The NBA Finals are set to kick off on Wednesday night and will feature at least one team expected to make it far: the Los Angeles Lakers.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been dominating since the playoff season began, and their supporting cast has delivered when called upon. Players like Alex Caruso, Dwight Howard, and Markieff Morris have all stepped into bigger roles at different points in the post season, and the return of Rajon Rondo has given the Lakers another ball handler, allowing Lebron to play off the ball more.
The Miami Heat have continued to impress since sweeping the Indiana Pacers in the first round. Nobody outside of the Heat organization gave them a chance against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks, but Jimmy Butler has always been vocal about the faith he has in his team to compete against anybody.
Jimmy Butler 'not surprised' with Miami Heat Game 3 win against the Milwaukee Bucks | NBA on ESPN www.youtube.com
Not only did the Heat defeat the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Semis, but they disposed of them in just 5 games with the series never really seeming in doubt. Butler gives this young Heat team an identity and leader, but he has often been the focus of criticism as a locker room problem and bad teammate throughout his career. After Philadelphia was knocked out of the playoffs last season by Kawhi Leonard and the eventual NBA Champion Raptors team, surprisingly Jimmy Butler was not brought back for another run.
Jimmy Butler is a difference-maker‼️ ▪️ Led the Bulls to their last playoff appearance (2017) ▪️ Helped the T-Wolv… https://t.co/o5dMHwbphb— NBA on ESPN (@NBA on ESPN) 1601321014.0
There had been speculation that Butler had personal issues with the 76ers' two star players Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons causing him to seek a new situation, but Butler had denied those claims earlier this year. Throughout his career Jimmy Butler has always done things his way, and his move to Miami seemed intentional. It was a team that needed a superstar and Butler was happy to fill that role for them. Erik Spoelstra is a championship winning coach, and that's exactly what Butler is chasing because he knows that being the best player on a championship team legitimizes himself as one of the league's elite.
The Heat and Lakers both missed the playoffs last season, but the moves each organization made in the off-season have brought them all the way to the NBA Finals just one year later. For the Lakers, they knew what they had in the duo of James and Anthony Davis. Veteran additions like Danny Green and JaVale McGee injected a wealth of playoff experience to the roster, while retaining important pieces like Rondo, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Alex Caruso gave them the depth they knew they would need for a deep playoff run.
Special Squad. On to the final round. https://t.co/53BlhGCN21— Los Angeles Lakers (@Los Angeles Lakers) 1601183928.0
Miami added Butler, but outside of that the only other player on most people's radars heading into the season was their young power forward, Bam Adebayo. Bam has developed into a star player for the Heat, earning an all star selection this year, and he now serves as the Robin to Butler's Batman. But the cupboard seemed bare in an improving Eastern Conference that included the up and coming Boston Celtics, the 76ers, and defending champion Toronto Raptors.
The Miami Heat are true underdogs Tyler Herro - 13th pick Bam Adebayo - 14th pick Jimmy Butler - 30th pick Jae Cro… https://t.co/ag3sUcHsQL— MJs GOAT (@MJs GOAT) 1601258606.0
Enter Tyler Herro, Miami's first round pick in last year's draft, an enigmatic rookie who never seems affected by the pressure of the moment. We've seen Herro take and make big shots for his team all season, and that has continued through these playoffs. Not to be outdone, undrafted shooting guard Duncan Robinson spent much of last season on the bench, but when given the opportunity to get more playing time this season he didn't let it go to waste. Now Robinson has cemented himself in the rotation, and the pairing of Herro and Robinson make up one of the most feared perimeter shooting tandems in the league.
2018: Undrafted Duncan Robinson signs a two-way contract with the Miami Heat 2020: Robinson will Start in the NBA… https://t.co/a3NvM4leni— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife.com) 1601303268.0
Spoelstra has done a phenomenal job with this team and has expedited the development of many of these young players by simply giving them more opportunities to make mistakes and learn from them. It's been true championship coaching performance, as he will be making his fifth NBA Finals appearance this year, putting him sixth all time(!), only behind Gregg Popovich (6), Johnny Kundla (6), Pat Riley (9), Red Auerbach (11), and Phil Jackson (13).
