2021 NBA Finals Preview

The NBA Playoffs, a heavily contested series of games and moments that will cause emotions throughout the months of May, June, and July. There is nothing like it in the eyes of the basketball nerds. How did the rest of the field fare this postseason now with the return of full capacity crowds? I hope the Finals matchup isn’t Lakers vs Nets!

Charlotte Hornets: Not having Gordon Hayward was going to be a challenge right from the start. Despite making the playoffs for the 1st time in 5 years the Hornets couldn’t avoid their fate of getting smacked whenever they have made the playoffs. The Pacers just had better scheming but I can point the finger at a few reasons why Charlotte lost. LaMelo Ball not being the superstar that he was during the season, the defense getting exposed by Indiana’s bench, plus a sub-40% 3 point shooting performance. They have one year left of Terry Rozier and DeVonte Graham before they both get boatloads of money thrown at them. Back to the drawing board boys!

San Antonio Spurs: Considering the circumstances that these guys faced in the 1st Quarter of the 9 vs 10 game it was astonishing to see the Spurs come back to take the lead at one point. However Greg Popovich despite his playoff superiority over Taylor Jenkins got outcoached when it truly mattered. It wasn’t because Pop didn’t try but it was due to the fact that they didn’t have an answer for Dillon Brooks. Not to mention Ja Morant overcame a 1st Half slump to KO San Antonio. The Spurs have some nice pieces for the future but the only problem for them is whether DeMar DeRozan is coming back. I don’t think management wants too many bad contracts dooming them like in years past. I would avoid that if I were you.

Indiana Pacers: Once again the Pacers look great one game then get completely exposed the next. Playing the Wizards was going to be a tall task especially since Indiana got swept in the season series. However Malcolm Brogdon looked lost and just was out of gas. (“We tried warning you about him, Pacers!” -Salty Bucks fan) Plus Domantas Sabonis got no help from the rest of his team as Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal ran roughshod over the excuse of a defense that was on display. This was an off year for the Pacers but most of it was due to losing Caris LeVert and TJ Warren to injury. If those 2 are healthy they could have a chance to be a really good team again. I don’t think Milwaukee wants you competing with them in the Central Division again.

Golden State Warriors: This season was a tough task without Klay Thompson but the loss to Memphis proves why they needed him. You can also say the same thing about James Wiseman who was out by the end of March due to injury. Yes they did get robbed by REFBALL against the Lakers in the 7 vs 8 game but they weren’t going far in the end. Even though things may have taken a rough turn there at least is a silver lining. Steph Curry is back in MVP form for the 1st time in 5 years and you also have that Top 5 pick from the Timberwolves. Not to mention the return of Klay Thompson, I think you’ll be back.

Miami Heat: This might be the biggest shocker of a series that the NBA has seen in a few years. In what should have been an instant classic according to the talking heads on ESPN the Bucks proved that they had learned from last year’s defeat by means of a back breaking sweep. Once Khris Middleton walked off on Miami in Game 1 the Heat never recovered. Even when everyone was calling for Jimmy Butler to take over the series he had no answers for what Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday threw at him for 4 straight games. (“You’re Jimmy Freaking Butler” -Stephen A Smith) In fact Jimmy Buckets was outscored in this series by Bryn Forbes. That sounds alarming from every angle there is! Not to mention Mike Budenholzer coached circles around Eric Spoelstra this time. Now Heat fans are telling Pat Riley that they should go after Kawhi Leonard but the question now is what do they do with Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson. By the way, remember when the Heat gentlemen swept Milwaukee last year in the Mickey Mouse Bubble. HOW BOUT A REVERSE CARD! (They ran right into the revenge tour of the Greek Freak!)

Boston Celtics: We gather here today to mourn the death of the Boston Celtics. A team limped into the postseason with no expectations. The Basketball Gods were so cruel to you guys, that they shut down Kemba Walker as well as Jaylen Brown. Not to mention Jayson Tatum was injured at points in the series. When your 2nd best option is Jabari Parker there is no surviving that. I will give them props for trying to keep up with the Nets. At least for Boston fans sake Danny Ainge has promised their fans that they will be very active in free agency. That was until Ainge announced that he would retire following their 5 game defeat. Plus Stevens moved to a higher situation in the front office. They went from a team with outstanding expectations once Billy King was desperate for Pierce and Garnett to being beaten by the same team whose draft capital they destroyed 8 years ago. Such a tragic ending! (This is Brooklyn’s revenge!)

