Would the Toronto Raptors have been better than the current Clippers if Kawhi stayed?
By Jeff Borsuk
Who would win?
We already know that the Raptors, with Leonard in the mix, have a roster that can win a title. They are multi-dimensional and make things incredibly difficult on whomever they face. Coach Nick Nurse did great work in exploiting his team’s talents and would surely continue to do so in our make-believe scenario.
The Clippers have one of the best coaches in the league with Doc Rivers. He would certainly make needed adjustments in order to help his team succeed. With an excellent roster on the floor, together he and his athletes are sure to play an excellent brand of basketball.
If these two teams faced off in a hypothetical seven-game series, it has the makings to go the distance. The dynamic duo of Leonard and George would surely be a lot to handle. It would require the Raptors to step up their collective defensive games. Luckily, the Raptors also feature a player who can the Klaw down — himself.
Nurse would need to shorten his bench and focus defensively on Leonard and George. The series would hinge on the Raptors ability to slow those two down and not allow the Clippers dominant reserves to swing a game. Los Angeles would likely try to utilize their depth and try to exhaust Toronto.
The series would be a fight, but the Raptors experience and chemistry would ultimately win out in seven games. Defence wins championships and the Dinos, a defensive team, own the confidence of knowing that they’ve already won one together.
Winner: Raptors in seven games
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This concludes the fairytale that Leonard plays more than just a single season as a Raptor. Unfortunately, he is now a member of a team who should trounce the 2019-20 iteration of Toronto. At least fans will always have their memories and a banner in the arena to help remind them of their incredible run.