NBA 2018/19: 3 reasons why we need a Warriors-Raptors Final

The Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors faced off in Toronto last night, and the game was arguably the best of the NBA season so far. The game was epic throughout, and after the added drama of overtime, the Raptors defeated the Warriors by a scoreline of 131-128. The two teams will potentially face off in the 2019 NBA Finals, and here we look at the 3 reasons NBA fans should hope to see this matchup in June.

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#3 Entertainment Value

Not many games this season will be more entertaining than last night's game

Most NBA Finals can be tense, drawn-out affairs, however, based on last night's game, these two teams are willing to go at each other from the start. Both teams are the most exciting to watch in their respective Conferences, and their potential Finals matchup could be one of the most entertaining in decades.

A Warriors and Raptors matchup would provide epic duels between Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard, controversy from Draymond Green and even a goodwill America vs Canada narrative. After years of repetitive Warriors and Cavaliers finals, this is exactly what the NBA needs.

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#2 The East's Biggest Star

Kawhi Leonard is the Eastern Conference's best player

With LeBron now out of the Eastern Conference, a new star is required to step up and dominate the NBA postseason. Joel Embiid may eventually be the man to do this, although Kawhi Leonard is currently the best player in the East, and last night he showed that he can cause serious problems to Golden State.

Much has been made of Leonard's last 12 months, as he has been criticised for leaving the Spurs, while experts such as Skip Bayless have questioned if he was actually injured last season. The 2014 NBA Finals MVP is also entering free-agency this summer, so Leonard leading the Raptors in the NBA Finals would be an incredible narrative, that would only add to the drama and excitement of the postseason.

#1 A team that could beat the Warriors

The Warriors have completely dominated the NBA in recent years

The Golden State Warriors have completely dominated the NBA since their breakout 2014/15 season. The team has won three out of the last four NBA Finals, and 2018's sweep of the Cavaliers was a major disappointment for neutral basketball fans.

When the team added All-Star DeMarcus Cousins in the past offseason, it looked as though Steve Kerr's Warriors would storm to a third consecutive title. Nonetheless, much to the delight of NBA fans everywhere, the Raptors have emerged as a team from the Eastern Conference that can actually compete with the Warriors.

The Raptors demonstrated last night that they can go head-to-head with the Warriors, and the team currently has the best record in the entire NBA. The Warriors would still be the favourites in the Finals, but the Raptors will continue to improve over the coming months, and the team will be the best equipped to challenge the Warriors in June.