Worst Championship Team Since 2007?

[kdot99]

Further to the post above, did we all forget how strongly favoured the Warriors were last season to win the chip? Fans were complaining for 3 seasons about it. They lost KD and STILL had a top 5 player (Curry), a perennial All-star (Thompson) and an All-NBA, DPOY player (Green). That would even the playing field right? Or even then, most "experts" predicted the W's to win the series, with KD questionable for the series.

Klay Thompson also only missed 6 quarters -- lets not act like he missed the whole series. Everyone plays hurt -- Kawhi was limping, Lowry had a severely injured thumb. Also the same shorthanded Warriors, took over game 5 and 6 and beat the favoured Rockets in round 2, winning the series on the road. They also swept the WCF pretty handily.

I feel that fans and media created this narrative that the Raptors weren't that good, when in fact we were one of the most well rounded teams in recent NBA history, stocked with two way players throughout the rotation. Let's also not forget the the Raptors beat the Bucks in 6 -- the best team in the East with the reigning MVP.

More proof that last years team wasn't weak is that the Raptors are 3rd overall in the league this season after losing Kawhi, beating on your favourite teams until the season was suspended.

[Harcore Fenton Mun]

2007 Spurs or 2019 Raptors, flip a coin.

2010 Lakers by far.

Kawhi put up 27ppg, same as Kobe. Just way better defense.

Pau would have been third/fourth option on the Raps at best. Not second.

[Slim Charlez]

2007 Spurs or 2019 Raptors, flip a coin.

2010 Lakers by far.

Kawhi put up 27ppg same as Kobe, just way better defense.

Pau would have been third/fourth option on the Raps at best. Not second.

Idk about that last bit. Pau 2010 was one of the top 2 reasons the Lakers won the title, don't think I'd have Siakam and Lowry ahead of him at all.

[Stan]

Further to the post above, did we all forget how strongly favoured the Warriors were last season to win the chip? Fans were complaining for 3 seasons about it. They lost KD and STILL had a top 5 player (Curry), a perennial All-star (Thompson) and an All-NBA, DPOY player (Green). That would even the playing field right? Or even then, most "experts" predicted the W's to win the series, with KD questionable for the series.

Klay Thompson also only missed 6 quarters -- lets not act like he missed the whole series. Everyone plays hurt -- Kawhi was limping, Lowry had a severely injured thumb. Also the same shorthanded Warriors, took over game 5 and 6 and beat the favoured Rockets in round 2, winning the series on the road. They also swept the WCF pretty handily.

I feel that fans and media created this narrative that the Raptors weren't that good, when in fact we were one of the most well rounded teams in recent NBA history, stocked with two way players throughout the rotation. Let's also not forget the the Raptors beat the Bucks in 6 -- the best team in the East with the reigning MVP.

More proof that last years team wasn't weak is that the Raptors are 3rd overall in the league this season after losing Kawhi, beating on your favourite teams until the season was suspended.

You can't just minimize their second best player "only" missing a game and a half like that. They missed him for a home game they lost, then when he was looking like the best player on the court he got hurt in Game 6. I do agree Durant shouldn't be held too much against them since that gave the Warriors an absurd talent advantage, but Klay getting injured was definitely big. It looked like we were heading for a Game 7 before he went down

[Slim Charlez]

Further to the post above, did we all forget how strongly favoured the Warriors were last season to win the chip? Fans were complaining for 3 seasons about it. They lost KD and STILL had a top 5 player (Curry), a perennial All-star (Thompson) and an All-NBA, DPOY player (Green). That would even the playing field right? Or even then, most "experts" predicted the W's to win the series, with KD questionable for the series.

Klay Thompson also only missed 6 quarters -- lets not act like he missed the whole series. Everyone plays hurt -- Kawhi was limping, Lowry had a severely injured thumb. Also the same shorthanded Warriors, took over game 5 and 6 and beat the favoured Rockets in round 2, winning the series on the road. They also swept the WCF pretty handily.

I feel that fans and media created this narrative that the Raptors weren't that good, when in fact we were one of the most well rounded teams in recent NBA history, stocked with two way players throughout the rotation. Let's also not forget the the Raptors beat the Bucks in 6 -- the best team in the East with the reigning MVP.

More proof that last years team wasn't weak is that the Raptors are 3rd overall in the league this season after losing Kawhi, beating on your favourite teams until the season was suspended.

