Toronto Raptors

Drake showed up to Scotiabank Arena for Game 2 of the NBA Finals in a hoodie featuring Kevin McCallister, the iconic Home Alone protagonist who defended his family's house from burglars on Christmas Eve.

Drake is rocking the Home Alone hoodie tonight. pic.twitter.com/hvvObuTLJv

— Complex Sports (@ComplexSports) June 3, 2019

Drake's team, the Toronto Raptors, is hosting the two-time defending champion Golden State Warriors on Sunday.

Drake may feel the same as Kevin McCallister did right before he laid out a series of traps to stop the Wet Bandits.

"This is my house. I have to defend it," Kevin said. And he did, with the help of Old Man Marley/the South Bend Shovel Slayer.

The sweatshirt is also likely referencing Warriors forward Kevin Durant, who is out with a strained right calf. Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that league sources told him the 10-time All-Star is expected to return "at some point midway through the NBA Finals."

No word if Drake ate a highly nutritious microwavable mac-and-cheese dinner or used a toothbrush approved by the American Dental Association afterward, but he's probably looking to call the Warriors les incompetents when this series is over.

Drake has become synonymous with everything Toronto Raptors during the franchise's first run to the NBA Finals, and his 2011 verse "Always presidential and tonight's no blue moon" has never been more relevant than ahead of Sunday night's Game 2.

Barack Obama arrived at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena alongside Raptors President Masai Ujiri for Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Raptors and Golden State Warriors. "What's goin' on, people?" the 44th president of the United States asked with a smile amid camera flashes.

Obama in the 6ix for Game 2

(via @Raptors)pic.twitter.com/YMpiU7Pzg3

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 2, 2019

This is not the first time Obama and Ujiri have hung out, as they have been friends for years. Last summer, the two had a shootaround on a basketball court newly opened as part of a community center built in Kogelo, Kenya.

Obama's affinity for basketball is well-documented. The 57-year-old famously fills out a March Madness bracket every year, including each of the eight years he was in office. He was also in attendance at Cameron Indoor Stadium back in February to take in Duke versus North Carolina.

Game 2 begins at 8 p.m. ET as the Raptors look to take a 2-0 series lead with Obama on their side.

As fate would have it, the unexpected laugh let out by a typically stoic Kawhi Leonard at the Toronto Raptors' media day in September was more foreshadowing than fluke.

Ahead of Sunday's NBA Finals Game 2, the All-Star forward told reporters Saturday that he's having plenty of fun in Toronto:

"Obviously, it's a lot more fun when you're getting plays called for you and you're able to live your childhood dream in being able to shoot the ball 20 times a game. The offense is coming toward you, rather than just being out there doing one job. Because when you first come in as a rookie, unless you're like a top-10 player, you're really not going to touch the floor a whole lot, or get the offense run through you.

"That kind of throws you off, or for me just like puts you in a box somewhat. You have to figure out a way to have fun. Like I said, being a child, I didn't envision myself just being in a box in the NBA. But once that time comes, I feel like you're just having more fun and you're able to experience the game and grow as a player, making plays, seeing double-teams and finding other guys."

Leonard spent the first seven seasons of his NBA career in San Antonio. While he was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year, won a championship and was the 2013-14 NBA Finals MVP as a Spur, he had not yet ascended to superstar status.

In 2014, a young Kawhi (22) won Finals MVP and kept the Heat from their third straight championship.

Five years later, he’s trying to stop another three-peat.

(via @NBATV)pic.twitter.com/9utH4TagOK

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 27, 2019

When the Spurs traded Leonard to Toronto last summer, most analysts expected him to leave via free agency this offseason. However, the 27-year-old has spoken highly of his time in the North.

In March, Leonard praised the Raptors for how the staff managed his health. "We've been doing a great job of making sure that nothing flares up or gets out of control. It's just been great," he said, according to TSN's Josh Lewenberg.  

Leonard only appeared in 60 regular-season games due to load management. That approach came after he had a rift with the Spurs over how they handled his lingering quad injury, which limited him to nine games in 2017-18. Toronto's strategy has paid off in the postseason. 

Leonard has been a formidable two-way talent, averaging 30.7 points per game during the playoffs.

Kawhi is on a playoff run for the ages.