Erik Spoelstra started as a video coordinator for the Miami Heat and is now headed to his 5th Finals as the team's… https://t.co/4jSQmzSpxF— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) 1601267438.0
On the other bench will be Frank Vogel, who had varying levels of success as an assistant and head coach in the league before landing in LA. The key to Vogel's system is defense, and the Lakers needed a lot of help on that side of the ball. The result has been better than advertised. Los Angeles finished the season as the third best team in the regular season in regard to defensive efficiency, and they, along with the Heat, have been the most efficient defenses in the playoffs (they are tied).
In a matchup that can be deemed the Blue Bloods against the Mutts, the two sides have a lot more in common than you might think. The defensive prowess of both teams was just mentioned, and both rosters are able to adapt to different types of lineups thrown at them. The Lakers showed in the Houston series that they could go small to defend the Rockets' perimeter shooters, and the Heat displayed their defensive versatility by locking down the paint against Milwaukee and then frustrating the Celtics' talented guards and wing players utilizing a rarely seen 2-3 zone scheme in the ECF.
Offensively both teams look to get to the paint to shrink defenses, eventually leading to passing lanes to open shooters. The attention that players like James and Butler draw when going to the basket has benefitted the spot up shooters on their teams. Both the Lakers and Heat have used this offensive strategy to bury teams and not allow them to make comebacks late in games. It's resulted in both teams flying through their conferences at a rapid pace. The Lakers have won every series 4-1, never really being tested by any opponent. The Heat have gone 4-0 (Indiana), 4-1 (Milwaukee), and 4-2 (Boston).
Saluting a couple big-time series in the battle for the West 🔥🔥🔥 https://t.co/5k7yM5pH8W— Los Angeles Lakers (@Los Angeles Lakers) 1601325135.0
I expect that this series will be the first time that either side is really tested in this postseason. LeBron James seems focused and understanding of the fact that this may be his best chance at winning another NBA title before his historic career comes to a close. Next season will see the return of Klay Thompson and Steph Curry to the the Warriors, and the Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant era in Brooklyn will begin. Not to mention the continued development of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic in Denver and Kristaps Porzingis and Luka Doncic in Dallas.
Jimmy Butler and the Heat play with a chip on their shoulder, and they like being overlooked and underappreciated. There's no doubt that Erik Spoelstra is going to have his team prepared for LeBron and will look to force him to take more jump shots and put him on the foul line instead of allowing easy layups. But something we know about LeBron by now is that he's a shark in the water, the apex predator in the NBA. He's finally got a group together that seems to be clicking at the right time heading into an NBA Finals matchup, something we haven't really been able to say since his time with the Miami Heat when he had Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh by his side hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
I look for the Lakers to get out to a hot start and put Game 1 away on Wednesday night, and at that point LeBron will sense the blood in the water. The experienced group of veterans the Lakers bring into the series should be the deciding factor. Guys like Rondo and Danny Green will be great complementary players when the Lakers need points, and the flexibility they have to match up on Adebayo will likely produce similar results to how they played Nikola Jokic in the WCF.
I LOVE this Miami Heat team, and I expect each game to be competitive and go down to the wire, so it pains me to say I do not expect this series to be. This Lakers team is built to win now, and with the way they have been rolling, I'm taking the Lakers in a 4-0 series sweep.
The Los Angeles Lakers began their series against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals on Friday night by continuing their hot run, easily defeating Denver 126-114.
LeBron James entered that game knowing that Giannis Antetokounmpo had been voted as the league MVP for the second consecutive year. James was the only other player to receive a first place vote with 16. Giannis led the Bucks to the league's best record and they cruised through the regular season, often looking like the preeminent favorites to win the championship this year, so his win was certainly justified. But at this point in his career, LeBron James has earned all of the accolades that one can hope to achieve, and for him the only hardware that matters to his legacy are rings.
