Raptors are what winning looks like

The NBA playoffs are here. The games are tighter, the lights are brighter, and the narratives are getting thick. It can be a lot to keep up with but don’t worry we’re here to help. Throughout the NBA postseason, FanSided will be gathering together some of the most talented writers from our network for a daily recap of our favorite stories from the night before.

Welcome to the Rotation.

What winning looks like

Daniel Rowell | @DanielJRowell | Hardwood Paroxysm

At the end of the Raptor’s Game 7 victory, Doris Burke pulled Kyle Lowry aside for the broadcast’s postgame interview and the audio was barely discernable over the Toronto fans. With confetti falling, and “We the North” banners waving, the Raptors pumped “Whoomp!” (There It Is)” into the arena and Burke leaned in closer to get Lowry’s comments. It’s the kind of scene that speaks louder than the All-Star point guard’s words. Toronto was headed to their first Eastern Conference Championship in the 21-year history of the franchise and their fans were ecstatic.

Outside, in Jurassic Park, the scene was much the same. And a quick check of the weather shows that this was in some chilly and damp conditions, wind chills just above freezing, in May no less:

Toronto is the fourth largest city in North America and carries the long-suffering fanbase moniker as well as anyone. Their fans haven’t celebrated a championship since the 1993 World Series. The Maple Leafs haven’t won a Stanley Cup since 1967, losing in their past 27 trips through the playoffs. And the Raptors, in their 21-year history, haven’t been to a championship game once. Three of their four regular season division titles have come in the past three seasons, the fourth in 2007. They have a 22-34 playoff record with six first-round exits. This seven-game series with the Miami was just their third series victory. Not that anyone runs this kind of advanced metric, but compared to other cities like Cleveland, Philadelphia, Buffalo, or Baltimore; this long-suffering fan base, at 2.6 million, may lead the continent in woes per capita.

And so, watching the fans celebrate a victory as they filed out into the streets of Toronto was one of those vicarious moments in sports that you can’t help but smile at. For many fans, it’s kind of the reason they watch. You win some and you lose some, and sometimes after 21 years you get to win by 27-points in a Game 7 and punch your ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals. The horn honking, the cheers echoing off buildings, the fans parading on sidewalks; it’s the kind of moment that you hope is waiting at the end of a season, but only a few get to experience.

And sure, the celebration highlights aren’t Xs and Os that speak to how the team won, and they can’t be analyzed for some kind of fan efficiency, but at the end of two Game 7s, with sidelined centers and shoelace-drained thumbs and vines of Lowry putting up shots in an empty gym, it’s a moment that is special because it’s why they play and why we watch. This is what winning looks like. And with these fans, who haven’t experienced many wins, it’s pretty great.

As Doris Burke closed the postgame interview, she drew Lowry’s attention to their next opponent, a matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday. If there is one city that carries the long-suffering banner as well as Toronto, it’s Cleveland. ESPN, the network carrying the Game 7 broadcast, had just debuted a “Believeland” 30-for-30 documentary on the previous night.

This is the challenge ahead for the Toronto Raptors and their fans. Their 14-game postseason runs into a well-rested team with just eight games played in the past 32 days, led by LeBron James, a player has won the Eastern Conference Finals five years in a row. The odds and home court aren’t completely in Toronto’s favor. The fanbase karma may be just about even, if not slightly tipped to the opposing city with 52-years of playoff gripes, a Kevin Costner sports movie, and a nickname with a 30-for-30 and more than one thinkpiece(1, 2). And yes, the influence of karma on the series isn’t statistically significant, but for the stakes of the Eastern Conference Finals, two opponents with long-suffering fan bases make a some compelling storytelling. And seeing what winning looks like one for these two cities, will be even better.

In defeat, Miami taught Toronto a valuable lesson

Adam McGee | @AdamMcGee11 | Behind The Buck Pass

It’s a testament to the Miami Heat that they found themselves in a Game 7 to begin with. Without Chris Bosh they faced an uphill challenge. Without Hassan Whiteside it became near impossible.

As much as Jonas Valanciunas’ recent absence has hurt the Raptors, Toronto had the luxury of calling upon a reserve of the quality of Bismack Biyombo. They even had Jason Thompson or Patrick Patterson as a small ball center in their arsenal beyond that.

On the opposite end of the floor, South Beach’s finest were forced to call upon their own version of The Expendables. They wrung every last ounce of basketball life out of Amar’e Stoudemire’s body. They watched as the 6-7 Justise Winslow had to slide across to guard bigger men. Josh McRoberts was briefly forced into getting his own taste of life in the middle. Even, Udonis Haslem got to see plenty of court time.

