The Toronto Raptors might not have performed a playoff recreation in three years, however for followers in search of successful of nostalgia, there are 5 outstanding members of the 2019 championship crew making waves on this season’s NBA Playoffs.
Two beloved homegrown stars — Pascal Siakam (Indiana Pacers) and OG Anunoby (New York Knicks) — have already punched their tickets to the Jap Convention semifinals towards the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, respectively.
And, relying on the outcomes of Saturday and Sunday’s Recreation 7 matchups, there may very well be an ex-Raptor in each convention semifinal.
California natives Kawhi Leonard, Norman Powell and their hometown Los Angeles Clippers are set to tip off towards perennial MVP Candidate Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in a win-or-go-home recreation Saturday. Watch that recreation on Sportsnet One at 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT.
In the meantime, Fred VanVleet (Houston Rockets) turned in a pair of spectacular taking pictures performances towards the Golden State Warriors paying homage to his 2019 run to power a Sunday finale.
Here’s a take a look at how notable former Raptors are faring within the post-season.
Leonard could also be a self-proclaimed “enjoyable man,” however when it comes time to compete on the courtroom, he’s all enterprise.
After getting off to a gradual begin upon return from a lingering knee damage in January, the 33-year-old ultimately discovered his stride within the ultimate month of the common season.
His averages jumped from 17.1 factors, 4.7 rebounds, and a couple of.8 assists within the months of January and February to 25.7 factors, 7.1 rebounds and three.4 assists in March and April. And to date within the playoffs, the two-time Finals MVP has lived as much as his monitor document, discovering one other gear and posting a 25.5-point, 8-rebound and 5.2-assist stat line on improved effectivity.
Over the previous 9 seasons, isolation frequency has elevated by a mean of two.2 possessions per recreation from the common season to the playoffs. Whereas Leonard’s effectivity as an isolation scorer is down from previous seasons, he has been constantly among the many league’s highest quantity and simplest scorers when creating his personal shot.
His defence isn’t on the similar stage as when he was the world-beating offence-ruining machine that shut down prime LeBron James on the best way to the 2014 championship earlier than successful back-to-back Defensive Participant of the 12 months awards, and even in the course of the 2019 Playoffs, nevertheless it’s nonetheless fairly good.
Leonard nonetheless has the instincts, size and arms to be loads disruptive when working as a help-side defender, averaging 4.2 deflections, good for fifth in playoffs, to go together with 1.3 steals. He additionally nonetheless often takes the point-of-attack project and is permitting a 37.7 per cent defensive area purpose proportion, second amongst all wings. Groups are averaging 3.2 fewer factors per 100 possessions with Leonard on the ground (per Cleansing the Glass) and he nonetheless rebounds the ball. In any case, board man will get paid.
Leonard also can nonetheless take over video games, as he displayed with a laser-precise 39-point efficiency in Recreation 2 the place he went 15-of-19 from the sphere. His effectivity is up each general (from 58.9 per cent true taking pictures in the course of the common season to 62.8 per cent within the playoffs) and from the mid-range (from 47 per cent to 51 per cent). The Clippers will want each his automated scoring and penchant for making large photographs in the event that they’re going to dispatch the Nuggets in Recreation 7 Saturday.
Fellow California native Norman Powell had a profession 12 months this season, and people who are acquainted with his journey will perceive that it’s been a grind.
Powell averaged a career-high 21.8 factors by ratcheting up his quantity whereas additionally sustaining related effectivity to latest seasons and even making photographs at the next clip than his profession averages. A uncommon and spectacular feat.
How the 31-year-old ex-Raptor did it’s maybe much more distinctive, taking an enormous leap as a pull-up three-point shooter by doubling his quantity and rising his proportion to among the many greatest within the league. His 37.8 per cent clip ranked simply forward of Stephen Curry and simply behind Anthony Edwards.
Additionally, the vast majority of Powell’s threes had been of the extra helpful above the break selection. This territory is extra out there to shooters as defences work to remove simpler nook photographs, and he was a 92nd percentile shooter on non-corner photographs at 43 per cent.
Throughout Leonard’s 34-game absence to begin the season, Powell was instrumental in protecting the Clippers offence afloat. He’s additionally put up three 20-plus level performances in final 4 video games. Powell’s shot-making will probably be important to the Clippers’ Recreation 7 probabilities. Possibly he even has one other heroic playoff dunk left in him.
Throughout his time in Toronto he earned the nickname Regular Freddy, however Fred VanVleet’s taking pictures within the first-round has been something however.
The ninth-year level guard began off the Rockets-Warriors collection averaging 11.3 factors on 13.7 photographs and going 6-of-29 from three (20.7 per cent). This included an atrocious Recreation 1 that noticed him go 4-of-19 from the sphere and 2-of-13 from three.
Since Recreation 4 his taking pictures has turned on its head and he’s been lights out, going 18-of-27 on threes (66.7 per cent) and firing the Rockets again into the collection after they confronted a 3-1 deficit.
VanVleet will all the time be an analytics darling as a result of his tendency to win the possession recreation by means of low turnover charges and many steals. However for the Rockets to efficiently develop into the 14th crew in NBA historical past to return again from 3-1, VanVleet should come by means of with some large photographs.
It wouldn’t be the primary time he recovered from an early playoff taking pictures hunch to sink the Warriors.
Spicy P earned his first two All-NBA honours as a Raptor, and he could also be set for a 3rd choice after placing collectively an distinctive season with the Spherical 2-bound Pacers.
After beginning 10-15, Indiana ultimately discovered its points and completed the season 40-17, good for the fourth-best document within the league over that stretch.
Amid a gradual, injury-affected begin to the season by lead guard Tyrese Haliburton, Siakam was the Pacers’ most dependable scorer and creator. His capability to comport himself into quite a lot of roles based mostly on the crew’s wants has been important to their success.
Siakam is main all gamers in factors per possession on isolations (1.31) within the playoffs. The Pacers typically hunt out a mismatch for him within the choose and roll and the rangy ahead is elite at both taking benefit or making the fitting passing learn when drawing a double.
Siakam has additionally loved a career-best three-point taking pictures season, offering punch as a spot up scorer whereas Haliburton runs the present. He cashed 38.9 per cent on a shot food plan comprised of largely catch-and-shoot above-the-break triples. And it was on his highest quantity for the reason that 2020-21 season, when he shot below 30 per cent. The taking pictures has gone chilly to date in a small playoff pattern, however opponents even having to respect the jumper will create further house for Indiana’s offence.
Defensively, Siakam has been elegant. The Pacers’ defence has been 11 factors per 100 possessions higher with him on the ground, per Cleansing the Glass, a league-best mark.
Whereas taking down the dominant Cavaliers is a tall job for any crew, the ascending Pacers have a punchers probability, and Siakam is a giant motive why.
Anunoby is probably not a lot of an artist, and he might worry each animal recognized to man (and cottage cheese), however he’s in a category of his personal as an elite 3-and-D wing.
Whereas the previous all-defensive crew member is extra recognized for his contributions on that finish of the ground, Anunoby averaged a career-high 18 factors per recreation this season for the Knicks.
His offensive recreation is all killer, no filler; he takes a excessive quantity of the very best worth photographs — on the rim and nook threes — and converts each at an above-average clip.
Anunoby’s season included a career-high 40 factors towards the Nuggets in November and a very torrid ultimate quarter of the season the place he averaged 22.9 factors on improved taking pictures splits.
Within the first spherical, the 27-year-old has scored over 20 factors 3 times and is second with 2.5 steals per recreation. Plus, he’s made a pair spectacular photographs. We actually know he doesn’t shoot making an attempt to overlook.
Trent Jr. is the lone non-championship crew member included right here, and whereas his Milwaukee Bucks had been eradicated by Siakam’ Pacers, his first-round efficiency bears mentioning.
In Recreation 3, he scored 37 factors on 9-of-12 three-point taking pictures, main the Milwaukee to its lone first-round victory alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo. Then, in Recreation 5, he recovered from an 0-for-9 begin to make eight straight threes and assist ship the sport to extra time.
Trent Jr. can also be the playoff chief in steals per recreation at 2.6.
The 26-year-old will hit free company for a second consecutive summer season after netting a one-year veteran minimal contract from the Bucks final low season. Will probably be attention-grabbing to see if he’s capable of cascade this distinctive playoff displaying right into a extra profitable deal.
