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TSN Raptors Reporter

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TORONTO - On the eve of training camp, a war of words broke out between Wizards guard Bradley Beal and then Cleveland Cavalier Dion Waiters, both claiming to be a member of the NBA's best backcourt.

Beal, entering his third season, said he and all-star point guard John Wall "definitely" compromise the best backcourt in the league. Waiters called it "nonsense" and maintained he and Kyrie Irving hold that title. Wall fired back, questioning how many playoff games that Cavs pairing had appeared in. The answer, which he was well aware of, is zero.

Eventually, Golden State's Stephen Curry chimed in and it went on like that until, you know, actual basketball started being played. Such is the pre-season.

All the while, DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry kept their opinions to themselves. They were asked about the battle of the backcourts in camp and mostly laughed it off, promising to let their play do the talking.

As most expected, the Warriors twosome of Curry and Klay Thompson would go on to become the NBA's highest scoring backcourt. Waiters was traded to the Thunder mid-season. Ironically, he and Russell Westbrook finished second, though they started only 20 games together.

But for the second straight season, Toronto's backcourt quietly led the Eastern Conference in scoring with DeRozan averaging a team-high 20.1 points per game and Lowry, a first-time All-Star, pouring in 17.8. Wall and Beal ranked fourth among backcourts in the East (minimum 25 starts together) and ninth in the NBA.

"I've read comments where [the Wizards] felt like they're one of the best backcourts in the league," said Raptors' reserve Lou Williams. "I feel like we have one of the best backcourts in the league. So it's going to be a very entertaining series, very exciting."

The Raptors and Wizards will open their first-round playoff series on Saturday afternoon (12:30pm et/9:30pt on TSN, TSN Radio 1050 Toronto). Both teams have talent and depth at just about every position, but it's fair to assume that the guard play will determine which club outlasts the other.

"You have Wall and Beal and DeMar and Kyle, two excellent match-ups," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "Both have strengths and weaknesses to offer. It will be a match-up you really have to look at and see. That's what makes the playoffs so exciting."

All four players bring something different to the table.

The first word that comes to mind when discussing Wall is speed. A two-time All-Star, who started for the East alongside Lowry this season, Wall is dynamic with the ball. He finished second in the association in assists per game and is widely considered one of the toughest defenders at his position.

Like DeRozan, Beal's season was derailed by injury. The 2012 third-overall pick missed a total of 19 games with a series of wrist and leg issues, falling short of the breakout campaign many expected as a result. Still, Beal can fill it up and remains a constant threat from beyond the arc, where he's shot over 40 per cent in each of the last two years.

"John, the speed, the attention he draws on the fast break, being able to find guys and get his teammates involved [is dangerous]," DeRozan said. "Beal being able to knock down the three and get to the basket, they definitely cause problems. But if we do what we're supposed to, I think we'll be fine."

While Lowry opened the season playing MVP calibre basketball, lifting his team to a franchise-best start, DeRozan struggled with his shot and sat out 21 games on account of a serious groin injury. An All-Star last season, DeRozan took some time to find his game again after returning from nearly six weeks on the sidelines. By the time he did, closing out the year playing some of the best ball of his career, Lowry was worn down. The Raptors' point guard missed three games to rest a collection of nagging injuries, later sitting out nine of 10 with a back ailment. At points in the season they were both at their best, but never at the same time.

How far can they go if both are playing at a high level simultaneously?

"We can get done whatever we want to get done, honestly," said DeRozan.

"He answered it," Lowry agreed. "That was the reason he was an All-Star last year, I was an All-Star this year. There's a good chance we can do a lot with both of us playing at a high level."

There's reasonable cause for optimism. Working through some rust following his return from injury, Lowry hit eight of his 13 three-point attempts over the final two games of the regular season. Meanwhile, DeRozan has been on a tear since the beginning of March, leading the East in scoring over that span.

"That's what you hope," said Raptors GM Masai Ujiri. "That's why we really put them on the team and gave them this opportunity. Obviously it's because of injuries that it hasn't quite worked out where they've gotten a lot of time together. But DeMar has just taken it to another level, which is what you want to see. Kyle had it like that for two or three months at the beginning of the season. He started to get it back and then [injured] his back. For me, if those two can reach that level where they're playing together and playing the way we know they can play I'm absolutely confident."

Six months after it started, the backcourt debate is about to heat up and, once again, the Raptors want no part of it.

"I mean, I really don't pay attention to it," DeRozan said after Friday afternoon's practice session, less than 24 hours ahead of Game 1 at the Air Canada Centre. "We leave all that entertainment stuff to everybody else. We don't get caught up in it at all."

"It doesn't even matter," Lowry agreed. "I mean Steph and Klay are probably the best backcourt, they've proven that. We're just going out here as a team. It's not about two guys, it's about the team."

He's right, in theory. But so much of what either team does on offence runs through their guards. Stopping Wall and Beal - or DeRozan and Lowry, for Washington - will be a team effort but this series should ultimately come down to its four best players, all of whom reside in the backcourt.