Inside the NBA bubble we’ve seen plenty of surprises:
The Phoenix Suns suddenly look like an up-and-coming contender in the West, TJ Warren is playing at an elite level, Michael Porter Jr. is now an invaluable member of the Denver Nuggets franchise, and Damian Lillard legitimately looks like a reincarnation of an Allen Iverson-Kobe Bryant hybrid.
Another pleasant surprise has been the success of the ragtag Brooklyn Nets. When Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, DeAndre Jordan, Taurean Prince, and Wilson Chandler all decided not to accompany the team to Orlando, for one reason or another, no one knew what this team would look like. Surprisingly, the Nets have performed admirably, with a record of 5-3, and picked up wins over the likes of championship-caliber squads in the LA Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks.
Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, and Joe Harris have each taken on much larger roles and fringe G-League guys like Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Chris Chiozza, and Justin Anderson have also made nice contributions. Throw in rotation guys such as Garrett Temple and Rodions Kurucs, and this team can actually keep up on the court.
However, as much fun as it has been to root for these guys, and it has been a joy to watch the development of the young guns (Levert & Allen), let’s be realistic; the Nets don’t stand a chance.
Despite finishing as the #2 seed, the Toronto Raptors are probably the best team in the East. They are extremely talented, well-coached, and have a championship pedigree. Furthermore, they have surprised a majority of NBA fans too. Losing a top 5 player in Kawhi Leonard over the summer hasn’t slowed them down one bit. If anything, now they’re even more driven and motivated to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke.
The continuous improvement of Pascal Siakam has been giving opposing teams nightmares. Last year his scoring jumped from 7.3PPG to 16.9, and this year that number has spiked from 16.9 all the way to 22.9. He’s also averaging career highs in blocks (0.9), steals (1.0), assists (3.5), and rebounds (7.3). It’s no wonder as to why he was voted as a starter in this year’s All-Star game. Kyle Lowry, always one of the most underrated guards in the league, has been steady as can be and a great leader in the locker room. Fred VanVleet has stepped up as well, and the former G-Leaguer is now averaging a whopping 18PPG in addition to 6 assists and nearly 4 rebounds. Marc Gasol, Serge Ibaka, and OG Anunoby have seen time in the starting lineup and fit seamlessly with Toronto’s style of play.
On top of all that, and unlike some other teams in the playoffs, the Toronto Raptors are extremely deep. Their bench rotation consists of starting-caliber players. Terence Davis, Chris Boucher, Norman Powell, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson have all had solid years. Oh yeah, and they also have Stanley Johnson (a former #8 pick) just collecting DNPs.
This Raptors squad essentially gets help from every active body on the roster. They’re long, lengthy, hard-nosed, and they turn defense into offense. Nick Nurse has done a fabulous job in terms of player development and having each guy buy into the culture.
As previously mentioned, it’s been fun to see the Nets in Orlando, and they have done well considering the bodies they’re working with. Next year things may look a little different with the return of KD and Kyrie, but for now I’m taking the champs in a sweep.
Raptors win 4-0 and it’s not even close.
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