OT: NBA Champions...Toronto Raptors???
- Thread starter Carolina4
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If I remember correctly, somebody from the 80s or 90s would be equally surprised to hear of a Golden State Warriors NBA title. You are right: We're a long ways from the old Lakers/Celtics rivalry.
I find the Raptors easy to cheer for. Gritty team without divas. Rookie head coach. Glad they won.
Interesting side story to the final series, Kawhi was criticized for delaying his return after injury last year, Durant clearly returned too soon. Hate to see any athlete injured. I think this sequence of events will result in players rehabbing longer, and I'm all for it
Interesting side story to the final series, Kawhi was criticized for delaying his return after injury last year, Durant clearly returned too soon. Hate to see any athlete injured. I think this sequence of events will result in players rehabbing longer, and I'm all for it
The Warriors have championship fatigue. Dynasties always end suddenly with a bunch of injuries. The result of playing about 20 extra games each year.
I grew up a Dr. J/76ers fan. Hated them both.
Yeah I didn’t mean it as far as the Raptors winning. Just the way the game is played. And the personalities on the teams too. Good rivalries back then and the league did a better job of promoting more players.
They won and congrats to them, but it'll always come with an asterisk of sorts. Warriors were obviously without their best player for the series, and that player also happens to be the best player in the league. In the decisive game, Golden State had arguably the best shooter in the league go down with a torn ACL. A win's a win, but Raptors would not have won against a fully loaded Warriors team.
I wouldn’t say an asterisk, but yes, there was no Durant and everyone knows that. Those kinds of things happen in sports though.
I honestly don’t even think they win if Klay doesn’t get hurt last night...
Lebron definitely picked the wrong year to leave the east.
I agree. Injuries are a part of the game. Raptors were the best team on the floor for the series and they won.
I don’t know why, but Curry is a total tool. Prancing around the court like an idiot. I’d pay $500 to watch the Bad Boys handle him after he shimmied one time. Really, a lot of NBA stars are meh anymore. The 80’s-90’s was the best era in NBA history imo, and Jordan was only a small part of that. Same dates for the NFL as well if you ask me, especially QB’s, but that’s another story.
Agree. He had like 30 points or something with a couple minutes to go in 3rd quarter.
It is what is. I agree with the above post that injuries are part of the game and the Raptors beat the team on the floor. But everyone knows it wasn't the best version of the Warriors. Is what it is.
I haven't been interested in the NBA since the 1990s. Partly b/c I'm a Knicks fan and, well...enough said. Those games/series the Knicks had with the Heat and Pacers back in the 90s were great. Reggie Miller vs the Knicks was fantastic. You actually had some great defense. I can't stand these video game scores anymore (and, yeah, I know the really old school guys would say the 1900s had video game scores compared to the old days).
I'm good with it - great with it even. I like the team persona of the Raptors. But injuries were the difference; let's not be in denial.
Nope I think Steven A said it best last night. The Raptors won and could not do anything about the injuries. There for the raptors won with out an asterisk but the warriors loss has an asterisk due to injuries. You can’t fault a winning team because their opponent had injuries. That is part of the game.
Asterisk my ass. Injuries aren’t a part of the game, they are the game. Now that it happened to GS? Please. You are 100% lucky, period if you don’t have any major injuries during a season, but if it does, you deal. Lord knows the Cocks always deal with it. Toronto are the champs, and they beat my Sixers in a painful way. On the other hand, I can get with this asterisk thing. I’m gonna place an asterisk by the sorry a$$ Redskins 1991 Super Bowl season because Cunningham blew out his knee in week 1, and considering the Eagles not only lead the league in total D, but still won 10 games with absolutely horrendous QB play for 15 games, I’d say they were a lock for their first Super Bowl that year. Sweet. Philadelphia Eagles, Super Bowl XXVI champs! Even sweeter, isn’t that the last time the Skins even won a playoff game? I can’t keep up.
Bulls - Knicks series were always fierce too. You either loved or hated the Knicks. They weren’t quite the “Bad Boys” but had some guys that could’ve fit in well with that team. Those are the personalities I think about. Ewing the Hall of Famer. Surrounded by memorable guys like Charles Oakley, John Starks, Anthony Mason, &Derek Harper. I was one that hated the Knicks (wasn’t huge on Bulls either) but I remember those guys.
I won’t remember half the guys from the game last night in a day or two. Nothing about the majority of them are memorable. And I do believe it’s because the NBA doesn’t hype Warriors vs Raptors but, instead, Curry vs Leonard.