New York Knicks: Well at least you gave your fans a memory they will never forget during Game 2. Knicks fans, do you now understand why Tom Thibodeau has gotten exposed in the playoffs everywhere he has been. The main reason why New York lost the series was behind the bench. They couldn’t gameplan for Trae Young even if they tried. Plus their excellent defense was no match for Atlanta’s speed and 3 point shooting attack. Despite Derrick Rose flashing his MVP form from 2011 the rest of the team struggled to make an impact. With the Hawks winning the series, Nate McMillan has finally gotten the 1st Round playoff monkey off of his back from the last few years. Now the question for this offseason is what do you do with Julius Randle? Give him a max contract or let him walk out in FA. Plus they have a lot of money to spend and the dreams of a superstar coming to New York are dancing in their fans’ heads. Even though this was a rough ending I can safely say this: “The Knicks are back on the map.” (Don’t take this loss too seriously considering how much money they can make down the road)

Washington Wizards: This was a dud. I expected you guys to give the 76ers a scare with your young talent. However Philly matched you all series. The only reason Washington had a chance in this series was when Joel Embiid went down in Game 4. Even when he was out they got burned by Seth Curry in Game 5. Not even the outstanding play of Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal could save them. DC kept it close with the Sixers but in the end they just ran out of gas. Now the dilemma that the Wizards are facing is do they keep Beal and Westbrook or do they blow it up? I honestly don’t know who to trust in the executive room. (You no longer have to deal with Grunfeld Thank God!)

Memphis Grizzlies: This segment should be describing how Ja Morant has taken positive strides in terms of his development. However they got stomped in 5 games by the best team in the NBA. At least it was the Jazz that beat you, not the Warriors or Lakers. Despite a Game 1 win the series was a done deal once Donovan Mitchell returned from the injury list in Game 2. I’m not gonna say they lost because of coaching, Taylor Jenkins did a good job just to keep it close, but the Jazz just had the better team. I will say this, Dillion Brooks looks like a stud and you have plenty of draft capital to work with this year. I have a feeling you’ll be back.

Portland Trail Blazers: I don’t understand why people think the Blazers aren’t a contender. A team that went all-in at the trade deadline self-destructed at the worst possible time. Despite outstanding performances from Damien Lillard, the merry band of underachievers had no answers for Nikola Jokic all series long. In what was an even series on paper proved to be a backbreaker for Portland since they had trouble closing out Games 2 and 6. If they won those games they would be moving on. I wonder what they will do with CJ McCollum, do they trade him or hang onto him for another year. Tough decisions! (It would be easier if you had a deep run)

Los Angeles Lakers: And with this falling of the defending NBA Champion, both finals representatives have been eliminated in the 1st Round for the first time since 2015. Despite the hype surrounding this star filled squad the Lakers spent more time playing down to their competition than winning games in the playoffs. Anthony Davis missing Game 5 was a problem but I will give you the real reasons why LA lost the series. Frank Vogel being as stubborn as his assistant, (You get nothing Kidd!) the offense being unable to shoot 3s, LeBron getting no help from his supporting cast, and the defense getting scorched by Devin Booker. Now the big question for the front office is can they add more pieces to their roster? With the amount of money that they have to pay in terms of the luxury tax I’m not so sure. Just regroup and get ready for next season.

