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Poll: 2019 NBA Finals Predictions

May 29th, 2019 at 3:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2019 NBA Finals are set to get underway on Thursday night. Game 1 will be the first Finals game to take place outside of the United States, as the 58-24 Raptors narrowly beat out the 57-25 Warriors for home court advantage.

Despite Toronto’s home court advantage and regular season edge – including a 2-0 record vs. Golden State – the Warriors will enter the series as the overwhelming favorites to win their fourth title in five years, and third in a row. Even without Kevin Durant in their lineup for the start of the series, the Dubs have enough weapons on both ends of the court that they’ll be difficult to beat.

Of course, Golden State’s top weapon is Stephen Curry, who has gone into full-on Human Torch mode since Durant went down vs. Houston. In his last five games – all Warriors wins – Curry shot 41.7% on 14.4 three-point attempts per contest, and has scored at least 33 points in every game.

Klay Thompson has been a reliable No. 2 scoring option, averaging 22.6 PPG with a .400 3PT% over those five games, while Draymond Green has filled up the box score (14.8 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 8.4 APG, 2.4 BPG, 2.0 SPG) and been everywhere on defense.

Still, the Warriors have yet to face a defense like this Raptors’ unit in the postseason. Toronto’s starting lineup features a pair of former Defensive Players of the Year (Kawhi Leonard and Marc Gasol) and a former All-Defensive guard (Danny Green) to go along with stout and savvy point guard Kyle Lowry and an athletic forward who can guard all five positions (Pascal Siakam).

Throw in three-time All-Defensive player Serge Ibaka off the bench, and this is a Raptors team that’s capable of adjusting its scheme to a variety of offensive attacks, and switching, trapping, and helping as necessary. It’s possible that no NBA team can truly stop the Warriors, but this looks like the club that’s best equipped to slow them down.

The Raptors haven’t been as dangerous on offense during the playoffs, but Leonard is capable of single-handedly carrying the squad on that end of the court at times, and has turned in an all-time postseason performance through three rounds (31.2 PPG, 8.8 RPG, .507/.388/.875 shooting). In Thompson, Green, and Andre Iguodala, the Warriors have plenty of excellent defenders to throw at him, but Leonard is talented enough to score 30 points even on nights when the defense plays him well.

What do you think? Will the Warriors cement their place in NBA history by becoming the first franchise since the 2000-02 Lakers to win three straight championships? Or will the Raptors pull off the upset and bring Canada its first ever NBA title?

After voting in our poll, head to the comment section to weigh in further on this showdown. Will we see much of Durant this series? How heavily will the outcome weigh on his presence or absence? Will other injured players like DeMarcus Cousins or OG Anunoby make an impact? Which matchups do you expect each team to try to exploit?

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Durant Ruled Out For Game 1; Cousins Questionable

May 28th, 2019 at 11:56am CST by Luke Adams

MAY 28: Durant will travel to Toronto with the Warriors, tweets Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. That means the club isn’t yet ready to rule him out for Game 2 on Sunday.

MAY 27: Addressing the media today, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr confirmed that, as expected, Kevin Durant won’t be available for Game 1 of the NBA Finals (Twitter link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic). Golden State’s other injured starter, DeMarcus Cousins, is being listed as questionable for Game 1, according to Kerr.

Neither of these updates comes as a major surprise, since last week’s check-ins on Durant (calf) and Cousins (quad) indicated that KD was unlikely to be ready for the start of the Finals, while Cousins was closer to returning.

Having already been officially ruled out for Game 1, Durant also appears unlikely to be back for Game 2. As Nick Friedell of ESPN.com tweets, Kerr said today that the Warriors still haven’t made a final decision on whether Durant – who has yet to be cleared for any on-court work with his teammates – will travel to Toronto. Game 3 will take place next Wednesday, June 5, in Golden State.

Even without Durant and Cousins, the Warriors are heavy favorites over the Raptors in the 2019 Finals. Golden State has won five games in a row – one vs. Houston and four over the Trail Blazers – without either player available.