You can't just minimize their second best player "only" missing a game and a half like that. They missed him for a home game they lost, then when he was looking like the best player on the court he got hurt in Game 6. I do agree Durant shouldn't be held too much against them since that gave the Warriors an absurd talent advantage, but Klay getting injured was definitely big. It looked like we were heading for a Game 7 before he went down

This.

It looked like another Klay game 6 special until the injury and even when he did go down it came down to the wire. Who knows what would've happened in a game 7 but that injury just killed it for me, let alone the rest of the time he did miss along with guys like cousins and Looney who were hobbled and weren't all that but provided depth and length which that team sorely lacked.

On the other hand I guess you could argue that the raptors deserved it based on their superior depth and smarter team construction.

[baller16]

Further to the post above, did we all forget how strongly favoured the Warriors were last season to win the chip? Fans were complaining for 3 seasons about it. They lost KD and STILL had a top 5 player (Curry), a perennial All-star (Thompson) and an All-NBA, DPOY player (Green). That would even the playing field right? Or even then, most "experts" predicted the W's to win the series, with KD questionable for the series.

Klay Thompson also only missed 6 quarters -- lets not act like he missed the whole series. Everyone plays hurt -- Kawhi was limping, Lowry had a severely injured thumb. Also the same shorthanded Warriors, took over game 5 and 6 and beat the favoured Rockets in round 2, winning the series on the road. They also swept the WCF pretty handily.

I feel that fans and media created this narrative that the Raptors weren't that good, when in fact we were one of the most well rounded teams in recent NBA history, stocked with two way players throughout the rotation. Let's also not forget the the Raptors beat the Bucks in 6 -- the best team in the East with the reigning MVP.

More proof that last years team wasn't weak is that the Raptors are 3rd overall in the league this season after losing Kawhi, beating on your favourite teams until the season was suspended.

You can't just minimize their second best player "only" missing a game and a half like that. They missed him for a home game they lost, then when he was looking like the best player on the court he got hurt in Game 6. I do agree Durant shouldn't be held too much against them since that gave the Warriors an absurd talent advantage, but Klay getting injured was definitely big. It looked like we were heading for a Game 7 before he went down

The Warriors were heading home with or without Klay and you know it. Idk why people keep playing dumb

[Stan]

Further to the post above, did we all forget how strongly favoured the Warriors were last season to win the chip? Fans were complaining for 3 seasons about it. They lost KD and STILL had a top 5 player (Curry), a perennial All-star (Thompson) and an All-NBA, DPOY player (Green). That would even the playing field right? Or even then, most "experts" predicted the W's to win the series, with KD questionable for the series.

Klay Thompson also only missed 6 quarters -- lets not act like he missed the whole series. Everyone plays hurt -- Kawhi was limping, Lowry had a severely injured thumb. Also the same shorthanded Warriors, took over game 5 and 6 and beat the favoured Rockets in round 2, winning the series on the road. They also swept the WCF pretty handily.

I feel that fans and media created this narrative that the Raptors weren't that good, when in fact we were one of the most well rounded teams in recent NBA history, stocked with two way players throughout the rotation. Let's also not forget the the Raptors beat the Bucks in 6 -- the best team in the East with the reigning MVP.

More proof that last years team wasn't weak is that the Raptors are 3rd overall in the league this season after losing Kawhi, beating on your favourite teams until the season was suspended.

You can't just minimize their second best player "only" missing a game and a half like that. They missed him for a home game they lost, then when he was looking like the best player on the court he got hurt in Game 6. I do agree Durant shouldn't be held too much against them since that gave the Warriors an absurd talent advantage, but Klay getting injured was definitely big. It looked like we were heading for a Game 7 before he went down

The Warriors were heading home with or without Klay and you know it. Idk why people keep playing dumb

I don't know that at all. I honestly thought the Warriors were gonna win Game 6 until Klay was writhing around the floor in pain. The fact the Warriors still had a legitimate chance to win at the end even with Klay missing the entire 4th quarter only enhances that belief, and that he would've definitely been able to make up the 4 point difference had he played the entire game

[mademan]

You can't just minimize their second best player "only" missing a game and a half like that. They missed him for a home game they lost, then when he was looking like the best player on the court he got hurt in Game 6. I do agree Durant shouldn't be held too much against them since that gave the Warriors an absurd talent advantage, but Klay getting injured was definitely big. It looked like we were heading for a Game 7 before he went down

