2019 NBA Finals: Golden State Warriors vs. Toronto Raptors

Kawhi has improved his game since then, especially offensively. The last time we saw him in the playoffs he was killing GS until Zaza happened.

Shocker. He’s clearly limited.

 

Is it better to be up 3-1 or down 3-1? To have to win 1 of 3 or 3 of 3?

Raptors played 19 playoff games before the Finals (including two game 7's in the previous 2 rounds). Warriors played 16 (including almost a week extra off before the Finals and only 10 games in the previous 2 rounds).

It's hard to argue that Warriors are more fatigued. They swept the conference Finals. Even in games with Klay they are down 2-1 to the Raptors. They swept the Blazers without Cousins and Durant. Sweep. In the conference Finals.

I don't think it's reasonable to characterize this situation as the Warriors are unlucky or not playing well. Here's the situation with all the conditions included:

The Raptors are up 2-1 on the better-rested team that swept the Blazers in the Conference Finals.

 

Here is the deal: desperation is a double-edged sword, it can lift you to greater heights or it can cause you to overcompensate and mess up. When you get overhyped you start overshooting, over passing, etc. Your timing gets off. You know GS is going to be pumped. That might work against them.

 

Question:

Which Toronto Raptors players had the highest draft position?

 

Warriors are 5-1 facing elimination with Kerr.

Rockets own 2 of the 5, and OKC the other 3.

 

GS played 6+6+4=16 games before the finals while Raptors played 5+7+6=18 games (only the Philly series went the distance).

Beyond a point, you dont get any more rested no matter how many more days you get. Instead you run the risk of rust. Both teams had enough days of rest coming into the series.

The question of fatigue only comes up in game 4, which had a short turnaround (1 day), and given that GS were shorthanded with injuries to starters, their player logged heavier than usual minutes which is hard to recover from in a quick turnaround. Klay did not play Game 3 and thus the fatigue factor did not apply to him, but it is quite significant particularly for Curry who played 43min carrying the bulk of the offensive load.

So you cannot include game 4 as a fair evaluation. That leaves only the first two games and that was 1-1 with both being played in Toronto. It will thus be naive and short sighted for anyone to think that Raptors have figured out something and this series is over.

Yes it is better to be up 3-1, but you can also find yourself on the wrong end of a 4-3 outcome. It is much harder to do without home court but it has been done before and in the finals no less (ask GS).

 

I expect Curry and Klay to deliver with Iggy being the x-factor.

If Iggy goes for 60% on 3pt like he did against us, GS will win.

 

Rest matters. We can throw in a ton of subjective points. Like the Warriors are less likely to be rusty because the core has been together years. That's a well oiled machine in their physical prime. Both teams had the short turnaround. Etc.

It's not this coin flip thing bro. Teams that take a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals have a 33-1 series record. Cavs are the only team to have ever done it and if you think fatigue is a factor that affects the Warriors more, then how is that going to play out if this series goes 7 and game 7 is in Toronto?

 

60% from 3 is a stretch... consider he is shooting 40% from the FT line rn

 

I have not said that GS suffered from being rusty so not sure why you brought that up.

If I give you 10 days off vs 1 month, I doubt you will be anymore rested in one case vs the other. At some point, you are simply back to you optimum state - your body does not store extra rest that you can use in the future. Also, another reference is there is approx 2 days on average between games during the regular season.

Like I made clear earlier, the fatigue factor was specifically with respect to Game 4 i.e. GS played longer minutes in game 3 and only one day before game 4. Fatigue wouldnt have been a significant factor if there were 2 days between game 3 and 4.

Game 4 was a scheduling aberration cos there were/are two rest days between every other game in this finals. The remaining schedule is what it should be and fatigue should no longer be a factor.

Before the Cavs did it in the finals, everyone quoted the record of it never haven been done. Have never said its a coin flip but simply that it was doable and that the series is not over until one team wins 4 games. Raptors are still overwhelming favorites to win the series.

 

Raptors legend McIlroy.

 

Do y’all think the warriors win today? The rigged fraud league will surely make the warriors will.

 

Game 2 was the Foster Brothers game. The league is short on riggings.

 

surprised no mauer

Golden State @ TorontoJames Capers (#19)Jason Phillips (#23)Ed Malloy (#14)Kane Fitzgerald (#5)

 

Damn... That actually feels like the league is going to let it be a normal game. They must have really given up on GS this year.

 

Trolling Zboy so hard! Ouch!

 

Go Toronto! End the Golden Boys' reign once and for all.

 

Silver has officially raised the white flag