MVP voting results. As I’ve said on TV 100x, I voted for Giannis, because the award right now is for who had the be… https://t.co/q2pEwksaN2— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel Nichols) 1600454915.0
LeBron has helped this Lakers team navigate a deeply talented western conference by continuing to perform at a level rarely seen by an athlete in their seventeenth professional season. No player in today's NBA has a presence, especially in postseason play, like LeBron does, and during his career we have seen him in nine NBA Finals including eight straight from 2011-2018 during his time with the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Players like LeBron, Jordan, and Kobe put together compelling cases to win league MVP in virtually every season they played, but for players like that who have put themselves in the GOAT conversation, championships are the standard by which they are judged.
That isn't to say, however, that the news of Giannis' win is of no importance to James and the Lakers, it likely provided the extra motivation for the team to come out and perform like they did in Game 1 against the Nuggets. As Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray both racked up three fouls early, the game never looked in doubt for LA in the second half. In his post game press conference James was asked about the MVP voting, and surprisingly his response was very transparent about being upset by the way the votes came down.
"It pissed me off," started James, "because out of 101 votes, I got 16 first place votes," and LeBron also referenced the changes in voter criteria he has noticed during his long career, "I'm not going to sit up here and talk about what the criteria should be or what it is, it's changed over the years since I've got into the league I know that."
LeBron sounds off on receiving only 16 first-place MVP votes
LeBron sounds off on receiving only 16 first-place MVP votes www.espn.com
LeBron James explains why he was frustrated with this season's MVP voting but says he is fine now after his initial reaction.
MVP voting in the NBA does seem to vary on a year to year basis. Recently Russell Westbrook had won in the 2016-2017 season after becoming only the second player to average a triple double in NBA history. Westbrook accomplished that feat again in the following two seasons, but finished fifth and tenth in MVP voting in those seasons. James Harden, the 2017-2018 MVP, had an arguably more impressive campaign the following season averaging 36.1 points, 7.5 assists, and 2 steals per game but finished second in MVP voting, losing to Giannis last year.
NBA MVP voters do tend to play into the popular narrative when considering who to cast their vote for, and while that may leave players and fans questioning their decision there is one thing that cannot be left up to writers and that is who wins the NBA Championship.
Antetokounmpo also beat out James' teammate Anthony Davis for Defensive Player of the Year and joined Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players to win both awards in the same season. But that means that AD also went into Game 1 of the WCF with a bit of a chip on his shoulder after being overlooked for an award many thought he would win, and it showed as he put in 37 points and grabbed 10 rebounds last night.
Using the season awards losses as motivation in this series can only go so far, and ultimately they are chasing a ghost in Antetokounmpo as he and his Bucks are no longer a threat having been eliminated by the Heat already. But Davis joined the Lakers and LeBron to win a championship which never seemed like a realistic goal for him while with the New Orleans Pelicans, but in just their first year together in LA, the duo appear to be in sync and focused on achieving that goal.
Anthony Davis put up 37 PTS, 10 REB on Friday. The last player to record at least 35 PTS, 10 REB in their conferenc… https://t.co/WlQxlQFuns— NBA.com/Stats (@NBA.com/Stats) 1600489066.0
For James, however, he's chasing something much different. Not only is LeBron trying to supplant Jordan as being known as the best to ever do it, but even in his second year with the Lakers, James doesn't feel completely welcomed by the fan base mostly due to their appreciation and loyalty to the accomplishments of the late Kobe Bryant. But both of those players have more rings, and LeBron haters use that as the fuel for their fiery opinions against him. James' career accomplishments are well known including four league MVP awards, three NBA Championships, three Finals' MVP's, currently owns the second best Player Efficiency Rating (PER) in NBA history, and will likely finish his career with most career points and inside the top five in assists. Not bad for a Kid from Akron.
