The Toronto Raptors are turning heads yet again as they defeated the Lakers and the Miami Heat in a convincing fashion.
Last year’s NBA championship was one for the books. The Toronto Raptors received its very first NBA title since its inception. Jurrasic Park exploded with cheers and happy faces as the team beat the defending champs, Golden State Warriors. Leading the troops was Kawhi Leonard, who has left to join the Clippers this year.
Despite his departure, the Raps are looking to repeat with the squad they have.
Toronto Raptors championship DNA
The Raptors kept their main lineup intact outside of Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. Almost everyone dismissed them during the start of the season. However, they currently hold the league’s third-best record and second-best record in the East. They’re proving that their style of basketball is bigger than one superstar leading the way.
They showed this in their convincing win against the Los Angeles Lakers. They made the life of Anthony Davis a living hell by choking his passing vision after consistent double teams. Davis was held with just 14 points in a very poor 28.6% shooting from the field. This proves that the Raptors are feisty and will not give up any breathing room for their opponents’ star to thrive.
They out-assisted, out-rebounded and out-played the Los Angeles Lakers. It is no small feat considering that the Lakers are favorites to win it all this year.
The Toronto Raptors repeated the same style of play when they went up against the Miami Heat. The game went to the wire with a game-winning steal from Fred VanVleet sealing the match. However, the most dazzling feature of the game was the Raptors’ defense. They held Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo to just 16 and 10 points each. Miami’s sharpshooter, Duncan Robinson, only sank one three-pointer in the game.
The Raptors know they are underdogs
Head coach Nick Nurse knows and accepts the fact that their team is an underdog. They entered the last season the same way, and they’re doing it all over again this year. Nonetheless, they don’t lose sleep over it. In fact, it plays to their advantage as the pressure is taken off of the players’ shoulders.
They just enjoy the game and focus on repeating an NBA championship run. Their team is composed of a good mix of veterans and young players. Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol, and Serge Ibaka are all seasoned players who are vocal on the floor. Assisting them are VanVleet, Siakam, and Aunoby that all have so much potential to carry their team moving forward.
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