Dallas Mavericks: Dallas you had 1 JOB! To make us laugh like we have never laughed before. Sometimes what goes around tends to come back around. I will at least give them credit for trying to pull off the upset. Playing a playoff experienced team like the Clippers was going to be a challenge and taking a 2-0 and 3-2 series lead at one point was exactly what Mavs fans hoped for right. Well “Playoff Kawhi” returned and boy did he ever. Dallas had no answers for him in Games 6 and 7, plus Luka Doncic couldn’t keep up with a certain 2nd Star on the other side. Don’t take this loss too seriously Mark Cuban, you’ll be back if you ace the offseason. PAUSE. YOU HIRED JASON KIDD! That’s more of a clown hire than the Pelicans hiring Stan Van Gundy! (I’m warning you Cuban, Luka Doncic is going to want out next year because of Kidd being a nuisance and preventing this team of its true potential)

Brooklyn Nets: Honestly this was a series in which one team just had to lose. However the Basketball Gods destroyed the Nets championship ambitions by means of James Harden getting injured in Game 1 and Kyrie getting knocked out of the series in Game 4. According to almost everyone the reason that Brooklyn lost this series was injuries but it doesn’t really solve the whole story. (ESPN Talking Heads: “HOW MANY BREAKS ARE THE BUCKS GONNA GET THIS YEAR?!”) Despite a 2-0 lead including a 39 point win in Game 2 plus the city already planning the championship celebration in July, the Bucks stormed back thanks to Brooklyn’s inability to stop Giannis and Khris Middleton. As dominant as he was, Kevin Durant was the only reason this series went to Game 7. In that game the emotional roller coaster was hitting both fanbases. Despite the Nets trying to open up the game, Milwaukee had an answer every time. Even with KD’s heroics to force overtime the “greatest offense in team sports history” according to ESPN’s Max Kellerman was held to 2 points in the OT thanks to some outstanding defense by Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez. (Thank god Splash Mountain overcame his 4th quarter meltdown!) Even the refs were trying to gift wrap the Nets a Conference Finals appearance but at the end of the day it wasn’t enough. To me Brooklyn is falling into the same traps as they did in the Billy King era. Their draft capital is gone, they have to pay a 60-80 million dollar luxury tax, and they have one year left of all 3 of their superstars before they are FAs again. Anyways the NBA’s media darling is DEAD! (“BROOKLYN SOUR GRAPES!” -Every Bucks fan)

Philadelphia 76ers: Doc Rivers is a solid coach in terms of putting a good team together, his record in the regular season and the 1st Round of the playoffs proves it. Sixers fans, do you now understand why he got fired last year out of LA? In my opinion the reasons why Philly lost this series was because of coaching and the inability to close out a game. I mean they blew an 18 point lead in Game 4 in Atlanta and a chance at a 3-1 series lead against the best offensive team in the playoffs that was no big deal. But giving up a 26 point lead with 4 minutes left in the 3rd in Game 5 at home was backbreaking. Then they gave their fans hope by overcoming a late game power outage in the ATL for Game 6, ONLY TO GO FULL SIXERS IN GAME 7! If last year was a deathblow to their championship window plus their so-called “Process” this year reinforces that thinking. This summer there could be a serious nuking of this roster. (FAs include Thybulle, Curry, Howard, Green, Milton, plus Simmons could be traded) I’m so glad I don’t have to pretend that I like this team anymore. (I don’t have to become a 76ers, Phillies, and Eagles fan now. THANK GOD!) FYI the 2nd Round exit never dies!

Denver Nuggets: This was going to be an uphill climb with Jamal Murray being out for the entire postseason. I will give these guys credit for taking down a Blazers team that was slightly better than them on paper. Then they got struck back to reality by the likes of CP3 and Devin Booker. In what looked like a solid matchup right from the start, Denver got stomped by Phoenix and their all around talent. I know the officials jobbed you in Game 4 when Nikola Jokic got ejected but let’s be real they were getting swept anyways. The reality that the Nuggets have to face this offseason is the fact that they went all in on Aaron Gordon and Javale McGee at the deadline. Not to mention Michael Porter is due for a new contract as well. Honestly though it would have been nice to see them go deep again even if they somehow pulled off the unthinkable.