◽️ 31.2 PPG | 8.8 RPG | 50.7 FG%
◽️ Raptors’ first NBA Finals
◽️ Iconic buzzer-beater
◽️ Helped stop Giannis
◽️ 7 games with 35+ points
◽️ Playoff points leader by 100+
◽️ Playoff leader in PTS, FGM, MIN, STL pic.twitter.com/6RrjfQvhPM

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 26, 2019

Friday, TrueHoops' David Thorpe reported Leonard is likely to re-sign with Toronto on a short-term deal: 

Count on Kawhi returning to the Raptors, per TrueHoop sources, @coachthorpe. https://t.co/HnsuYluuTg pic.twitter.com/tcbvSLIzQS

— Henry Abbott (@TrueHoop) May 31, 2019

While that would be a major win, Toronto's immediate focus is to capture the franchise's first championship. The latter will more than likely tip the former in the Raptors' favor. 

Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Raptors and Golden State Warriors tips off 8 p.m. Sunday at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena. The Raptors hold a 1-0 series lead.

Throughout these NBA playoffs, Kawhi Leonard has done the improbable over and over again, helping to carry the Toronto Raptors to their first NBA Finals appearance. He hit the game-clinching three over Joel Embiid in Game 4 of the second-round matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers, which was followed by a series-clinching buzzer-beater in front of the home crowd in Game 7.

In the Eastern Conference Finals, with Toronto trailing 2-0 against the Milwaukee Bucks, Leonard took on the defensive assignment against Giannis Antetokounmpo and was the best two-way player on the floor for the next four games.

The Raptors won all four, and after Thursday's Game 1 victory in the NBA Finals over the Golden State Warriors, they are now three victories away from the championship.

The on-court accomplishments have been remarkable—one of the greatest individual postseason runs in years—but Leonard's most improbable task might be this: He might have single-handedly changed a cynical Raptors fanbase into a group that is willing to believe in anything. It was especially evident Thursday, with a home crowd that was not only confidently cheering on their team from tip-off but were persistent with their energy throughout the evening. The Raptors are in the Finals for the first time in NBA franchise history, and it appears they may be ready to turn the page permanently and leave all their insecurities behind.

Arguably no NBA fanbase has a greater inferiority complex than that of the Raptors. I grew up in Toronto and have followed the Raptors for their entire 24 years of existence. The feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop whenever things go well is the defining characteristic of rooting for the team. From Tracy McGrady leaving in free agency for Orlando, Vince Carter demanding a trade to New Jersey, high draft picks like Andrea Bargnani not panning out and the repeated failures of the Dwane Casey-Kyle Lowry-DeMar DeRozan Raptors in the playoffs, there's a rich history of disappointment from following the franchise which has made this feeling permeate among the fanbase.

Indu Rehal is a seasoned Raptors supporter and believes it's finally time to move on from what has long defined this suffering fanbase.

"To have that stamped onto the Raptors identity is a disservice," Rehal said. "It's time to shift from that narrative because it certainly does not reflect the attitude of Toronto. If we can have a prestigious film festival, respected universities, corners to discover, niches to fall in love with, acclaimed authors, then it can also have a competitive, highly competent franchise."

The Raptors have exactly that. They've been to the playoffs for six consecutive seasons and have won 50-plus games in the last four, all high-water marks for this franchise. But the postseason disappointments have piled up, which has only heightened the feelings of inferiority. The Raptors have repeatedly embarrassed themselves on the biggest stage.

Many other small markets might feel the same about their team, but even when the Raptors have been successful, they've rarely garnered any recognition in the U.S. market. Many analysts still talk about the Raptors with broad strokes, like when Fox Sports analyst Chris Broussard called the Raptors and the entire country of Canada "soft" during a radio show several weeks ago.

Despite its recent string of success, Toronto only started getting more nationally televised games this season, and it's still only played one contest on Christmas. There's often a feeling this franchise is completely detached from the other 29 markets in the U.S.

Being the only team in Canada, the Raptors are also plagued with concerns from players, who have to pass through customs every time they re-enter the country and notice minute details like the fact that ESPN is not available on Canadian cable. Antonio Davis, who played for the Raptors for parts of six seasons, was once concerned about the long-term impact of his children learning about the metric system in Canada. The easiest trope is still the Canadian winters, often painted as the equivalent of surviving the Arctic by those who have never lived in Toronto.

