2018 NBA Playoffs Preview: Toronto Raptors vs Washington Wizards, SWOT Analysis & Prediction

Weaknesses:

Toronto Raptors:

Valanciunas averaged 8.6 rebounds per game

During the regular season match-ups between these two teams, the Raptors were significantly out-rebounded by the Wizards. Since Lowry and DeRozan aren't particularly efficient in the playoffs, they'll need a big man to claim the offensive rebounds and score easier buckets.

This means that Jonas Valanciunas will have to be in the rotation and may even need to play a significant number of minutes. In the past, the Lithuanian International has been the target of John Wall-Marcin Gortat pick-and-rolls which have forced Dwayne Casey to take him off the floor.

Casey has attempted to make adjustments by having Valanciunas slide back into the paint, but Wall has managed to beat the 25-year-old off the dribble on a number of occasions.

Washington Wizards

The Wizards must be decisive in crunch time

The Wizards were plagued by chemistry issues and petty infighting throughout the regular season as a number of players appeared to be disgruntled with John Wall.

In the 27-year-old's absence, the team appeared to play a more aesthetically pleasing brand of basketball and even went on a brief run where they defeated some of the best teams in the league. However, Washington soon reverted to the mean and realized that they wouldn't be able to make an impact in the playoffs without their all-star point guard.

The Wizards were also poor in crunch time during the regular season, finishing with the seventh-worst clutch net rating and the fourth-worst offense in clutch situations.

They also experienced similar struggles in the 2015 regular season, but Paul Pierce's masterful fourth quarter performances in the playoffs helped them eliminate the Raptors and almost make the conference finals.