What to watch in Sixers-Raptors Game 3: Toronto’s defensive scheme
Not many defenses looked better on paper coming into the playoffs than Toronto’s defense. The Raptors have size at every position, they can switch 1-5, they guard with feverish aggression, and Nick Nurse has a long track record of flustering high-level scorers — Joel Embiid chief among them. Through two games, the Sixers have picked Toronto apart with astounding ease.
The Raptors’ aggression has simply not paid off. Embiid and Harden are too good to keep off the foul line, and Embiid’s newfound willingness to pass out of doubles has allowed Philadelphia far too many opportunities to punish a rotating defense. The Sixers are just feasting from the corners — with Maxey and Harris either netting 3s or attacking open space with great precision. As soon as Embiid makes the right read, or Harden sees the defense creeping in from the corner of his eye, it’s curtains for the Raptors’ D.
The Sixers’ offense is uniquely difficult to stop because it’s not just Embiid’s dominance in the post or just Harden’s playmaking from the top of the key. It’s both, combined with Tyrese Maxey’s star turn and Tobias Harris’ remarkable efficiency as the fourth option. Not to mention Danny Green, a real life shooter, who can space the floor and demand attention behind the 3-point line. The Raptors are making Embiid’s life difficult to some extent, and Harden isn’t shooting terribly well, but the offense is humming along all the same.
Toronto needs to change something. Maybe the solution is to stay home on shooters and just let Embiid or Harden try to win one-on-one. They definitely need to stop letting Maxey and Harris get so many clean catches in the corner, and whatever defensive attention is currently being paid to Harden as a driving threat can probably be scaled back. There’s no easy answer when the Sixers are shooting and executing so well — letting Embiid iso against Precious Achiuwa will end in 40+ for Embiid — but the current game plan isn’t working. We shall see if Nick Nurse can pull a rabbit from his signature NN hat, or if Philadelphia is just too good for Toronto’s defense.