Despite all of this, there are two prominent faces representing the franchise who are trying to push the fanbase to think bigger in team president Masai Ujiri, who acquired Leonard in a trade last summer, and Drake, the star rapper who doubles as the team's official global ambassador and No. 1 courtside cheerleader.

Steve Sladkowski is a member of the Canadian punk rock band PUP. His Raptors fandom goes back to the expansion years, when the Raptors played at a baseball stadium, the SkyDome, from 1995 to 1999.

"What Drake has done to put Toronto on the map has been so big," Sladkowski said. "It put a focus on Toronto that has never been there before from an arts and culture perspective. Civic pride is important; it's actually how you become engaged in a city and where you live in many different ways. He's made it OK to be loud about how much they love the city."

Drake's courtside behavior can be a divisive topic among the fanbase. I've always been cautious about condoning his involving himself in the game—not because it ever feels inappropriate (I watched Spike Lee sit courtside with the Knicks for years), but because of the fear that his sticking his neck out too far will only haunt the team and add another story to the franchise's list of embarrassing big-stage moments (I watched what happened to Lee during Reggie Miller's eight points in nine seconds).

While my discomfort with Drake's bravado stems from the fear of watching the team embarrass itself again, his attitude combined with Ujiri's conviction and Leonard's calming presence creating a permanent change in the mindset of an entire fanbase.

They're starting to learn to embrace being as confident as the faces of the franchise.

"I feel like people are emboldened by this playoff run," Sladkowski said. "They're like, Nah, not this time, not anymore."

 

Sladkowski and his band were touring throughout most of the Raptors' playoff run. He wore a Pascal Siakam jersey on stage for most shows. The tour wrapped up last week, and he was in attendance last Saturday for Game 6 to watch the Raptors eliminate the Bucks. This time, he learned to fight those old feelings and believe.

"Even when they were trailing by 15, I was like, They're good, they're fine," Sladkowski said. "I think a lot of people are starting to feel that way about the Raptors, but feeling this way makes them uncomfortable, like, 'No, this can't be good.' The Toronto sports fan is conditioned to say, 'I can't feel good about this. They're going to do something to break my heart. It's going to hurt.'"

The inferiority complex isn't just connected to the franchise, where Raptors fans have long felt disregarded by the American media—with some even posing the league is conducting a grand conspiracy to keep the Raptors from advancing in the playoffs because of lower ratings in the United States. The Raptors also share a city with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and hockey remains king in this city and country.

Slowly, though, this has turned. Saturday's Game 6 was the most-watched basketball game in Canadian history, per Sportsnet.

Talking to long-time fans of the team, it is easy to see why the team's struggles over the years have created this lasting feeling of inferiority.

Shankar Sivananthan is a critical-care doctor in Toronto. Born in Sri Lanka, he moved to Canada when he was just 10 months old. He has been a Raptors fan for 23 years. He says there wasn't enough money to spend on going to Raptors games growing up. His close high school friend's father was a lawyer and would take him to a game every season. Sivananthan calls rooting for the Raptors a communal experience and reflective of the diversity of the city.

"When you look at the faces at Jurassic Park, that's the faces you see on the subway or at the mall. That's what Toronto is," Sivananthan said. "The Leafs fanbase is a little older and wealthier; it's still multicultural, but not as much as the Raptors fanbase."

Raptors fans started lining up outside Jurassic Park before 7 a.m....over 14 hours before 9 p.m. tip-off

(via @KamilKaramali) pic.twitter.com/qUzptnFyPr

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 30, 2019

As the team as grown and matured, so have the fans along with them.

"I've been thinking about the evolution of being a fan," Sivananthan said. "A lot of us immigrants, we come from humble beginnings. We had struggles through high school and college, and the team's ascension and its rise mirrors our rise, of making it in whatever profession or industry we're in. It's our generation now that's doing it, and it's amazing to see the team doing it with us."

There are more challenges ahead. The Raptors will face a Golden State Warriors team in their fifth consecutive Finals, who have lost just one playoff series during that stretch. Regardless of the outcome, Leonard is expected to decline his player option and become a free agent on June 30, with many industry insiders pointing him toward the Los Angeles Clippers.