In spite of it all, on Sunday, Miami found themselves just a strong second half away from booking a place in the Conference Finals.

That speaks volumes about Pat Riley’s cap gymnastics and his ability to acquire talent. With a couple of exceptions, Miami’s roster is chock full of high profile but declining veterans who have found some form of second wind with the team, or young rookies who have found their role in the NBA in a stunningly quick fashion. In both cases, it’s no mean feat to find those types of contributors.

The perennially underrated Erik Spoelstra then managed to create cohesion within the group, building an identity and a spirit, coaching them to play like the Heat teams that NBA fans have grown familiar with. Then, just as they have been for the best part of the past two decades, Miami was once again relevant at playoff crunch time.

Somewhere along the production line of Heat basketball, the credit for that belongs to the players themselves. As a unit, they pulled together and they elevated their performances. It’s what saw them through adversity in the regular season and kept them alive in the playoffs.

For the advancing Raptors, there are two lessons that they need to take away from that. First, Toronto’s 56-win team should have theoretically had the talent to enjoy a more comfortable series win. DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry are two All-Star players who should be very close to their prime, so compared to Miami’s veteran core, the cards seemed to favour them slightly from the get-go. Secondly, much like in the first round against the gritty Charlotte Hornets, the Raptors came up against a strong, united team and were almost punished for their over-reliance on their stars.

DeRozan and Lowry’s form likely couldn’t be any more inconsistent than it has been in this postseason, and for the most part, the Raptors have seemed satisfied to live and die by that sword. The only problem with that thinking is that they shouldn’t have to.

It seems like no coincidence that in the absence of Valanciunas, the Raptors closed out the series behind a colossal performance from Congolese center Bismack Biyombo. Nor should it be seen as some great anomaly that Toronto avoided falling into an 0-2 hole thanks to Game 2 heroics from DeMarre Carroll.

Lowry and DeRozan are very good NBA players, but they are not good enough to drive a team to glory on their own. Luckily for the Raptors they have other options. Now, if they want any chance of advancing beyond the rampant Cleveland Cavaliers, they just have to figure out how to utilize them consistently.

The rout is on

James Tillman III | Hoops Habit

The Toronto Raptors finished the season with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. But when the playoffs began, most of the talk was about their previous postseason failures. There was the 3-2 lead they choked away against the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the 2014 playoffs. Then there was the 4-0 sweep at the hands of the Washington Wizards in last year’s playoffs.

Based on those shortcomings, the Raptors were expected to implode at some point and it nearly happened on multiple occasions. The seventh-seeded Indiana Pacers gave the Raptors all they could handle before eventually bowing out in seven games. As was the case in the previous round, the Raptors held a 3-2 lead with a chance to conclude matters against the Miami Heat in six games. History repeated itself, however, with the Raptors losing Game 6 on the road by a double-digit margin.

That being said, it was fair to wonder whether or not this team had the mental toughness to win a second Game 7 in these playoffs. Surprisingly, the answer was a resounding yes.

The outcome of Game 7 could have gone either way, as the Raptors led 86-78 heading into the final frame. Then it happened. The Raptors exploded in the fourth quarter, scoring 30 points, while holding the Heat to just 11. By the time the dust had settled, the Raptors cruised to an easy 116-89 victory, notching their first Conference Finals appearance in franchise history, while becoming just the 15th team in NBA history to win two Game 7s in the same postseason.

Without Hassan Whiteside patrolling the paint, the Raptors were finally able to capitalize on Miami’s lack of a rim protector. Not only did they out-rebound the Heat by a 50-30 margin, they also enjoyed a 27-9 edge in second chance points. Give Erik Spoelstra credit for coming up with different ways to win Games 4 and 6 without Whiteside. However, trying to create a lineup to make up for his absence proved to be too much for the Heat to overcome.

While Miami was without the services of Whiteside, the Raptors lost their big man, Jonas Valanciunas, to an ankle sprain in Game 4 and he was ruled out for the rest of the series. This was a huge blow for the Raptors, as Valanciunas was averaging 18.3 points and 12.7 boards per contest prior to his injury.

With Valanciunas out of the mix, the Raptors turned to Bismack Biyombo to fill the void. Although Biyombo was a non-factor when the series began, scoring a total of three points in the first three games, he reached double figures the next two contests (scoring 13 and 10 points respectively) and he was definitely a factor in Game 7 as well.

He scored 17 points on an efficient 6-for-8 shooting to go along with 16 rebounds and two blocks.

