This may be the first NBA Finals that does not include LeBron James in roughly a decade, but that doesn’t mean the epic showdown between the Raptors and defending champion Warriors will lack entertainment.
After four straight years of Warriors/Cavaliers, fans are excited for a new matchup to watch and wager on. The Warriors are heavy favorites and most of the bets that have come through the Vegas sports books have been placed on Golden State. Still, as the 2016 NBA Season showed us, the Warriors can be beat by the right team. Raptors fans hope this is their year to pull off such a feat, with a lot of Canadians making large bets on Toronto. If you are looking for a top-rated Canadian sports book to wager on the NBA Finals, Amazing.bet will give you a full analysis of the best place to make your bet, including relevant deposit bonuses and other offers.
Golden State, after all, is looking to win its third consecutive title, and its fourth in five years. Had Draymond Green not got himself suspended for Game 5 of the 2015 NBA Finals, the Warriors would likely be going for five straight. Not only that, the uncertainty surrounding the offseason further adds intrigue to the end of the Warriors’ campaign, with Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant both set to become free agents. The team is also preparing to relocate from Oakland to San Francisco after season’s end, which also puts pressure on the Warriors players, looking to send the fans at Oracle Arena out with a win.
On the other side of the coin, the Raptors have never appeared in an NBA Finals, until now, that is. General manager Masai Ujiri was criticized for trading away DeMar DeRozan during the offseason, even though he landed superstar Kawhi Leonard in exchange. It’s unclear if the Raptors will be able to re-sign Leonard this summer, or if he ends up departing for Los Angeles, but getting to the NBA Finals should surely help matters. Leonard is looking to return to his 2014 NBA Finals MVP form, when he and the Spurs shocked LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat in a thrilling championship-series upset. Leonard, even with all the stars on the court, was the best player in that series. He’ll be looking to mimic that feat starting on Thursday night, when Game 1 is set to tip off at Scotiabank Arena.
Speaking of superstars, it’s unclear when Kevin Durant will return to the court, if at all. KD has been nursing a calf injury he suffered in Game 5 of the conference semifinals, and it’s led many to speculate about possible Achilles damage. The team has been mum about his status, and it’s looking highly unlikely that he’ll be playing in Game 1. Golden State will need him out there on the court, though, as he creates mismatches, and forces Leonard to guard him for at least a good chunk of the game.
This may be the first NBA Finals that does not include LeBron James in roughly a decade, but that doesn’t mean the epic showdown between the Raptors and defending champion Warriors will lack entertainment.
Golden State, after all, is looking to win its third consecutive title, and its fourth in five years. Had Draymond Green not got himself suspended for Game 5 of the 2015 NBA Finals, the Warriors would likely be going for five straight. Not only that, the uncertainty surrounding the offseason further adds intrigue to the end of the Warriors’ campaign, with Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant both set to become free agents. The team is also preparing to relocate from Oakland to San Francisco after season’s end, which also puts pressure on the Warriors players, looking to send the fans at Oracle Arena out with a win.
On the other side of the coin, the Raptors have never appeared in an NBA Finals, until now, that is. General manager Masai Ujiri was criticized for trading away DeMar DeRozan during the offseason, even though he landed superstar Kawhi Leonard in exchange. It’s unclear if the Raptors will be able to re-sign Leonard this summer, or if he ends up departing for Los Angeles, but getting to the NBA Finals should surely help matters. Leonard is looking to return to his 2014 NBA Finals MVP form, when he and the Spurs shocked LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat in a thrilling championship-series upset. Leonard, even with all the stars on the court, was the best player in that series. He’ll be looking to mimic that feat starting on Thursday night, when Game 1 is set to tip off at Scotiabank Arena.
Speaking of superstars, it’s unclear when Kevin Durant will return to the court, if at all. KD has been nursing a calf injury he suffered in Game 5 of the conference semifinals, and it’s led many to speculate about possible Achilles damage. The team has been mum about his status, and it’s looking highly unlikely that he’ll be playing in Game 1. Golden State will need him out there on the court, though, as he creates mismatches, and forces Leonard to guard him for at least a good chunk of the contests.
Still, at the end of the day, the Warriors are the more talented, experienced group, and we look for Stephen Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green to lead the team to victory in six games — giving the Dubs the benefit of lifting the Larry O’Brien Trophy in front of fans at Oracle Arena one final time.
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