GSW should win 4-1 IMO. It won't even be close.

Durant's absence doesn't mean anything - they are still 31-1 when Durant is out but Curry plays. Its plain absurd.

The only way it gets close is if the refs/Silver get involved - which they will probably try and do in my opinion if the Raptors are down in the series early.

In any event, I won't be watching. I couldn't really care less; the NBA want to make you believe that GSW can be beaten - I mean look at their recent advertisements around the "IF" theme - 'anyone can win the title' rubbish.

This series (and its result) will plummet the NBA into further depths of "unwatchability"; and hopefully it does, if that's why it takes for things to change.

At least I've still got Rugby *loveheart*

Sadly the result is probably a forgone conclusion.
Would love to see raptors push it to at least six games.

I don't blame you to be honest. I likely wouldn't watch much of the Finals if the Raptors weren't in. I watched a total of 2.5 games in the NBA Finals between 2017 and 2018.

Having said that, the "unwatchability" is down to a freak series of events (MVP on crazy cheap deal, another MVP becoming available at the time the salary cap exploded). I'm not sure there is much the NBA can change right now. With any luck, KD leaves GSW this summer and normality will resume.

I don't disagree Cram. There was a freak series of events.

But I think the NBA made two errors:

1. From memory they raised the cap with a big leap a few years ago. It was a very big leap from previous trends. This allowed them to keep players; and

2. The luxury tax scheme hasn’t disincentivised super teams to the designed extent because teams can simply offset the tax from the crazy extra revenue they get from their success.

In an ideal world a hard cap would be good to see.

Yeah I was in favour of some kind of equalisation on the cap raise - with such a big raise, why not raise every contracted player's salary by that same rate? That would have meant ALL players would have been able to share in the new cap, rather than those who just happened to be free agents that year (Mozgov!). This would have prevented KD from fitting into the Warriors team.

I don't think you'll ever see a hard cap. The players will never allow it.

I think for the most part the repeater tax will do its trick. If GSW keep Klay, Dray and KD at the amounts they will surely command, they will be past the tax threshold with just 4 players. This will surely hurt them in a couple years.

Its not ideal for the next couple of years, but I think it will end soon.

Raptors' formula for success is pretty similar to the Cavs with LBJ - keep Warriors under 100, and Kawhi needs to be the best player on the court. It's possible, but more likely they lose in 5 or 6 games I think.

Raptors in 7 if KD doesn't return.

Even without KD the Warriors are strong favourites, but it certainly makes it more interesting. The Warriors aren't as deep as they were in the pre-KD era, so they would need Steph and Klay to be hot the whole time (which is entirely possible) with Dray doing what he does best.

If the Raptors continue to get the same stellar play from Kawhi, if Gasol & Siakim raise their level of play even more and Lowry continues to shoot the 3 ball well, mix that with their bench players stepping up, I see it going to Golden State in 4 games.

Didn't realise Toronto had home court advantage.
GSW will still win 4-2 or 4-0.

I don't disagree Cram. There was a freak series of events.

But I think the NBA made two errors:

1. From memory they raised the cap with a big leap a few years ago. It was a very big leap from previous trends. This allowed them to keep players; and

2. The luxury tax scheme hasn't disincentivised super teams to the designed extent because teams can simply offset the tax from the crazy extra revenue they get from their success.

In an ideal world a hard cap would be good to see.

Warriors in 6 or 7

Curry and Thompson will have a couple of off nights each, Kawhi will keep being Kawhi and Toronto will make this interesting.

Congratulations Cram for sticking with the Raptors through the hard times unlike most people who simply bandwagon onto a winning team. *pokes a stick at Lakers fans*

Agree that Raptors have played their final.

4-1 unless conspiracy theorists are right and the NBA top brass pressures Warriors to keep the series alive by deliberately losing.

Anything can happen after the 2016 NBA Finals where the refs all over a sudden changed their interpretation on allowable defense. #Believeland *cough* *cough*

1-0 Raptors!

Leave those brooms in the closet lads!

Warriors clearly rusty. This was the one game the Raptors had to win. They could easily lose the next 4 but the Raptors winning a game 1 at home is always cause for celebration!

Leave those brooms in the closet lads!

DeMarcus Cousins is back.

That was painful.

