The Finals

Who wins?


  • Total voters
    18
  • Poll closed .

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
#4
As amazing as Kawhi has been, he is very clearly injured and the Warriors are in full kill mode and getting Boogie and KD back at some point (which is so freaking unfair).

Warriors in five.
 
#10
The first team that has to attempt to match up with the other might be the one that goes down. The Bucks would have been more interesting IMO but you have two teams of opposites so it should still be interesting.
 
#23
Interesting. Even without KD, I don’t think the Raptors win more than 2 games, and those are where Kawhi goes nuts.
just checked the odds and Warriors indeed are favorites. I was thinking that Raptors perimeter defense would be able to slow down Steph/Klay enough for the difference in combined skill/size of the interior to tip scales in their favor. Obviously this calculation changes if you add Cousins/KD to that group. But reading around and checking odds, it would appear that I indeed am smoking something good :). we shall see.
 

SLAB

Hall of Famer
#24
just checked the odds and Warriors indeed are favorites. I was thinking that Raptors perimeter defense would be able to slow down Steph/Klay enough for the difference in combined skill/size of the interior to tip scales in their favor. Obviously this calculation changes if you add Cousins/KD to that group. But reading around and checking odds, it would appear that I indeed am smoking something good :). we shall see.
Kawhi’s ultra elite but he’s only one guy. I don’t think the team as a whole is as pesty and annoying as the Clippers (which gave the Warriors FITS), and their offense isn’t quite Houston’s.

The difficulty of the series lies somewhere between LAC and Houston, but well ahead of Portland.
 
#25
Kawhi’s ultra elite but he’s only one guy. I don’t think the team as a whole is as pesty and annoying as the Clippers (which gave the Warriors FITS), and their offense isn’t quite Houston’s.

The difficulty of the series lies somewhere between LAC and Houston, but well ahead of Portland.
agreed about level of dificulty. but remeber, Warriors had KD against Clippers and for the majority of the Houston series. Raptors not quite as good on defense as Clippers and not quite as good on offense as Houston, but maybe just good enough at both for some kind of a goldilocks scenario here. again, Boogie/KD change this equation.
 

Tetsujin

The Game Thread Dude
#26
agreed about level of dificulty. but remeber, Warriors had KD against Clippers and for the majority of the Houston series. Raptors not quite as good on defense as Clippers and not quite as good on offense as Houston, but maybe just good enough at both for some kind of a goldilocks scenario here. again, Boogie/KD change this equation.
It’s a cliche but the Warriors are better without KD
 
#27
Kawhi’s ultra elite but he’s only one guy. I don’t think the team as a whole is as pesty and annoying as the Clippers (which gave the Warriors FITS), and their offense isn’t quite Houston’s.

The difficulty of the series lies somewhere between LAC and Houston, but well ahead of Portland.
They aren't as annoying as the Clippers, but the Clippers have to be to make up for undersized defenders and inexperienced players and are by no means a good defensive team. They were 21st in DRTG in the regular season. The Raptors are an elite defensive team that include:

A 2-time DPOY and consensus best defender in the league.
A former DPOY C.
Another big who's a 2 time block leader and 3 time all defense.
A former all defense SG.
An above average defensive PG
A rapidly improving impactful PF.