The Portland Trail Blazers taking on the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals? Very hypothetical, sure. But were this matchup to take place this summer, would Rip City be without their newest acquisition on the road?
The Portland Trail Blazers have not been to the NBA finals since 1992. However, with the Warriors at times looking beatable this season, the Nuggets inexperienced, and the Rockets inconsistent, Portland may have as good a chance as ever to win the West.
Last week, the Blazers met with one of the Eastern Conference’s premier teams when they traveled to Toronto to battle the Raptors. One Blazer who did not make the trip was Enes Kanter.
Portland suffered a heartbreaking two-point defeat in Kanter’s absence. With the Blazers still able to keep the game extremely close without their new big man, it’s fair to wonder if they could’ve won had he been there.
The reason Kanter did not travel was not due to injury or illness. Rather the big-man chose not to make the international trip to Canada because of his feud with the Turkish government, which makes leaving the United States potentially dangerous.
Earlier this season with the New York Knicks, Kanter passed on traveling to London where the Knicks played a game against the Washington Wizards, citing that his life would be at risk.
Kanter did make the trip to Toronto earlier this season when the Knicks played the Raptors. However, the Turkish government recently issued a “red notice” seeking the center’s extradition, so Kanter chose not to risk leaving the U.S. when the Blazers traveled to the same arena.
After seeing how close the Blazers were taking down Toronto without Kanter, they had to wonder after the game if the result would have differed had their big man been available.
Since adding Kanter from the buyout market, the Blazers have yet to lose with him on the floor.
Therefore, this poses a heavy and hypothetical questio: If the Portland Trail Blazers were able to reach the NBA Finals and their opponent was the Toronto Raptors, would Kanter play the games in Toronto?
Kanter has never been to the NBA Finals; it would be the first time in carer he would have the ability to experience the worlds biggest basketball stage.
With Toronto likely to finish with a better regular season record than Portland, games one, two, six and seven would be played in Canada.
Thus, the big-man would miss up to four of the seven games if the series went that long.
Would playing in the Finals force Kanter to take a potentially life-changing risk? Or would he play it safe and stay home?
Judging form Kanter’s recent words, he clearly seems fearful over the prospect of traveling internationally. The assumption, then, has to be that Kanter would not play.
Yes, it would be a massive disappointment to miss out on the NBA Finals and could certainly affect Portland’s chances at their second-ever NBA championship. However, it would be life or death for Kanter.
There would likely be a lot of pressure to get the big man to play. But fans shouldn’t expect or even want him to make the trip as if Kanter were to be detained in Canada he may never make it back to the U.S.
The situation is a serious one that goes beyond basketball. If this NBA Finals matchup were to really take place, there’d likely be great debate from perhaps even American politicians on how they should go about protecting Kanter in terms of allowing him to travel or not.
Getting to the NBA Finals might be a longshot for the Blazers but after last week’s game and result without Kanter on the floor against the Raptors, the question is worth asking.