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Raptors Will Let Game Do Talking Heading Into Game One

Holly MacKenzie - Raptors.com

With Game 1 against the Washington Wizards tipping off in less than 24 hours, the Toronto Raptors are locked in to their game plan. After Wizards forward Paul Pierce made news with comments about the Raptors, the team hopes to respond on the court. 

Earlier this week, the former Brooklyn Net told ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan that the Raptors didn’t worry him, saying, "We haven't done particularly well against Toronto, but I don't feel they have the 'It' that makes you worried. There isn't a team I look at in the Eastern Conference that makes me say, 'They are intimidating, we don't have a chance.'”

Having faced Pierce in last year’s first-round series against the Nets, Toronto players weren’t overly ruffled or surprised by his comments, mostly choosing to shrug them off as just Pierce motivating himself when asked about the interview.

“Yeah, I mean it's cool,” DeMar DeRozan said. “It just makes it interesting. See, he got you asking me questions about him so obviously he's doing something right.”

Lou Williams said Pierce’s assessment didn't get under anyone’s skin, but elected to keep it moving rather than give an actual response to the comments. 

“Paul is a future Hall of Famer, he has a very great reputation in this league for what he’s done on the basketball court,” Williams said. “You just gotta respect what he brings to the table. He’s a veteran guy, he’s been able to evolve over the years and change his game. Other than that, Paul’s just a great player, but all the talking, I’ll leave it to him."

For Dwane Casey, there are more important things to worry about than who is saying what about his team in the opposing locker room. Whether it’s the unenviable task of trying to slow John Wall or game planning for Bradley Beal, who missed two of three meetings between the two teams this season, the Wizards backcourt will provide as many challenges as the DeRozan/Kyle Lowry duo poses for Washington.

With respect to Pierce’s on-court game, Toronto’s head coach only had praise for the 17-year veteran's capabilities.

“[He] can put the ball on the floor,” Casey said. “He’s big, he’s smart. Can still shoot the three, still got a lethal pump fake, knows how to get to the free throw line, it’s all there. He’s got all the speed and quickness around him. He’s still Paul Pierce. Still one of the top players in the league. A Hall of Fame player.”

Williams: "You have to be able to minimize your mistakes"

While the Wizards added Pierce’s playoff experience and wisdom to their roster, the Raptors brought in James Johnson for his defence and Williams for his offence after losing a one-point decision in last season's seven-game series against the Nets. Each have blended seamlessly with last year’s core, Williams in particular playing a huge role.

Williams averaged a career-high 15.5 points per game this season. He is Toronto’s third-highest scorer behind Lowry and DeRozan and posted a 19.9 player efficiency rating (PER), second on the team. When he plays well, the team generally follows.

In the postseason, Williams expects his role to stay the same, but understands Washington could try to keep the ball out of his hands. If this happens, he said his responsibility has to be making the right basketball play. 

“Playoff basketball isn’t about who scores, stats or putting numbers up on the board,” Williams said. “It’s just about winning at the end of the day. When you play a game in a series, it becomes chess. It becomes who can outsmart the other team.

“When it comes down to playoff basketball, it’s attention to detail,” Williams continued. “Guys have got to come in and just be focused. We can’t have as many lapses as you would in a regular-season game, especially when you’re playing the same team over and over and over. You have to be able to minimize your mistakes. The team that makes the least mistakes gets a better chance to win.”

Williams, frontrunner for the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award, acknowledged that it would be nice to be honoured, but said, “We’ll see what happens.” 

Lowry wasn’t about to let an opportunity to praise his teammate slip away when asked about Williams during his media availability.

“Lou’s the Sixth Man of the Year for a reason,” Lowry said. “There's no question about it. If he doesn't win sixth man of the year it would be a sham.”

Lowry, WIlliams and DeRozan hope to get the Raptors off to a strong start Saturday afternoon at Air Canada Centre with more basketball and less talk.