NBA Finals: Could “6ix” Be The Series’ Magic Number?
Many have predicted that the Golden State Warriors are about to hang their fourth championship banner in a five-year window. But, not so fast…
The NBA Finals are finally upon us, but some fans have already closed the book on this one. For them, the narrative remains much the same as previous seasons, in that “Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green will win their fourth ring in five years.”
Well, I have news for you, it’s not going to be so easy this year.
The Toronto Raptors and superstar Kawhi Leonard present a new challenge for the dominant Golden State Warriors. For the first time in the Steve Kerr era, the mighty Warriors will not be going up against LeBron James and his friends. Instead, they’ll have a much tougher task. They’ll need to knock off a team that very few expected to make it this far.
Let’s Give Them Credit
Going into the playoffs, many people had the same thought in their mind, “the Milwaukee Bucks will run the East.” Nobody gave the Toronto Raptors a chance. With superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo as the key cog for the No. 1 overall-seeded Bucks, everyone seemed to forget that the Raptors won only two fewer games than the Bucks during the regular season.
With Leonard at the forefront, the Raptors have shown everyone they are a true force to be reckoned with. The series was “supposed to be” a surefire win for Milwaukee. Very few people saw Toronto actually winning, especially in six games. Coming back from a 2–0 deficit, they won four straight games, supplanting their place amongst the best teams in the NBA.
A Historic Warriors Offense
All year I’ve heard the same question from NBA fans, “why do I feel like this Golden State Warriors team isn’t as dominant as it has been in the past?” Well, they did win 57 games and grabbed the No. 1 seed in the always-tough Western Conference. I guess that’s the standard Golden State has set with their incredible play the last few years.
The Warriors have had their issues this year, but they remain elite on the offensive end. They always excel on that side of the ball, but this year they’ve been at their very best. Believe it or not, this 2018–19 Warriors squad holds the highest offensive rating (115.9) in NBA history.
It’s amazing, considering the injuries the Warriors have sustained this season. Stephen Curry has missed 13 games, Draymond Green missed 16 and new addition DeMarcus Cousins was out of a whopping 52 games this season. Despite the bad health, the Warriors remained poised on offense and it’s that very production that kept this team afloat all year.
But It’s Not The Same Warriors Squad
While it’s true that this Warriors team isn’t the same dominant force it has been in years past, the thing that most people overlook with this Golden State dynasty is how incredible they’ve been defensively. While fans get caught up in the three-point shooting and the offensive explosions, the element that really propelled the Warriors to be a 73-win team in the past, is their defensive chops.
This ‘18–19 Warriors team holds a defensive rating of 109.5, which was good for 13th in the NBA. That’s Golden State’s lowest mark since the 2010–11 season. And in the playoffs, it’s actually been even worse, where they’ve posted a rating of 110.2, which ranks 9th out of the 16 teams.
Golden State has always had star power, but it’s their depth that’s allowed them to flourish. When the stars hit the sidelines, they’ve always had reliable bench players that came in and contributed. The lack of depth has been evident these playoffs, especially with the injuries to Cousins and Kevin Durant. Shaun Livingston isn’t the same player he once was. Andre Iguodala had his moments, but the Portland series showed us the version of ‘Iggy’ we all expected to see.
The Warriors just don’t have the same role players that can step up the way they used to. It really showed against the Trail Blazers as Klay Thompson struggled to shoot efficiently and Iggy managed just 3.3 PPG in relief of Durant. Lucky for them, Portland’s inability to play pick-and-roll defense allowed Curry to go off for 36.5 PPG. But that won’t always be there, especially against elite defensive teams.
ARE They Better Without Kevin Durant?
It seems kind of ridiculous, but the question arises. The Warriors have gone 8–1 this season (including playoffs) without the services of Kevin Durant. But those numbers are meaningless. Durant is an All-Time great, but more importantly, he’s a necessity for the Golden State Warriors.
There’s a reason why the Warriors went out to sign Durant years ago. Despite the theatrics of Curry, he’s not a true 1-on-1 scorer. Late in the game, you can’t just hand him the ball and ask him to go get a basket. The Warriors are great because of they are team orientated, but the signing of Durant gave them that true Alpha scorer they needed.
It was on full display against Houston. The reason the Rockets are so good on the defensive side is their ability to switch every matchup and help. When they did that against Golden State, Durant’s ability to go 1-on-1 with his defender quickly made that strategy obsolete.
Sure the Warriors are a more of pure, fundamental team without Durant, but they absolutely need him to win. They don’t need him against easy matchups like the Trail Blazers, but when things get difficult, you need someone like Durant who can elevate his game in the playoffs.
The Raptors Match Up Very Well Defensively
Defensively, the Raptors are a stingy team. With a defensive rating of 107.1, they came in 5th during the regular season. It’s a number that could have been higher when you consider Kyle Lowry missed 17 games, Kawhi Leonard missed 22 games, and Marc Gasol came to Toronto in a mid-season trade. But it’s not just theoretical, with a fully healthy team in the postseason, the Raptors have put up a defensive rating of 102.4. That ranks 2nd out of the 16 teams.
This Toronto team is very unique defensively. They have elite defenders across the board. Gasol and Kawhi are both former Defensive Player of the Year award winners. Danny Green has been on an All-Defensive Team. Lowry is a very underrated defender at the point guard position. Likely Most Improved Player award winner Pascal Siakam has shown elite defensive prowess this season. And let’s not forget about 3x All-Defensive Team Serge Ibaka coming off the bench.
But it’s not just the individual defenders that Toronto possesses. This is a team that plays excellent help defense and switches perfectly. They have the personnel to lock you down 1-on-1, but they know how to follow a game plan and play defense as a team. They put on an absolute clinic against Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Warriors run a ton of off-ball motion and back screens. Toronto’s defensive philosophy is unselfish. The players switch seamlessly with flawless communication. It’s a feat that will allow them to stay on the hip of Curry, Thompson, whoever. And now the length of Leonard will come in handy against Kevin Durant on isolations. While Durant could simply shoot over the 6’5” P.J. Tucker, he’ll have his hands full against “The Klaw.”
The Raptors Are Also A Complete Team
The Raptors possess a scary offense. While Leonard, Siakam, Lowry, and Gasol can all go get their own shot, it’s also 3-and-D specialists like Danny Green that help this starting lineup establish a unit that ranks Top 5 in offensive rating.
The Raptors aren’t 10 or 11 guys deep, but you don’t always need that. Head coach Nick Nurse runs a tight 8-man rotation bringing Ibaka, Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell off the bench. All of them have been solid these playoffs, providing steady contributions when they’re called upon. But let’s not forget, this is a team that still has Jeremy Lin and Jodie Meeks, two seasoned veterans who are ready to step up.
2019 Will Be Different
It’s going to be odd not seeing LeBron James in the NBA Finals. It’s been nine years since that statement has held true. Despite that, the Warriors may have an even tougher task on their hand. Unlike in the past, where Steve Kerr had to game plan around James, this Raptors team has more than one threat.
Albeit a small sample size, the Raptors swept the Warriors during the regular season. Toronto went 2–0, winning one of those games without Kawhi Leonard present. There isn’t one way to defend this Toronto squad. They’re multi-faceted, they have a lot of ways to come at you, on both sides of the ball.
Toronto has already proven they shouldn’t be overlooked. Many people had them losing in the second round against the Philadelphia 76ers, but this team has rallied and clawed it’s way all the way to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. There’s no question, they’re ready to seize the moment. While most NBA fans are already handing the Warriors the championship, I’m not one of them.
Toronto in 6ix.
All statistics courtesy of sports-reference.com
