Some questions sprung to mind when the Cleveland Cavaliers stunningly steamrolled the Detroit Pistons in a road Game 7 game to knock out the Eastern Conference's top seed last week.
Should the Raptors' series be reevaluated?
Should the Toronto Raptors' close 7-game loss to Cleveland a round earlier be reevaluated at all? Were the Raptors better than we thought, especially since top shooters Immanuel Quickley and Brandon Ingram either didn't play at all (Quickley), or underperformed due to injury before exiting entirely for much of the battle (Ingram)? Is Scottie Barnes the best player on either team? Would Toronto have also topped the Pistons? And was everyone too hard on Jakob Poeltl after he got lit up by Cavaliers centre Jarrett Allen?
Comparing the series
Toronto and Cleveland were remarkably tied in total points through the first six games and again through the first half of Game 7, and the Cavaliers only outscored the Raptors by 18 over the seven games. The Cavaliers then outscored the Pistons by 46 points, mostly thanks to winning by 31 in the shocking finale. They also, like the Raptors had, absorbed a quick 2-0 series deficit before evening things up at home. Cleveland one-upped the Raptors by winning Game 5 to take control and then survived a brutal home loss with a chance to clinch before the road rout in Game 7.
And even though the Pistons posted the second-best defence in the regular season to Toronto's fifth-best rank, Cleveland scored more efficiently and turned the ball over less against the loaded Detroit defence. Cavs top player Donovan Mitchell looked a lot better against the Pistons (though still not in his best form), especially in the two wins that tied the series and in Game 7, than he had when hounded by the Raptors. James Harden fared better against Toronto, but still tortured Detroit at times. Evan Mobley had his moments against the Raptors, but might have been the best player in the semifinal series, again, against a 60-win team with better players than the Raptors, including potential all-NBA centre Jalen Duren.
Maybe the Cavaliers are no heavyweights and simply beat flawed teams (both Toronto and Detroit are extremely limited offensively, putting tons of pressure on the likes of Barnes and Cade Cunningham), but we'd argue Toronto showed better than Detroit did. The Raptors still need some help (more shooting and size), so we shouldn't get carried away by how they nearly upset the Cavs, who aren't a juggernaut.
Best player on either team?
As for the best player on either team? The two series featured the three top players from the loaded 2021 NBA draft class, Cunningham, Barnes and Mobley. Barnes was rookie of the year, has two all-star selections and will likely be a close miss for his first all-NBA selection this year. He was unreal in the series at both ends of the floor, opening the eyes of a bigger audience. Mobley has won defensive player of the year and made an all-NBA second team. Sometimes it looks like he can do more and he can appear a bit unorthodox, but he's also a marvellous talent who kicked both Toronto and Detroit's butts at key times. Cunningham, the top pick in 2021, had the best regular season and will receive his third straight Top-7 MVP finish. He had the worst supporting cast and all the defensive attention was on him, yet he still had some big games.
All three are great. Barnes is the top all-around player because he's so overwhelming defensively and better than Mobley offensively, but Mobley is a better outside shooter and is taller and longer. We'd still go with Cunningham, the best offensive player of the bunch by far, followed by Barnes, because he'll take another step forward with better teammates, but Barnes made it closer than ever.
Would Toronto have beaten Detroit?
So, would the Raptors have beaten Detroit, just like Cleveland did? We consider it doubtful. It would have been an ugly series with Quickley and Ingram both not being able to play (neither were all that close to returning and Ingram even underwent surgery after the season). Duren has been awful so far after a great regular season, but he still likely would have given Poeltl big problems because of his athleticism. Credit Allen for going off in both Game 7s, but Duren is bigger, stronger and more talented, even if he didn't show it. Plus the Pistons (and backup Paul Reed) demolished the Raptors in 2-of-3 meetings before the playoffs.
Most considered New York and Detroit the worst on paper matchups for Toronto and Poeltl and his teammates probably would have been in trouble had they met up. It will be interesting to see how the Cavaliers fare against the heavily favoured Knicks. Either way, the Raptors are still a level below New York, Cleveland and Detroit and will need to find ways to close the gap.