Whether or not Biyombo’s recent surge is an aberration or a sign of things to come remains to be seen. But if Valanciunas’ ankle continues to be an issue, Biyombo has proven that he is can be a factor in multiple ways, which will be a huge positive against a Cleveland Cavaliers squad that has yet to lose a game in the postseason.

Through the entire first round and for most of this series, the Raptors backcourt duo of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan couldn’t throw the ball into the ocean. In Game 7, though, it was a different story. DeRozan scored 28 points on 12-for-29 shooting, which was just the second game of this series that he converted more than 41 percent of his attempts. Meanwhile, Lowry tallied 35 points on 11-for 20 shooting to go along with nine assists, seven rebounds and four steals, marking the first time that he has posted consecutive 30-point outings in the postseason.

No one is expecting the Raptors to knock off a Cavaliers team that is seeking its second straight Finals appearance. But with their All-Star duo performing at a level close to what we saw during the regular season, perhaps this next series will be more interesting than what most of us expect.

“To infinity and Biyombo!” can’t stop now

Tom West | @TomWestNBA | Clipperholics, FanSided

Behind Kyle Lowry’s 35 points and near triple-double, it wasn’t the Raptors’ second All-Star that stole the rest of the show. DeMar DeRozan tallied 28 points (on just 12-of-29 shooting) and made some timely pull-up jumpers to hold the Miami Heat at bay, but in order for the Raptors to ultimately blow past the incredibly small Heat over the final stages of the game, a new, physically imposing star rose to the occasion.

“To infinity and Biyombo” is a phrase that’s becoming more irresistible as time goes by. It aptly sums up the athletic presence of Bismack Biyombo’s limited skill set, implying the almost fictitious nature of his sudden playoff glory and high-flying impact around the basket.

Biyombo has already delivered some sound performances in the playoffs this year, though. His first double-double came in a Game 5 win against the Indiana Pacers as he grabbed 16 rebounds and scored 10 points in just 23 minutes, before proceeding to a series against the Heat that has been just as turbulent. Three overtimes and no consistent momentum for either team has been an indication of that. Biyombo took it upon himself to make the Raptors assert themselves over the smaller, depleted Heat, though.

He finished Game 7 with 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting, 16 rebounds and two blocks, and the Raptors outscored the Heat by 25 points when he was on the floor. Biyombo’s presence on the boards simply couldn’t be stopped as the Heat fought without Chris Bosh and Hassan Whiteside, one of the reasons the Raptors were able to earn a 50-30 advantage on the glass. Biyombo’s physical advantage transferred to offense, too. He ran off pick-and-rolls well with Lowry, and once he claimed the ball, he certainly didn’t shy away from rising over the smaller defenders and throwing the ball down with force.

Unfortunately for Biyombo and Toronto, though, feeling both the physical and mental fatigue of an up and down seven-game series, this is only just the beginning. Because whatever dominant success he found against the Heat (who haven’t had Whiteside for three games and used a 6-7 rookie wing at center in Game 7), the Eastern Conference Finals is going to be a far greater challenge.

No longer can Biyombo reap the benefits of playing a team without their two starting big men. Tristan Thompson is an excellent rebounder coming off a career-high 11.8 boards per 36 minutes this season. He attacks the offensive glass tirelessly and it won’t be quite so easy for Biyombo to end possessions. Then there’s Kevin Love, another elite rebounder (albeit an overlooked one) who will continue to pair with Thompson to give the Raptors trouble inside, especially until Jonas Valanciunas is back.

But the rebounding battle is just the start. When Love shifts to center in the Cavs’ smaller lineups or even teams up with Channing Frye, Biyombo’s defense is going to be a major x-factor for the Raptors. He proved yet again in Game 7 how well he can switch onto shooters at the perimeter and quickly shift his feet back to cover the paint, but he didn’t have to worry about the likes of Love and Frye who have been draining threes from every spot of the arc. And as the Cavs’ ball movement continues to fire on all cylinders, toying with the Raptors’ defense as much as possible, the Congo sensation will constantly be tested around the perimeter against lineups that feature five legitimate shooters.

Biyombo, in his newly beloved and specific role, has been brilliant at times, and he was just that in Game 7. Yet, with Valanciunas’ possible continued absence and the increased rebounding and floor spacing threat of the surging Cavs, Biyombo needs to reach infinity and beyond and then some if the Raptors are going to keep up.