The Warriors were heading home with or without Klay and you know it. Idk why people keep playing dumb

I don't know that at all. I honestly thought the Warriors were gonna win Game 6 until Klay was writhing around the floor in pain. The fact the Warriors still had a legitimate chance to win at the end even with Klay missing the entire 4th quarter only enhances that belief, and that he would've definitely been able to make up the 4 point difference had he played the entire game

who knows. All we got is what we got. Teams eat off of injured opponents every year in the playoffs. Teams also get lucky bounces. Seems like this only became a thing when Raps won tho

[kdot99]

Thompson was having a great Game 6, yes, but they were only up 3 at the time of his injury. The Raptors were one of the best (if not the best) 4th quarter teams in the entire post-season, and came back to win on the road on multiple occasions. Thompson playing that 4th quarter does not guarantee anything at all. Don't even bring Cousins or Looney into this argument because both Lowry and Leonard were playing hurt and that gets downplayed heavily. Oh and OG missed the entire playoffs.

Warriors were just too top heavy. They had no depth, where as the Raptors had 8 two-way rotational players, with only 7 active in the Playoffs. Raptors deserve credit --- no other elite team could get to the cusp of a chip. Not Houston (had 2 chances to put GS away), not Denver, not the Bucks.

[jimmy keys]

why arent the 2016 cavs here?

Because getting beat down 3 out of 4 years and winning due to a Draymond Green suspension isn't relevant apparently.

Draymond Green's suspension is irrelevant. The Cavs still won Game 6 & Game 7 even with Dray on the court.

If anything, Bogut's injury in Game 5 is what killed GSW. Their rim protection was garbage without Bogut.

Great then tell Warriors fans that Klay getting injured last year was also irrelevant to the outcome of that series.

[Dennis 37]

2019 Raptors and it’s not even close. Don’t even need to state details. Everyone already knows. Will be the most forgotten Championship ever, remembered in Canada but forgotten everywhere else. The Media doesn’t even acknlowedge it happening basically.

The media ignore Bernie Sanders, but his M4A is exactly what is needed in this crisis. Biden has shown evidence of significant cognitive decline during media and home studio appearances in the last couple of days. The media ignore it.

The media does not have a great track record of spreading truth. US sports media content is designed to sell advertising. Raptor content does not help sell advertising on US networks. They get more ad dollars from pushing the California and New York teams.

I don't think Embiid or Giannis will ever forget which team made it to the finals.

Raptor fans do not need any confirmation of the importance of this championship from Americans.

Watch on YouTube

[mademan]

Because getting beat down 3 out of 4 years and winning due to a Draymond Green suspension isn't relevant apparently.

Draymond Green's suspension is irrelevant. The Cavs still won Game 6 & Game 7 even with Dray on the court.

If anything, Bogut's injury in Game 5 is what killed GSW. Their rim protection was garbage without Bogut.

Great then tell Warriors fans that Klay getting injured last year was also irrelevant to the outcome of that series.

Why would you say 3 out of 4, include the Draymond being out for 1 game but disregard the W's winning cause Kyrie and Love were out the whole series (minus 1 game for Kyrie) ? The W's clearly got a major advantage over the 2 years pre KD

[jimmy keys]

why arent the 2016 cavs here?

Because getting beat down 3 out of 4 years and winning due to a Draymond Green suspension isn't relevant apparently.

LOL

The first finals was impossible to win. Taking 2 games off the Warriors with a completely depleted roster was an amazing achievement. We probably win that series if 2 of our 3 best players didnt miss it. Maybe we win, maybe we dont - that Warriors team was unbelievably good. But we had a good chance. The 2015 Warriors were the second luckiest finals team in NBA history, trailing only the 2019 Raptors.

The second series we won because we overall outplayed them over 7 games. You cant excuse it as fake because Draymond was kicking players in the nuts over and over in the postseason and finally hit the technical foul limit. Thats no difference than making a bone head play losing your team a game. Its not like Dray suddenly got injured. He played with fire and rightfully got burned. The game he missed we still won by 15 and they still had 2 more to close it out and didn't.