Sivananthan believes Leonard's impact has already been felt and will represent a permanent change in the city's attitude, regardless of whether he returns. "It's gonna last," Sivananthan said. "Even if he leaves, people will have Raptors gear; they'll be tied to the team. This city and country is now tied together by this playoff run."

If anything, Leonard has taught the fanbase to carry the confidence with it even if he leaves.

"People are finally looking at Toronto as the fourth-largest city in North America," Sladkowski said. "We're finally embracing that."

Bettors hoping to get favorable NBA Finals MVP odds on Pascal Siakam missed their windows.

Caesars Palace noted Siakam's odds to take home the trophy went from plus-6000 (bet $100 to win $6,000) to plus-850 after he led the Toronto Raptors to a 118-109 victory over the Golden State Warriors in Thursday's Game 1 at Scotiabank Arena.

Siakam’s MVP odds skyrocketed after Game 1 🔥

(via @CaesarsPalace) pic.twitter.com/pLbXUVga3R

— br_betting (@br_betting) May 31, 2019

Siakam finished with 32 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two blocks while shooting 14-of-17 from the field. He was the best player on the floor in a game that included Kawhi Leonard, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

The Raptors needed such a performance because five-time All-Star Kyle Lowry was a mere 2-of-9 from the field, and all-around superstar Leonard was 5-of-14.

Siakam aggressively attacked Golden State's defense in transition and the half court, showing no signs of backing down even when matched up against five-time All-Defensive selection Green. Draymond found himself in foul trouble in the second half, which caused Siakam to become even more aggressive on the offensive side.

Green understands Siakam's importance in the Finals after his performance in Game 1 and told reporters, "I gotta take him out of this series, and that's on me."

The fact that Green is taking it upon himself to stop Siakam should cause concern for those looking to bet on the Raptors forward as the NBA Finals MVP. It is only natural to expect his numbers to come back to earth in the coming games, especially if Leonard is more efficient as the primary playmaker.

There is also the realization that the Warriors could overcome one road loss and win the series, which would suggest Curry, Thompson or someone else could win MVP.

Siakam has better odds at the award after his breakout performance, but he is still something of a long shot.

The Toronto Raptors are in the midst of a season full of historical firsts, but according to TrueHoop's David Thorpe, the North may be able to bank on at least a second season of Kawhi Leonard. 

"Of course, he's about to be a free agent. And because of that, as the media you might expect to hear sunny things about Kawhi's return from Raptors sources eager to tamp down the impression Kawhi is bound for the Clippers or another team," Thorpe's report reads in part (h/t Henry Abbott). 

"But even before the Finals began, we at TrueHoop heard from plugged-in sources associated with players and the league—but not the team—that Kawhi would return to Toronto, at least on a short-term deal." 

While locking down one of the NBA's most prominent stars is a priority, the Raptors' most urgent business at the moment is their first NBA Finals appearance. The franchise just logged its first-ever win in the championship round to gain a 1-0 edge over a Golden State Warriors team that's seeking a three-peat. 

Leonard is undisputedly the main reason the Raptors have a shot at their first championship. 

The 27-year-old forward's 30.7 points per game is second among all players this postseason, behind only James Harden (31.6). However, it's his two-way impact that has established him as one of the best players in the world.

In the Eastern Conference Finals, Leonard did what was previously thought to be impossible by neutralizing the Milwaukee Bucks' Most Valuable Player finalist, Giannis Antetokounmpo.

"Whatever I thought Boston did to build a wall, that was nothing," Antetokounmpo said to The Athletic's Eric Nehm (h/t ClutchPoints). "Not being able to operate from nowhere. ... There are so many things I thought were tough in the regular season, they're not." 

He added: "All I'm seeing is Kawhi, [Marc] Gasol coming ... And thank you. Thank you because Gasol and Kawhi made me a better player." 

For Toronto to even be in position to oust the Bucks in six games after beginning the series down 2-0, Leonard had to hit the league's first Game 7 buzzer-beater in history, sending the Philadelphia 76ers home heartbroken. 

"He has authored more moments where you say I remember where I was if you're a Raptors fan, more moments in the last month and a half than the franchise has probably culminated in the previous 23 years," Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star said of Leonard on ESPN's The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz Tuesday. 

It bodes well for Toronto that Leonard doesn't care about the fame associated with his performance this postseason, which would typically lure a player to markets like Los Angeles: 

Kawhi was asked if he wants to be as famous as Bron and Steph.

