The 2020 NBA Finals are here and it couldn’t be a better matchup as the Miami Heat will take on the Los Angeles Lakers starting tomorrow.
Today, Chris’s Corner will preview who each team bea to get here, the best player in this series, the x-factor of each team and of course a prediction.
Let’s start with the Miami Heat.
The fifth seed Heat coming out of the Eastern Conference absolutely dominated the postseason within the NBA bubble.
Miami began their postseason against T.J. Warren and the Pacers in Round One and thanks to Jimmy “Buckets,” and Goran “the Dragon,” Indiana stood no chance. Dragic was sensational averaging a team-high 23-points, 4-rebounds and 5-assists off 50% shooting from the field while Butler averaged 20-points per contest while shooting 42% beyond the arc with the Heat stymying the Pacers in just five short games.
Butler and the squad then took on the Greek Freak and the heavily favored Milwaukee Bucks. Small forward Jimmy Butler lead the charge with 23-points a night but point-center Bam Adebayo played like a monster averaging 17 and 12 off 60% shooting and shooting guard Jae Crowder shoot the lights out averaging 15-points per game off 43% shooting beyond the arc as the Heat upset the Bucks in Round Two of the Eastern Conference semi’s in just five short games.
Spoelstra’s crew then welcomed Jayson Tatum in the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals in what looked to be a six-to-seven-game-series. Spoiler alert: it was not as in just five games, Miami once again dominated as five of their starters averaged in double-figures but the man who showed up and showed out surprisingly was rookie combo guard Tyler Herro. Herro, just 20-years-old averaged 19-points-per-game in the Eastern Conference Finals including a 37-point-performance, the highest for any rookie since Dwayne Wade. I think Wade was pretty good with the Heat, right?
Now the Heat come into this Finals series as heavy underdogs but I don’t think Jimmy Butler nor Miami would have it any other way. Butler has gone from homeless teenager to only receiving one basketball offer from Marquette to developmental project in the NBA to “problematic,” temperamental player in the league to now the unquestioned leader of this Heat team. Robinson went from a D-III school to University of Michigan to being undrafted to being the Heat’s best three-point shooter.
Crowder had to walk-on to Marquette and worked his way from bench player to starter to player-of-the-conference in college to being undrafted into the NBA and being tabbed a “problematic,” player playing for six teams in eight seasons before joining the Heat in a trade this season and excelling. The only team first-round draft picks that Heat have are Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro all of which have played better and are more completed already than what they were playing at Kentucky. This team is deep, can defend, can shoot and has intangibles (toughness, grit, resilience) along with one of the best coaches in the league in Erik Spoelstra to “upset” Lebron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in these 2020 Finals.
The best player for the Heat is no question: Jimmy Butler. Butler has already had a 40-point game for Miami this postseason but also had some quieter games too. For the Heat to pull off the upset, Butler has to be aggressive early and often averaging at least 24-points, six-boards and five-assists while also hitting the clutch shots necessary to Dethrone James and the Lakers.
The glue guy for Miami is Goran Dragic: Mr. Consistent has averaged at least 18-plus each game and the Heat will need his shooting, efficiency, defense, driving and ability to break-down a defense each game for Miami to pull off the upset.
The x-factor player for the Heat is a tough one cause it could be any given player on any given night but for the sake of this preview, I will go with Bam Adebayo. The second-year center will already have his hands full guarding one of the best in the game in Anthony Davis but Miami will need him to be their defensive anchor protecting the paint while at least averaging 20-points and 10-boards off 58% shooting each game for Miami to contend amongst the bigs of the Lakers.
As for the Lakers, this is their first time reaching the Finals since 2010 (R.I.P Kobe Bryant) but this is sort of business as usual. Arguably, the best NBA franchise in history, Los Angeles from start to finish has been the best team in the league. At 35-year-young, Lebron James absolutely dominated the Western Conference (despite all the haters saying he could not) and Anthony Davis solidified himself as the best overall player for this Lakers squad. Frank Vogel’s squad started their title quest against a red-hot Damian Lillard and Blazers team that was picked by some media players to upset the Lakers.
Spoiler Alert: this did not happen as Lebron James averaged a triple double (27-10-10) off a blistering 60% shooting with 41% beyond the arc while Anthony Davis averaged a team-high 30-points to go with 9-boards and four assists as the LakeShow handled their business putting the Blazers away in five as major injuries to C.J. McCollum and Damian Lillard derailed any upset chances.
In Round 2, Los Angeles faced off against one of the league’s best duo’s in the NBA in James Harden and Russell Westbrook with the high-powered Rockets coming in rugged after a seven-game series with the pesky Thunder. The Lakers handled their business once more but AD and LBJ got some much needed help from Rajon Rondo who returned from injury only to average 10-points and 7-assists off 50% shooting. James and Rondo combined for 51 each contest and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope gave Los Angeles a lift beyond the arc averaging 47% three-point shooting. The Lakers would go on to run the “small-ball,” Rockets out the gym in just five short-games.
The Lakers then welcomed Nikola Jokic and the red-hot Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals. Denver came in making NBA history coming back from two (3-1) deficits, the first against Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz and the second against the heavily-favored Los Angeles Clippers. Los Angeles had their hands full with the dynamic duo of Jamal Murray and Jokic but Lebron James was simply exceptional averaging a near triple-double (27-10-9), Anthony Davis imposed his will once more averaging (30 and 6) and the redemption of the embattled Dwight Howard averaging 8-points, five-boards, a block off 81% shooting brought energy, defense, effort and a power that allowed the Lakers to punch out the Nuggets in five games.
Simply put, the Lakers will go as far as Lebron James and Anthony Davis will take them: the duo will need to combine for at least 55 with “playoff Rondo,” Dwight Howard, KCP, Caruso and Kyle Kuzma all needing to step up both offensively and defensively to stymie an excellent Miami Heat team.
The best player for the Lakers undoubtedly is Lebron James. If the MVP award wasn’t about narrative, Lebron would already have 8-to-10 MVP awards while being the best overall player each season. James is in his 10th finals appearance in 16 seasons which is absurd and this postseason has averaged nearly a triple-double in two of the Lakers three playoff series. James must impose his will while finding shooters for Los Angeles and James to capture his Fourth Title as a Pro.
The glue guy for the LakeShow is Alex Caruso: he is the heart and soul of the Lakers and his energy, effort, defense and high-flying dunks can ignite Los Angeles’ team on both ends. He doesn’t have to average a lot of points but if he can hit timely shots, play tough defense on Goran Dragic and maybe get a highlight dunk each game, Miami will have their hands full trying to beat this squad.
The x-factor for Los Angeles is Rajon Rondo. Rondo is one of a select few players to average more points, rebounds and assists in the playoffs than the regular season and the Lakers will need him to average at least 12-points and 8-assists each game to take the ball-handling pressure off of Lebron James and create efficient diverse shooting against an exceptionally tough defensive team in the Heat.
My prediction: I believe the Heat, top to bottom, have a better team than the Lakers but I also, believe Los Angeles has the best two players in the series and arguably the most lethal duo in the entire NBA.
Both teams are 12-3 in the postseason and I give the utmost respect to what Erik Spoelstra has done with this 2020 squad but I have Lebron James and the Lakers capturing the 2020 NBA Championship in seven games. Anthony Davis captures his first title as a pro and Lebron James captures his fourth overall and third with a different team solidifying his place as top five NBA player of all-time.
Comments