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The Raptors looked like a nightmarish clash for the Sixers in their home win of 108-95 in the first game of Saturday's semifinals. According to the scoreboard, it was a 13-point win for Toronto, but it has never been closer. Four minutes into the match, the Raps took the lead and never returned. With the second game on Monday night, the Sixers will have to answer six questions if they want to stay in the series.
Who defends Kawhi Leonard?
Kawhi Leonard made the Sixers helpless by losing 45 points in the first game. Leonard hit the disputed midrange riders, spun down the hall and got away from 3. The word "unstoppable" is thrown a lot, but that's what Leonard was on Saturday. After the match, Ben Simmons said the Sixers were to treat Leonard in the same way as Giannis Antetokounmpo, showing more help getting the ball out of his hands. I wish him good luck in the coming wars.
Making Leonard a playmaker is only a good idea in theory. Passing is not Leonard's preference, but it's not a mineable weakness. In recent years, he has shown that he can hit cutters and shooters when necessary. The playoffs of 2017, while Leonard's future seemed to be with the Spurs, were a good example. Before Zaza Pachulia finished his season in the first game of the Western Final, Leonard played the most complete basketball game of his life and averaged 27.7 points and 4.6 assists for just 2, 2 turnovers in 12 games. Leonard has no phase, no matter the situation, including double and triple teams.
Leonard gives this triple team the appearance of a simulacrum of half-speed. Many players would panic here. The Raptors earned the league's sixth highest percentage with 3 points, and Marc Gasol (44.2% vs. 3) and Siakam (36.9% at corner 3) are wide open on the game above. All it takes is a simple start for Gasol to find Siakam. There have been countless other cases where Leonard drove and scored, but Gasol was wide open at the top of the key. If Leonard does not feel like he's in the first game, he can create for others.
In the last round, the Raptors destroyed the magic each time they trapped or helped – would the Sixers really be more successful than Orlando? Rather than revise their defensive strategy, they should perhaps trade confrontations. Leonard, who owned Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris, shot 5 to 5 in the Harris defense and 5 to 6 against Butler. The numbers are indicative of how Leonard used his strength to control Butler and his body control to let Harris escape. It is this mix of physical traits and his ability to keep possession of the ball that makes him a yellower as hard. At 6 feet 10 inches with a muscular frame, Simmons is best equipped for Leonard's athletic prowess. In the first game, he imposed Leonard 4 shots on 9. It's a small sample, but Simmons fought well on the screens to stay on Leonard, and his defense at the point of attack was superior to Butler and Harris.
What about the defense of the rest of the raptors?
If Simmons becomes Leonard's main defender, Butler could then be replaced by Kyle Lowry. But instead of putting Harris on Siakam, it might be logical to put Harris on Gasol and Embiid on Siakam.
Gasol usually locates from the top of the bow or wing, while Siakam is in the corners. If Embiid is on Siakam, he is in a better position to help paint contain these inevitable Leonard commands.
Maybe the Raptors counter-attack Siakam by isolating Embiid. But is not it a victory for the Sixers? Or maybe they're moving Gasol around and putting Siakam on the wings. Is not this also a victory for the Sixers? Siakam shot only 27% on the top three this season. Maybe the Raptors post Gasol on Harris, as Siakam did in the first match. Harris was dominated by Siakam, who scored 12 points on a 5-on-8 shot while defended by Harris. But Siakam is a more effective scorer than Gasol and Embiid is a better defender capable of containing Siakam's dribbling drives. This is a risk that the Sixers should take.
What is the extent of the gap between the benches?
About the series, there has been a lot of talk about the weakness of the Toronto bank following the Leonard and Gasol transactions, but it is virtually Ocean's Eleven compared to the Sixers' reserves. Ibaka, Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell upset Brown's options. Jonah Bolden is one of the least reliable defensemen in the playoffs. T.J. McConnell is T.J. McConnell, for better or for worse. The absence of Mike Scott because of a foot injury involves calling on Furkan Korkmaz and Boban Marjanovic, who have no business in this series.
Gasol drained the pick-and-pop 3 because Marjanovic and Embiid remained encamped in the painting, and when they came out, the Sixers were beaten inside. The only good point of the first match was James Ennis, who played well at both ends. The Sixers should put Boban on the bench and increase the Ennis minutes. He is a competitive defenseman who can reach the 3 mark. Is not that what they got him for?