Utah Jazz: I’m starting to believe that the Jazz have been filled with bad luck. In a series that was even on paper they just couldn’t keep up with the Clippers despite a 2-0 series lead. In reality what killed Utah was Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley both being injured throughout the playoffs. I know the Clippers were without Kawhi Leonard for Games 5 and 6 but it would have been a different series had both of Utah’s guards, especially Conley, been healthy in Games 3 and 4. The Jazz’ so-called elite defense was roasted by Terrance Mann and Paul George for 4 straight games. And therefore as a result of injuries and bad luck for the Jazz, LA makes it out of the 2nd Round for the first time in franchise history. If I’m Utah I have plenty of options to attack the offseason. Do they go for another superstar to go with Mitchell and Rudy Gobert or do they add more depth. This defeat stinks but they’ll be back.

Los Angeles Clippers: Hey congrats on making it past the 2nd Round for the 1st time in team history! I will give these guys credit for going as far as they did while being short handed. That’s what good coaching can do. Anytime a team loses Kawhi Leonard and Rajon Rondo who have the most playoff experience on the roster plus 2-0 deficits on 3 separate occasions those are hard pills to swallow. Despite outstanding performances by Paul George and the rest of the team the Clippers just couldn’t keep up with a Suns team that was ready for a Finals push. I think they will be back but it just depends on what Kawhi decides to do this offseason, he can exercise his player option either way. The good news for Clips fans is the “can’t make it past the 2nd Round” narrative belongs to their old head coach. (Have fun in Philly Doc!) Be comforted though, you have more assets on the table than the Lakers. (Check the luxury tax for both teams.)

Atlanta Hawks: We hold this truth to be self-evident, every time they make the playoffs as underdogs the Hawks will pull off a Cinderella Run. The fact that this team went as far as they did despite massive doubters including myself should be praised but there is one problem. Remember 2018, when the management group in Atlanta fired Mike Budenholzer in the middle of the season? Well Coach Bud got the message and he certainly wasn’t going to lose to his old team with a Finals spot on the line. Revenge was the main item on the dinner menu at Cafe Hollander for 4 out of the 6 games. I know people are going to say the Hawks lost because Trae Young got injured via REFBALL in Game 3 but here’s the thing ATL, THE BUCKS DIDN’T HAVE GIANNIS EITHER! They kept it uncomfortably close with the Bucks but however Milwaukee’s experience and clutch decisions were just too much for the young Hawks to overcome. Despite trying to make another epic comeback in Game 6 Atlanta just had nothing left in the tank. (All Hail Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis!) Even though this was a rough ending this was a huge lift for the future of the organization, Trae Young looks like a superstar, Nate McMillan is an outstanding coach, the young talent on the roster is fun to watch, and they have plenty of space to lore a superstar or 2 to the team in free agency this summer. Even though they made it farther than they ever had during their stay in Atlanta, the Hawks can’t escape their City’s Sports Stereotype! DID I EVER TELL YOU THE DEFINITION OF INSANITY!?!? PAUSE.

The playoffs I think this year lived up to expectations, you didn’t know what the outcomes would be and who would get hurt. Now it’s Finals time, and the pressure will be on for the 2 teams left standing. Let’s meet the contestant coming from the ultra competitive Western Conference!