Man is all about hoop. https://t.co/nPsTP2ahmz

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 30, 2019

That won't keep the Clippers and other teams from trying, though. Friday afternoon, head coach Doc Rivers was fined $50,000 by the league for violating its anti-tampering rule for his praising of Leonard on ESPN earlier this week. 

"Kawhi is the most like Jordan we've seen."

Doc Rivers has some high praise for Kawhi Leonard. pic.twitter.com/i1R2gR1VrT

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) May 29, 2019

When Leonard was first traded from the San Antonio Spurs to Toronto last summer, an anonymous rival general manager told Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher that the Raptors had "no chance" of retaining the All-Star's services beyond the 2018-19 season because he "hates the cold." 

A championship run can do wonders to erase any concerns about the environment outside of Scotiabank Arena. 

Toronto can increase its chances at re-signing Leonard by giving him his second ring, and the Raptors' next step in doing that comes Sunday in Game 2 against the Warriors at Scotiabank. 

Star power remains the most effective way to win an NBA title. The Golden State Warriors, at full strength, have noticeably more superstar heft than the Toronto Raptors. 

Without Kevin Durant, though? Not so much. They're supposed to have the edge anyway. Whether they actually do is very much to be determined. 

Pascal Siakam is why. He led the way for the Raptors during their 118-109 victory over the Warriors on Thursday night, tallying 32 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two blocks on impressive 14-of-17 shooting from the floor.

Just to put his performance in perspective, here's every other player to match those benchmarks in an NBA Finals game since 1974:

• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (eight times)
• LeBron James (five times)
• Julius Erving (twice)
• Kobe Bryant
• Tim Duncan
• Kevin Durant
• Dwyane Wade 

That's a pretty OK list to join. And this company Siakam now keeps reinforces a larger point: Kawhi Leonard isn't the Raptors' singular source of star power. They have Siakam, and they have Kyle Lowry, and they have Marc Gasol.

They are more than the player who carried them here. 

This isn't just about Thursday night. Overreacting to a 1-0 series lead is dangerous. Things can, and will, change quickly.

Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson received minimal help from their supporting cast. The rest of the team combined to shoot 5-of-16 from beyond the arc. They will be better.

The Warriors lived with Gasol, Siakam and Danny Green firing wide-open threes in the first half. They will adjust.

Nine days is a long time to rest. They will find a greater rhythm.

Right now, the Warriors’ offense just lacks variety. Toronto is too good defensively to just give them obvious reads like this https://t.co/n7lySSrqQh

— Mike Zavagno (@MZavagno11) May 31, 2019

Kevin Durant's partially torn calf muscle, meanwhile, looms over this entire series. He traveled with the team but isn't expected to suit up for Game 2. His absence humanizes the Warriors, even if only slightly on some nights. His return, if it comes, stands to upset-proof them once more.

And yet, to completely ignore the Raptors' Game 1 performance is an equal miscalculation. They had a chance entering the NBA Finals—happy-to-be-here optimism rooted in Durant's absence, but a form of hope all the same.

That conditional optimism is now something more. The Raptors' case has fewer strings attached, not just because of Game 1, but because everyone around Leonard already started peaking before it.

Siakam's iconic stat line is an extreme, but it's not a complete deviation. He has jockeyed with Lowry all season for the rights to Toronto's fictive "Second-Best Player" award, and the Raptors are no stranger to him outperforming everyone else on the floor.

He is the favorite to win Most Improved Player honors. He earned almost as many second-team All-Defense votes (24) as Leonard (29). Leonard, Danilo Gallinari and Karl-Anthony Towns were the only other players this season to clear 19 points, seven rebounds, three assists and one made three-pointer per 36 minutes with a true shooting percentage north of 60.

Skeptics received license to doubt Siakam's rise in the Eastern Conference Finals. He shot just 40 percent from the floor overall and 25 percent on threes, and Toronto's half-court offense felt it.

That was one series, and it came after Siakam suffered a calf injury during the Raptors' second-round matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Six games is not a large enough sample to write off an entire season—or even his first two series. And his defense never wavered. Playoff opponents were scoring just 0.35 points per possession against him in isolation entering Thursday night. 

