In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for today in Raptors vs. Magic, game 1.1. Guard FAIL: There's FAIL. There's Epic FAIL, and then there's the Raptors' perimeter defense. Here, take a gander at opponents' three point field goal percentage. What's the worst playoff team on that list? If you guessed the ones named after a Michael Crichton film, you are correct, sir! I keep trying to watch the Raptors game because I genuinely like their roster. But then there will be a sequence that usually involves two, possibly three perimeter defenders that are not only out of position, but are utterly and completely lost in terms of what they should do defensively.
2. The Most Subtle Dinosaur You'll Meet: Chris Bosh is usually a great player. Against the Magic this season? He's a beast. 33 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3 assists. The lack of a true power forward causes problems for the Magic with Bosh's versatility and athleticism. And Bosh also gets a genuine kick out of facing the kid that's taken the title of "premier young big guy" from him. It'll be interesting to see what SVG cooks up against Bosh, whether they immediately bring the double or try and muscle him with Dwight Howard.
3. Rasho Masho: The Raptors have actually been (gasp) successful this season against Dwight Howard. Why? Rasho Neterovic. I know, sounds nuts, right? But it's actually been impressive. And all of my Raptors blogs keep saying his name over and over again in hushed tones, as if they're talking about their own personal Golem. It remains to be seen if Howard has the maturity necessary to step up and be the man I would bet that Sam Mitchell will bring the double, which means the Magic have to knock down their threes. Or everyone's going to be saying Rasho's name tomorrow instead. After they get done talking about the Lakers and Celtics, of course.
4. Alabama Versus Turkey: Jamario Moon goes against Hedo Turkoglu. Their games are kind of similar, except Moon dunks a lot more and Hedo's game is a lot more well rounded. It's an excellent matchup, though. Hedo has been lights out this season for the Magic, and Moon has been streaky. The Raptors have to get scoring from players other than Bosh, and Moon is as good a candidate as any. The big key here is that the Raptors would like scoring from Moon but don't need it. The Magic flat out must have a solid contribution from Hedo.
5. Supporting Arc: The Raptors and Magic both feature big men that demand double teams. So obviously, three point shooters will play a huge role in this series. For the Magic, it's Rashard Lewis, Hedo, Keith Bogans, and Maurice Evans. For the Raps, Anthony Parker, Carlos Delfino, and believe it or not, Andrea Bargnani. The Raps are going to need someone to raise their game to the next level. If both teams play like they did in the regular season, Orlando can run away with this one.
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