NBA Season 2019/20

Last season my picks were 50/50 at best. This year I've got no idea which team will emerge at the top. They're all so close, all looking good, and there has been so many big moves of top players between teams.

Having said that, I like the look of the Denver Nuggets, and the Milwaukee Bucks. Of course I always support the Houston Rockets but I'm not convinced they can get the most out of Russell Westbrook. He's just too much of a ball hog.

The Los Angeles Lakers can never be discounted either, they've got a powerful lineup.

Teams that will disappoint? Maybe the Los Angeles Clippers, they've never won a title, old habits are hard to break. The Brooklyn Nets won't be a real force until Kevin Durant is back from injury, so their fans will have to wait until 2020/21.

Surprises? Not so much of a surprise really; the Philadelphia 76ers, look for them to be the main challenger to the Bucks in the east. Oh and the Toronto Raptors, even without Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors may surprise once again.

Summary:

Looking Good;

Denver Nuggets
Milwaukee Bucks

Don't Discount;

Los Angeles Lakers
Houston Rockets

Disappointing;

Los Angeles Clippers
Brooklyn Nets

Surprises;

Philadelphia 76ers
Toronto Raptors.

Toronto Raptors: Chip on their Shoulder

Not a single player in the champion Raptors side was an NBA lottery pick. The following article details how each player was acquired and where they were in the draft. It's an interesting read and just goes to show, a team of players with something to prove can achieve greatness.

https://www.thestar.com/sports/raptors/2019/04/11/how-the-2018-19-raptors-were-built.html

Toronto Raptors Win NBA Championship

The Raptors have pulled off a massive upset, beating the Golden State Warriors 4-2 in the series. Game 6 was even tighter than the close score suggests. For the losers, Klay Thompson stood out, when he dislocated his knee he had the presence of mind to crawl back onto the court to ensure he was down while fully in the field of play, then when carried from the area he returned to make his free throws. Now that is tough. I hope he's all right. And for the winners, what a great team effort, with Kawhi Leonard the man who can do anything.

Toronto Raptors: Defense

It's all about defense, that's my reasoning behind the Raptors surprise upsets over the Golden State Warriors in the 2019 NBA finals. I know a lot of people are going on about their offesne, but look at the scores, the Warriors are being restricted. Leonard, Gasol, Ibaka, Siakam and Green are all defensive heavyweights.

2019 NBA Finals

Wow, it's now 3-1 to the Raptors in the series. Drake really has proven to be a lucky charm. The Warriors appear completely psyched out, with incidents like the co-owner pushing a Raptors player at courtside. I'm sure the Raptors are making the most of every incident no matter how slight they are. And now the Raptors get to go for the series win at home with Drake cheering on. It's entertaining.

Drake a Lucky Charm?

The Toronto Raptors have beaten the Golden State Warriors in game 1 of the 2019 NBA Finals. Is this a Drake factor? Popular rapper Drake has been winding up opposition teams throughout the playoffs. Have Drake's antics on the sideline had a tangible effect? You've got to laugh though, only in the game of basketball could it be true.