Title: Dissecting the Raptors-76ers season series and potential playoff implications
Date: August 13, 2020
Original Source: The Athletic
Synopsis: In my latest for The Athletic Toronto, I broke down the Raptors’ season series with the 76ers and what can be taken from that series for the playoffs.
Let’s say this much: If a playoff rematch between the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers comes down to players 10 through 15 on the roster, the Raptors are in great shape. They’re probably in good shape, anyway. Of all the season series against their potential opponents for the second round and beyond, the one with the 76ers — who gave them their closest and toughest series on the way to the championship — the four games against Philadelphia were the most encouraging.
Wednesday was not, and stop me if you’ve heard this one lately, incredibly representative. The Raptors were trying to keep their main pieces rested and give the bench some run and the 76ers were trying to get ready for a tough first-round series with Boston. That leaves both coaches in a bit of an awkward spot with little on the line. Still, there’s a solid three-and-a-half game sample, plus the priors developed in last year’s seven-game series.
“Trying to find common denominators,” Brett Brown said. “Finding common denominators that are Toronto based versus opponents that you’re gonna play in the playoffs is the holy grail. Tilting it and you’re just going in that you’re gonna play against Toronto and that’s your mindset only, is not true. It’s not true. So you do select things that can cross-pollinate.”
Blake Murphy Sports Writing 