Now that LeBron James is playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, NBA fans are expected see a different matchup in the NBA Finals next season. James’ departure makes the Cleveland Cavaliers questionable to repeat as Eastern Conference champions for the fifth consecutive year. As of now, it’s highly likely that the East will be having a new ruler next season.
So far, three NBA teams emerge as the top favorites to fully dominate the LeBron James-less Eastern Conference. These include the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, and the Toronto Raptors. The Sixers and the Celtics are the fastest rising teams in the league. With the combination of young talents and veterans, both teams are expected to compete against each other for the Eastern Conference title in the next couple of years.
However, according to Will Gottlieb of Bleacher Report , the Raptors are the team the Warriors should fear the most in the Eastern Conference next season. After being swept by James and the Cavaliers in the East semis for the second consecutive year, the Raptors made huge overhaul which started by replacing Dwane Casey with Nick Nurse as head coach.
Recently, the Raptors engaged in a blockbuster trade with the San Antonio Spurs. They traded DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and a 2019 protected first-round pick to San Antonio for Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. Gottlieb believes the acquisition of Leonard makes the Raptors the biggest threat for the Warriors next season.
“Leonard, a legit top-five player in the NBA, is a massive upgrade from DeMar DeRozan if he can and does play. Even if LeBron stayed in the East, this would be the kind of upgrade that could get the Raptors over the hump. Leonard is the best perimeter defender in the league, if not the best overall defender, without sacrificing anything on the offensive end. In fact, Leonard is a better fit to play off the ball while Kyle Lowry runs the offense, but he can also be an incredibly efficient scorer.”
After he turned down their 4-year, $22 million extension, Jordan Brand plans to let Kawhi Leonard walk this fall once his sneaker endorsement deal expires. https://t.co/4XSllKo6DB
— ESPN (@espn) July 24, 2018
Kawhi Leonard will undeniably boost the Raptors on both ends of the floor. When healthy, Leonard proves to be one of the best two-way players in the league. In his last full season with the Spurs, the 27-year-old small forward averaged 25.5 points and 5.8 rebounds on 48.5 percent shooting from the field and 38 percent from beyond the arc.
Aside from being a reliable option on the offensive end, the Raptors could also task Leonard to guard Warriors’ best player, Kevin Durant. Having Danny Green will also help the Raptors in their potential matchup against the Warriors. Green is a known Stephen Curry stopper. He will give the Raptors an elite perimeter defender and accurate three-point shooter.
The Raptors earned plenty of criticisms when they traded their most loyal player, DeMar DeRozan, for a possible one-year rental. The only way they can prove their doubters wrong is to reach the NBA Finals next season.
