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Opportunities and Threats
Raptors
The Raptors' bench unit has fared much better than the Cavs' second unit through the course of this season, and that will probably not change during this series. The 6-7 minutes that James sits on the bench might be all that the Raptors need to either take an unassailable lead, or to convert a deficit into an advantage.
Their 3-point shooting has been really good so far, and the Cavs weren't particularly great at closing out on 3-pointers during their series against the Pacers. Both Lowry and DeRozan are able playmakers on whom the Cavs' trapping strategy, so successful against Victor Oladipo, will probably not reap the same dividends.
When James is on the court, however, the Raptors do not have a reliable player to guard him for most of the game. Granted, rookie OG Anunoby has flashed lockdown potential, but when was the last time you heard a rookie slow down a GOAT-tier player? It's far more likely that we'll hear commentators say the words "LeBron James with no regard for human life!" than "James coughs it up to OG".
Cavaliers
Kevin Love has developed into a really reliable spot-up 3-point shooter over the years. Granted, he's not having the greatest of runs at the moment, but while taking the floor as the center in their offensive scheme, he will have the opportunity to draw the likes of Poetl and Valanciunas out to the perimeter. This, in turn, will open up the lane for a couple of cutting situations, which the likes of James, JR, Jeff Green and Korver should be able to capitalize on.
Rodney Hood will probably have a larger role to play in this series, as he matches up well against DeRozan and will look to be on the uptake on the offensive end.
The Cavaliers are not particularly good at defending the post-up play, however, and do not have the defensive wherewithal to deal with Valanciunas - the Lithuanian could end up doing real damage inside the paint during the series against Love and Tristan Thompson.
They've also played a much slower brand of basketball during the playoffs than the regular season. The Raptors have averaged about 8 possessions more per game than the Cavs, and the Cavs will take some time to adjust to the much higher pace of the Raptors.