2017 Warriors were an all time team and would have comfortably won the finals against any team of the last 15 years.

2018 Cavs sucked and had no business making the finals but the east sucked. Celtics were injured and the Raptors were a fake 1 seed that got exposed in hilarious fashion.

Honestly you're lucky they won in 2016, it was divine intervention. The roster construct was awful all 4 years around Lebron. And the 2007 & 2018 Cavs are easily the two worst Finals teams I've ever seen in my lifetime. When you have a top 3 player of all-time that makes all the difference. The rest of the team was **** though leading all the way back to Lebron's first finals appearance. He carried every Cavs team he was ever on.

[mademan]

2010 Lakers by far.

Kawhi put up 27ppg same as Kobe, just way better defense.

Pau would have been third/fourth option on the Raps at best. Not second.

Idk about that last bit. Pau 2010 was one of the top 2 reasons the Lakers won the title, don't think I'd have Siakam and Lowry ahead of him at all.

True. I think it's reasonably close for top 3's (Kobe-Pau-Odom vs Kawhi-Lowry-Siakam) though id take the Lakers. I think the Raps are much better around them tho and far more versatile. I think Raps would be one of the best against all the other championship teams because of that versatility, especially defensively.

[jimmy keys]

Draymond Green's suspension is irrelevant. The Cavs still won Game 6 & Game 7 even with Dray on the court.

If anything, Bogut's injury in Game 5 is what killed GSW. Their rim protection was garbage without Bogut.

Great then tell Warriors fans that Klay getting injured last year was also irrelevant to the outcome of that series.

Why would you say 3 out of 4, include the Draymond being out for 1 game but disregard the W's winning cause Kyrie and Love were out the whole series (minus 1 game for Kyrie) ? The W's clearly got a major advantage over the 2 years pre KD

Because Kyrie & Love weren't making a difference. LeLegend carried them. A Kyrie & Love lead team probably doesn't make the playoffs even in the weak East.

[mademan]

Great then tell Warriors fans that Klay getting injured last year was also irrelevant to the outcome of that series.

Why would you say 3 out of 4, include the Draymond being out for 1 game but disregard the W's winning cause Kyrie and Love were out the whole series (minus 1 game for Kyrie) ? The W's clearly got a major advantage over the 2 years pre KD

Because Kyrie & Love weren't making a difference. LeLegend carried them. A Kyrie & Love lead team probably doesn't make the playoffs even in the weak East.

They make a difference (especially Kyrie) cause they allow Lebron to rest and not do everything on offense every play. Lebron's defensive effort was night and day between 2015 and 2016 cause nobody else could run a simple PnR in 2015 or really do anything that wasnt shoot an open jumper. Between Green missing 1 single freaking game in 2016 and Kyrie missing 5+OT in 1 in 2015, i would easily say Cavs got robbed more of a title

[Harcore Fenton Mun]

Idk about that last bit. Pau 2010 was one of the top 2 reasons the Lakers won the title, don't think I'd have Siakam and Lowry ahead of him at all.

I mean, it's all in context. Pau was great in 2010, but a 7 footer who can't shoot three's would be hard to start in a modern game.

I don't think he starts over Ibaka today...or his brother tbh. Never mind Siakam or Lowry.

[Slim Charlez]

Idk about that last bit. Pau 2010 was one of the top 2 reasons the Lakers won the title, don't think I'd have Siakam and Lowry ahead of him at all.

I mean, it's all in context. Pau was great in 2010, but a 7 footer who can't shoot three's would be hard to start in a modern game.

I don't think he starts over Ibaka today...or his brother tbh. Never mind Siakam or Lowry.

I think a prime Pau in 2019 is probably a rich mans Brook Lopez, but yeah that's why it's kinda pointless to compare teams from different eras even if it's only a 9 year difference it's completely different ways to play the sport basically when you look at what both teams valued in their style of play.

[Harcore Fenton Mun]

I think a prime Pau in 2019 is probably a rich mans Brook Lopez, but yeah that's why it's kinda pointless to compare teams from different eras even if it's only a 9 year difference it's completely different ways to play the sport basically when you look at what both teams valued in their style of play.

Yeah, the league has changed so much in that period of time.

[nizaam]

Injuries are part of the game. Otherwise portland should have one a couple chips with oden roy and aldridge. Thats why you got to pick non injury prone players and have lots of depth, if you are top heavy one injury could mess up the team