From the Archives: Raptors 905: Three Things to Watch in the Conference Semi-Finals

Originally posted April 4, 2017

The D-Leaguge regular season has come to an end and the Raptors 905begin their quest for a championship tomorrow against the Canton Charge.

Following a very successful regular season, it will be interesting to see how the 905 fair in their first #DLeaguePlayoffs appearance. To get ready, I highly recommend this excellent series previewby Blake Murphy from Raptors Republic.

Heading into the series, there are three topics that will be keeping my eye on:

Jerry Stackhouse:  How will coach Stackhouse approach the playoffs? With no one on active the roster averaging more than 28 minutes a game during the regular season, will Stackhouse start playing key players like Siakam, Brady Heslip and Edy Tavara extended minutes?

NBA Assignees: What impact will NBA assignees, especially Pascal Siakam, have on the outcome?

The fans: With the Raptors and Leafs heading towards the playoffs and TFC and Blue Jay seasons kicking off, will Toronto sports fans pay attention to the 905?  With the unique 1-2 D-League playoff format, I am looking for a big crowd at the Hersey Centre on Saturday to cheer on the 905 and impact the game.

The #Roadtothesix playoff edition stars tomorrow.  Catch the action on Facebook Live, or even better, at the Hersey Centre.

Game 1: Raptors 905 @ Canton Charge Tip-off: Wednesday April 5th 7:00PM ET Canton Memorial Civic Center Game 2: Canton Charge @ Raptors 905 Tip-off: Saturday April 8th 7:30PM ET Hershey Centre Game 3: (If necessary): Canton Charge @ Raptors 905 Tip-off: Tuesday April 12th 7:30PM ET Hershey Centre