Raptors looking good

[Ground_Meat]

The same Raptors team won 59 games with Derozan instead of Leonard, and no Gasol. If that's a shit team.....

TOR is better then you seem to understand.

I agree with this...


They swept the Warriors in the regular season and had the second best overall record in the entire NBA. This was with KL missing like 22 games and Lowry missing 17 games.

[DEERSPINE GUY]

I agree with this...


They swept the Warriors in the regular season and had the second best overall record in the entire NBA. This was with KL missing like 22 games and Lowry missing 17 games.

ONE WIN AWAY FROM BEING WORLD CHAMPIONS.

AIN'T THAT SOME SHIT.

[Greenstealth]

Regular season wins... Didn't the hawks win 60 a couple of seasons ago? The raptors without Leonard are a team in NBA limbo. Good enough to keep themselves out of the lottery but never actually contend. They took the risk and got Leonard and it's paying off.

[Ground_Meat]

Regular season wins... Didn't the hawks win 60 a couple of seasons ago? The raptors without Leonard are a team in NBA limbo. Good enough to keep themselves out of the lottery but never actually contend. They took the risk and got Leonard and it's paying off.

I wouldn’t disagree with that, but you can say that about 85% of the teams in the NBA

“If they didn’t have X, they’d be average at best...”

[udontknowme]

yeah, is it really saying much that if you remove the best player of a team, they aren't a contender in the NBA? Hey look, without KD...GSW isn't quite as good! CLE lost Lebron and now they are bad! What are you saying here?

[Greenstealth]

yeah, is it really saying much that if you remove the best player of a team, they aren't a contender in the NBA? Hey look, without KD...GSW isn't quite as good! CLE lost Lebron and now they are bad! What are you saying here?

Gs won titles without kd. Toronto got swept out of the second round last year. That's tough to comprehend.

[Greenstealth]

Let me put it this way. I don't love the sixers current roster and outside of Kawhi I wouldn't swap a single starter from the raptors on to the sixers. Danny Green for Redick maybe? It's reminiscent of the sixers in 01.

[Spartan92]

Gs won titles without kd. Toronto got swept out of the second round last year. That's tough to comprehend.

GS won 1 title and it took them 6 games with LeBron and Dellavedova as the 2nd best player and Kyrie and Love were both hurt. Next year, they lost to Lebron in 7 after being up 3-1, then you add KD and sure you win back to back KD is the best player in the NBA. Without KD GS barely won 1 chip. Sure add a top 3 player to any team and they become a legit contender. If Kawhi was on the 6ers they would have won hands down in this situation but as I said before noone in the NBA was beating GS at full health no one doesn't matter who was playing them!

[art vandelay]

I see no comparison between this Raptors team and the 01 Sixers. This Raptors team has multiple ELITE defensive players. They also fit together well. 7 guys are contributing. They would be a playoff team without Kawhi. It's surprising that they're up 3-1, but they're by no means a "shitty" team.

I don't know much about the Hawks team that won 60 games, but I think that if you add the best player in basketball to most teams in limbo, they instantly become championship contenders. The best player in basketball last year took a team that actually was shitty to the finals.

[Greenstealth]

I see no comparison between this Raptors team and the 01 Sixers. This Raptors team has multiple ELITE defensive players. They also fit together well. 7 guys are contributing. They would be a playoff team without Kawhi. It's surprising that they're up 3-1, but they're by no means a "shitty" team.

I don't know much about the Hawks team that won 60 games, but I think that if you add the best player in basketball to most teams in limbo, they instantly become championship contenders. The best player in basketball last year took a team that actually was shitty to the finals.

Multiple elite defenders... But see no comparison... Right. Mutombo... McKie even lynch and Tyrone hill. I guess those guys were just scorers. They would be a playoff team. Is that like a standard now? Is it 50 win regular season trophies or playoff appearance rings that matter?

I completely agree with your second paragraph.

[art vandelay]

I do consider finishing as the #1 seed in the East a standard for not being a "really shitty team," as the Raptors did last year.

Even aside from Kawhi, these Raptors have 5 great defenders. And I would put their other scorers ahead of the likes of McKie, Lynch, and Hill. I just don't see the teams as being similar. A comparison I heard that I liked was the 04 Pistons if Billups had been a top-5 player.

[udontknowme]

Gasol is a former DPOY, Lowry a current AS, and Siakim probably the most improved player in the NBA. I'd rather have Siakim than Toby already based on play this year, not considering his future growth. Even if you compare the defensive skill of the 01 sixers, the offensive side is no comparison.

An Aside
Whats with the "chip" talk?

[art vandelay]

Haha shit. Sparty lingo.

Now that Mike Wallace is gone, I look forward to the Eagles contending for another chip.

[Spartan92]

Haha shit. Sparty lingo.

Now that Mike Wallace is gone, I look forward to the Eagles contending for another chip.

Hahahahaha… love this well done.. Raise the chip Wallace is gonzo!!

[art vandelay]

Whoa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tX6uR2FA0kU