It’s a near certainty we won’t see a fifth straight NBA Finals featuring the same two teams.
While the Golden State Warriors are a virtual lock to reach the championship stage this season, the LeBron James-less Cleveland Cavaliers have little to no chance of competing for the 2019 title.
As such, the door is wide open for a new club to stake claim of the Eastern Conference. While the Boston Celtics were on the radar of most heading into the season, Klay Thompson has his eyes set on a different team.
Speaking ahead of the Warriors’ Thursday night matchup with the Raptors, Thompson offered some high praise to Toronto.
“They’re going to be a great test for us,” Thompson said, per The Mercury News. “Who knows? It might be a preview of June. They got something really special up there in Canada right now.”
It’s tough to blame Thompson for entertaining the idea. The Raptors currently are a league-best 18-4 and Kawhi Leonard has played as advertised for his new team. It certainly won’t be a cakewalk to the Finals for Toronto, though, as the Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers will make things interesting.
The bigger question is, can any of those teams take down the Warriors in a seven-game series?
