I sure did not see this coming. I thought Golden State would win in 5 or 6 games. It's a shame that Durant and Thompson suffered such severe injuries. I hope they fully recover. Congratulations to Toronto.

The Toronto Raptors are your 2019 NBA champions.

 

Kawhi Leonard is MVP joining Kareem and LeBron as NBA Finals MVP with two different teams.

A lot of the talk is about the great look the Warriors got Steph that would have won the game. It was a great look but with 9 seconds I’m letting Steph create and get something going towards the basket and he has the option to dish. Difference in philosophies for sure. I just don’t like that call down 1.

A lot of the talk is about the great look the Warriors got Steph that would have won the game. It was a great look but with 9 seconds I’m letting Steph create and get something going towards the basket and he has the option to dish. Difference in philosophies for sure. I just don’t like that call down 1.

 

It seems to be the thing to do nowadays. The last second shot always seems to have to be a 3 pointer even if they're just a one point difference.

The playoffs just felt "meant to be" for the Raptors. From playing against a 50% Embiid, taking on a star in Giannis this is still a couple years from tapping into his full potential, to finishing off against the hobbled Warriors.

 

Congrats to Leonard on bringing home his second Finals MVP award. He is in rare company. The Spurs apologists in me still despises how he went about his last year in San Antonio, but what are you going to do. If he goes on and does this elsewhere, that would be remarkable. Big shout out to to the Raptors' organization for taking a gamble by dumping Casey and DeRozan because they were continually getting the same result, and mixing it up... even if it was for just this one season.

Other than the injuries what a great series with all the road wins.

 

Congrats Raptors!

The playoffs just felt "meant to be" for the Raptors. From playing against a 50% Embiid, taking on a star in Giannis this is still a couple years from tapping into his full potential, to finishing off against the hobbled Warriors.

 

Congrats to Leonard on bringing home his second Finals MVP award. He is in rare company. The Spurs apologists in me still despises how he went about his last year in San Antonio, but what are you going to do. If he goes on and does this elsewhere, that would be remarkable. Big shout out to to the Raptors' organization for taking a gamble by dumping Casey and DeRozan because they were continually getting the same result, and mixing it up... even if it was for just this one season.

 

Just curious; what did he do wrong or that bothered you?

The Raptors did what they needed to do to win the series. While the obvious omissions from the Warriors were the biggest factors, the Raptors defense was pretty good throughout and their role players stepped up when Kawhi wasn't performing.

Edited June 14, 20197 yr by TheDeuce

A lot of the talk is about the great look the Warriors got Steph that would have won the game. It was a great look but with 9 seconds I’m letting Steph create and get something going towards the basket and he has the option to dish. Difference in philosophies for sure. I just don’t like that call down 1.

 

That's the obvious call with Steph in that situation, IMO. Why send him in the lane with swarming defense and guards that are all bigger than him? Maybe if Klay were healthy you send him in the lane, but not Steph.

Just curious; what did he do wrong or that bothered you?

 

Kawhi missed 73 games with a thigh bruise. The Spurs have the most conservative medical staff in the NBA, and by them saying he was all clear deep into the season, it is all you need to know. When Tony Parker called him out on it, that was the end of his time in San Antonio. This was not a KD situation to where he was risking anything. Dude was under contract, his uncle didn't want him playing there any longer, and they manufactured this whole charade. There are reports of him training and being completely fine all of last year.

 

And this is not an anti-player rant. I am all for player-empowerment and guys wanting out from their situations, but at some point you have to play, even if it is not your desired location. It is why I am so baffled at how Anthony Davis has handled his whole deal. It is one thing if you are in the final year of a contract, but he (pushed by LeBron) pulled the "I want to be in LA" move with almost three years left on a deal he just signed and threw away a season. They have joked on the BS Podcast about not knowing where it will end? Will guys sign five year deals, play 40 games, then say, "this isn't for me, I will just sit out."

I was really wanting a Game 7. The pressure would have been huge for Toronto. Without Klay it probably wouldn't have mattered as the degree of difficulty was becoming non-existent.

I was really wanting a Game 7. The pressure would have been huge for Toronto. Without Klay it probably wouldn't have mattered as the degree of difficulty was becoming non-existent.

 

Yeah, I definitely wanted a Game 7, but not if Klay wasn't playing. Raptors would have folded, IMO.

That's the obvious call with Steph in that situation, IMO. Why send him in the lane with swarming defense and guards that are all bigger than him? Maybe if Klay were healthy you send him in the lane, but not Steph.

It doesn’t necessarily have to be in the lane, but I’m letting Steph create the offense. He can create his own shot at any time in those 9 seconds. I mean if KD is out there is there any doubt what kind of action they run? No. They toss it in to KD and let him do his thing. I’d have done the same with Steph. I mean who am I to question Steve Kerr, but I just believe there are more high percentage options they had than running Steph off a screen and hitting a 3 falling away towards the bench. You go at the basket and you have 2 of the best offensive rebounders in the game with Boogie and Draymond there to clean anything up.

Interesting info I saw/heard:

 

1. I did not catch if this stat is in the finals or in the playoffs, but ... after last night's missed shot, Steph Curry is now 0-8 in go ahead shots in the last 20 seconds of the game.

 

2. The first NBA game was played in in Toronto.

 

3. The highest drafted player on Toronto's team is Leonard, who was picked #15. Every other NBA champion in the last 50+ years had a higher drafted player on their team.

Kawhi missed 73 games with a thigh bruise. The Spurs have the most conservative medical staff in the NBA, and by them saying he was all clear deep into the season, it is all you need to know. When Tony Parker called him out on it, that was the end of his time in San Antonio. This was not a KD situation to where he was risking anything. Dude was under contract, his uncle didn't want him playing there any longer, and they manufactured this whole charade. There are reports of him training and being completely fine all of last year.

 

And this is not an anti-player rant. I am all for player-empowerment and guys wanting out from their situations, but at some point you have to play, even if it is not your desired location. It is why I am so baffled at how Anthony Davis has handled his whole deal. It is one thing if you are in the final year of a contract, but he (pushed by LeBron) pulled the "I want to be in LA" move with almost three years left on a deal he just signed and threw away a season. They have joked on the BS Podcast about not knowing where it will end? Will guys sign five year deals, play 40 games, then say, "this isn't for me, I will just sit out."

 

Respectfully I disagree. I think Kawhi, more than any medical staff knows his body. As he stated last night; why would I just stop playing basketball when I love it. Nobody will shed one tear for KD the millionaire, now his entire career is in jeopardy. if Kawhi would have came back early and re-injured his quad; no one would have cared one bit about him either. Apparently there was still lingering concerns from the Toronto medical staff as they kept him from playing back to backs in the early part of the season.