It is our favourite time of the yr, when the NBA takes precedent over all sports activities, video games are thrilling and guys named Jimmy Butler and Jamal Murray rework from mortals into basketball Gods.
It is playoff time.
The 2 groups that I believe are on a collision course to satisfy within the NBA Finals aren’t the highest seeds in both convention. Somewhat, I believe the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers would be the last groups standing.
Not solely would that matchup be NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s dream come true, offering a large TV enhance, however it could pit the 2 most storied franchises within the league in opposition to each other, with the Celtics having gained 18 championships and the Lakers 17.
This is why I believe it will occur.
Issues got here collectively for the Celtics on the finish of the season, with them profitable 16 of their last 18 video games. They’ve the second-best offensive score and fifth-best defensive score within the league. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have confirmed that they’ll win a championship collectively. And this workforce is deep. The Celtics’ solely wild card is Brown’s lingering knee situation, which sidelined him for the ultimate few video games of the season, although he is apparently going to be obtainable this postseason.
Final yr, the Celtics sailed by way of the playoffs, profitable 16 of their 19 video games. I believe their path shall be equally breezy this time round — till the Jap Convention Finals, the place they will doubtless meet the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers and actually be examined. However, I see them getting previous Donovan Mitchell and Co., utilizing their championship expertise to smother a workforce that basically simply discovered their id this season. Actually, no different workforce within the East is an actual risk to the Celtics.
Now, for the Lakers.
Are the Los Angeles Lakers the workforce to beat within the West? | Communicate
Luka Doncic carried the Dallas Mavericks to the Finals final season and has among the most eye-popping playoffs stats within the league, averaging 30.9 factors, 9.4 rebounds and eight assists over 4 postseason appearances. Now, he will be enjoying alongside LeBron James, who’s in some way one of many prime 5 MVP contenders at age 40, and who unfailingly takes his recreation to a different degree within the playoffs — wining 4 championships and making 10 Finals appearances over his 22-season profession, together with eight straight from 2011 to 2018.
Although Doncic and James have solely been enjoying collectively since February, they’ve already proven that they’ve numerous chemistry. And when the stakes are highest, I believe we’ll see simply how magnificent a pairing two of the highest basketball minds within the league could be. And, let’s not overlook that Austin Reaves has remodeled this season from an undrafted participant right into a star. He is rapidly a part of a Large Three and has confirmed that he enormously enhances Doncic’s recreation, regardless of detractors questioning if the addition of Doncic would render Reaves redundant. In actuality, the other has occurred, with Reaves, Doncic and James masterfully enjoying off of one another and creating nightmares for defenses.
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The West is far deeper than the East, so, let’s undergo the Lakers’ potential path to the Finals, which ought to be a lot bumpier than the Celtics’ street.
I consider the Lakers’ best problem within the West can be the Golden State Warriors, not the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. James, Doncic and Reaves vs. Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green can be wild, bringing out the perfect in all six gamers.
Although Oklahoma Metropolis has had a season for the books, I do not assume they’re prepared for the brilliant lights and excessive stress that comes with profitable on the largest stage. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will get his factors, however, within the playoffs, the workforce that has essentially the most gamers enjoying effectively wins. And though the Thunder are deep, it is questionable whether or not guys not named Shai will rise to the required degree for this workforce to go actually far. As for the Nuggets, they’ve given the Lakers numerous issues just lately, knocking them out of the Convention Finals in 2023 and the primary spherical of the playoffs final season, however I believe the addition of Doncic will make issues look very completely different this time round, with the Lakers lastly getting the higher of the Nuggets. To not point out, the Nuggets are a bit rudderless after their longtime coach Michael Malone was just lately fired.
So, Mr. Silver, here is to hoping you get your TV rankings bonanza, and followers of basketball get a matchup that may breathe new life into one of many best sports activities rivalries of all time.
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