How the 2019 NBA champion Toronto Raptors were built
 

How the 2019 NBA champion Toronto Raptors were built

Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard, centre, holds the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy after defeating the Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of the NBA Finals in Oakland, Calif., on Thursday. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press)

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Sometimes it takes a mad scientist to build a championship team - someone who has a willingness to test untried techniques, to sprinkle in ingredients that others have discounted or discarded.

It can be a nearly impossible endeavour to put together the perfect roster of 12 players.
LIVEKings of the NBA: Toronto Raptors capture 1st crown in thrilling win over Warriors
And even then, it often isn't enough to win a championship. You still need the perfect confluence of luck, timing and performance.

The 2019 NBA champion Toronto Raptors, who dethroned the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night, are that team. And president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri is the mad scientist who built them.
https://i.cbc.ca/1.5175246.156048936...s-20190613.jpg

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/basketball...nals-1.5175242

FVV and Siakam major x factors

Aside from depth guys, you need your stars to be stars.

KD out
Thompson basically injured for gm 3 and 6 now.
Curry playing like shit when it counts.
Cousins can't make a shot.

Kawhi beast mode.
Lowry actually showing up.
Ibaka and Gasol playing a big part.

Some of the credit for the Raptors championship also goes to the coach Nick Nurse.
:thumbsup:

Coach Nurse outcoached Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

He had a good game plan to contain GSW by preventing the Warriors from scoring fast break points on transition. Raptors played the NBA Finals at their own temp and their preferred half court style. Nurse preached defense first for the Raptors.

The team's defensive rotations were good.

Coach Nurse used a combination of man to man and zone defence in the Finals and especially the Eastern Conference Finals in order to contain the opposing team's star players.

A good example of the man to man and zone defence combo is Kawhi defending Atentokounmpo with two Raptors defending in the post during the Eastern Conference Finals.

When the Warriors had a switch on defence in game 6 of the Finals, with the slow moving Cousins guarding Van Vleet, Raptors players were coached well to recognize the switch so that Van Vleet passed the ball from the 3 point arc to Ibaka in the post for the easy bucket.

Steph Curry is supposed to guard Van Vleet but the Warriors coaching staff decided to switch to Cousins to defend Van Vleet. Big mistake. There's no way that Curry can guard the bigger guy Ibaka haha.

The Raptors' 1 and 5 (point guard and centre) screen and roll plays that coach Nurse used on the Warriors helped the team score points.

anyone still remember jeremy lin? he finally won a championship ring

I definitely was feeling it today hungover at work

Wow, during the celebrations, I didn't know that Ujiri was involved in an altercation with a police officer; this could've ended badly.




More here: https://www.nbcbayarea.com/on-air/as...511334052.html

Eye witness seems to have a different take on this. https://www.cp24.com/sports/eyewitne...dent-1.4466681

anyone find stores with the championship hats yet?..their pretty cool.

No doubt. If both sides had a healthy roster, GSW would've been hard to beat. At the same time, I'm glad that depth helped win the series. This big 3/4/5 era was getting out of hand.

That's why AD and Lebron won't win in LA ... injuries.