Advertisement

Raptors draw challenge of experienced Nets in first round of playoffs

Now the real fun begins.

Forty-eight wins, an Atlantic Division title, the best season in franchise history, and yet the Toronto Raptors will enter the postseason as underdogs in their first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets.

Knowing the character and the history of this Raptors team, they wouldn’t have it any other way. This is exactly what they want.

DeMar DeRozan and Amir Johnson have been here the longest, grinding away for five years to get to this moment. They're undoubtedly the heart and soul of the team.

Kyle Lowry is the brains behind the operation. His All-Star calibre season and relentless style of play and leadership has taken him from perceived antagonist to professional authority.

Those three set the tone for the rest of the group and it shows. Sophomores Terrence Ross and Jonas Valanciunas have shown consistent improvement and continued growth during their second season. Patrick Patterson and Greivis Vasquez immediately fit in after they were acquired from Sacramento and they helped solidify Toronto's bench.

The Raptors have competed hard on both ends of the floor and as a result, Dwane Casey, after years of playoff success as an assistant coach in Seattle and Dallas, gets to taste the postseason for the first time as the lead man.

Led by Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Deron Williams, and Joe Johnson, the Nets have experience the Raptors can't compete with. Toronto can however, counter with speed and athleticism. The teams split the season series 2-2 and three of the four games were tightly contested.

If they can knock off the Nets, and it won't be easy, they will very likely find the two-time defending champion Miami Heat waiting in the second-round.

Now that's a challenge the Raptors would relish.

First-round schedule

Game 1: Saturday, April 19, at Toronto, 12:30 p.m. ET

Game 2: Tuesday, April 22, at Toronto, 8 p.m. ET

Game 3: Friday, April 25, at Brooklyn, 7 p.m. ET

Game 4: Sunday, April 27, at Brooklyn, 7 p.m. ET

Game 5: Wednesday, April 30, at Toronto, TBD (if necessary)

Game 6: Friday, May 2, at Brooklyn, TBD (if necessary)

Game 7: Sunday, May 4, at Toronto, TBD (if necessary)