One thing we know for sure is that a match up between Giannis' Bucks and LeBron's Lakers are something that we all want to see as basketball fans, but something we've been reminded of from this postseason is that there are no certainties in sports. There might not have been a clearer path for the teams to meet in the Finals than this season. Next year will see the return of a healthy Steph Curry and Klay Thompson for the Warriors as well as Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving for the Brooklyn Nets. Both will immediately be placed among the favorites to win next year.
I miss @StephenCurry30 @KyrieIrving @KDTrey5 @KlayThompson playing basketball.— Isiah Thomas (@Isiah Thomas) 1600114058.0
The Lakers have a formidable opponent in front of them in Denver and cannot afford to give this resilient Nuggets team an opening to come back like in the Jazz and Clippers' series. If LeBron is able to win his fourth NBA Championship this year it will put him within realistic reach of getting his fifth to draw even with Kobe and maybe quiet some of the Laker faithful that still refuse to bow to the King. But that is yet to be seen.
No matter the number of rings LeBron finishes his decorated career with, the mark he has made on this league is indelible, and as the number of superstars in the league continue to grow they all have their eyes on the throne. Although LeBron lost out on adding a fifth MVP award to his trophy case this year, he has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that when it comes to winning-time basketball he is still King of the hill and everyone else might just have to wait until he decides it's time to go home for Giannis or anybody else to take his spot.
With the Eastern Conference Finals match up set to begin on Tuesday night between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat, the Lakers will be waiting for the winner of Game 7 between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers to determine the Western Conference Finals.
The night will see both the beginning and an end to a series, and one team's season will be over by the end of it. The NBA postseason has provided memorable moments already, from Luka's buzzer beater to the Raptors' double-overtime win to force Game 7 against Boston. But the league's biggest star, LeBron James, sits in waiting while trying to add another championship to his Hall of Fame resume.
Luka Doncic GAME WINNING BUZZER BEATER!!! Clippers vs Mavericks Ending Sequence, Luka-Morris-Luka GW www.youtube.com
After dismantling the Houston Rockets' explosive offense by changing up their lineups and inserting Markieff Morris and Alex Caruso alongside LeBron James, the Lakers were able to take away the perimeter opportunities that the Rockets have capitalized on all season to outpace their competition. By playing a smaller lineup to combat the Rockets' strengths, the Lakers made Mike D'Antoni's squad look confused and frustrated throughout the series.
It appeared that Lakers' coach, Frank Vogel, had a defensive game plan centered around taking everything away except James Harden. That sounds crazy, but Harden is going to get points regardless of how you defend him, so by focusing on taking away those open teammates spotting up for corner threes, the rest of the Rockets were largely unable to get in rhythm. That included Russell Westbrook who finished Game 5 with only 10 points in 36 minutes.
The Lakers were daring Westbrook to take open three point shots and were rewarded for it. Westbrook went 7 for 27 from three point land during the West Semi Final, which is just a tick above 25%. LeBron James was spectacular, averaging 25.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 7.4 assists per game in the series.
Those second-round numbers 👀 https://t.co/xhhvozj9Py— Los Angeles Lakers (@Los Angeles Lakers) 1600188424.0
It will be interesting to see if the Lakers will utilize the smaller lineup they had success using against Houston against their next opponent. Both the Nuggets and Clippers have formidable big men, so you should expect to see more usage of JaVale McGee and possibly Dwight Howard.
The Nuggets have managed to bring their series with the Clippers back to even after being down 3-1. Denver overcame a 3-1 deficit in the first round of the playoffs against the Utah Jazz, however completing two such comebacks in one postseason has never been accomplished. Standing in front of them will be a determined LA Clippers team and the reigning Finals MVP, Kawhi Leonard.
This happened the last time Kawhi Leonard played a Game 7. https://t.co/F2WXrLGGMc— Bleacher Report (@Bleacher Report) 1600183786.0
We are already aware of Kawhi's ability to perform in big moments, but it will be up to his counterpart, Paul George, who has been infamously dubbed "Playoff P" due to his spotty play in the playoffs during his career, to step up and put in a big performance in Game 7 to prevent one of the preeminent favorites to win the championship from going home early, like the Bucks did over in the East.
