The Toronto Raptors are on to Cleveland to face a King in Believeland.
To basketball pundits and fans outside of Canada, the result of the Raptors' second round series versus the Cavaliers is pretty much a forgone conclusion. The Cavaliers go into the series as heavy favourites, which does make sense considering the fact that they're, you know, the reigning NBA Champions. Still, as a more than worthy opponent, the Raptors feel like they're not being given their due respect.
Speaking with the media Friday, Raptors head coach Dwane Casey spoke on how he believes his squad never quite gets the respect they deserve. "We're just a team up north. We don't get a lot of respect, and I like that."
The Raptors gave their fans a few heart attacks to say the least during their series with the Bucks, including their near collapse in Game 6 where they blew a 25-point lead. That sort of performance doesn't bode well against a Cavs team that just swept the Indiana Pacers. Still, Josh Lewenberg shared two stats on Thursday night that will have even the most pessimistic of fans feeling slightly more confident in the Raps.
Monday night will be a huge test for the Raptors who will face the Cavaliers on the road in Game 1 in Cleveland. But if the Raptors have proven anything this year, it's that they can put up points with the best of them, which should be a cause for concern for the Cavs' shaky defense.