Justise Winslow is the future

Ian Levy | @HickoryHigh | FanSided

In Game 3, Justise Winslow was DNP-CD for the Miami Heat. In the final four games of the series, he averaged nearly 32 minutes per game and started the final two at center. He was somewhere between tolerable and acceptable, performing admirably in an injury-necessitated role that his rookie season hadn’t given him much time to prepare for. Winslow didn’t push the Heat to the win, but he wasn’t the reason they lost either.

Winslow is a stocky wing, 6-7 and built like Ron Artest. He plays perimeter defense with similar intensity, although slightly less wild-eyed viciousness. His strength made him Miami’s Plan D in the frontcourt after Plans A-C (Chris Bosh, Hassan Whiteside, Josh McRoberts) fell through in various ways.

The appeal of Winslow, is a long-term prospect, is his versatility. Earlier this season, I imagined his ceiling as Artest on defense and Jamal Mashburn on offense. Both were probably unduly optimistic comparisons but there is no reason to completely let go of that hope yet. Winslow was squeezed this year by an organization trying to win as many games as possible, by a collection of established veterans seeking the comfort of familiar roles, by a team that didn’t really need him to explore his versatility. Just grab a few rebounds, compete on the perimeter, see if you can make some three-pointers, and we’ll figure it out next season.

Before last year’s draft, I wrote that Winslow was lucky to be entering the NBA at a time when teams were worshipping at the altar of individual scale instead of positional rigidity. A decade ago, he would have been a tweener. In today’s NBA, he could be the one forcing the mismatches and adjustments. Of all the coaches he could have landed with, Erik Spoelstra’s creativity seemed like a perfect fit for helping him unwrap his potential. Turns out Spoelstra was otherwise engaged.

That may not be the case next year. And the year after that. Dwyane Wade, Hassan Whiteside, Luol Deng, Joe Johnson, Udonis Haslem, Gerald Green, Amare Stoudemire are all unrestricted free agents this summer. A handful will likely be back in Miami next season but the landscape is about to shift, maybe not a complete rebuild but certainly some reconstruction. In that process, space can be made for Winslow to have a role that is both wider and deeper, that calls on him to begin experimenting with the different tendrils of his skill set.

Someday soon, this team may belong to him. It might be time to start figuring out what exactly that could mean.

Look on the Whiteside of life

Cody Williams | @TheSizzle20 | Lake Show Life, FanSided

Throughout the past two seasons as Hassan Whiteside has risen to prominence for the Miami Heat, there have been countless detractors that have come to the forefront. No one is denying the Miami Heat center’s imposing physical presence or bringing into question his ability to score in the pick-and-roll or block shots.

However, plenty of people have brought into question just what Whiteside has meant to the Heat outside of raw statistical production. After all, how valuable is Whiteside really when all of his shot blocking and rebounding sometimes appears to make the Heat a worse defensive team when he’s on the floor?

These have all been viable questions and concerns about Whiteside over his ascent, but the potential shortcomings of Whiteside have become even more pressing given the fact that the big man becomes a free agent this offseason.

Though the Heat don’t have Whiteside’s Bird Rights, Miami faces a huge decision this offseason about whether they want the center to be a part of their long-term future and at what price they’d feel comfortable doing so. It’s quite a conundrum and one that’s loaded with questions about what his production means, his character, and many other things.

However, the final five games of their series against the Toronto Raptors really solidified that, at the very least, Whiteside is an intensely valuable cog in the Heat system as they currently stand.

Whiteside left Game 3 of the series early with the injury and never returned. The Heat weren’t alone with their injured frontcourt, though, as Toronto also went to war in the final games of the series without their starting center in Jonas Valanciunas. However, the fact that the Heat had to claw to try and survive without Whiteside while Jonas was also out only speaks more in favor of Whiteside.

Sure he’s an enigma and he might not be the greatest teammate that’s ever lived, but there’s no escaping just what the 26-year-old brings to the table for this Heat team. Do you think Bismack Biyombo would have been able to attack the glass and the pick-and-roll against the Heat if they weren’t starting someone under 6-10 at center? It’s just conjecture at this point, but probably not. And if that’s the case, the outcome of this series could’ve been substantially different.

Obviously, Whiteside wasn’t the only injury in the Miami frontcourt as they were without Chris Bosh for the second half of the season. However, they were still succeeding with Whiteside and without Bosh in the playoffs prior to the injury to the former.

So now that they’ve seen the value of Whiteside to this team, the Heat’s decision this offseason regarding their future with the center becomes increasingly difficult. Maybe he’s burned his bridges in Miami or maybe the Heat were always going to pursue him in free agency. What is for sure, though, is that he asserted his value in his absence in the seven-game loss to Toronto.