NBA 2K19 Team Ratings: Raptors vs. Warriors NBA Finals Preview & Results Predictions
The 2019 NBA Finals are officially set as the Toronto Raptors will battle the defending champion Golden State Warriors. With the first game of the best-of-seven series slated for later this week, gamers are firing up their NBA 2K19 game to test this matchup out. While Toronto defeated Golden State twice this season, they’ll be coming off their six-game series against the Milwaukee Bucks. Meanwhile, Golden State is rested after a sweep. Here’s a look at the NBA 2K19 team ratings and players in this interesting matchup.
NBA 2K19 Team Ratings: Multiple All-Star players involved in matchup
This upcoming series will feature at least four different NBA All-Stars from the past season. On the Toronto Raptors is surging superstar Kawhi Leonard, rated at a 95 overall in the game. Golden State counters with their top superstar, Stephen Curry, also a 95. To say these two guys have been on fire is an understatement. Right now, these are two of the best players in the league, and they’re not even amongst NBA MVP finalists.
Kawhi and Steph will have some backup. The Raptors also boast All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry, an 84 overall. Golden State features All-Star sharpshooter Klay Thompson who is an 88 overall. They normally have Kevin Durant in the lineup, but he’s been sidelined since the start of the Western Conference Finals with an injury. Draymond Green is a former All-Star and has an 83, while KD’s replacement Andre Iguodala is a 76 overall.
Each side has a few guys who were former All-Star players, or who may make the All-Star team in a future season. That includes 85 overall Pascal Siakam on the Raptors, who looks on pace for an All-Star nod in his future. Marc Gasol, an 83 overall, was an All-Star during his Grizzlies days. There’s also Serge Ibaka, an 82 overall. So on paper or the screen, the Raptors certainly boast some talent.
How to play the NBA Finals matchup in 2K19
For a way to play out the 2019 NBA Finals, look to the MyLeague feature in the game. One of the parts of this feature is a Playoff bracket, which you can fully customize to mirror the bracket as it started in this year’s NBA Playoffs. However, after setting up all 16 NBA teams for the East and West, you’ll have to hope for the CPU to simulate it exactly as it played out in real life.
The easier way to play the NBA Finals is through the “Start Today” feature. You can choose the Raptors and/or Warriors as your favorite team to control. Since you’re starting ahead of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, you can play out the entire series.
Here’s a look at the full playoff bracket from the NBA Playoffs:
We ran a simulation of the best-of-seven game series and as you can see above, the Golden State Warriors showed no mercy. It was a 4-0 sweep.
- GM1: Warriors 93, Raptors 85
- GM2: Warriors 129, Raptors 106
- GM3: Warriors 118, Raptors 108
- GM4: Warriors 123, Raptors 111
We’re not sure that Toronto won’t win at least a game or two in this series, as they defeated Golden State twice during the NBA’s regular season. Still, in our simulation, Stephen Curry won the NBA Finals MVP Award with 30 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game.
It’s also worth noting that NBA 2K19 had Kevin Durant make his return for the Warriors in Game 1. He had 14 points and 12 assists in that first game. By Game 3, KD came up with 44 points in 37 minutes. Curry scored 40 points to go with nine assists and seven boards in the decisive Game 4. They also included DeMarcus Cousins in the lineup. Things could play out much differently without those guys.
Another way to test the Finals teams is to simply use the “NBA Today” feature on the main screen of NBA 2K19. On days that there are NBA Finals games, you’ll see the matchup there and can play it out to see how it goes. Use the Raptors or Warriors, or let the CPU simulate. It should give a fun way to participate in the 2019 NBA Finals as it happens. It will also feature realistic lineups based on injuries or other changes.
The first game of the NBA Finals arrives on Thursday night (May 30) from Toronto as the Raptors try to get the early advantage in the series. Get more of our NBA 2K news here.