[NBA] Eastern Conference Finals

Who wins?

  • Bucks in 4

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Bucks in 5

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Raptors in 4

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Raptors in 5

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Raptors in 6

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Raptors in 7

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    13
  • Poll closed .

Mr. S£im Citrus

Doryphore of KingsFans.com
Staff member
#96
This must be bittersweet for DeMar DeRozan. He and Kyle are very close friends still.
If I were DeRozan, wouldn't no part of this be sweet: he went into this season as the greatest player in Raptors franchise history, and the team he'd given his entire career to, who he re-signed with when he had the chance to leave, said, "Peace out, we're better off without you." And they were right. Not after a couple of years, but immediately.
 
#97
If I were DeRozan, wouldn't no part of this be sweet: he went into this season as the greatest player in Raptors franchise history, and the team he'd given his entire career to, who he re-signed with when he had the chance to leave, said, "Peace out, we're better off without you." And they were right. Not after a couple of years, but immediately.
I agree with you completely. Just looking at it from the perspective of being happy for his friends/players on the Raptors, whilst also feeling the sting from everything you wrote.
 
#98
If I were DeRozan, wouldn't no part of this be sweet: he went into this season as the greatest player in Raptors franchise history, and the team he'd given his entire career to, who he re-signed with when he had the chance to leave, said, "Peace out, we're better off without you." And they were right. Not after a couple of years, but immediately.
I would think that this would give Toronto the best chance of keeping Kawhi. If he stays I would expect them to be even better next season.
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
I wonder if OG Anunoby will be able to play in the Finals. He's been out since just before the first round started.
How much of a difference would he make if he could play though?

He's not quick enough to stick with Klay or Steph and Dray isn't enough of an offensive threat to justify dealing with OG's, err, offensive struggles to have him mark him. Trying to defend the Warriors when they don't have KD is possibly actually harder to do than when he (the second best player in the past 10 years) is on the court.

There would also be a huge sense of irony if the entire series between the best perimeter team in the history of the league and a team featuring perhaps the best pure SF in the league right now came down to past-his-prime Marc Gasol having to defend an injury ravaged Demarcus Cousins in the post.

On the plus side for Kawhi, Zaza can't take his feet out from under him this time around.
 
How much of a difference would he make if he could play though?

He's not quick enough to stick with Klay or Steph and Dray isn't enough of an offensive threat to justify dealing with OG's, err, offensive struggles to have him mark him. Trying to defend the Warriors when they don't have KD is possibly actually harder to do than when he (the second best player in the past 10 years) is on the court.

There would also be a huge sense of irony if the entire series between the best perimeter team in the history of the league and a team featuring perhaps the best pure SF in the league right now came down to past-his-prime Marc Gasol having to defend an injury ravaged Demarcus Cousins in the post.

On the plus side for Kawhi, Zaza can't take his feet out from under him this time around.
It's hard to say how much of a difference he would make. Especially coming off a concussion followed a week later by an emergency appendectomy that went not so great. He did score in double figures 15 times and had two 20 point games this season. Just never know if a player also has another level to their game that only manifests at the highest levels of competition.

I agree about the Warriors being harder to defend without KD's very effective ISO plays. A lot more fluidity. Coach Nurse has so far made effective adjustments, I am looking forward to this series quite a bit. Sure beats seeing Cavs vs. Dubs yet again.