The Toronto Raptors are off to a hot start. We probably shouldn’t jump to conclusions, but that’s no fun. You heard it here first— come June, Canada’s team will be 2019 NBA Champions.
Tied for first in the Eastern Conference with a record of 8-1, the Toronto Raptors have started the 2018-19 season in record fashion. The offense is clicking, the defense is rapidly improving and the players are hustling. All in all, the team is exceeding early expectations.
Understandably, the fans are excited and are salivating at the team’s potential. Many are thinking that this is the year the Raptors finally break through and make it to the NBA Finals.
It’s always important to keep things in perspective. Here are some indisputable facts:
1) For the past five years, the Toronto Raptors, Canada’s only NBA franchise, has enjoyed consistent success in the regular season
2) The Raptors have a rabid fanbase— in Toronto, across the border and around the world— that’s passionate and full of belief, despite the team’s playoff failures
3) The team has never won an NBA championship
Nonetheless, here’s a bold opinion: The 2018-19 Toronto Raptors aren’t just going to the NBA Finals, they’re beating the Golden State Warriors and winning it all in seven games.
Below are my perfectly sane reasons why I think the Raptors will be 2019 NBA Champions.
(Modern) Defense wins championships
To be successful in the modern NBA and defeat a powerhouse like the Golden State Warriors, you need defensive versatility.
As a team, you must counter the Warriors exceptional talent, mobility (on and off the ball) and incredible three-point shooting from all five positions (The Hampton’s five). Not only that, you need someone who can make things difficult for Kevin Durant, a premier one-on-one scorer and NBA superstar.
Easier said than done; the Houston Rockets came within a nightmare cold stretch and a Chris Paul injury from accomplishing this last season.
Locked in and at full health, the Toronto Raptors have the necessary personnel and versatility to accomplish the impossible.
The Raptors have a squadron of mobile, gritty and lengthy defenders such as Danny Green, Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby, and Delon Wright. All of these players are fully capable of switching and disrupting possessions. Add in the resurgent Kawhi Leonard, a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and NBA superstar stopper, and you have the blueprint for a defensive lineup of death.
Embracing small ball
The Raptors defensive improvements are closely linked to their willingness to fully embrace the small ball revolution. There were inklings of this last season but Dwane Casey never fully committed to it. Most days, Casey seemed reluctant to fully experiment with his tactics.
Not so this year. With the appointment of Nick Nurse and the additions of Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard, the team is fully embracing the strategy, with ever-increasing efficiency.
The most promising outcome of this shift so far is the improved play of Serge Ibaka and Jonas Valanciunas. Nurse’s decision to rotate the pair on a nightly basis, depending on the matchups has allowed each to flourish.
Ibaka is averaging 16 points per game, 7.8 rebounds, shooting over 50 percent from the field and leading the team in blocks. Valanciunas is dominating opposing bigs off the bench with an incredible player efficiency rating of 27.4.
Playing with joy and synergy
One of the most notable aspects of the Raptors’ hot start and why it’s sustainable is the team’s chemistry. Not only do they look like they enjoy playing with another, there’s almost a telepathic/symbiotic connection between players on the best of possessions.
The Raptors are playing at a more frenetic pace, pushing the ball up and down the court at every opportunity and creating so many moments of fast and fluid play. It’s almost like they can anticipate when and where they should be to receive the ball for easy scores. According to NBA.com, the team is currently third in the league in offensive rating.
Of course, team chemistry is often overlooked because it’s hard to actually quantify. But everyone knows it’s important. Very few successful partnerships or organizations succeed without it, especially in the NBA. When it does come together, as seems to be the case with the Raptors, it’s a beautiful thing and leads to championships.
Kawhi Leonard’s mental fortitude and MVP play
You may be asking, “Andrew, didn’t you see the way that Lebron dismantled the Raptors last year in the playoffs? They’re mental fragile. What makes this year any different?”
Two words: Kawhi Leonard.
Even as he recovers from his mysterious ailment, Leonard is already showing why he is arguably the best player in the NBA. He quarterbacks the defense. He scores with trademark efficiency and always seems to make the right plays. Basically, he makes the impossible look routine.
However, the most important aspect Leonard (and Danny Green) brings to the Raptors is championship pedigree and an implacable mental fortitude. It’s an intangible concept but very important. Leonard flat out knows what it takes to win and doesn’t get discouraged when things go south. He keeps his composure and carries on.
This rubs off onto his teammates and keeps them even-keeled. This is especially important with a player like Kyle Lowry. Always a fierce competitor and notoriously hot-tempered, Lowry is hitting a new gear with Leonard by his side. Through eight games, Lowry is averaging 18.5 points per game, dishing out a league-leading 11.1 assists and shooting a career-best 42 percent from three. Oh and he’s drawing charges with renewed vigour.
All of this isn’t a coincidence. As beloved as DeMar DeRozan was in the city of Toronto, he wasn’t the superstar that Kyle Lowry or Toronto needed. You don’t necessarily need to follow basketball regularly to understand this— you never concede that your opponent is better and admit defeat before a series is over. This is not in Kawhi Leonard’s nature. This is why he’ll lead the Raptors to the promised land.
Best is yet to come
Admittedly, this is a bold opinion. But it’s an opinion nonetheless. We can’t possibly anticipate every obstacle that the Raptors will face this season but this uncertainty is part of what makes sports so fun.
The Toronto Raptors still have many kinks to work out, wonky bench play and a penchant for giving up leads, chief among them. And of course, we can’t dismiss the other Eastern Conference teams like the Boston Celtics and the impressive Milwaukee Bucks; they’re hungry and full of talent.
However, Torontonians and by extension Canadians deserve to have hope. There’s been a lot of false promise in the past. But as ironic as it may be to say, this year is different. Come June, the Raptors will be celebrating their first NBA Championship.