Although the Clippers boast possibly the deepest and most talented roster in the league, I like the Nuggets to continue their winning streak and upset the Clippers to move onto the Western Conference Finals against the Lakers. Nikola Jokic has proven to be too much to handle at times during this series, and the Clippers don't have a good answer for him defensively. Because Jokic can cause mismatches all over the court and has the vision to find open teammates, I think the duo of the Joker and Jamal Murray will continue their excellent play, especially in the second half of games (82 combined points in the second halves of the two comeback victories), and close out the Clippers.
The @nuggets come back from 19 DOWN to erase a 3-1 series deficit and FORCE GAME 7 Tue. (9/15) at 9pm/et on ESPN!… https://t.co/p2ky7iC3Ll— NBA (@NBA) 1600026629.0
The Heat have surprised many by reaching the Conference Finals, but they are well coached by Erik Spoelstra, and Jimmy Butler has provided the kind of leadership that this young team has responded to. The return of a healthy Goran Dragic to the rotation has given Miami a real boost, as he's been chipping in 21 points per game during the postseason, and his leadership on and off the court is a stabilizing factor for the Heat. Rookie, Tyler Herro, has proven to be willing and able to take big shots in big moments and is a large reason why this team is thriving in the playoffs.
Shooting just a hair under 40% from three point range in the playoffs, Herro gives Butler and fellow all-star Bam Adebayo a reliable option to pass to when the paint clogs up. Butler has described the Heat as having a dog mentality heading into the Eastern Conference Finals, but a gritty and battle tested Celtics team stands in their way of getting to the NBA Finals.
Happy birthday, @JimmyButler They said he went to Miami for the weather, the beaches, & the nightlight. They sa… https://t.co/APXc9edjna— 𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙏 𝙉𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 (@𝙃𝙀𝘼𝙏 𝙉𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉) 1600103397.0
While the Heat have been surprising, the Celtics have managed to resurrect themselves in the wake of the disastrous Kyrie Irving experiment and become a legitimate threat to win the NBA championship this season. Kemba Walker has seized the opportunity in Boston to propel himself into the role of the unquestioned leader of a title worthy young squad.
Jayson Tatum has established himself as a superstar in the league with his play this season, and Jaylen Brown has also taken significant steps forward with increased opportunities this year. Gordon Hayward has provided a steady fourth option for the Celtics and can still score when asked to, but he's also begun to excel as a passer and rebounder, as it seems he's settling into his newfound role. Add in Marcus Smart, who continues to be one of the best defensive players in the league, and you get a team that has the potential to win now and in the future.
Here's the uniform sched for @celtics during the ECF. C's going with black unis for all home games: Game 1 - Statem… https://t.co/kg6vNOYQ8O— Marc D'Amico (@Marc D'Amico) 1600197109.0
Predictions
Western Conference Semi Finals Game 7
Denver Nuggets over Los Angeles Clippers (4-3)
Eastern Conference Finals
Boston Celtics over Miami Heat (4-2)
Western Conference Finals
Los Angeles Lakers over Denver Nuggets (4-3)
The shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Sunday reignited the embers still burning from the death of George Floyd just three months ago.
Once again, athletes have joined activist groups calling for justice and reform to prevent these types of occurrences from being so common in our society. On Wednesday, NBA teams started a movement that extended to other sports (including the NFL, MLB, and WNBA), all cancelling games and practices in light of the incident that has left Jacob Blake paralyzed from one of seven bullets fired into his back by a Wisconsin police officer from point blank range, one of them severing his spinal cord.
The Milwaukee Bucks were the first team to announce that they would not participate in their playoff game on Wednesday. The team addressed the media with a unified statement explaining how and why they came to their decision. George Hill and Sterling Brown acted as spokespeople for the organization, and shortly after the league made the decision to postpone all games on the schedule for that day.