Back in the day there was Bird vs Magic...but Lakers vs Celtics was a much bigger deal. Same with those Bulls teams with Jordan. The emphasis always seemed to be on the teams, even with Jordan playing.
Hope the Raptors enjoy it because Leonard is bolting for LA anyway . Can’t help but feel bad for Golden State losing KD and Klay for next year . I kinda found myself pulling for them because after losing Klay they should have been dead in the water . NBA free agency this year is gonna be a complete circus . Will be interesting . Here’s my predictions
Leonard to Clippers
Jimmy Butler to Raptors
Kyrie to Nets
Kemba to Knicks
And New Orleans Fleece the Lakers and trade AD and get Kuzuma , Ingram , Lakers #1 this year and next Year
Durant and Klay both resign with GS
Leonard to Clippers
Jimmy Butler to Raptors
Kyrie to Nets
Kemba to Knicks
And New Orleans Fleece the Lakers and trade AD and get Kuzuma , Ingram , Lakers #1 this year and next Year
Durant and Klay both resign with GS
I have been around the game since the 70's. Rule changes have dictated the change in how the game looks. The hand checking of the 80's and 90's has been taken away. So, it is smart for teams to penetrate and kick for 3's. The NBA game looks a whole lot like International play and Euroleague now. You even have guys like Kawhi that mixes in a mid-range game with the 3's. I like where the game is now.
That's fine. It was cool back then that every decent team had their super-star. For the 76ers, it was Dr. J and then Barkley. Lakers and Celtics had Magic and Bird, of course. Atlanta had Dominique, the Knicks had Patrick Ewing, the Jazz had Malone, etc. Everybody had that go-to guy who could take over a game and, more often than not, delivered when you really needed a shot late in a game. Games were great team efforts, but the intensity was incredible late in a game when the teams' two super-stars started to take over.
"I just watched one of the best NBA Finals of all time. Somehow it just makes me miss the 80s and 90s."
Oh well, somebody's always gotta do it
Oh well, somebody's always gotta do it
Whatever the case, the Knicks are totally screwed. They've been setting EVERYTHING up for a Kyrie/KD union. Now that looks highly unlikely. Nobody wants to play for James Dolan.
Here's what I would love to see happen, and it would ultimately revitalize the Lakers franchise. Butler signs with LAL, and they swing a trade for Anthony Davis. Dark horse, they still pay Durant huge money knowing he'll have to rehab for a year, and that max offer, even after injury, sells him on it.
Well we don't need to worry about Golden State declining the White House invite. I wonder if Trudeau will invite the Raptors?
This post reminded me of the GS Spurs series a few years ago when Kawhi was playing great, then on a made three pointer Zaza Pachulia took his legs out, ending Kawhi's season. GS won that series. You could say this year's championship allowed Kawhi to get some payback.
The NBA would love to see LAL good again. They are fiercely loved and hated, meaning people are going to watch. Think Yankees, Patriots...the fan base is fervent and the haters passionate.
Now we know what it’s like to have our dominant sport title cross the border. If I’m remembering correctly, The Stanley Cup hasn’t been in Canada in 30 something years? Yes I’m aware of the Jays and Pat Borders....
Now we know what it’s like to have our dominant sport title cross the border. If I’m remembering correctly, The Stanley Cup hasn’t been in Canada in 30 something years? Yes I’m aware of the Jays and Pat Borders....
Amazing how close the core 4 were to 5 straight titles. I still can’t get over how Draymon single-leggedly blew the greatest season in NBA history, before KD it’s worth noting.
I used to like him because he came from that little school in NC and was one of the more apparently humble stars in the NBA. This past season he's acted like a diva, and as I heard someone say last night he has not been clutch at all during these playoffs. When the beat-up Warriors absolutely needed baskets from him he threw bricks.
Are you forgetting the Houston elimination game where he scored 33 points in the second half? People tend to use any missed shot to fit their narrative. I never root for the Warriors, but this Steph isn't clutch narrative is ridiculous.
Step 2 of getting the Lakers back on track just happened. Adding a 3rd superstar will likely be easier, now that they have two. Not only that, they got to ship out Lonzo, and more importantly Levar Ball, as well.
You can't really compare the two. KD is arguably the best player in the league. Now if they would have beat Cleveland without LeBron, then you can put an asterisk by that championship.