This is not meant to imply "Best Player on the Floor" is Siakam's default setting. In a series against the Warriors, against Curry, it can't be. But don't let Draymond Green's sentiments fool you. Siakam is not a player he can just stop:

https://twitter.com/HowardBeck/status/1134313156124192768

Siakam cooked him in the post and on spin-cycle drives. It was a disarming experience for anyone who considered him the beneficiary of Leonard and Lowry. Everyone else had zero reasons to be surprised:

“Pascal Siakam’s spin move” was literally a talking point for the first three months of the season, but sure, let’s introduce Pascal to NBA Twitter.

Wait, Toronto has a team? Names after Jurassic Park? When did they get rid of Dwane Casey? Where’s DeMar? Why does JV look fat

— Hardwood Paroxysm (@HPbasketball) May 31, 2019

His tidy three-point shooting (2-of-3) is not an anomaly, either. He came into the NBA Finals hitting 27.7 percent of his wide-open treys for the playoffs, but he buried 38.5 percent of those same looks during the regular season.

So no, Game 1 isn't about accepting Siakam's stardom. That was, by and large, already known. This is about accepting the Raptors' supporting star power and their general depth.

Lowry's 2-of-9 showing in Game 1 won't earn him any Finals MVP buzz, but his impact isn't predicated on scoring. He worked his butt off on defense, stepping in for a charge against DeMarcus Cousins and soaking up meaningful time on Curry. He hit the glass hard (six rebounds) and kept Golden State on tilt in transition (nine assists). 

For him, Game 1 was just another day at the office.

Gasol, too. He has come alive since his passive play in the semifinals. He still hesitates on uncontested threes, but not as often. And his hands are all over the place on defense. He is a whiz at getting position near the rim and fared well coming out to trap Curry beyond the arc. The Warriors have almost zero chance of playing him off the court without Durant in the lineup.

Fred VanVleet hasn't lost his Eastern Conference Finals mojo. He hit just one of his four three-point attempts in Game 1, but he kept probing inside the arc (4-of-4) and continues to defend like he's a proper-sized wing instead of a 6'0" guard.

Danny Green busting out of his shooting rut (3-of-7 from deep) with a championship on the line isn't anything out of the ordinary—especially when the Warriors began Game 1 giving him so much space:

Danny Green made 6 3PTR's the entire Milwaukee series. Shot 15%. He has 3 tonight. Most Danny Green thing ever.

— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) May 31, 2019

Again: The Raptors will have tougher nights, particularly if Leonard keeps moving on offense like he has weights in his shoes.

He fought his way to 12 free-throw attempts, went 3-of-6 from downtown and responded to Golden State's collapses and load-ups with (jerky-looking) look-outs. A line of 23 points, eight rebounds and five assists is pretty darn good, even when it comes on 2-of-8 shooting inside the arc. But Leonard's attacks don't have their usual pep. His injured leg remains a thing.

Still, it makes sense that the Raptors would be peaking now. This is Year 1 of the post-DeMar DeRozan era, and they effectively overturned their roster twice: once with the Leonard trade, and then again with their February acquisition of Gasol. 

Bake in injuries—Lowry, VanVleet and Norman Powell all missed at least 17 games—and Leonard's maintenance program, and the Raptors always profiled as an already huge sleeping giant.

They're not even technically whole again (OG Anunoby is out), and they've consistently reached another gear. That they limited Golden State's half-court offense to under 0.84 points per possession isn't so much shocking as par for their postseason course.

Use this to reclassify the Raptors as favorites at your own risk. Durant needs to be ruled out for the series—or Andre Iguodala's right leg injury has to be something sinister—to reverse course before Game 2. 

The Warriors will be more inventive on offense—more transition attacks, fewer dribble hand-offs, etc. They will get back in time to keep Toronto's fast breaks in check. 

They will be better.

The thing is, the Raptors won't necessarily get worse.

            

Unless otherwise noted, stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference or Cleaning the Glass. Salary and cap-hold information via Basketball Insiders and RealGM.

Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@danfavale) and listen to his Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by B/R's Andrew Bailey.

Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard somehow averaged 29.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists in the Eastern Conference Finals despite functioning at less than 100 percent. 

On Thursday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported on NBA Countdown (h/t Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints) that Leonard suffered from tendinitis and will presumably continue to play through the malady in the NBA Finals (4:30 mark).