Patrick McCaw Explains Why He Left Warriors

May 27th, 2019 at 6:46pm CST by Dana Gauruder

One of the more bizarre stories this season has been Patrick McCaw‘s odyssey. The Warriors wanted to re-sign the reserve guard but McCaw played hardball with them. He eventually signed a non-guaranteed offer sheet with the Cavaliers. His stay in Cleveland was brief and he later signed for the remainder of the season with the Raptors.

With his current team set to play his former team in the Finals, McCaw spoke at length with Marc Spears of The Undefeated about why he chose that path.

Here are some of the highlights:

McCaw wanted to have a bigger role. “I just wanted more. Not necessarily more playing time, but more opportunity for myself. I’m not discrediting the Warriors and what they chose to do. I just think being a young kid, you see all the younger guys competing and doing their thing and you feel like, ‘OK, I’m just that kid, or I could be doing exactly what he’s doing.’ ”
His agents at the time, Marlon Harrison and Bill Duffy, urged him to accept Golden State’s two-year, $4MM offer but the restricted free agent but he wouldn’t budge. “Maybe I could just go back and finish, just go back for a year, see what happens, see where it took me,” McCaw said. “I just felt like once it got past preseason, I was just adamant about not going back. I was just stuck right there.”
There was a perception that Cleveland did him a favor by signing him to the offer sheet that the Warriors didn’t match, only to release him shortly thereafter. But McCaw denies that. “I didn’t like how the media portrayed it, like we had something (else) lined up already,” he said. “Yeah, that wasn’t the case at all.”
The personal reasons cited for McCaw’s absence during most of the Eastern Conference Finals was due to a family tragedy. His older brother, Jeffrey McCaw, died.

Raptors Hope OG Anunoby Can Return During Finals

May 27th, 2019 at 1:16pm CST by JD Shaw

MAY 27: Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said today that Anunoby is about 10 days away from being able to play, tweets Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca.

“He’s doing better,” Nurse said. “He’s on the court. He’s moving around. He’s not 100%, but he’s healing.”

If Nurse’s estimate is accurate, Toronto could be aiming to get Anunoby back on the court for either Game Three or – more likely – Game Four in Oakland. Game Four is scheduled for next Friday, June 7, which is 11 days away.

MAY 26: The Raptors are quietly optimistic that OG Anunoby could return at some point during the NBA Finals, which are set to tip off in Toronto on Thursday night, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.

Anunoby has missed each of the team’s 18 playoff games while rehabbing from appendectomy surgery. He underwent the emergency procedure six weeks ago, never receiving a firm timetable for his return.

For the Raptors, Anunoby provided depth off the bench in 67 games this season, averaging seven points, 2.9 rebounds and 20.2 minutes in his second campaign. Toronto managed to secure a birth in the Finals despite his absence and will soon square off with the defending-champion Warriors, a team that’s earned nine days of rest between their last contest and Game 1.

The extended timeline between Saturday’s Game 7 and Thursday — along with the spacing between each Finals game — are two key reasons why Toronto is hopeful Anunoby could return soon, Wolstat notes. If it reaches seven games, the series would run until June 16.

Anunoby, a chiseled 6’8″ defensive-minded forward, was drafted by the Raptors with the No. 23 pick in 2017. He’ll earn $2.28MM in 2019/20, with Toronto holding a $3.87MM team option on his contract for the 2020/21 season.

Kawhi Leonard’s Uncle Discusses Spurs, Raptors, Free Agency

May 26th, 2019 at 7:03pm CST by JD Shaw

The uncle of Raptors star Kawhi Leonard discussed a variety of topics with Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes on Sunday, including why Leonard requested a trade from San Antonio, his success with Toronto this season and his upcoming free agency period.

Dennis Robertson, widely known as “Uncle Dennis” to many NBA figures, played a key role in getting Leonard out of San Antonio after his relationship with the team started to deteriorate.

Leonard dealt with a significant quad injury last season, missing several games and looking elsewhere for a second opinion despite being cleared by the Spurs‘ medical staff. This decision quickly caused a rift in the organization.

“I think it just became a lack of trust,” Robertson told Haynes. “They didn’t believe Kawhi couldn’t play and that caused a lack of trust in us and then us not believing in them. Any time a player says he’s not capable of playing, you should believe him. Why would Kawhi just stop playing all of a sudden? He’s a competitor. Sometimes you get these team doctors telling you what you can and cannot do, and Kawhi was just in too much pain to get out there. This was a serious issue. They didn’t believe him, and after that, the relationship couldn’t recover and we decided we had to move on.”

