Ranking the 10 Best Players in Celtics-Raptors Series

The Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors will meet in the postseason for the first time ever during the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The third-seeded Celtics are tasked with beating the Raptors, the No. 2 seed, without forward Gordon Hayward. Hayward is expected to miss the series after injuring his ankle in Game 1 of Boston's first-round series against Philadelphia.

Pascal Siakam and Jaylen Brown are set to battle in the Conference Semifinals. (Michael Dwyer/AP)

With Hayward out for Boston, the Celtics will be devoid their fourth-best player. So who are the best players in this series? Let's rank the top-10 ahead of the Celtics-Raptors best-of-seven showdown.

10. OG Anunoby

Toronto's starting small forward, OG Anunoby is most known for his defense. He guarded Brooklyn's Caris LeVert well in the opening round, holding the wing to 11 points on 5-of-13 shooting in total minutes of 1-on-1 defense in the Raptors' sweep.

9. Normal Powell

The Raptors hold a +62 with Norman Powell on the court, the best player +/- of the 2020 NBA postseason. The guard averaged 17.5 points in the first round, shooting 60.5% from the floor and 45.5% on 3's.

Powell shined in the Raptors' series-clinching victory over the Nets. He went off for 29 points (9-for-14), five rebounds, two assists and two blocks in just 24 minutes.

8. Serge Ibaka

Serge Ibaka, Toronto's top reserve, averaged 19.3 points and 10.3 rebounds in the opening round. 

Due to in-season injuries to Pascal Siakam and Marc Gasol, Ibaka started 27 games this season. He logged 15.4 points and 8.2 rebounds in 55 appearances. Ibaka is a far more important player than Gasol, the starting center who failed to crack this list.

7. Marcus Smart

One of the best defensive players in basketball, Marcus Smart is the heart and soul of the Celtics. He registered career highs in points (12.9), assists (4.9) and free throw percentage (83.6) this season.

In the wake of Hayward's injury, Smart has been pressed into Boston's starting lineup. Due to various injuries for the Celtics across the year, Smart made 40 starts in 60 games played in 2019-20.

6. Fred VanVleet

Fred VanVleet was Toronto's best player in its four-game shellacking of the Nets. He averaged team-bests in points (21.3) and assists (7.8), while shooting a remarkable 55.9 percent from downtown. 

An impending free agent, the combo guard will be one of the most coveted players on the open market this offseason.

5. Kemba Walker

Boston's prized offseason acquisition, Kemba Walker finally won his first career playoff series, producing 24.3 points in the Celtics' sweep of the 76ers. He poured in a game-best 32 points in the series finale.

Walker, a starting guard for the Eastern Conference All-Star squad, had just four turnovers all series despite a hefty 26.9% usage rate.

4. Jaylen Brown

Jaylen Brown, Boston's top two-way player, accumulated 21.5 points with 5.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and one steal per contest in the first round.

3. Kyle Lowry

Lowry's status (ankle sprain) for Game 1 remains a mystery, but assuming he's good to go, the Raptors' longtime All-Star point guard can be expected to do the playmaking on offense and spearheading the NBA's top-ranked defense. 

2. Pascal Siakam

Siakam led the Raptors in scoring and player efficiency this season. An All-Star starter, Siakam is Toronto's best player, a year after being the No. 2 option on its championship-winning squad.

1. Jayson Tatum

Jayson Tatum was on fire against Philadelphia and looks like a true superstar. Holding massive value to the Celtics, Boston owned a +19 net rating in his 145 minutes on the court versus the 76ers. The Celtics logged a -9 during his 47 minutes on the bench.

Tatum produced team-bests per-game marks in points (27.0), rebounds (9.8) and blocks (2.3) in round one.

Kemba Walker to Sign 4-Year Deal with Celtics

Kemba Walker has told the Charlotte Hornets of his intention to sign with the Boston Celtics when free agency officially begins. Walker will finalize a formal agreement for a four-year, $141 million deal with the Celtics, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Walker averaged 25.6 points, 5.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds last season, playing in all 82 games. The 29-year-old three-time All-Star earned All-NBA Third Team Honors last year, his best season as a pro. Walker spent the first eight years of his career in Charlotte, reaching the playoffs just twice. The Hornets failed to put sufficient talent around the talented point guard. Walker is the only Hornets' player to make an All-Star team since he was drafted ninth overall in 2011.

