LeBron stands in the way — again
Like last year, Cleveland superstar provides formidable obstacle for Raptors in next series
TORONTO — One day soon, Giannis Antetokounmpo will replace LeBron James as the best basketball player on the planet.
That day has not yet arrived, but the odds are it is coming.
The Toronto Raptors found a way to contain Antetokounmpo’s ridiculous length and his other freakish talents getting by the Milwaukee Bucks in six games in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
James, however, is a step up in class. Much as the focus in the first round series began with Antetokounmpo, so too will the second round — at least defensively for the Raptors — be very LeBron-centric.
“Antetokounmpo is similar,” Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said. “He’s not LeBron yet, but he’s similar as far as his size, his ability to go where he wants to go with the basketball. LeBron can shoot the three versus right now, Antetokounmpo is getting there. So they’re similar. Both are big and strong for their size, they see over the defence. Antetokounmpo is quietly an excellent passer, too. He makes those zing passes out of his isos, as does LeBron. Believe me, Antetokounmpo hasn’t got to James’ level yet, but that’s something that’s similar, the problems that same position presents.”
So the approach will be somewhat similar to what the Raptors did against Antetokounmpo but to say it will be exactly the same would be both disrespectful of James and a mistake on the Raptors’ part.
“Yeah, similar to how we guarded him,” Casey said. “We can’t do some of the same things (we did to Giannis) because LeBron is such an excellent shooter and all-around player. So we’ll have to do some things differently, but similar concepts, similar approach, most of all, the multiple efforts.”
The difference, too, in Cleveland is the depth of talent the Cavs have around him. Contain Antetokounmpo and after that, all you really need to do is limit the likes of Greg Monroe and Khris Middleton.
No disrespect meant to either of those players, but they are not in the same offensive talent mould as Kyrie Irving or Kevin Love.
“They’re too good, he’s too good to say ‘OK, LeBron you get your 30 or 40 and we’ll shut everyone else out.’” Casey said. “They’re too good for that and he’s too smart for that. Everybody’s got a job to do, the progression (from) their post-ups, their penetration, making sure we take care of the basketball and get good quality looks and move the basketball the way we did in Game 5 is something that’s going to be very important. They try to take things away; we have to understand where our outlets are, zing passes, understand (James is) back there roaming like a free safety in football — American football — that’s the thing we have to understand offensively.”
But what the Raptors go into this series with that they didn’t a year ago is first, an understanding of what it takes to beat a team like the Cavs and second, a physical and emotional makeup that isn’t already in tatters.
“It’s not an excuse, but we were emotionally and physically drained from two seven-game series,” DeMar DeRozan said in looking back to last year’s Eastern Conference final between the teams. “I think we had maybe a day to prepare for Cleveland and the next thing you know, we are in the Cleveland hotel. Next thing after that we’re at the game and their crowd is into it, a whole different atmosphere from the Miami series (in the conference semifinal). Now understanding that and having a couple of days to prepare, knowing what we are getting into going into a hostile environment with a team that has been waiting, we have a different sense this time around.”
Whether that changes anything or not remains to be seen.
What can’t happen if the Raptors are to have a shot is that total domination they experienced in Cleveland in Games 1 and 2 a year ago.
Cleveland is marginally different from that team a year ago, adding a lights-out three point shooter in Kyle Korver and a better shooting backup to Irving in Deron Williams.
The Raptors have seriously addressed their defensive talent level, both starting and off the bench, with the additions of Serge Ibaka and P. J. Tucker
Tucker will see a lot of James coming off the bench behind DeMarre Carroll, while Ibaka gives them the kind of defender they didn’t have a year ago to go at Love.
For those reasons alone, the prospect of getting past a Cavs team and back into the Eastern Conference final is not the stretch it would normally be with James operating at peak capacity.