Can The Raptors Dethrone The Warriors?
The NBA Finals begin on May 30th, and for the first time in five years, the Eastern Conference is not represented by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Toronto Raptors are making their first-ever franchise appearance in the NBA season finale series, and are hoping to dethrone the Golden State Warriors. Can they do it?
The simple answer is yes, but that's not the satisfying answer. Entering the NBA Finals, the Warriors have a lineup consisting of four all-stars and one of the best sixth men in the league; Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, DeMarcus Cousins, Draymond Green, and Andre Igoudala. If Kevin Durant can return healthy, then they have five all-stars.
The Raptors have Kawhi Leonard. This is why Toronto traded for Leonard. The team desperately wanted to get to the NBA Finals and bet the farm on the San Antonio Spurs disgruntled superstar. So far everything has gone to plan.
Now Kawhi needs to carry the Raptors on his shoulders for the toughest task of his career. The good news is, and the reason we say it's possible to win is that he's done it before. In 2017 Leonard single-handedly torched the Warriors in a playoff game before sustaining a season-ending injury. Golden State stormed back in that game to win, and fans were left to wonder what could have been. The wondering ends in 2019, and we can't wait to find out what's going to happen!