Boston can renounce the rights to restricted free agent point guard Terry Rozier to clear the necessary cap space to ink Walker to a max contract. Walker will replace All-Star guard Kyrie Irving, who plans to leave the Celtics after just two seasons to join the Brooklyn Nets. Irving has an agreement in place with the Nets on a four-year, $141 million contract.

All-Star Kemba Walker will sign with the Celtics and replace the departing Kyrie Irving as Boston's starting point guard. (AP Photo)

The Hornets declined to offer the supermax contract to Walker, paving the way for the former UConn star to leave in free agency. Charlotte's unwillingness to move Walker at last season's trade deadline could set the franchise back for years. Walker was the team's only attractive asset, yet management opted to keep him in an attempt to reach the postseason. Charlotte failed to reach its goal and missed the playoffs for the third straight season.

As for Walker, he finally gets the chance to play with formidable talent. He is set to join a starting lineup that will include Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and former All-Star Gordon Hayward. 

Report: 'No Way' Pelicans Trade Davis to Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers failed to acquire six-time All-Star Anthony Davis at the trade deadline. The New Orleans Pelicans were not pleased with how the Lakers handled trade negotiations back in late-January/February for Davis, who publicly stated he wanted to be dealt.

A new report suggests that the Pelicans won’t even consider trading Davis to the Lakers this offseason.

"I have been told that there's no way Anthony Davis is coming here [to the Lakers], through the Pelicans," Marc J. Spears said while appearing on ESPN's The Jump. "They're just not going to do it."

ESPN’s Michael Wilbon claimed he also heard that Davis-to-LAL is a no-go come this summer.

Trade talks turned contentious before the NBA's trade deadline when Davis' agent, Rich Paul, made it public knowledge the big man did not want to play for the Pelicans in the long-term. Paul also represents Lakers superstar LeBron James, who stated his desire to play with Davis.

The Lakers reportedly leaked details of the offers they presented to New Orleans for Davis, incensing the Pelicans’ front office.

LeBron may not get his wish to play with Anthony Davis next season. (Joe C. Hong/AP)

Another major hurdle for the Lakers is that two of their biggest trade chips—Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball—have been ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Ingram is dealing with blood clots, having been diagnosed with Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) in his right shoulder. This could be a serious detriment to the remainder of his career, and as a result, has lowered his trade value. Ingram finished this season averaging 18.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, while shooting 49.7 percent from the floor, 33.0 percent from beyond the arc and 67.5 percent from the free-throw line.

Ball has not played since mid-January after suffering a Grade 3 ankle sprain. He averaged 9.9 points and 5.4 assists per game this season and shot 40.6% from the field and 32.9% from three. Ball has played in just 99 out of a possible 164 games in his two-year NBA career.

The Pelicans will have plenty of suitors for Davis this summer. The Boston Celtics will be the favorites to land Davis, so long as they agree to deal rising star Jayson Tatum to New Orleans. The Lakers could get back in the mix for Davis, but their chances of trading for the forward/center have decreased significantly in recent months.

Las Vegas Win Projections: Take the Over for Celtics

The Westgate Las Vegas Superbook released its over/under win totals for the 2018-19 NBA season, and the Boston Celtics are placed at 57.5 wins. The over/under of 57.5 victories is the highest in the Eastern Conference and ranks second in the entire league, trailing only the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors (62.5).

The Celtics won 55 games last season, their most victories since Brad Stevens took over the coaching duties in 2013. Because they accomplished this feat with Gordon Hayward sidelined for all but five minutes of the season—in addition to Kyrie Irving missing the final quarter of the year with a knee injury—taking the over total of 57.5 victories seems like free money.

Not only are All-Stars Hayward and Irving returning for the Celtics, their lineup also features Al Horford and two rising stars in 21-year-old Jaylen Brown and 20-year-old Jayson Tatum.

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum could help Boston reach 60 wins in 2018-19. — by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Brown is entering his third season in the league, while Tatum will embark on his sophomore campaign after finishing third in the voting for Rookie of the Year.

Both Brown and Tatum could further develop their overall games and may even reach stardom after shining in the 2018 postseason.

Retaining their two biggest free agents, Marcus Smart and Aron Baynes, the Celtics are returning the squad that reached the seventh game of the Conference Finals.

The Celtics should dominate the East, even with the Toronto Raptors’ acquisition of Kawhi Leonard, who brings a nearly-unmatched NBA résumé—but also a lot of question marks and baggage—north of the border.

With its highest projected win total since 2008-09, expect Boston to win over 60 games and earn the top seed in the East for the second time in three seasons.