Who is watching finals ?

[SAGirl]

My heart is cheering for the Warriors in the Finals because it would make me sick to my stomach for the Spurs to trade away Kawhi, only for him to win a championship with another team.


But my head is cheering for the Raptors because I know that if Kawhi wins a championship with Toronto, he's more likely to stay in the East.


Warriors in 6.

Disagree. I think that whether Kawhi wins has nothing to do with his decision to leave. He already knows what he wants to do in fact, but is probably willing to be pitched. Issue is, if they win, Toronto already got a championship out of him, so while they may be sad that he left, they knew there was that risk going in and will always have 2019 to remember him by. He doesn't owe them anything and he probably thinks he can win anywhere so long as he's healthy. A superstar player needs a healthy dose of ego.

[SAGirl]

GS has no answers for TOR defense. Klay/Curry are literally the only two players that can shoot or score. Against average defense, Klay/Curry gravity plus insane off ball movement masks this, but with no KD and an elite half court defense? You see the results.

Beyond that, and the bigger concern, is Siakam appears to be a mis=match for Draymond. He abused him. GS defense could not stop TOR, especially in transition.

Kawhi really going to cost me a thousand dollars while winning a le Hate to see it.

GSW definitely looked awful. Gasol, Ibaka and specially Siakam dominated all of GSW bigs. Draymond looked pedestrian. Cousins didn't even look like an NBA player and Jerebko was awful. Even airballed his first 3 pt attempt if I recall. They will be better and if I am Toronto I am not resting easy bc GSW was atrocious and were still close the whole game. That being said with the Iguodala injury and Toronto looking like a hungry team, this is going to be a series. I don't think just Curry and Klay is going to be enough.

[SAGirl]

Warriors were rusty after a long break and there was probably a natural letdown due to the increased compe ion..Raptors went up against 2 powerhouse teams on the road to the Finals, while GS ran through the worst WCFs team in 12 years..

Game 2 will be more telling, but what can GS do to adjust without Durant?

It's funny, Raptors could have easily been out in game 7 if it wasn't for a bounce, and the difference in the Bucks series was Fred VanVleet shooting 14-17 from 3 in the last 3 games, yet they're now favored to win the le it's fate, I guess..

Almost like the 2014 championship Spurs struggling in the first round against Dallas, then struggling some with OKC until Pop went with starting Bonner and playing Diaw big minutes benching Splitter. Timmy D closed out OKC in game 6 with that insane fadeway while triple teamed. It was epic. We shall see. Hindsight is always 20/20.

[NameLess Scrub]

its kind of funny seeing how media is portraying this as some sort of redemption against the spurs or something like that. As if we traded him because we didn't think he was good enough lol or that we even wanted to trade him period.

We all know how good he was and how good he could become.

[SAGirl]

Yep. Maybe Durant can return, save the Dubs, save DPG's money, and turn it into HIS redemption story. ("Oh, you guys don't need me...")

Flip the script KD, please. Because I don't like the current story.

This is what I am afraid of long term. I want Durant to leave. Kawhi is going to do his thing regardless but Durant has a fragile ego that could be massaged by real need from GSW. Long term this series doesn't matter except for what it does to the contenders fUture. Kawhi already left the Spurs and that's done. I only get depressed when I pay attention to the Mills, Belli, Derozan, Pau getting paid etc situation in the Spurs.

[NickiRasgo]

Honest question yall. Do you think Kawhi has a better surrounding cast in Toronto this year than he would of had on the Spurs?

Hate to admit it but I was initially excited about LMA signing since he's our biggest signing in TD era but turned out bad. It made the Spurs chose LMA over Kawhi. Thought LMA is one of the reason why Kawhi wants out. Should've surrounded Kawhi with solid role players instead.

[SAGirl]

Meh, this finals is better than Warriors playing a team that doesn't belong in the finals - the LeBron Cavs.

Sometimes it's hard to feel entirely sorry for the Spurs when they prioritize players like Wombat and Gasol for ing contract extensions.

This where I am tbh. Plus standing pat repeatedly, plus it was due. Timmy was great for 20 years it seems like and they got a bonus at the end with Kawhi. I really only feel sour that 2017 Zaza happened and that as Spurfan we were cheated out of the past season of Kawhi in the Spurs by the injury and Uncle Dennis crew. After that tbh, dude is a free man and the Spurs were free also to do whatever with their own assets. (Belch at what they did but.... /shrugs)

[NameLess Scrub]

I am and I think the Warriors are in trouble. It's like a fight, and Toronto just physically matches up really good against these guys and with KD's situation that means way more focus on Steph and Klay and way more shots for Draymon, Iggy, etc. If KD returns and can play like he wasn't injured it all could change of course but we'll see. Really, from the middle of the Bucks series to now it's like the forever choking raptors finally have a little at ude or a little belief in themselves, even Lowry looks like he's doing a few bumps in the locker room or something.

