Toronto w/ Kawhi vs Lakers

[nikster]

https://stats.nba.com/teams/defense/?sort=DEF_RATING&dir=-1&Season=2019-20&SeasonType=Playoffs

Raps had a better defensive rating in both regular season and playoffs...

Lotta guys on here only watch their own team play.. the 2020 raptors have been better than the 2020 miami heat all season long and would have been a much tougher matchup for the LAL. Hell they almost made the conference finals without kawhi AND Siakam lol

Sure, it was the bubble that caused them to not make it .

Lack of home court advantage and Siakams shot disappearing in the bubble, not that crazy of a take

[zimpy27]

Lakers would win still

[Kurtz]

Raptors would absolutely take it due to matchups. Gasol tends to swallow up Davis on defense, and you won't have a better defensive duo for Lebron than OG and Kawhi.

This year, I think Milwakee and Clippers would have had a good shot.

[OriginalRed]

Lakers but Raps would easily be the toughest match up the Lakers could have possibly faced during this year's playoff run.

They have bigs who can bang with Davis, a superstar who can score in the 30's efficiently, and the playmaking to keep up.

[kobe_vs_jordan]

Gasol, siakam and kawhi was prettty subpar this post season.

[yoyoboy]

Lakers in 6. Even with Kawhi Toronto really didn’t have a good offense. I don’t think they have the firepower.

They’re a 2020 Denver-level squad imo. If not for the GS injuries I don’t think people would be nearly as high on Toronto’s team as much because they were a relatively weak contender historically imo while this Lakers team is fairly strong.

[jason bourne]

Lotta guys on here only watch their own team play.. the 2020 raptors have been better than the 2020 miami heat all season long and would have been a much tougher matchup for the LAL. Hell they almost made the conference finals without kawhi AND Siakam lol

Sure, it was the bubble that caused them to not make it .

Lack of home court advantage and Siakams shot disappearing in the bubble, not that crazy of a take

. You should read your reply again. Siakam himself failed when his team needed his 3-ball the most. He choked. Everyone had to and agreed to play again in the Bubble. While it wasn't what anybody wanted, it is what it is. I don't think the Lakers or Heat would be known as the Bubble Champions or with an asterisk. It could mean the team won under difficult conditions.

[Tor_Raps]

I actually think the Lakers would get embarrassed against last years team. Like maybe in 5 but probably in 6 games type of embarrassing.

Heck, if Pascal didn't screw things up for us, we would have given them a real fight this year. We were great game planning against teams that were top heavy with 1 or 2 guys.

[yoyoboy]

You guys bringing up regular season Raptors versus Lakers matchups really don’t get it do you?

[norcocredo]

Lebron owns the Raptors and no one is stopping AD. Lakers win.

[Optms]

Like I have said many times, you're gonna need the dynasty Warriors to beat this Lakers team. This current team is one of the best of the last decade. Raptors don't even register.

[Anticon]

You guys bringing up regular season Raptors versus Lakers matchups really don’t get it do you?

It's a lot more valid than people raising Lebrons performance on a different team two years ago.

The reality is it's a data point that suggests a Raps team with Kawhi would be a strong opponent for the Lakers. LeBron himself said so, about this years team without Kawhi.

[Optms]

You guys bringing up regular season Raptors versus Lakers matchups really don’t get it do you?

It's a lot more valid than people raising Lebrons performance on a different team two years ago.

The reality is it's a data point that suggests a Raps team with Kawhi would be a strong opponent for the Lakers. LeBron himself said so, about this years team without Kawhi.

The data suggested the Rockets also would be a strong opponent. How'd that turn out? No one is checking Lebron. Saying otherwise is just plain trolling. And this version of AD would destroy Ibaka and Gasol. Furthermore the Lakers would lock up the Raptors.

This is arguably the best defensive team in the league that stopped the high octane Rockets offense. Stopping Kyle Lowry and their flawed forwards would be a cake walk.

The 2019 Sixers would put up a better fight.

[Metallikid]

Without Kawhi: A tough, close series that could go either way in 7 games.

With Kawhi: Raps in 5 and it would look easy.

[Frank Dux]

You guys bringing up regular season Raptors versus Lakers matchups really don’t get it do you?

They clearly haven't seen the gear the entire Lakers squad turned on during the playoffs.

It's like night and day. The Lakers were clearly coasting all year. Lebron and Davis have been unstoppable during the playoffs.

The Raptors much like the Bucks, didn't have a post season gear.

[jason bourne]

Without Kawhi: A tough, close series that could go either way in 7 games.

With Kawhi: Raps in 5 and it would look easy.

You guys are delusional. Without Kawhi, we know you wouldn't make it to the Finals. With Kawhi, you still got a washed out Marc Gasol in the pivot. That leaves Serge Ibaka and he couldn't do it against a donut team .

[Metallikid]

Without Kawhi: A tough, close series that could go either way in 7 games.

With Kawhi: Raps in 5 and it would look easy.

You guys are delusional. Without Kawhi, we know you wouldn't make it to the Finals. With Kawhi, you still got a washed out Marc Gasol in the pivot. That leaves Serge Ibaka and he couldn't do it against a donut team .

We did well against them this year, AD historically plays terribly against us, and you don't even have Avery Bradley.

We were absolutely good enough to get to the Finals the Celtics barely made it past us with the whistle in their favour and no fans which are a big boost for a veteran team like us. It would be a competitive series vs. the Heat and we are better built to take on the Lakers than the Heat are with Robinson and a washed up Iguodala providing little defense. We were a much better defensive team than both the Heat and Lakers are.

With Kawhi we'd make the Lakers look like the Heat look right now - overmatched.

[Tor_Raps]

Like I have said many times, you're gonna need the dynasty Warriors to beat this Lakers team. This current team is one of the best of the last decade. Raptors don't even register.

Best of the last decade? I'd argue this might be one of the worst champions of the last decade lol.

There reason why everyone was excited about this season was because of the parity. That means a lot of teams got worse to help balance out the lesser teams. The East had 4 teams that were clearly better on paper than any East team this year.

[nikster]

Sure, it was the bubble that caused them to not make it .

Lack of home court advantage and Siakams shot disappearing in the bubble, not that crazy of a take

. You should read your reply again. Siakam himself failed when his team needed his 3-ball the most. He choked. Everyone had to and agreed to play again in the Bubble. While it wasn't what anybody wanted, it is what it is. I don't think the Lakers or Heat would be known as the Bubble Champions or with an asterisk. It could mean the team won under difficult conditions.

Siakam lost his 3 in the 8 bubble games ans the sweep of the Nets too. He was bad the entire bubble, didn't just choke in the 2nd round. And yeah everyone's in a bubble it affected players differently

[Heej]

Kawhi would be broken down by the Finals vs LeBron. He's clearly shown these last 2 years that once he gets to the second round he physically deteriorates. Lakers would cook them lol. Who's guarding AD? Serge Ibaka and Pascal Siakam? Regular season is completely different from the postseason lol