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3 questions ahead of Raptors-Heat series

Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports / Reuters

Despite both teams making monumental strides, neither the Miami Heat or the Toronto Raptors inspired any confidence with their play in the first round.

The Heat dropped three straight to the Charlotte Hornets and needed a throwback performance by Dwyane Wade to save the season. Meanwhile, the Raptors came within a fingertip of potentially losing in humiliating fashion to the Indiana Pacers.

But the work doesn't stop here. Another long series awaits both teams.

Here are three questions that could define the series:

Can Miami defend the paint?

Credit Erik Spoelstra for weaving together a coherent defense out of an ever-changing roster. The Heat maintained a top 10 defense all season, even after losing their anchor, Chris Bosh, to a medical condition.

Central to their defense is Hassan Whiteside. He swatted 269 shots - 50 percent more than DeAndre Jordan, who ranked second in the league with 173. No player defended more shots at the rim than Whiteside, and opponents shot just 46.9 percent when he was at the rim.

However, the Charlotte Hornets still found ways to turn the Heat's weapon into a weakness. They shot 63.6 percent at the rim, scored on 74 percent of their drives, and repeatedly put the Heat in foul trouble. Constant dribble penetration proved to be the weakness in Miami's stronghold.

The Raptors will only compound those problems. They led the league by a mile in points off drives, and the combination of Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, and Cory Joseph will relentlessly attack the interior.

That's where Whiteside comes in. He needs to avoid foul trouble and stay on the floor to provide rim protection, because no one else can. Amar'e Stoudemire has always been a sieve and Udonis Haslem is over the hill. If Whiteside isn't on the court, the Heat's defense could buckle under the weight of Toronto's downhill offense.

Who will stop Joe Johnson?

Raptors fans know Johnson all too well. He torched Toronto for 21.9 points per game as a member of the Brooklyn Nets in 2014, and the Raptors have been scrambling ever since to find a stopper who can guard big wings.

Despite his advanced age, Johnson has rediscovered his touch in Miami. He posted a true shooting percentage of 60.3, while drilling 41.7 percent of his threes on 5.6 attempts per game.

Toronto spent big on DeMarre Carroll to be that defender, but a knee injury has undercut his effectiveness, and that's where the trouble starts. Beyond Carroll, the Raptors don't have a big wing who can check Johnson. DeRozan is too small, and breakout rookie Norman Powell is too skinny.

If Carroll can't keep a lid on Johnson, Raptors fans will be having flashbacks.

Go small or stay big?

The Heat are very much a team caught between two identities. They can play big through Whiteside on the inside along with Wade's herky-jerky drives, or they can stretch opponents out by going with a high-speed, five-out lineup with four wings.

That luxury of having two viable looks allows Spoelstra to dictate pace and style in most games, but he'll find trouble forcing the Raptors to match.

Much like Miami, the Raptors are also adept at playing different styles. And while Toronto lacks size on the wing, the Heat will struggle to control the glass against the Raptors' monstrous centers. The Raptors forced the Pacers to change their starting lineup and still managed to grab more offensive rebounds than any other team in the playoffs.

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