Where were you on March 11, 2020? On that day, the World Health Organization director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus officially declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. A noteworthy aspect in the sports world was that the NBA took the drastic steps of suspending the season after Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus before a game between the Utah Jazz and the Oklahoma City Thunder. It took four more months before the league resumed with a play-in tournament followed by the playoffs in a bubble environment at the ESPN Worldwide of Sports Complex, in Disney World, Orlando. After six grueling weeks of isolation and performance before the eyes of the world, the Los Angeles Lakers emerged as champions defeating the Miami Heat 4-2 in the NBA finals. Three years later, in 2023, the same four teams that contested the Conference Finals in the playoff bubble will meet in this year’s edition. So, will the Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics get their revenge for the losses in the bubble? Or will Lebron’s current and former teams meet again in the Finals? In this article, we preview the action on the court and make our prediction for the series.
1. Los Angeles Lakers versus Denver Nuggets
I. Home is where the heart of is-the playoff bubble lacked the atmosphere of home teams playing before a crowd. In this year’s conference finals, the Nuggets will have the home-court advantage in the seven games series. It is a definite advantage for this squad because the Nuggets are a tremendous home team boasting a 34-7 record or 83% win percentage in the regular season. The record is even better in the postseason with a 6-0 record, and the altitude in the Mile High City tends to give an advantage to the home team used to the conditions. The Lakers’ record at home was 23-18, but after the February 9 trade deadline, the team went 10-4 in the last 14 games of the regular season. In the playoffs, the Lakers are 6-0 at home in a raucous Crypto.com Area. In the first two rounds, the Lakers were able to upset the Grizzlies and Warriors on the road, and they will aim to pull off the hat trick when they head to Denver on Tuesday. Both teams will need to protect their home court, and the team that can steal a game on the road will have a huge advantage.
II. AD versus Jokic- the headlines surrounding the Lakers will always be about Lebron James and his quest for a fifth championship. However, real basketball knows that the Lakers’ hopes for lifting the Larry Obrien trophy this season will rest on the shoulders of Anthony Davis. Davis has been inconsistent in his productivity from an offensive standpoint by seemingly alternating good and bad games. However, AD has been consistently brilliant on the defensive end averaging nearly 3.5 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. Unlike, Jokic has been a steady and consistent superstar, the team has needed to lead them to this point. Jokic was brilliant against the Phoenix Suns averaging 34.5 pts, 13.2 rebounds, and 10.3 assists. Davis dominated the matchup in the bubble and propelled the Lakers to the NBA Finals. However, Jokic will see this series as a means of revenge, and he has won back-to-back MVP titles as one of the toughest covers in the game. The player that wins the matchup will win the series, and avoiding foul trouble will be decisive.
III. Battle of the Cast-the Lakers started the season with one of the worst rosters in the league. Rob Pelinka has reshaped this roster to galvanize this team to challenge for the NBA title in the same season. Aside from Lebron, the cast includes a slick scorer and shooter in D’Angelo Russell. Austin Reaves was the third-best offensive player on the court in Game 6 against the Warriors and set the tone in Game 1 in Memphis. Dennis Schroeder brings an added layer of toughness, playmaking and makes big plays in key moments. Lonnie Walker became a Laker legend by scoring 15 points off the bench in the 4th quarter in Game 4 against the Warriors, while Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt are key contributors offensively and defensively. The Nuggets cast is equally as deep starting with the ultra-talented point guard in Jamaal Murray. Michael Porter and Aaron Gordon bring shot-making, athleticism, and the ability to switch. The depth of this team is complete with Christian Braun, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown, Jeff Green, and Reggie Jackson who brings a combination of experience, size, shooting, and defense. Yes, these teams are deep, and the winner will likely come from which underrated player steps up from the shadows for their team.
IV. Predictions: I predicted that the Lakers would lose in the first two rounds and they have proved me wrong. I have the Lakers winning this series in 6 games because I think Anthony Davis will rise to the occasion in being the best player in the series. The Lakers win in 6.
2. Miami Heat versus Boston Celtics
i. Playoff Jimmy versus Taco Jay-Jimmy Butler has denied being a different player in the playoffs compared to the regular season. However, the stats tell us otherwise, with Jimmy averaging 22.9 points per game in the regular season compared to 31.1 in the playoffs. The brighter the lights, the better Jimmy Butler plays. Butler will continue to carry his team on his shoulder based on the absence of their second-best player, Tyler Herro. On the opposite side, Jayson Tatum has rewritten history in just a week. Tatum was on the verge of disaster after starting 1 for 13 from the field heading into the fourth quarter of an elimination game for his team. However, in 5 quarters, Jayson has flipped the narrative with his heroics in Game 6 and a virtuoso performance in Game 7. Tatum was unstoppable in Game 7 by dropping 51 points and 13 rebounds against the Sixers in breaking the dam and opening the floodgates in the third quarter. It’s an interesting battle of Butler being the most consistent scorer in the playoffs versus Tatum, a player with a higher ceiling. Butler must dominate the series if the Heat are to have a shot at pulling off the upset.
ii. Spoelstra versus Mazzula-Joe Mazzula has drawn the ire of fans and analysts because of the lack of adjustment against the Sixers. In Game 6, he seemed to rightly relent and play a starting 5 featuring AL Horford and Robert Williams playing together. It will be interesting to see if he will keep the lineup or revert to Derrick White. Mazzula will also have to push the right buttons against Erik Spoelstra, who many consider the best coach in the league. Spoelstra will be drilling his players to use various kinds of zones and unlike Doc Rivers, will force the Celtics to beat them without Jayson Tatum’s shot-making. Spoelstra knows how to maximize the talent of his squad, and Mazzula needs to stay in the chess game to minimize his counterpart’s brilliance
iii. Battle of Culture versus Premium Talent-the Heat pride themselves on hard work and tough-minded culture. The squad consists of seven undrafted players, and the underdog mentality will suit these players entering this series. Players like Max Struss, Gabe Vincent, Duncan Robinson, and Caleb Martin are undrafted players who are big contributors to the team. It speaks to the team’s ability to identify and develop talent. The Celtics’ 8-man rotation including Grant Williams consists of 7 first-round selections and a second-round pick in Malcolm Brogdon. The Heat will want to make this series scrappy, tight, and low-scoring by imposing their culture on proceedings.
iv. Predictions-I have learned to underestimate the Heat at your Peril. I picked them to beat the Knicks, but I did not see them upsetting the Bucks, especially in five games. I am not underestimating them, but I think the Celtics should win this series in 5 games. However, the Celtics struggle to keep their focus, and I see this ending in 6 games on the road in Miami. Celtics win in 6.