Clippers Could Learn From Raptors on Battling Expectations

It couldn't have been more than a few minutes after Kawhi Leonard walked off the court following the Los Angeles Clippers' Game 6 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday that I received a text from a Clippers fan needing advice from a Toronto Raptors observer.

"I'm over this team," the message said. "What do you think happens? I think they get blown out."

"Did they trade Kawhi?" I responded.

It's been three days since the Raptors exited the playoffs following a Game 7 loss to the Boston Celtics on Friday. A lot of that time has been spent reflecting on Toronto's 2019-20 season and how remarkable it was for a team to lose one of the NBA's marquis players and rebound the way the Raptors did. Even without the crown this year, there was a joy to being the reigning champions and the underdogs all at the same time.

"I think we are going to remember how well we played considering there was really low expectations for us," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said Friday. "I think we took it as this season and tried to max out what we could do and for the most part we did."

This year's Raptors were fun because they defied expectations all season. They had breakout seasons and career years from players up and down the roster, and even when injuries ravaged their roster, they persevered, winning the second-most games in the NBA this season.

"I'm proud of the effort that our guys gave, especially coming off a championship and losing what we lost," Raptors guard Fred VanVleet said. "All these people that expected us to be good were the people in our locker room. I'm proud of that part."

That's why the Raptors were so thrilling to watch this year and exactly why these Clippers are so frustrating these days.

Leonard and company aren't the pesky underdogs anymore. Instead, the Clippers are the hunted while still having all the anxiety that comes with not having won an NBA championship. In a way, they're the anti-Raptors, a team loaded with superstar talent and sky-high expectations that so far haven't been met.

They'll have an opportunity to make good on those expectations on Tuesday and as long as they have Leonard they have a chance, a pretty good one, Raptors fans should know that better than anyone else.