Phoenix Suns: The Suns were a hard team to crack at the beginning, they were either going to storm out of the cellar and become a legit contender for the 1st time in a decade or they would have trouble keeping up with the California teams in their division. Not only did they become a contender they have made it all the way to the final showdown. For years the Suns were terrible and in the basement of the Pacific Division on a near regular basis, the lack of elite coaching, star players, and leadership had taken its toll. There was promise last year from going 8-0 in the bubble only to miss the playoffs via tiebreaker. They capitalized on that near-playoff run by getting a few old vets with playoff experience, more on that later. Phoenix went from dark horse at the beginning of the season to having the 2nd best record in the NBA when no one even noticed. Everyone thought that they would get exposed in the playoffs, the Lakers are healthy and LeBron is going to the Finals again, the Suns ended that dream in 6 games despite a 2-1 hole. In the next round they stomped all over a Nuggets team that was primed for another Cinderella run despite not having Jamal Murray. Then came the Clippers, they deserve a trip to the Finals they said, LA is going to overpower them, I think CP3 had the final word. The one thing about the Suns is that they play as a team, every guy on the roster contributes on and off of the floor. Their young talent was unknown this season, but now they have taken the next step towards becoming stars this postseason. First of all there is Devin Booker, the cornerstone of the organization went from the most underrated player in the West to legitimate superstar in a span of a few weeks. A guy who has outplayed the likes of LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, and Paul George this postseason thanks to his deadly jumpshot. DeAndre Ayton is a Center on the rise, the former #1 pick of the 2018 draft has developed his game nicely and has no true weakness on both sides of the ball. Then there is Mikal Bridges, another young talent who unlike Booker and Ayton has had big game experience over the last few years. (He won 2 National Championships at Villanova) Then there are 2 veteran keystones that have a huge role on where they are right now. Jae Crowder being one of them, he had an excellent postseason last year in Miami and now in Arizona he has not skipped a beat. With his 3 point shooting and defensive anchor combination he has fit in nicely. Finally leading the charge for Phoenix this year is Chris Paul, one of the greatest Point Guards in the history of the game, this postseason he has taken all of the “can’t win the big one” narratives and banished them with his leadership and all around skills. He has been the legend this team hasn’t had in a long time. It appeared like he would never make the Finals once he left Houston in 2019, now he has a chance to put the finishing touches on a 1st Ballot Hall of Fame career. Not only has it been the starters that have been key, the bench has played well too, there is Cameron Payne and his abilities to be a fearless scorer, a sharp shooting Power Forward in Dario Saric, a defensive minded 2 guard in Jevon Carter, an emerging talent Cam Johnson, and finally a veteran leader in Frank Kaminsky. I will say one thing about Monty Williams, this man deserves all of the credit for turning this basement dweller into a championship caliber team. Most of the moves that he and the front office have made the last few years have been everything he has wanted as a coach and more. With the way he inspires his team to go out there every night and win almost every game is awesome to watch. It’s been almost 30 years since the Suns have been to the Finals and 20 years since the city of Phoenix last celebrated a championship. The fans in the desert have fallen back in love with this team like they did in the Charles Barkley and Steve Nash eras. Now they are 4 wins away from winning their 1st ever championship, I wonder what is the only thing that can stop them? It just happens to be another team looking to overcome a long championship drought!

