The Warriors dynasty proved it was still alive and well in 2022 following a three-year title drought, although this version looked different than in years past. As good as these Raptors were, they would fall short against any of the other healthy champions on this list.įinals Result: Warriors over Boston Celtics, 4-2 Toronto ended the series with six players averaging double-digits, led by Leonard's 28.5 points per contest. This wasn't a deep Warriors team, either, so not having Durant was a huge loss for Golden State, which still managed to win Games 2 and 5. After winning Finals MVP the previous two years, he was limited to just 11 total points in this series. Missing the first four games with a calf injury, he then tore his Achilles just 12 minutes into Game 5. While no one is saying Toronto didn't deserve to win, it's also fair to point out Kevin Durant's absence in the series. Of course, even one championship meant that the trade was worth it. Leonard ended up being a rental, signing with the Los Angeles Clippers just weeks later. This was the first title in Raptors history after coming so close in previous runs with Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. Even Pascal Siakam, the team's opening power forward and second-leading scorer in the Finals, hadn't started a playoff game until the 2019 postseason. Kawhi Leonard was in his first season with the Raptors and starting center Marc Gasol was acquired just months earlier at the trade deadline.Īlong with Danny Green, who was brought over in the Leonard trade, 60 percent of this starting lineup wasn't even with Toronto the year before. Their opponents, the Warriors, were the unquestioned favorites having steamrolled through the playoffs the past two years. The Raptors were the surprising champions of the 2019 season for a number of reasons. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Imagesįinals Result: Raptors over Golden State Warriors, 4-2
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |