Raptors vs. Nets, NBA playoff predictions 2014: Toronto is the consensus pick
The Raptors are looking to make the second round for the first time in more than a decade.
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Toronto has a head coach in Dwane Casey challenging for Coach of the Year honors, but the Raptors want much more than that. After fighting off the Chicago Bulls for the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference, Toronto is looking to make it out of the first round for the first time since 2001. DeMar DeRozan has had a breakout season, and Kyle Lowry seems to have finally found his fit. The Raptors made their way to a 48-34 record, but they will face a tough challenge in the Nets.
Brooklyn sits in the No. 6 seed primarily because of their slow start. They didn’t have a winning record until Mar. 9, but are a whopping 33-17 since 2014 began. The Nets are filled with a bunch of playoff-savvy veterans, and are built to win a championship right now. Getting through the Raptors, who they’ve tied at 2-2 on the season, won’t be as easy as the Brooklyn fans think.
The picks:
| Paul Flannery | Raptors in 7 |
| Mike Prada | Raptors in 5 |
| Ricky O'Donnell | Raptors in 6 |
| Doug Eberhardt | Raptors in 7 |
| Tom Ziller | Raptors in 5 |
| Raptors HQ | Raptors in 6 |
| Nets Daily | Nets in 6 |
My pick:
The old world would say the Nets, with their championship rings and decades of NBA experience, seem more dangerous than they really are against the Raptors. Toronto is going to be too irrepressible on the offensive side of the ball for Brooklyn to keep up with, regardless of how much inauspicious yelling Kevin Garnett does. The backcourt combination of DeRozan, Lowry, Terrence Ross and Greivis Vasquez is going to be hard for the Nets to match. Raptors in 5.
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