Will Durant make a difference for the Warriors?

Are the Golden State Warriors better with Kevin Durant? Well, generally yes, but that is not the important question as we move our way toward Game 5 of the NBA Finals. What BetAnySports customers have to ask themselves is whether this team will be better TONIGHT with him. And the answer to that may be complicated.

But the possibility exists that the Warriors will have to be better with him; that is, if they want to extend the series. If they don't win on Monday night, there won't be any tomorrows, for them or Durant, at least in a Golden State uniform.

Can the Toronto Raptors win their first NBA championship? They can, if they can play the way they have in the last two games, and/or if they can make Durant uncomfortable enough upon his possible return.

We speak with uncertainty about Durant's availability because the team can't be any clearer, other than to say that he is listed as questionable.

What is without question is that the Warriors have not found enough viable scoring options, so if they can get something substantial from Durant, who has won the NBA Finals MVP award the last two seasons, they'll stand a good chance of sending this back to Oakland for Game 6.

The NBA Finals betting lines on this game indicate that the public is excited about the idea of seeing Durant out there:

Toronto Raptors -1.5 (-108)
Golden State Warriors +1.5 (-102)

Over 214.5 points (-105)
Under 214.5 points (-105)

Remember that these numbers are a product of "reduced juice," which enables you to avoid laying the customary -110 on basketball at BetAnySports. This works in other sports as well, so you'll have an opportunity to move closer to profitability, thus providing real value.

The Raptors had played at a rather slow pace as they made their way through the early rounds of the playoffs. And few suspected that they would step up the pace, much less do it in an effective way against a team that is known for flying down the court.

By putting some pressure on when they have the ball, they tax banged-up players a bit more. DeMarcus Cousins was recovering from a quad injury. Klay Thompson, of course, is nursing a bad hamstring. Now Kevin Looney is playing with fractured ribs.

So what happens if Kevin Durant comes in the game?

Since he suffered his calf injury in Game 5 against Houston, Durant has practiced with the team only once, and that was something very limited at most. Could he possibly be expected to have the stamina to go full tilt for any appreciable amount of time, after more than a month idle?

I can see a situation where Durant is rusty shooting the ball to begin with, and the Toronto defensive setup (with Kawhi Leonard and so forth) will make him shoot from places he doesn't want to. It's going to be an adjustment for him to get back into the rotation, and this team does not have the time available to indulge him. So perhaps he doesn't make this team better from one game to the next; in fact, he may come in and be a disruption to the offense.

If you connect the dots on some of these published reports, it appears that Durant's teammates are none too happy that it's taken him this long to even get to a practice. And they truly wonder if he put one foot out the door when he got hurt, with consideration to his pending free agency. So it's not the healthier atmosphere either.

All told, these are not conditions that are conducive to a three-game rally to a championship. This isn't a Hollywood movie; to think Durant comes in and magically turns everything around doesn't seem realistic. But the public is biting, which gives you the opportunity to grab some value with a home team that has frankly been better in the series.

So we'll take Toronto.

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