CENTER: The physical advantage over Cody Zeller and then Al Jefferson is gone for the Heat's Hassan Whiteside, who now goes up against the bulk that is the Raptors' Jonas Valanciunas. Whiteside is more of a two-way presence than Valanciunas, but this could be a matchup where foul trouble dictates the edge. What the first round showed is that for the Heat to win, Whiteside has to be one of their best players on the court. He is coming off a strong Game 7 and will need to provide a second line of defense against the penetration of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, with Whiteside averaging 4.67 blocked shots against the Raptors this season, compared to his average of 3.68 against the league. Keeping Valanciunas off the boards has to be a priority for Whiteside, with the Raptors averaging 43.4 rebounds against the NBA this season, but 50.5 in their games against the Heat. Edge: HEAT

POWER FORWARD: Toronto's Patrick Patterson mirrors the Heat's Luol Deng with his 3-point shooting, but hardly is as complete a player with any other aspect of his game. Deng was sublime in the first round for the Heat against the Hornets, especially with his scoring early in games. The question for the Heat might be how much the Heat play Deng against Patterson, with his perimeter defense possibly needed elsewhere. After going against the physicality of the Pacers' Myles Turner in the opening round, it is possible the Raptors go with an extra wing in place of a power forward. No matter the, matchup, it is essential Deng makes his position one of advantage for the Heat. He shot only .324 from the field against Toronto during the regular season, but has faced the Raptors only once since moving to power forward. Edge: HEAT

SMALL FORWARD: This is where it could get interesting when it comes to cross-matches, with Toronto's DeMarre Carroll potentially to take the defensive assignment against Heat guard Dwyane Wade, leaving DeMar DeRozan the less-challenging work against Joe Johnson. Carroll, who did not play in any of the teams' regular-season meetings due to a knee issue, could be a swing player in the series if he could offer the Raptors what he offered the Hawks last season against the Heat. Johnson, similarly, could help open the offense for the Heat, who shot only.417 against Toronto in the season series. Johnson likely will outscore Carroll, but the question is whether he can offer any other intangibles. Edge: EVEN

SHOOTING GUARD: This is a tough, tough call. Dwyane Wade's playoff legacy overshadows anything DeMar DeRozan has accomplished. In terms of a career accomplishments, it is not even close. But DeRozan is far closer to his prime, closer to being able to sustain on a nightly basis. And he simply has to do more for the Raptors than is expected of Wade at this stage. DeRozan averaged 29.3 points in the season series against the Heat. Then there is the reality that the Raptors can put DeMarre Carroll on Wade defensively while sliding DeRozan to the defensive assignment against Joe Johnson. The Heat are less likely to make such a cross-match with Johnson defending DeRozan. It comes down to this: In the Heat's mix, Wade merely has to have moments; in the Raptors' mix, DeRozan must be what Wade was earlier in his career. This is not a bet against Wade, but an acknowledgement of what DeRozan has to be. Edge: RAPTORS

POINT GUARD: If this was about most recent impressions, this would be all about the Heat's Goran Dragic, who provided the sizzle in the Heat's Game 7 against the Hornets. And it's not as if Toronto's Kyle Lowry has been dominant against the Heat, with his shooting from the field, from 3-point range, as well as his scoring and assist averages decidedly lower against the Heat this season than the rest of the league. But Dragic's numbers this season also were down against the Raptors compared to against the rest of the league. In the moment, Dragic has shown he can be the equal of Lowry, and on Sunday he was the better of the two. By far. But over larger sample sizes, Lowry has been the superior player this season to Dragic. If the Heat merely keep this matchup close, it could be enough to sway the series. Edge: RAPTORS

BENCH: The Raptors have an intriguing blend of mix-and-match pieces in reserve, from the bulk and shot-blocking of Bismack Biyombo, the electric play of guard Cory Joseph, the shooting of Norman Powell, the athleticism of Terrence Ross, to the veteran presence of Luis Scola and Jason Thompson. The Heat have kept their reserve mix limited to Justise Winslow, Josh Richardson and whatever other pieces might fit on a given night, be it Gerald Green, Josh McRoberts or someone from deeper on the bench. With Tyler Johnson back from his shoulder surgery, it provides yet another intriguing possibility for Erik Spoelstra. In the end, the bench impact could prove minimal on both ends. But the availability of Tyler Johnson intrigues. Edge: HEAT

COACHING: For Toronto's Dwane Casey, it's almost as if the battle has been won, getting the Raptors out of the first round. But, as with the Heat's Erik Spoelstra, it certainly wasn't easy in the first round. Spoelstra showed he is not afraid to change his approach in the midst of the series, as he did against the Hornets by moving to Gerald Green and Josh McRoberts. Spoelstra has been through far more when it comes to playoff adjustments than Casey, and seems to have a pulse on the buttons that need to be pushed with his roster. The one thing Spoelstra doesn't do is exhale. It sure looked like the Raptors did on Sunday night. Edge: HEAT

INTANGIBLES: There basically is one intangible that trumps all others in this series, and that's the Raptors' homecourt advantage. Like the Heat, they used that edge to close out their first-round series. And it is likely the Heat would not have been nearly as dominant if Sunday's game had been in Charlotte. When it comes to injuries, the Raptors are whole, while the Heat remain without Chris Bosh. But the Heat also have pushed well past the woe-are-we stage when it comes to Bosh showing up for games in a sports coat. The Heat have far more experience in these moments than the Raptors. But, again, all of that is secondary to homecourt. Edge: RAPTORS

PREDICTION: Heat in six.