"It's clear [Leonard] is still not 100 percent," Wojnarowski told ESPN's Cassidy Hubbarth.

"I think the feeling has been that with the quad injury, he's had to maybe put more pressure on his knee and some of that tendinitis. They would love to see what a fully healthy Kawhi Leonard looks like. You've seen moments when he's had to get up and dunk and put it down on somebody.

"He's able to do it, but you've also seen a lot of it's been just, he plays at a different speed at his own pace. He makes you play to his pace, and it's been remarkable the way he's carried this organization. They would love to see, to have him back again next year beyond with a full summer of health. But right now I think he's got enough in the tank to carry them to the finish line."

Leonard led the Raptors to a six-game series win over the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals. Toronto will face the two-time defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals beginning Thursday at 9 p.m. ET.

Despite the reported tendinitis, Leonard shined during the penultimate round, even recording 2.2 steals per game in addition to his series-leading scoring output. He also looked 100 percent healthy when he threw down a poster dunk over Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo:

NSFW pic.twitter.com/AnRjRlZ04p

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) May 26, 2019

Leonard played every other day during that series, so he didn't have much time to rest before taking the floor. However, the 2014 NBA Finals MVP had four full days off between the end of the Eastern Conference Finals and the beginning of the championship round, which can only help as he looks to lead Toronto to its first NBA Finals win since the franchise's 1995 debut.

Injuries are a key storyline in this year's Finals.

Warriors forward Kevin Durant is out for at least Game 1 (and likely Game 2) due to a right calf strain suffered in the Western Conference semifinals, but Golden State center DeMarcus Cousins will be making his return after suffering a quad injury in the first round. Warriors swingman Andre Iguodala will also be back in the mix after he missed one game with a left calf injury.

On the Toronto side, the Raptors could soon return forward OG Anunoby, who is recovering from appendicitis. He's out for Game 1, but Toronto head coach Nick Nurse is optimistic for a Game 2 return.

Drake's frequent presence on the sidelines and court during the Toronto Raptors' playoff run has drawn the NBA's attention. 

According to ESPN.com's Michele Steele, a league spokesperson confirmed the NBA contacted the Raptors during the Eastern Conference Finals about the rapper's conduct. 

Drake has been a hot topic of conversation throughout the postseason, especially during the Raptors' series win over the Milwaukee Bucks to secure a spot in the NBA Finals. 

Get you a hype man like Drake. 😂#WeTheNorth | #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/8X7pVo0Wvg

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 22, 2019

After Toronto's 120-102 win in Game 4, Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters he was unhappy with Drake seemingly having unlimited access to the floor:

"I will say, again, I see it in some timeouts, but I don't know of any person that's attending the game that isn't a participant in the game, a coach—I'm sorry, a player or a coach, that has access to the court. I don't know how much he's on the court. It sounds like you guys are saying it's more than I realize. There's certainly no place for fans and, you know, whatever it is exactly that Drake is for the Toronto Raptors. You know, to be on the court, there's boundaries and lines for a reason, and like I said, the league is usually pretty good at being on top of stuff like that."

Budenholzer did note he didn't "give it much or any thought" even though it was something he couldn't help but notice. 

The NBA previously issued Drake a warning last year following his verbal confrontation with Kendrick Perkins during the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

The Raptors hired Drake in an official capacity during in September 2013 to serve as a global ambassador. The four-time Grammy winner will almost certainly make his presence felt when the NBA Finals begin Thursday at Scotiabank Arena.

Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry's thumb injury remains a problem, though not one that will cause him to miss time during the NBA Finals.

Appearing on Wednesday's episode of ESPN's The Jump, Lowry said, "During the game, I can't feel my thumb."

Lowry originally injured his thumb in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers. He told reporters after Toronto's series win he popped it back into place: "Doesn't matter, I'm fine, I played, we won the game." 

It was clearly still bothering him throughout the Eastern Conference Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks. 

Lowry leaving it all out there in Toronto 😤 https://t.co/eB1efG7QD1

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 20, 2019

Lowry's numbers certainly didn't indicate he was having any problems playing through pain. He shot 50.7 percent from the field, averaging 19.2 points and 5.2 assists in six games against Milwaukee. 

The Raptors have the luxury of giving Fred VanVleet more playing time in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors if Lowry needs extra rest to get feeling back in his hand.