Kawhi didn't believe Toronto would repeat

[Ivre]

To be honest, why would Kawhi think the Raptors had good chances this season? Lets be honest, our title has a big asterisk (the size of an elephant) because KD did not play and Klay Thompson was also injured. In fact, we made it to the Finals against all odds, we barely beat the Sixers, and the Bucks were also a tough opponent with Giannis improving even more this year. Our guys stepped up, but lets be clear, if KD had been up for the Finals, we wouldve had zero chances.
And our side, we have an aging Marc Gasol who we just have realized of his poor production and Kyle Lowry who is also a veteran, lets be honest for a second, did you really think Kyle wouldve been this good this season? Part of the media didnt even consider us to make the playoffs w/o Kawhi!!!

There were a lot of variables to think we wouldve repeated with the same team, who knows, only thing we can say is that the team had good chemistry around Kawhi, and he fit perfect in the Raps.

Goes to show how flawed conventional basketball star theory is. It’s a five player game. Great team ball will beat star power. Particularly now where There’s more parity in the league.

[Air Canada]

Board Man should've stayed

[Rapsalot]

He might have been right you need health and some luck to do it. KLow, Marc getting older but if he signs and DG still goes look how both Fred and Norm stepped up and you got OG who never played in late years run. With KLaw here OG is now your SF/PF backup.

I think our Back to Back chances were pretty good and Finals very good with Bucks letting Brogdon go.

[raptorstime]

I hope the media goes in on him just like they do with LeBron and kd.

[OAKLEY_2]

To be honest, why would Kawhi think the Raptors had good chances this season? Lets be honest, our title has a big asterisk (the size of an elephant) because KD did not play and Klay Thompson was also injured. In fact, we made it to the Finals against all odds, we barely beat the Sixers, and the Bucks were also a tough opponent with Giannis improving even more this year. Our guys stepped up, but lets be clear, if KD had been up for the Finals, we wouldve had zero chances.
And our side, we have an aging Marc Gasol who we just have realized of his poor production and Kyle Lowry who is also a veteran, lets be honest for a second, did you really think Kyle wouldve been this good this season? Part of the media didnt even consider us to make the playoffs w/o Kawhi!!!

There were a lot of variables to think we wouldve repeated with the same team, who knows, only thing we can say is that the team had good chemistry around Kawhi, and he fit perfect in the Raps.

Goes to show how flawed conventional basketball star theory is. It’s a five player game. Great team ball will beat star power. Particularly now where There’s more parity in the league.

Easier to sell individual personalities. Mmmmmarketing.

[Jermaine OBosh]

He wanted Doc, not Nurse.

[Valard]

There are too many non winning personalities on this clippers team. And Kawhi is not a leader. And doc is not a good coach. And clippers gonna clip. And next year GS will dominate the west and the next year Kawhi leave The clippers and the rest of the decade the clippers suck.

This is fact - The LA Clippers are the WORST franchise in all of sport. (Just a bit worse then the a certain local hockey team)

But... but.... but... all last year ESPN wrote fluff article explaining how they have changed and are a model franchise to which everyone else should aspire to be. You mean, this isn't true? ESPN LIED TO ME?!?!?!?!

[Kawhi Tahomo]

The salt in me is savouring this result!

[M3tro]

Both parties independently reached Game 7 of the 2nd round before their seasons ended. Seems like we BOTH needed each other after all.

Cheers to you, Uncle Dennis...

[Green Backpack]

Everyone makes mistakes.

[pape-a-bonner]

Read on Twitter

[IceMan122515]

To be honest, why would Kawhi think the Raptors had good chances this season? Lets be honest, our title has a big asterisk (the size of an elephant) because KD did not play and Klay Thompson was also injured. In fact, we made it to the Finals against all odds, we barely beat the Sixers, and the Bucks were also a tough opponent with Giannis improving even more this year. Our guys stepped up, but lets be clear, if KD had been up for the Finals, we wouldve had zero chances.
And our side, we have an aging Marc Gasol who we just have realized of his poor production and Kyle Lowry who is also a veteran, lets be honest for a second, did you really think Kyle wouldve been this good this season? Part of the media didnt even consider us to make the playoffs w/o Kawhi!!!

There were a lot of variables to think we wouldnt have repeated with the same team, who knows, only thing we can say is that the team had good chemistry around Kawhi, and he fit perfect in the Raps.

Well Klay played the Majority of the games and KD played some of game 5.
This year those guys played zero minutes and add Steph to zero minutes.

Sixers had Jimmy Buckets and Reddick.

The Bucks had Brogdon.

They all got weaker.

[milkii]

The only way Kawhi wins a ring in LA is to join LeBron.

[RaptorsNorth]

Read on Twitter

so Kawhi went and got a guy with mentality like this? Makes no sense

well he’s not really wrong tho. They had to think the Lakers were serious competition for them to come out of the west. It’s not like he was joining Golden State in their prime.

[OakleyDokely]

The Clippers had the swagger of a team that was already a champion but only 1 player on that team could back up the talk and that 1 guy never talks.

Even if they dont make any big changes, they will still come back next year as one of the favorites, but you have to wonder just how many more years this will be the case. Kawhi and PG are nearing 30 or already over it and they aren't exactly durable players. The Clippers are going to be forced to max these 2 guys out in 2021 and they will be paying big money for past performances to players in their early to mid 30s.

I cant slag Kawhi for leaving for personal reasons. His family wanted to live in Cali and family comes first. But he chose a worse basketball situation. He could have played 50-60 regular season games here, saved himself for the playoffs and probably rattled off another championship or two with teammates that complemented him very well. He really could've been king of the north and cemented his legacy

[bboyskinnylegs]

and Uncle Dennis wanted a front office role

[Huffman]

To be honest, why would Kawhi think the Raptors had good chances this season? Lets be honest, our title has a big asterisk (the size of an elephant) because KD did not play and Klay Thompson was also injured. In fact, we made it to the Finals against all odds, we barely beat the Sixers, and the Bucks were also a tough opponent with Giannis improving even more this year. Our guys stepped up, but lets be clear, if KD had been up for the Finals, we wouldve had zero chances.
And our side, we have an aging Marc Gasol who we just have realized of his poor production and Kyle Lowry who is also a veteran, lets be honest for a second, did you really think Kyle wouldve been this good this season? Part of the media didnt even consider us to make the playoffs w/o Kawhi!!!

There were a lot of variables to think we wouldnt have repeated with the same team, who knows, only thing we can say is that the team had good chemistry around Kawhi, and he fit perfect in the Raps.

People who call for an asterisk beside last years title are bitter or ignorant. The Raptors rolled the dice on both Kawhi and Danny being healthy after both had serious injuries the previous year. Toronto also had to contend with the fact the Kawhi was not happy to be there and was prepared to sit out another season.

This just adds to how awesome winning the title last year was. Toronto had the depth and fortitude to win games and rest Kawhi all season so that he was prepared for the playoffs. To Kawhi's credit he wasn't 100% either. This year he had no excuse. Another off season to rest and rehab and then a three month break before playoffs.

Winning a championship is more than just throwing the biggest names together and playing.

[bboyskinnylegs]

There are too many non winning personalities on this clippers team. And Kawhi is not a leader. And doc is not a good coach. And clippers gonna clip. And next year GS will dominate the west and the next year Kawhi leave The clippers and the rest of the decade the clippers suck.

This is fact - The LA Clippers are the WORST franchise in all of sport. (Just a bit worse then the a certain local hockey team)

But... but.... but... all last year ESPN wrote fluff article explaining how they have changed and are a model franchise to which everyone else should aspire to be. You mean, this isn't true? ESPN LIED TO ME?!?!?!?!

Woj was Ballmer's mouthpiece all year. Don't forget the stuff about Masai to the Wizards that he brought up right when we won the title.

[OakleyDokely]

The other lesson here is that star players dont make good GMs.

The Clippers felt like they were forced into the PG trade in order to sign Kawhi and make his camp happy. In the offseason Doc alluded to the fact that they really had to sell Ballmer on the deal because he felt they were giving up too much.

If the Clippers did nothing but sign Kawhi, they'd have SGA plus a boatload of other assets to acquire another star. And they'd be a better team now and in the future

[olu]

To be honest, why would Kawhi think the Raptors had good chances this season? Lets be honest, our title has a big asterisk (the size of an elephant) because KD did not play and Klay Thompson was also injured. In fact, we made it to the Finals against all odds, we barely beat the Sixers, and the Bucks were also a tough opponent with Giannis improving even more this year. Our guys stepped up, but lets be clear, if KD had been up for the Finals, we wouldve had zero chances.
And our side, we have an aging Marc Gasol who we just have realized of his poor production and Kyle Lowry who is also a veteran, lets be honest for a second, did you really think Kyle wouldve been this good this season? Part of the media didnt even consider us to make the playoffs w/o Kawhi!!!

There were a lot of variables to think we wouldnt have repeated with the same team, who knows, only thing we can say is that the team had good chemistry around Kawhi, and he fit perfect in the Raps.

The media didnt give us a chance because of the American media bias and not because of Lowry's age