Robertson led the way for Leonard and the group requested a trade from San Antonio, listing Los Angeles as a preferred long-term destination. The Spurs wound up shipping him to the Raptors in a larger trade that featured DeMar DeRozan last July.

Leonard has since dominated with the Raptors, leading his team to the NBA Finals while averaging 31.2 points in 18 playoff games. Getting traded to Toronto might’ve been a tough pill to swallow at first glance, but Leonard has thoroughly enjoyed his time with the franchise this season, as Robertson explained.

“When you are initially traded somewhere you didn’t asked to be, you don’t want to accept it,” Robertson said, according to Haynes. “But once you get through that period, the focus then turns to giving your all and performing at a high level. It never had anything to do with the city of Toronto. It wasn’t. Toronto is a beautiful city. Kawhi has often spoke highly of Toronto. It’s a beautiful place. That was just an initial reaction, which is normal. But we’re enjoying this run and looking forward to the Finals.”

For the Raptors, Leonard is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on June 30. The team acquired him with full intentions of re-signing him to a lucrative contract in free agency, though for the time being, his focus only lies on competing in the NBA Finals.

“I can’t get into other free agents and other teams, but for Kawhi, he’s going to take it one day and one game at a time,” Robertson said. “We have a championship opportunity in front of us. We’re not thinking about free agency; it’s the Warriors [right now]. Once we get through the season, we’ll turn our attention to free agency. But we’re just having fun right now. This has been a great year.”

Raptors Notes: Nurse, Leonard, Anunoby

May 26th, 2019 at 2:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Fresh off his team’s Game 6 victory over the Bucks which sent Toronto to the Finals, Raptors coach Nick Nurse has apparently achieved another honor. He will coach Canada’s national team at the FIBA World Cup in China, Peter Yannopoulos of TSN tweets.

Canada Basketball, which hasn’t officially confirmed the coaching change, began courting Nurse prior to the postseason, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets.

Nurse, who was an assistant for Team Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics, would replace Hornets assistant Jay Triano as Canada’s coach, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweets.

We have more on the newly crowned Eastern Conference champions:

Toronto president Masai Ujiri had a strong response for Kawhi Leonard during their first meeting after the blockbuster trade with San Antonio last season, as Michael Lee of The Athletic details. Leonard asked Ujiri why he made the trade despite Leonard’s intention to opt out of his contract after the season. “Because you’re the best player in the league,” Ujiri told Leonard. That bold gamble has paid off, Lee notes.
The Raptors are optimistic that OG Anunoby will play at some point in the Finals, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun tweets. Anunoby has not played since an emergency appendectomy last month. The last appearance by the reserve small forward was April 9th. The gaps in-between games should also help Leonard, who is dealing with a leg injury, Wolstat adds.
Nurse’s G League success — he won championships with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers and Iowa Energy — prepared him well for the Raptors gig, Adam Johnson of 2Ways10Days.com details in a story originally posted prior to the season.

Community Shootaround: Kawhi Leonard

May 25th, 2019 at 10:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Raptors took a franchise-altering risk last summer when they opted to trade for Kawhi Leonard. They’ll find out soon how much that gamble will pay off.

A year away from free agency, Leonard became available after he made it clear that he wouldn’t re-sign in San Antonio following a bitter dispute with Spurs management over the treatment of his quad injury. Leonard played just nine games last season and was meeting with his personal doctors in New York after the Spurs’ medical staff cleared him for action.

Toronto wasn’t on Leonard’s list of preferred locations, but the Raptors were ready to swing for the fences after years of disappointing playoff exits. They risked team chemistry by trading away DeMar DeRozan, a franchise cornerstone and Kyle Lowry‘s best friend, to obtain a player whose health and desire to stay with the organization beyond this season were both in question.

It didn’t take long for Leonard to resolve the first issue. He appeared in 60 games this season, and many of the ones he missed were for “load management” rather than injury. He performed at an All-Star level, averaging 26.6 points per game and reminding everyone why he was considered one of the best two-way players in the league.

