Cavs backcourt
Kyrie Irving leads the Cavs in scoring this postseason (24.4 ppg) and has combined with J.R. Smith to make 59 3-pointers in just eight playoff games. Irving’s defense was exposed in a late-season game at Toronto when Kyle Lowry torched him for a career-high 43 points. Asked what he could draw from the regular season against the Raptors, Irving simply replied, “Nothing.” Backup Matthew Dellavedova has a sterling 29 assists against just three turnovers. His minutes were limited a bit in the semifinals by Tyronn Lue’s rotation.
Raptors backcourt
Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan are the engine for a Raptors team that typically plays as well or as poorly as their two All-Star guards. Both have been erratic at times in this postseason, although both shined in a Game 7 victory to eliminate the Heat. DeRozan leads the Raptors in scoring this postseason at 20 points per game, and Lowry is second at 18.8. DeRozan improved as a 3-point shooter in the regular season over his career numbers, but he’s shooting just 18 percent from deep in the playoffs.
Edge: Cavs
Cavs frontcourt
Raptors coach Dwane Casey called LeBron James the best player in the game and is more fearful of his passing ability than his scoring and post moves.
“His passing is probably his biggest weapon,” Casey said. “He’s such a smart player, he sees the floor, he finds good shooters and they don’t even have to move their hands. He puts it right on the numbers and you better have your hands ready or it will go through your chest.”
Kevin Love is averaging 18.9 points per game and shooting 44 percent on 3-pointers after shooting 36 percent during the regular season.
Raptors frontcourt
Jonas Valanciunas has all but been ruled out of the first two games of this series with a sprained right ankle and Casey sounded pessimistic Monday whether he’d be able to play in this series at all. Bismack Biyombo is finally finding a role in the NBA while substituting for Valanciunas. Biyombo is incredibly limited offensively and a poor free-throw shooter, but he’s a defensive presence and a strong rebounder. DeMarre Carroll faced James and the Cavs in the conference finals last year with the Hawks but was limited to just 26 games with the Raptors because of knee surgery. Casey said Carroll still isn’t 100 percent and sometimes still has to ask where he goes in certain play calls.
“He’s still kind of feeling his way through as we go offensively,” Casey said. “His hustle, his hard play, his timely 3-point shots are a big part of what we need and the reason why we signed him. He’s exactly what we need at that position.”
Edge: Cavs
Cavs coaching
Tyronn Lue has separated himself in his first postseason as a head coach. His rotations have been on point, his play designs coming out of timeouts have led to big baskets and his defensive strategies have been key in taking down two highly respected coaches in Stan Van Gundy and Mike Budenholzer. The Cavs changed their defensive schemes between series against the Pistons and Hawks and are expected to do so again against the Raptors.
Raptors coaching
Dwane Casey finished fifth in coach of the year voting this season and was part of the 2011 Dallas Mavericks staff that upset James and the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. The Raptors have won the past three division titles under Casey, yet he entered this postseason under pressure after so many seasons with early postseason exits. Casey has a specific way he likes to defend by taking away the paint. The Raptors finished 11th in defensive field-goal percentage, but opponents shot 37 percent against the Raptors from 3-point range during the regular season — the second-worst percentage in the league. That could pose a problem for Toronto, given the way the Cavs are shooting 3-pointers in this postseason.
Edge: Cavs
Series: Cavs in five
— Jason Lloyd