Hill stated, "Over the last few days in our home state of Wisconsin, we've seen the horrendous video of Jacob Blake being shot in the back seven times by a police officer in Kenosha, and the additional shooting of protestors. Despite the overwhelming plea for change, there has been no action, so our focus today cannot be on basketball."
George Hill and Sterling Brown read Milwaukee Bucks statement after deciding not to play www.youtube.com
The NBA held an emergency Board of Governors meeting on Thursday to figure out the logistics of resuming the playoffs and determining the best course of action, if the postseason were to continue. At first, there seemed to be no guarantee that the NBA would be able to resume, as the Lakers and Clippers both voted to boycott the remainder of the season, but it appears that the NBA will resume with games beginning to be played as early as Friday August 28.
The shooting of Jacob Blake may seem to be just another story of a Black man being treated with unnecessary and deadly force by a police officer in America–but this case is more than that. Athletes taking a stand to actually sit out is a show of solidarity and, while not unprecedented, it isn't something that has happened often in history. Elle Duncan of ESPN pointed out that the last time we saw an NBA game boycotted was in 1961 when Bill Russell and a few members of the Boston Celtics refused to play in an exhibition game due to racial injustice. Fast forward 59 years, and we find the stars of the league still trying to achieve equality on many fronts.
Yet, a segment of Americans still believe that athletes have no place to speak about political or social issues–at least not publicly. In response to Wednesday's boycott, Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff, Marc Short, stated in an interview with CNN, "If they want to protest, I don't think we care," which resonates with the infamous words of Fox News' Laura Ingraham to LeBron James: "shut up and dribble." Even some activists would prefer that athletes not use their platform to help the cause of social justice, as they think it may detract from the cause.
But the fact of the matter is that modern athletes have a platform because of their celebrity. With a single tweet, LeBron James reaches millions of people from across the globe. The NBA, for better or worse, has been very progressive in allowing its players to openly express their opinions, which has resulted in the league experiencing a surge in popularity and turning its stars into wealthy and influential people in society.
The act of boycotting games takes the attention away from the sport and places it directly on the issue that these men and women want light shed upon. A boycott means we won't have box scores to go through and highlights to retweet. We will have to ask the question, "Why aren't they playing?" In regards to the Black Lives Matter movement and achieving racial equality, athletes are a leading voice, especially for America's youth. They have the ability to reach their followers and keep momentum going to enact real change in bringing about equality for all in this country. Politicians have pushed for sports to resume and carry out their seasons amid the pandemic for seemingly no other reason than to provide a distraction from what's going on and to facilitate a sense of normalcy–in other words, to continue the status quo.
Only recently does it seem that society as a whole is asking questions like why is injustice happening? And how can we change it? In an interview on ESPN Radio, NFL Executive VP of Football Operations, Troy Vincent, was very emotional speaking about the boycotts on Wednesday. Vincent referenced how proud he was of the young athletes of today for taking a stance on social inequality, and he stated that he wished he had thought to do something similar during his playing days. Vincent went on to talk about his own (black) children and his struggle as a black father raising black sons, and his fear of them being "hunted" based on the color of their skin.
Within the sports world, Vincent's comments go a long way to show how long racial inequality has been an issue for the Black community and how even a wealthy and prominent Black man in America continues to worry for his children (ages 22, 20, and 15) out in the world where he, as a father, can't protect them.
Troy Vincent's emotional reaction to protests in the sports world | Keyshawn, JWill & Zubin www.youtube.com
As of Thursday afternoon, the NBA and other professional sports leagues appear to be on track to go on as planned, but the voices of its biggest stars and social activists will continue to be heard. It's not just players, but coaches like Gregg Popovich, Steve Kerr, and Doc Rivers, along with Kenny Smith of TNT's Inside the NBA have been vocal in their support of Black Lives Matter. Public outcry against events like the shooting of Jacob Blake only helps the cause to grow stronger, amplifying strong voices in the movement towards racial equality in America.