Once the playoffs started, he raised his game even further. Coming into tonight, Leonard was averaging 31.4/8.4/3.6 in 17 games. Not only has he brought Toronto to its first-ever NBA Finals, he has become the team’s on-court leader and arguably the MVP of the postseason.

Much like the Thunder did last year with Paul George, the Raptors gambled that they could win over a star player by bringing him into their system and letting him experience success. While the partnership has worked wonderfully and Leonard is a beloved figure in Toronto, there’s still no guarantee it will be more than a one-year arrangement. Leonard has said little to nothing about his future plans, but there have been rumors for a long time that he wants to return home and play on the West Coast.

We want to get your opinion. Do you believe the Raptors have accomplished enough to make Leonard want to stay, or will he move on from Toronto when the offers start coming in this summer? Please leave your answers in the space below.

Kyle Lowry Close To $500K Bonus

May 25th, 2019 at 8:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

Raptors guard Kyle Lowry is one win away from cashing in on a $500K bonus for reaching the NBA Finals, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. If he collects, it would add $1.25MM to the team’s luxury tax payment. Lowry would earn another $500K if the Raptors win the NBA title.

Free Agent Stock Watch 2019: Conference Finals

May 25th, 2019 at 11:16am CST by Dana Gauruder

Every week, Hoops Rumors takes a closer look at players who will be free agents or could become free agents next offseason. We examine if their stock is rising or falling due to performance and other factors. This week, we take a look at players from the conference finals:

Patrick McCaw, Raptors, 23, SG (Down) — Signed to a one-year, $786K deal in 2019
McCaw’s season has been a head-scratcher. He leveraged his way out of Golden State, signed a non-guaranteed offer sheet with Cleveland, got cut loose shortly thereafter and then signed a minimum contract with Toronto. He may get his wish to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, but no one will be knocking down his door on July 1. He suffered a thumb injury late in the regular season, was ineffective in some postseason appearances, and has missed the last couple of games for “personal reasons.” McCaw might not even find a guaranteed offer this summer.

George Hill, Bucks, 33, SG (Up) – Signed to a three-year, $57MM deal in 2017
Hill’s $18MM salary becomes guaranteed if he’s still on the roster July 1. The Bucks have too many free agent concerns to bring him back at that number, but Hill has reinforced that he’s a solid rotation player after a disappointing regular season. Hill averaged 14.2 PPG in the conference semis against Boston. Throwing out his Game 1 clunker against Toronto and he’s averaged 13.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG and 2.0 APG over the past four games, hitting some clutch baskets along the way. He’ll attract attention on the open market, though he’ll have to settle for less than his previous deal.

Alfonzo McKinnie, Warriors, 26, SF (Up) – Signed to a two-year, $2.7MM deal in 2018
Seems like every role player that coach Steve Kerr has thrown out there in the postseason has provided some quality minutes. McKinnie certainly fits that description. He was getting here-and-there minutes, then became more valuable with Kevin Durant sidelined. He grabbed nine rebounds in 21 minutes in Game 3 against Portland, then contributed 12 points in the clinching overtime victory in Game 4. McKinnie has a non-guaranteed salary next year but it’s difficult to see him getting cut loose considering the Warriors need to surround their stars with low-cost options. He can be a restricted free agent in 2020 if he receives a qualifying offer.

Enes Kanter, Trail Blazers, 27, C (Down) – Signed to a one-year, $653K deal in 2019
Kanter rode the roller coaster during the playoffs. The Blazers would have never made it to the Western Conference finals without him in the wake of Jusuf Nurkic‘s injury. Following Game 1 against the Warriors though, Kanter saw limited minutes as coach Terry Stotts opted to ride stretch four Meyers Leonard. Kanter’s ability to put up numbers earned him a big contract with the Thunder — recall he was making $18.6MM this season before working out a buyout with the Knicks. But his defensive deficiencies are also apparent in today’s NBA. It will interesting to see how much executives value his positives on the open market.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Gamble On Kawhi Paying Off For Ujiri

May 24th, 2019 at 12:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Performances like the one Kawhi Leonard turned in on Thursday night in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals were what Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri envisioned when he pulled the trigger on the Leonard blockbuster with San Antonio last July, writes Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports.