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USATSI

There's a world in which a playoff matchup between the Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets features two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference -- one with a deep roster and championship pedigree and the other with two of the game's brightest stars, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

This, however, is not that world.

When the opening-round series of the 2019-20 NBA playoffs tips off on Monday, the Raptors will face a shell of a Brooklyn Nets roster, missing not only Durant and Irving, but also Spencer Dinwiddie, DeAndre Jordan, Taurean Prince and Wilson Chandler. Toronto, on the other hand, is as healthy as it's been all season, giving Nick Nurse a full arsenal of talent at his disposal.

The dramatic difference in rosters suggests a relatively easy series victory for the Raptors, but if there's anything the Nets have proven in the bubble, it's that they're going to compete as hard as they can until the final whistle. The series may be lopsided, but the games probably won't be. Here's a look at the series schedule and three storylines to keep your eye on.

(2) Raptors vs. (7) Nets schedule

All times Eastern

  • Game 1: Monday, Aug. 17, 4 p.m. | ESPN
  • Game 2: Wednesday, Aug. 19, 1:30 p.m. | NBA TV
  • Game 3: Friday, Aug. 21, 1:30 p.m. | NBA TV
  • Game 4: Sunday, Aug. 23, 6:30 p.m. | TNT
  • Game 5 (if necessary): Tuesday, Aug. 25, TBD | TBD
  • Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday, Aug. 27, TBD | ESPN
  • Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday, Aug. 29, TBD | TNT

1. Raptors wrapping up opponents

One benefit to having a healthy roster for the Raptors is that they've gotten to unleash their unbridled, suffocating defense. They have length, size, speed and skill at virtually every position, with even more coming in off the bench. Toronto went 7-1 in seeding games with the league's best defensive rating at 102.7, which is even slightly elevated because of a blowout loss to the Celtics.

Now healthy, Marc Gasol has shown just how valuable he is to the Toronto defense. With Gasol on the court during seeding games the Raptors posted a sterling 91.8 defensive rating -- when he was off the court that ballooned to 110.3. He's been excellent as a rim protector, allowing just 0.909 points per possession, according to Synergy Sports Technology, while also doing a good job defending pick-and-rolls despite his size. A former Defensive Player of the Year, Gasol is the anchor of Toronto's stingy defense and his IQ and communication will be essential if it's going to get back to the Finals.

2. LeVert taking a leap

The seeding games thus far have served as a showcase for Caris LeVert, who has shown glimpses of stardom throughout his career but has been hampered by injuries. He averaged 25 points in six seeding games on 48 percent shooting, to go along with 6.7 assists and five rebounds. LeVert will be the unquestioned No. 1 option for the Nets offense, and will be tasked with the majority of the playmaking responsibilities as well.

LeVert is adept at getting to the rim and pulling up for midrange jumpers, so you might see the Raptors defense going under the majority of screens and daring him to shoot. That could end up backfiring, however, as LeVert has hit 39 percent of his pull-up 3-pointers this season, taking over three per game. The bottom line is, LeVert has to score at a significant and consistent clip for the Nets to have any chance in this series, and that's going to be very hard to do against the elite Raptors defense.

3. Who's the man?

The Raptors have dazzled this season with a widespread offensive attack. The beauty of this team is that on any given night they have at least seven players capable of scoring 20 or more points and hitting clutch shots. But that also leads to the biggest question mark heading into the playoffs this season without Kawhi Leonard: Who will be the closer down the stretch in big-time playoff moments?

Occasionally teams are successful in the postseason with multiple options, but usually championship teams have one superstar who takes the lead. For a while this season it was looking like Pascal Siakam would eventually be that guy, but it will most likely be veteran Kyle Lowry who takes charge (and takes charges) in the closing moments, at least to begin the playoffs. He absolutely took over in a big seeding win over the Lakers, and clearly is not afraid of any situation. It will be interesting to see how Toronto handles late-game situations to open the postseason.

The Raptors shouldn't have much trouble with the Nets in the first round, and we'll see what kind of momentum they can build in an effort to win a second straight NBA title.