NBA Finals 2019: 3 Things Toronto Raptors need to do to beat the Golden State Warriors
The Toronto Raptors have reached the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history. They have been superb throughout the playoffs.
They started off their playoff campaign with a shocking loss to the Orlando Magic. But they recovered brilliantly and won the series 4-1. Then they had a marathon 7 game series against the Philadelphia 76ers which was decided on a series-winning buzzer beater by Kawhi Leonard. In the Eastern Conference finals, the Raptors won four consecutive games to see off the challenge of the Greek Freak and the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Raptors have played great throughout the year. They even finished with a better regular season record than the Warriors and hence, will be having home court advantage in the NBA Finals. But still they start as underdogs against the defending champs.
Let's have a look at the three key things that the Toronto Raptors need to do to beat the Golden State Warriors:
#3 Use their superior bench strength
The Warriors' bench unit comprising of Quinn Cook, Kevon Looney, Jonas Jerebko, Jordan Bell played superbly in the Western Conference Finals. But they lacked consistency throughout the season and cannot be trusted upon in pressure situations. One of the biggest concerns throughout the season for the Warriors was their lack of bench strength.
On the other hand, the Raptors have one of the best bench units in the entire NBA. Fred VanVleet was exceptional in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Bucks. His amazing shooting from beyond the arc was one of the biggest reasons for Raptors' success.
Serge Ibaka and Norman Powell were also great. They have the capability to dominate the Warriors' bench unit. The Raptors must utilize their superior bench advantage.