I recently wrote a piece proclaiming the Philadelphia 76ers to have the second-best starting lineup in the NBA when healthy. Obviously, the Golden State Warriors have the league's top starting five, but I think the Sixers are just behind them.
So surely that means the Sixers are also the only Eastern Conference team who have a chance to defeat the Warriors?
Not so fast, my friend. Philadelphia has plenty of talent and is fully capable of representing the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals. But in such a matchup, the Warriors would have a huge advantage over the Sixers in terms of playoff experience.
That's also why I wouldn't expect the Milwaukee Bucks, who have been at or near the top of the Eastern Conference standings all season, to have a chance against Golden State in a best-of-seven series. I could see them winning a game or two, but nothing more than that.
The same goes for the Boston Celtics. They have more playoff experience, but haven't displayed as much consistency as they did a season ago. Thus, they probably don't quite have what it takes to keep the Warriors from winning their third straight NBA championship either.
So, with all that said, who is the only Eastern Conference team with a chance against Golden State?
In my opinion, it's the Toronto Raptors. Despite winning just five playoff series in their 23-year history and making it to the Eastern Conference Finals just once, I feel they are the only team in the East with a chance against the Warriors.
The primary reason is small forward Kawhi Leonard, who is in his first season with the Raptors after seven years with the San Antonio Spurs. The 2014 NBA Finals MVP, Leonard certainly knows what it's like to play on the league's biggest stage.
Not only has he won an NBA title and reached the NBA Finals twice, but Leonard is also a three-time All-Star. Furthermore, he is a two-time All-NBA First Team selection and a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He's also just 27 years old and is currently in the midst of the best season of his career.
As of right now, Leonard is averaging career highs in points (27.4) and rebounds (7.9) per game. He's also dishing out 3.1 assists per game to go with 1.9 steals per game while shooting 49.9 percent from the field, 37.4 percent from 3-point range and 85.8 from the free-throw line. Those are MVP-level numbers for a guy who has always quietly gone about his business.
Leonard isn't the only All-Star in Toronto, though. The team's starting point guard is Kyle Lowry, who has been to four All-Star Games since joining the Raptors in 2012 and is headed to his fifth on Feb. 17. And like Leonard, Lowry prefers to keep his mouth shut and just play the game.
Lowry is nearly averaging a double-double this season, recording 14.1 points and a career-high 9.2 assists per contest. He is also a tenacious defender, as evidenced by his 1.4 steals per game, and he pulls down an impressive 4.5 rebounds per game.
One would presume Leonard would guard Kevin Durant and Lowry would guard Stephen Curry, pitting the two best players on each team against one another. Additionally, Toronto has the long and athletic Danny Green — who also came over from San Antonio — to give Klay Thompson trouble on defense and hopefully nail some 3-pointers on the offensive end.
Rounding out the Raptors' starting five are frontcourt players Pascal Siakam and Serge Ibaka. Siakam is enjoying a breakout season in his third year in the league, as he is presently averaging 15.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Ibaka is a 10-year veteran who is not only Toronto's second leading scorer at 16.1 points per game, but its second leading rebounder (7.7 per game) and its top shot blocker (1.3 per game).
Thanks to the aforementioned starting group, the Raptors are currently 38-16 and second in the Eastern Conference. In addition to scoring the third-most points of any team in the Eastern Conference (113.8 per game), Toronto is also seventh in the conference in points allowed (108.5 per game).
The Raptors also have one of the NBA's top benches, with the play of seventh-year center Jonas Valanciunas (12.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per game) and third-year point guard Fred VanVleet (10.4 points and 4.6 assists per game) standing out above the rest. The trio of Norman Powell, OG Anunoby and CJ Miles are solid pieces as well, and the Raptors' third center is 28-year-old Greg Monroe.
Toronto also isn't afraid of the Warriors, as its 2-0 record against Golden State this season can attest. One of the Raptors' wins came without Leonard and the Warriors were missing players in the other meeting between the teams, but being undefeated against the two-time defending NBA champions is still an impressive feat.
In the end, there may be no team that can stop the Warriors, who are once again at the top of the Western Conference standings and recently went on an 11-game winning streak. But if any team has a chance, it's the Raptors.
Led by Leonard, who is one of the game's most talented two-way players, Toronto's entire team has become arguably the NBA's premier two-way team. The Raptors get it done on both ends of the floor and they are unrelenting, which is what's needed against a juggernaut like Golden State.
For now, an NBA Finals matchup between the Raptors and Warriors is merely a fantasy. But if all the stars align, it could become a reality in just a few months.
Nevertheless, the Raptors are the Eastern Conference's best hope to end Golden State's stranglehold on the NBA. They appear to have just the right mix of players to give the Warriors a run for their money.
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