Flashback to the second round of the 2016 NBA playoffs. Toronto and Miami are battling back and forth, literally, in an intense seven-game series.
Toronto ended up coming out on top by winning game seven at home. However, looking back at the 2016 teams for both squads and comparing them to now, the key players remain mostly the same. This could spell major trouble for Toronto. In the last four games of that 2016 matchup, every game was decided by seven or fewer points, with three of the four games going to overtime. With Miami lurking at the bottom of the playoff hunt in the east, this possible matchup could be exactly what they are hoping for.
The secret weapon
There is one thing that Miami did not have in its arsenal in 2016 that it does now: Rodney McGruder.
Some readers might be thinking "who?", and that's fair. Be warned Raptors fans; you may not be able to get that name out of your head after this potential matchup. McGruder is an absolute pest on the defensive side of the ball with seemingly boundless energy and plays bigger than his 6'4 frame. Palm Beach Post claimed the undrafted rookie was even considered to be darkhorse for rookie of the year in 2017. Rodney is a shooting guard that could take turns with Josh Richardson and Dwayne Wade sharing responsibility in guarding DeRozan.
Demar has been less than stellar in the playoffs over the last two years, along with his all-star point guard Kyle Lowry.
If McGruder and company could get under the skin of Demar, who has shown to lose his temper on occasion, this could prove to be a factor that could tip the advantage over to Miami. DeRozan has already had a few testy moments when playing against the physical guards.
The most recent being a scuffle between Demar and Corey Brewer this week where Demar was ejected late in the game.
According to the Toronto Sun, Demar feels like the refs and competition are going against them every step of the way, causing frustration. If McGruder and company can take advantage of this temperament, it would be a huge advantage in this matchup.
Will Lowry be the Raptors Achilles heel?
Kyle Lowry was famously bad in the 2016 playoffs, particularly against the Heat, shooting only .397 and .303 from deep, according to Fox Sports.
If this matchup scenario does end up taking place, Lowry would be tested going head to head against former all-star Goran Dragic. Will Lowry and company be able to handle the responsibility of playmaking and scoring if team leader Derozan is off of his game?
What it all boils down to
Both teams know each other well and know what the other brings to the table. They both have extremely well guard play, matched with physical and active bigs. The season series is currently split between the two at one a piece, both games coming down to the last few possessions.
Top-seeded Toronto running into Miami in the first round is just a scenario. Even with Miami's double-overtime win against the Nuggets last night, Miami has not shown any signs of moving up the East standings.
According to Bullets Forever, ESPN BPI and basketball reference have Miami projected to finish 7th and 8th seed, respectively. With that being said, the recent history between these teams, combined with the even matched position match up, this is a scenario Toronto would like to avoid.