Playing without a backup center would also mean that Simmons or Embiid would serve as the only floorless spacer in a five-man unit, which could help the Sixers tackle if they perform pick-and-roll with Simmons or Embiid instead Boban and Butler driving hard in the path as a ball carrier. Brown needs to make things happen.
By deflecting slightly on the defense, the Sixers could perhaps force the Raptors to do the same in attack for a total victory. The reality is that the Sixers are the least talented team in this series and face the most talented player. There is no stop for Leonard. If you play it head-to-head, it can activate Michael Jordan mode and kill you with isolations. If you double or triple, he will swing the ball towards a shooter. The Raptors have built a versatile attack with shooters and creators all over the ground. The Sixers must place Simmons, their best perimeter defender, on Leonard and strive to limit all others as best as they can.
Can Embiid defeat Gasol?
The Raptors' president, Masai Ujiri, has acquired Marc Gasol to continue arresting Joel Embiid. Embiid scored 29 points and shot 10 to 29, including 0 to 9 of 3, over the past two seasons against Gasol; The Spanish veteran again neutralized the Cameroonian star in the first match and maintained it at 3 points on a shot from 1 to 8 out of 29 possessions. Embiid erases his opponents by brute force by drawing faults and establishing a deep position for easier shots closer to the edge. According to Synergy Sports, Embiid was the only qualified player of this season to have committed a fault on more than a quarter of his post-up possessions. But Gasol is a mountain man allergic to fouling. He has an old-fashioned strength reinforced by a thorough knowledge of the opponent's tendencies and fundamental principles to absorb the blows. It's not easy for Brett Brown's coaching staff to start Embiid, especially since he has tendonitis in his left knee, but they have to find a way. Starting more games to set up the post can help.
The Sixers use horn action to create a lob look for Jimmy Butler, but the Raptors have two defenders ready to help. Philadelphia has no counter since Embiid dribbles in a post-up against Gasol from the perimeter. The scoreless possessions will not work against Toronto. Gasol is too good.
Philly can run their sets?
The Sixers must have a clearer execution of their games. In the game below, Butler needs to set a harder screen on Gasol to create extra space for Embiid to position itself closer to the edge.
Although Gasol still can not be moved, at least Embiid would be in the paint. Embiid regularly started his post-up 10 to 12 feet from the edge, where it is more difficult to turn into a hook or tear to deceive the players. Embiid's propensity to make mistakes makes it a very good post to come. Gasol's defense makes it mean. Publishing Embiid against Gasol could be sterile anyway, so it was disconcerting how rarely they tried to attack smaller defenders.
Raptors are resistant to switching screens involving Gasol, but are sometimes forced to do so. That's how basketball works. You do not always get what you want, because the offensive dictates your defense. Still, the Sixers have not done enough to get Toronto out of their comfort zone. Halfway through the first quarter, the Embiid scheduled a control screen for Tobias Harris, who slipped into the middle of the floor while Embiid was running at top speed. Harris defenseman Danny Green had no choice but to move to Embiid, allowing Toronto to double with Leonard. It's a win for the Sixers. Embiid scored on a shot from the bank, but Harris and Butler were also wide open when he chose to throw the ball.
Can the Sixers punish Serge Ibaka?
The Sixers also did not punish Serge Ibaka enough with Embiid.
Ibaka is dead here. Redick places a hard screen on him, Embiid is parked under the ledge and easily makes a mistake. While Embiid scored 13 points on nine shots in Ibaka's defense, three of the shots were played by riders and only one was a pole, which is exactly what the Raptors want. Instead of calling pieces like the one above, Embiid burying Ibaka, Brown called the pindowns for Embiid to be open for 3 seconds, or Embiid staged or attacked the close-ups.
Is this negligence on the part of the Sixers coaching staff? (Maybe.) Is this fatigue for Embiid? (Absolutely – he's hurt and out of shape.) Ibaka burned him several times during the transition.) Whatever the case, the Sixers must create more opportunities for Embiid more near the basket during the fifteen minutes when Embiid and Ibaka are both on the same bench. short and Gasol is off. This is their chance to attract Toronto to big problems. This is their chance to launch Embiid. It's their chance to fill the gap.
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