it all together NOW... they can really give them a run for their money. If Toronto punches them dead in the jaw from the beginning and Magic can't recover because of their inexperience... they can be waver and it's a wrap. But both possibilities definitely exist.

I personally would be happy with the experience and a hard fought series... with a brighter future on the horizon. And of course ecstatic if we can pull a total upset.

[Durant Durant]

key for a Magic upset is to take Game 1.

edit: rookie coach, he'll panac

[TOStateofMind]

Magic are the hottest team in the east, it wouldn’t exactly be a shocker if they tooknsome games. I’ll say raps in 6.

[T-d0t]

key for a Magic upset is to take Game 1.

edit: rookie coach, he'll panac

Which Raptors fan burner are you?

[Durant Durant]

what are you talking about? ^

[Duffman100]

I don't understand why Orlando is taken lighlty here. They have a lot of arguments : Isaac , Gordon , Iwundu and Birch, long and athletic players that are bothering the Raptors offense.
Ross will shoot like his life depends on it from 3 and make it rain on the Raptors.
Vucevic is gonna drop 30/10 on this series.
Siakam will be lockdown by Isaac and Kawhi by Gordon.Lowry will go to his usual self and will wander on the court like a dead whitewalker.

So don't be surprised if my prediction will shock some people :

4-1 Raptors

If by miracle all those things happens we might snatch one game.

Gordon is going to lockdown Kawhi?

[Bank Shot]

Magic have been really good lately so I'll give them one. Raps have been a killing machine with Marc on the court though so that's all they get. Raps in 5.

[Patches Perry]

Raptors in 4. The days of their questionable playoff performances are over. Leonard, Gasol, Danny Green, the young guys whom I can't remember their names. This team is not those past teams.

[Morse Code]

Love how so many people are downplaying this as a regular 1st round game. One of the worst things to start a Playoffs against a team that surged their way into the playoffs compared to... being "middle of the pack" all season long. If the magic were playing at the level they finished the season at consistently over the entire year... this team would be in the top 4 of the east/league.

so... when people just look at the name "Magic" and envisions a trash team over the last 6 or so years... they will be making a huge mistake. I'm more than positive Nurse is not preaching to your team... "Whelp... this is going to be an easy one... let's get it over with and get to the second round"

And if they are sleeping on us... hope we catch em with their pants down. lol

To be fair, almost every team in the league has stretches like that during the course of the year. I don't think any of us Raptor fans think this is going to be some kind of cake walk. However, we've been struggling mightily in the playoffs, and feel like we've finally assembled a roster that can do some damage, knowing the style of ball that takes place in the playoffs. It's not a knock on Orlando that we believe we should win this series in 4-6 games.

[djsunyc]

rotations shorten in the playoffs. just want to leave these stats here.

w/ marc gasol on the court, here are the raptors numbers:

117.3 ortg
102.0 drtg
15.4 net
67.1 ast%
59.5 efg%
62.6 TS%
50.3 fg%
43.5 3fg%

those #'s would rank the raptors as the best team in all those categories.

since he became the full time starter on march 14:

124.1 ortg
97.3 drtg
26.8 net
67.0 ast%
62.3 efg%
65.0 TS%
51.9 fg%
47.3 3fg%

[Courtside]

Magic might take one of their home games.
Two games will be close / entertaining.
Two games will be double digit Raptor wins / blowouts

Raptors 4 : Magic 1

Anyone saying the Magic have been surging at the end may want to look at the Raptors record over the same period... which did feature a lot of load management and roster experimenting with their new guys, while they basically coasted to the second best record in the league.

Had the Raptors been going balls out this season, or even just down the stretch, they'd probably* be be playing the Pistons in the 1-v-8 matchup (*I say probably because the Pistons likely don't even make the playoffs if the Raptors took another game against the Pistons in RS).

The Magic are the strongest of the 6-8 seeds maybe even 5-8 when you take Oladipo out of the Pacers equation, but this should be a comfortable win for the Raptors.

[PierceFan4ever]

Raptors in 6