The 2020 NBA “Bubble” Finals is finally upon us! We have been blessed with a wealth of amazing performances every single night. During the eight NBA seeding games, we witnessed the league's best play their hearts out trying to earn a spot in the playoffs. There were many stars who deserve praise, but none shined brighter than NBA Bubble MVP Point Guard Damien Lillard who clinched the eighth seed for the Portland Trailblazers. Lillard Averaged 37.6 Points Per Game(PPG) and 9.6 Assists Per Game (APG). Sadly, Lillard was bounced in round one and will have to wait another year for his shot at title glory.
The runner up in the MVP voting was none other than Shooting Guard Devin Booker. Booker led the Phoenix Suns to an 8-0 undefeated record in the seeding games. Due to this unlikely outcome, Suns Head Coach Monty Williams was given the Best Coach award during this period. Despite their efforts, the Suns still fell short and missed the playoffs.
During the seeding games we witnessed the rise of a new star in the NBA. Indiana Pacers Small Forward T.J. Warren lit up the league during the entirety of his NBA bubble experience. He became the focal point and leader of the Indiana Pacers. Warren showed grit, skill and explosiveness averaging 31 PPG, 6 RPB and 2 APG. Warren is someone to keep an eye out for next season.
When the seeding games had concluded, we were left with 16 teams that were in the fight for the Larry O'Brien Trophy. The favorites according to Vegas to secure a spot in the Finals were the Los Angeles Clippers in the West and the Milwaukee Bucks in the East. As we now know, Vegas got it way wrong.
In the West all eyes were watching the two super teams in LA, the Clippers and the Lakers. Many analysts around the league were extremely enthusiastic about the both teams and their chances for greatness. Before the playoffs, many had selected Kawhi Leonard and Paul George’s Clippers this season. They were perfectly built to take on and defeat LeBron James and the Lakers. Like I had mentioned before, The Clippers were the odds on favorite to win the West.
In the first round the Clippers met up with global superstar Luka Dončić and the Mavericks. Although the Clippers won the series in six games, Luka Dončić scared the living hell out of the Clippers and their fans. If Luka never got injured, I would not have been surprised if the Mavericks went on to win that series. Dončić exposed the Clippers and proved that they could be beaten. In round two, the Clippers had met their match against an up and coming team in the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets took them by surprise and beat them in a full seven game series. With great heroic performances from Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokić, Michael Porter Jr. and the Nuggets, the Clippers never got their chance to take on King James.
Head Coach Frank Vogel and Lakers on the other hand cruised through the playoffs defeating Damien Lillard and Trail Blazers in five, then doing the same to James Harden and Russell Westbrook of the Rockets, and yet again to the youthful Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. The tandem of LeBron James and Anthony Davis proved to be too good for their competition. Anthony Davis has shown up big in these playoffs. His clutch buzzer beating three pointer against the Nuggets in game two is a highlight for the ages. LeBron has been the ultimate competitor during the playoffs, and in year 17 will be headed to the NBA Finals for a 10th time hoping to win his fourth ring.
Although everyone looks to those two superstars as the main source of success. It is impossible to ignore the major impact Point Guard Rajon “Playoff” Rondo has left on the court. His game knowledge, and court presence has been key in closing games out. His impact with the second unit as well has been a major help. If the Lakers win the finals, Rondo will have been a crucial reason why.
In the East it is easy to say that it has been a very disappointing playoffs for the top seeded teams. The 76ers were one of the biggest disappointments in the east. Although I loved Joel Embiid’s heart and intensity, the rest of the team let me down big time. They were swept in four games by Jason Tatum and Kemba Walker of the Boston Celtics who went on to the Eastern Conference Finals.
2020 MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of the 1st placed seeded Milwaukee Bucks were easily the favorites to win the East. With Antetokounmpo’s dominant play surrounded by an assortment of three point sharpshooters, the Bucks were the most scary team entering the playoffs. Nevertheless, they were defeated in the second round by a tough, stingy and extremely underrated Miami Heat team.
The Heat quite literally wanted all the smoke this bubble season. After the seeding games, the Heat were placed as the 5th seed in the East. Led by superstar Small Forward Jimmy Butler, the Heat have gone on to sweep the Indiana Pacers, take down the 1st seeded Milwaukee Bucks in five games and then to defeat the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals in six. The Heat squad has a very good roster of both youth and experience. They play great defense and shoot the ball immensely well. Head Coach Eric Spoelstra has coached this team to perfection. This Heat squad will be no easy out for the Lakers in the upcoming series.
This NBA Finals will be one for the ages! Never in sports history have athletes played this long in self isolation. Both teams have worked and practiced so hard to get to this moment. I expect there to be an overflow of heart, passion and emotion in this series. Both the Lakers and the Heat are well coached, disciplined and extremely talented.
In this series we will see a lot of intense defense with players like Danny Green, Dwight Howard, Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo, Jimmy Butler, and Andre Iguadala. With this much defense, I expect a low scoring series. The Heat have the ammo to throw a lot of physical players on both LeBron James and Anthony Davis which could cause some issues.
Both of these teams as well will utilize their three point shooters in Danny Green and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for the Lakers and Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson for the Heat. I think the Heat will keep up from deep with this high powered Lakers team. This series will be a lot closer than what analysts have been predicting.
I will be selecting the Los Angeles Lakers to win the NBA Finals over the Miami Heat in what will be a tight and physical seven game series. The Lakers have two of the top five best players in the current NBA, and they will just be too much for the Heat to handle. This is a league of stars, and the Lakers clearly have that advantage.
LeBron James will win Finals MVP in what will be a magical seven game performance. I think LeBron has his sights on averaging a 30 point triple double this series with a few key blocks thrown in there. This might very well be LeBron’s last chance at winning a ring and I can’t see the King letting this moment slip away.
Picking the Lakers just feels like it's meant to be. With the tragic loss of Kobe Bryant and his daughter earlier this year, I feel like this is Kobe’s ring. I sense that Kobe has been a huge motivating factor for the Lakers franchise and I don’t think LeBron and A.D. will let this moment pass them by. This Finals win will be in honor of the late great Laker Kobe Bean Bryant.
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