So many stupid fouls, especially in the first half to keep the Warriors in it and help Curry fund his groove. Then so many sloppy turnovers again to basically gift the warriors a run. Once the Warriors got up they smelled blood and went for the kill. Raptors were lucky to have it as close as they did late with Thompson out.

Really had a chance to go up 2-0 and let it slip.

Had 2 chances really.
As someone supporting the Warriors those last 6 minutes were painful, and not just because they seemed to take 46 minutes of actual time (with 40 of them being commercials and replay reviews). Klay was out injured. Cousins was fatigued. Everyone else was hesitant and chokey. 6 minutes without scoring a point.
But Toronto just refused to take advantage. They might have blown the series right there.

Next game Toronto's chance to pounce. GS are dealing with a lot of niggling injuries (and possible DNPs- Durant, Iggy, Klay, Looney, DMC). Toronto grab a game in Cali and the series evens right up again.

New just came in. Looney out for season. Klay questionable.

More minutes for the Bogeyman!

2-1!

With no Klay (and still no KD) the Raps HAD to win that game. They definitely came out with the right mentality and played well, but it still took them 46 minutes to put the Warriors away.

I thought it was the worst reffed game of the series so far and favoured the Raps, which probably just helped enough to stave off the nerves of the Warriors bringing the game back to a 1-2 posession game a couple of times.

Seeing Danny Green go off from 3 was a relief. Hope he can keep it up. Obviously we can't expect 6 threes a game from him, but if he can hit at his average clip that frees up Lowry, Siakam and Kawwhi to do their thing.

Steph was amazing. Very nearly won a game on his own with Dray, a bunch of old guys (Livingston, Iggy, Bogut), fringe rotation guys (Cook, McKinnie, Bell) and a broken Cousins.

Klay coming back should put them back to favourites in any one game, but without KD the series is probably 50-50 now. IF KD comes back anywhere near his best, the Warriors should be able to wrap this up, but at the moment that is still a big IF

Forgot to mention, Bogut was huge in this one. Great D and the right place at the right time on offense. Reckon he might start the next one.

Raptors are one win away, but KD is back in the Warriors line up for Game 5. If KD manages to lead them to victory in 7 it'll do a lot for his legacy.

So damn nervous about this one.

Go Raptors!

If Toronto take the 3rd quarter they will win.
We The North :)

Raptors lost their chance their. Fought their way back into the game, had Kawhi on a tear up 6 with 3 minutes to go and take a time out. Out of the time out they go passive and the Warriors go on a 9-0 run to seal the game.

Awful time out. I'll never understand why you take a time out when you have a team on the ropes like that.

Then 1 down with the ball and 15 seconds we muck around with it and get off a late prayer with no chance at a rebound or hack em for another chance at a winner. Sure the Warriors D was good, but you've gotta get something early.

With KD out for the rest of the series the Raptors SHOULD win one of the next 2 on balance, but this Warriors team still has 3 of the 4 best players and a history of pulling out a win with odds against them. I hope we don't look back on that final 3 minutes as the "what could have been".

I'm nervous. At least this time I don't have any meetings in my way so will be heading to the pub to watch the game.

Looney is apparently good to go...somehow. Lost in all the KD stuff is how big of an effort Kevon is putting in to be on the floor. Respect.

Go Raptors!

One of my mates is crapping on that Toronto deserve an asterisk next to their title due to Golden State injuries.
I don't buy into that nor would I ever say if only Childress didn't get injured in his grand final series.
Toronto were the better team congratulations to them.

To those GSW fans that was a foot note of playoff injuries against Toronto.

a) GSW's first championship (2015) was against a Cavaliers team with no Kyrie or Love.
b) When Kyrie and Love were healthy GSW lost despite being 3-1 up.
c) Zaza took out Kawhi when SAS were up by 20 in GSW 2017.
d) Chris Paul was injured in Game 6 in 2018 and out for Game 7 in Houston.

GSW has been one of the greatest beneficiaries of injuries to others in modern history.

I don't care how many *** people wanna put on this, I'm stoked!

The Warriors were gutsy as though. Hanging in there with all those guys hurt. Looking at that effort, anyone who thinks a fully fit Warriors wouldn't have steamrolled any team 4-0 is kidding themselves. But that's sport.

Lovebroker thanks for that excellent summary although the GSW tards will still think they got hard done by despite previous luck.