Two Players Who Must Show Up Tonight
There are two players who need to step up tonight and live up to their billing as stars in this league, if they want to avoid their teams falling in 0-2 holes.
Demar Derozan: The Raptors need Derozan to explode in Game 2 if they want to have any chance of dethroning the King. I am talking upwards of 30 points from their shooting guard. In Game 1, Derozan had a subpar outing, putting up only 19 points. However, what was even more startling was that the Raptors were minus-32 with Derozan on the floor. That is terrible! He brings a lot to the Raptors offensively, but if this trend continues Dwane Casey might need to give Norman Powell some of Derozan's minutes. I expect Derozan to have a nice outing tonight, but I still like the Cavaliers to win.
LaMarcus Aldridge: Aldridge, a five time NBA All Star, scored just 4 points in Game 1. If you thought Derozan's minus-32 was putrid, Aldridge was worse. He was a minus-36. Abysmal! Kawhi Leonard needs some help. Aldridge is the obvious remedy, but he hasn't been productive as of late. It even appears as though he is even passing up his notorious mid-range jumpers. He cannot continue to do that, those things are his bread and butter! The Spurs need a big game from their big man. If he cannot deliver and the Spurs go down without a fight, I would not be surprised if they look to move L.A. this offseason.