Then you have GS doubling and triple teaming Kawhi and all these other guys are all getting the most open shots they've gotten all year let alone in the playoffs, I understand they want the others to beat them but are you going to give them shots that open all game and once it's evident it's not working keep going at it?? Gasol had like 2 minutes to line up a three, in guy had enough time to re-position his feet, rearrange his arms, scratch his ass and nail it, obviously I'm exaggerating but where is the swarming championship level defense where you can't take a step without someone being up into you, don't give me that rest days bull , after the Clippers series the whole Warrior run should just be considered a rest period going against those teams that make up the west these days.

I think they would be better off letting Kawhi go off and keeping the clamps on the others.

I always wonder, in a game of a 100+ points, what good does it make to double/triple team a player. Kawhi won't score 100 points by himself if he goes off while guarded properly, even though he can be so efficient.

I like it though since I want the Warriors to be beaten. Guys like Siakam and Gasol just need to be ready to capitalize and they have the tools to do it.

Gotta love Siakam treating Draymond like a mismatch. I expect Draymond to play dirtier on Sunday, of course.

This is all without Durant. I still think Durant makes them virtually unbeatable, but Toronto has the talent to match up well so we'll see.

[spurs10]

Yep. Maybe Durant can return, save the Dubs, save DPG's money, and turn it into HIS redemption story. ("Oh, you guys don't need me...")

Flip the script KD, please. Because I don't like the current story.

The series is young.

[NameLess Scrub]

Warriors didn't need Durant in 2016. They might need him to win now that the team has years of commitment to him.

I really hope if they win they do it without him. The meltdown might be epic.

[GreekSpursfan]

So Kawhi's health got worse after a week rest. He did look terrible in game 1. After some thought i think the Dubs gonna win game 2, i'm gonna bet on it. If i'm the Dubs i never double a degenerative knees Kawhi and see how that goes. I think 1-1 is imminent.

[tholdren]

Same people who watch wrestling and nascar

[khantot]

Warriors were rusty after a long break and there was probably a natural letdown due to the increased compe ion..Raptors went up against 2 powerhouse teams on the road to the Finals, while GS ran through the worst WCFs team in 12 years..

Game 2 will be more telling, but what can GS do to adjust without Durant?

It's funny, Raptors could have easily been out in game 7 if it wasn't for a bounce, and the difference in the Bucks series was Fred VanVleet shooting 14-17 from 3 in the last 3 games, yet they're now favored to win the le it's fate, I guess..

A miss would have taken the game to overtime. Yes, Philly had momentum but that didn't mean they'd win.

[Slippy]

Game2 finals. Van fleet again turning the game around for Raptors. This guy proving he a cold blooded shooter, not streaky at all.

[SuperCam]

western conference era of dominance is over once durbeta leaves tbh. craptors barely beat the sixers

[MoffettBuffet]

Hate to admit it but I was initially excited about LMA signing since he's our biggest signing in TD era but turned out bad. It made the Spurs chose LMA over Kawhi. Thought LMA is one of the reason why Kawhi wants out. Should've surrounded Kawhi with solid role players instead.

Exactly. Should've built around Kawhi, but instead they were building for the old boys club. PATFO dangerously nearing Edmonton Oilers old boys club level complacency tbqh.

[Gibbz]

It's astonishing that we couldn't get Siakam in the Kawhi deal. Buford gave Toronto a top 3 player and a way to get out from under DDR's contract and got Jakob Poeltl in return.

[Gibbz]

Exactly. Should've built around Kawhi, but instead they were building for the old boys club. PATFO dangerously nearing Edmonton Oilers old boys club level complacency tbqh.

Kawhi was leaving either way. He'll ing leave Toronto and they might win the Finals.

[ceperez]

Watching and rooting for the Raptors.

It's actually what the Spurs could have been.

[MoffettBuffet]

Kawhi was leaving either way. He'll ing leave Toronto and they might win the Finals.

I already know. I'm just positing it was primarily due to how ty the roster is - if he had just said that in the first place, maybe it might've done something constructive for the Spurs, but who knows? Maybe PATFO would just bunker down and claim well, we know something about winning, even though all they've been winning lately is first round exits. I'm willing to bet this upcoming season, a la the Red Wings, will see the end of the streak and the descent into abject mediocrity at best.

[MoffettBuffet]

Watching and rooting for the Raptors.

It's actually what the Spurs could have been.

As soon as Gasol and Mills got their deals, that dream died. Pop should've left with Timmy.

[Gibbz]

Warriors in 5.

[Slippy]

Raps choking. Thompson balling. Kawhi step slow on d

Dubs up 13 haha.

RAPS hoping for van fleet to save them

[Spurtacular]

Mike Green just used the term avalanche to describe this lack of scoring by Toronto / GS going up. I threw up a little in my mouth. That term is for Gm 5 2014.

[GreekSpursfan]

Toronto is going to win one away and then proceed to lose at home the always most important game of the series game 5. Warriors win this in 6 games. After winning last nights bet that is my next bet.