After being crowned as the 2019 NBA champions, the Toronto Raptors are going to be tested to defend their hard-earned championship in 2020.
The epilogue of the 2018-19 NBA season had the Toronto Raptors emerge as the new NBA champions. After accomplishing this incredible feat for the first time in franchise history, these Raptors are now on top of the world.
In an era of basketball filled with super-teams, a defensive-minded Toronto squad managed to fight its way to the top of the mountain.
The Raptors defeated a fairly stacked Philadelphia 76ers team that was just a couple of points away from possibly knocking them off, as the series ended with the legendary Game 7 buzzer-beater from Kawhi Leonard.
KAWHI CALLED SERIES! pic.twitter.com/V4AIuMULNO
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) May 13, 2019
After putting the crack on the Liberty Bell, they moved on to upset the No. 1-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, who were led by MVP frontrunner Giannis Antetokounmpo. After losing the first two games in Milwaukee, the Raptors would go on to win four straight to close out the series at home, marking it as the first NBA Finals appearance in franchise history.
The Finals is possibly as big as it gets when it comes to USA sports. Up against the Golden State Warriors, the Raptors executed Nick Nurse’s defensive schemes to perfection, ultimately confirming the old saying: “Defense wins championships.”
Up until the Finals, the Warriors averaged 117.3 points per game on offense. Their struggles began upon facing the Raptors, who held them to just 105.8 points per game during the six-game series.
Now on their quest to defend the crown, here are five reasons why the Toronto Raptors should be feeling quite confident to repeat in 2020 as NBA champs.