East Conf. Semis: Toronto Raptors vs Cleveland Cavaliers - Preview, SWOT Analysis, and Prediction

X-Factor

Raptors

Ty Lawson and Fred VanVleet

The Raptors did have to play 6 games against the Wizards in the first round, but it is probable that they might not have had to do so if Steady Freddy had been on the court for some of those games instead of having to don street clothes.

VanVleet finished the regular season with one of the best net ratings for all qualified players. His excellence might not reflect on the stat sheet every night, but VanVleet has been the offensive powerhouse for the Raptors' bench mob. He's also a pesky on-ball defender, as shown by the picture above.

Above all, he's the best 3-point shooter on the Raptors' roster going off regular season percentages. His sweet handles allow him to make plays with real ease, and he's an efficient player with the knack of making the right basketball play at the right time. If he plays to his ability, the Raptors should have no problem dispatching the Cavaliers for the first time in 3 years.

Cavaliers

Thompson reacts to the Cavs' victory in game 7

Without mincing any words here, Tristan Thompson has been the definition of a wild card for the Cavaliers in their first-round series. After scoring 3 points in 24 minutes during the first 6 games of the series, he was named to the starting lineup by Tyronn Lue for game 7.

He repaid the extraordinary faith displayed by his head coach by notching up a double-double with 5 offensive rebounds, giving LeBron exactly the kind of support he needed to make his monster night count for a win.

At his best, Tristan Thompson is a force to reckon with as a rim-runner of the Clint Capela/DeAndre Jordan variety. He is also a defensive ace in that mode, and his block on Darren Collison late in game 7 was a demonstration of that fact.