Toronto Raptors vs Brooklyn Nets: Injury Report and Predictions

After two weeks of intense seeding games, it’s time for some postseason action. The NBA playoffs start tonight in the Orlando bubble, and the Toronto Raptors face the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the Eastern Conference. The 2nd seed Raptors were cruising in the bubble. They lost just once, and are currently on a four-game winning streak.

Their star Pascal Siakam, who was averaging over averaging 23 points per game till March, is averaging just 16.9 points per game now. Kyle Lowry was averaging 19.7 points and 7.7 assists per game before coming into the bubble. But now he is averaging two points and two assists later in the bubble. The reason for their success has been their gritty defense and selfless team effort.

For the Nets, Caris LeVert has been one of the stars in the bubble. With the Nets missing a lot of their players, he has stepped up. He averaged 26.6 points per game, 6.6 rebounds per game, and 5.6 assists per game while shooting 49.1% from the field in the eight seeding games. This form is what took the Nets to an unexpected 5-3 record.

Can Toronto Raptors start with a win?

The Raptors will be expecting OG Anunobyd and Serge Ibaka to return to the lineup. They sat out the final game against the Nuggets due to knee problems. The likely starting line up for the Raptors will be Kyle Lowry and Fred VanVleet as the guards, OG Anunoby, and Pascal Siakam as the forwards and Marc Gasol as the center.

Their bench also looks solid with Norman Powell and Chris Boucher who have performed well in the bubble recently. They will also have Serge Ibaka, Terrence Davis, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson to bring energy off the bench.

The Nets also have a full-strength team. The only point guard available is Chris Chiozza who is just returning from injury. He will be available but will come off the bench. With no true point guard, the Nets lineup would be Caris LeVert and Garrett Temple as the guards, Joe Harris and Rodion Kurucs as the forwards and Jarrett Allen as the center.

Despite the Nets being in spirited form, the Raptors are simply too good for them. The only problem for the Raptors could be their guards facing trouble against taller defenders. Both Lowry and VanVleet are just six feet tall, almost five inches shorter than their matchups.

But aside from that, it should be a breeze for the Raptors. They are marginally better on ends of the floor and have more star power and depth as well. The series looks like a sweep for the Raptors, but the unpredictable Nets could pull one win out of the hat.