Last night, the Toronto Raptors defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 100-94, and punched a ticket to their first NBA Finals in team history. Kawhi Leonard has established himself as the new king of the Eastern Conference(following LeBron's departure) for the time being. This playoffs, he has played like the best player on planet Earth. The Klaw played excellent defense on Giannis for the final four games and averaged over 30 points a contest. He was likely very fatigued the whole series, but fought hard till the last buzzer. His offensive rebounds at the end of game 5 and 6 are key to why the Raptors are alive. He also anchored the Raptors in their worst moments, and led the 26-3 run that gave Toronto a lead in game 6. This is probably one of the greatest postseason runs by an individual ever.
Let's give a big hand to Raptors GM Masai Ujiri. He took a huge gamble last offseason, trading Raptors icon and fan favorite Demar Derozan for Kawhi Leonard, who was coming off an injury and had already made his intentions clear that he wants to go to LA. He also fired Coach of the Year Dwane Casey due to the lack of postseason success. However, Leonard's plans might have changed after the Raptors' finals run. With the Warriors on the brink of collapsing, it looks like there isn't a better place to be right now than Toronto. Even if Leonard does leave, this one finals appearance is farther than the Raptors could have ever gotten with Derozan. There is really no reason for Leonard to leave, as he gets the most money and one of the most loving fanbases in Toronto.
Another player that should deserve credit is Fred VanVleet. The Raptors backup point guard was ice cold in the first three games of the series, and was a huge liability on both ends. Then, following the birth of his son, VanVleet went off. Over the course of the final three games, VanVleet shot 82% from three and hit numerous clutch shots. His resurgence, along with fellow backup Normal Powell's, is a large reason as to why the Raptors overcame a 2-0 series lead and won.
Finally, let's appreciate Kyle Lowry, the longest tenured Raptor that has endured the most hardships out of anyone. He has been defeated by LeBron in each of the past three playoffs, and is always ridiculed for his inability to perform in the playoffs. Consider those demons vanished, as he had an excellent series against the Raptors.
Although it ended in a disappointing loss, this season should go down as a promising one for Milwaukee. They have many big decisions to make this offseason, as 7 of their 9 best players are free agents this summer. The Bucks still have arguably the most talented player in the league in Giannis, and should hope to retain their talents around him. They will certainly be back next year.
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