Milwaukee Bucks: For the 1st time in almost 40 years the city of Milwaukee finally gets a chance to play for a championship in one of the 4 American major sports. And for the 1st time in 47 years the Bucks are in the NBA Finals. If you look at what has happened over the last few years with this team it is a fascinating story to believe. The Bucks had the best record in the NBA the last 2 seasons and both times were knocked out by the Eastern Conference representative in the Finals that year, there were serious questions about what the future would hold after the last 2 years. The organization got caught tampering with the NBA this offseason as they had a deal with the Sacramento Kings that would have given them Bogdan Bogdanovic, and not to mention they threw everything at this one year to try and get a championship. This season unlike the last 2 years Milwaukee wasn’t as good as they were in the regular season, in fact they were 16-14 in February and 6th in the East. Many people were saying that they wouldn’t make the playoffs let alone win a series. However the high-end talent on the roster played up to their potential as the Bucks went on a hot streak to cruise into the playoffs. Once the playoffs began people began to realize that this isn’t the same team that choked 2 years in a row with the #1 seed. They swept the Heat in the 1st Round and held them under 100 points in regulation for each of the 4 games. (“Heat in 5!” They said) Then their boogeymen of an organization quickly put them down 2-0 including a 39 point beatdown in Game 2, unlike most years they don’t crumble and finally slay the dragon in Game 7. As for the Hawks there was no chance for them again, Atlanta was “Too Legit to Quit” they said, they lost their MVP and had no momentum they said, WELL LOOK AT THEM NOW! The Bucks are a well-oiled machine that has overcome everything that has stood in their way this postseason, they have plenty of players that are destined for their 1st ring after years of coming up short. Lets begin with Khris Middleton, the longest tenured player left on the team, he has overcome the label of being soft in the playoffs to being the clutch performer the front office thought he would be in years past, he near single handedly carried them past the Hawks in the ECF. (20+ points in a quarter on 2 separate occasions will answer that) Jrue Holiday, an all around underrated talent. He was acquired in a deal with New Orleans so the Bucks could get out of Eric Bledsoe’s bad contract, other than a few games against the Nets he has dominated in almost every game during the playoffs. Then there is Brook Lopez, the Nets all-time leading scorer back on a real team and has turned back the clock on offense despite his defensive struggles against Brooklyn in the 2nd Round. Finally we have ah yes Giannis Antetokounmpo, one of the greatest players of this generation, every time he drives into the paint you know he is going to unleash one of his legendary lay-ups or dunk packages on the opposing defense, other than a knee injury that he suffered in Game 4 in Atlanta he has played with a fire that we haven’t seen out of a Bucks player since Kareem Abdul Jabbar in his prime. He has made believers out of almost everyone this postseason because he has overcome the choker label and other stereotypes as well. (The examples are Malika Andrews, Zora Stephenson, Jim Paschke, Kendrick Perkins, besides the rest of the ESPN Mothership and Bally Sports Wisconsin after how he treated them after the Raptors series in 2019. The First Take crew, we aren’t going to talk about them) Although Giannis has never won it all, the GOAT of the NBA also donned this profile. Michael Jordan during the early portions of his career suffered humiliating defeats or came up short against the “Bad Boy” Pistons. They said that MJ couldn’t win a championship, in fact he nearly got traded to the Knicks in 1990. We all know how this story ended, the Bulls became a dynasty, Jordan became an American icon, and his past failures are behind him, this could become the Greek Freaks legacy as well. With the way he is playing there is plenty of time. Not to mention they have outstanding role players like Bryn Forbes, PJ Tucker, Bobby Portis, Jeff Teague, Pat Connaughton, and Giannis’ older brother Thanasis. I will say one thing about Mike Budenholzer, he has overcome every single obstacle that has stood in his way, being underdogs right from the start of the playoffs, being on the hot seat all season, overcoming the heroics of KD, beating 3 teams that could have easily knocked them out of the playoffs while being short handed in each of the series’. If he wins a championship all will be forgiven by Bucks fans for how they have treated him on social media. PAUSE.

This Finals matchup is the best thing that could have happened for the NBA, this Finals matchup won’t feature LeBron, KD, Curry, Kyrie, plus several other big names or certain teams. We finally get a matchup featuring young talents, long suffering fan bases, 2 all time greats looking for their 1st championship, and coaches desperate for their 1st title. This NBA Finals proves what basketball is really all about. It isn’t about building a team of superstars and buying your way to a championship, it’s about having every player, coach or executive contribute to the success of an organization. There will be some familiar faces in this matchup, Coach Bud and Monty Williams were both under Gregg Popovich’s staff in San Antonio, Giannis will get to face his old head coach in Joe Prunty who is now an assistant for the Suns, and both teams were involved in a 3 team trade that was key to their success this postseason. (The Torrey Craig PJ Tucker Trade) We are either going to get the ending of the Curse of Milt Mason or the timely end to Basketball’s ultimate Legacy of Failure. Either way one of these teams and several former Pelicans are going to win their 1st Title. TIME FOR SOME PREDICTIONS!

Predictions: This series features 2 teams that match up extremely well with one another, the talent that these teams have on both sides of the ball is what could make or break them in this series. In my opinion the outcome of the series will be decided on how healthy Giannis is at the moment. I think that even though he might not 100% he could still be effective. Plus any prediction I make will be described as either jinxing a squad or being biased towards my favorite team. In my opinion I just think Devin Booker is an absolute machine right now, he is on a level that is higher than any one this postseason, unless he and the rest of the team struggles I’m going to pick the Suns in 7. YOU KNOW WHAT THE REAL PREDICTION IS, TAKE IT AWAY MILWAUKEE! (Reverse jinxing please don’t fail me now!)

Bucks fans: BUCKS IN 6! BUCKS IN 6!! BUCKS IN 6!!!