NBA PLAYOFFS 2020: On the long road to the Finals

By
Clement Soubre
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In the NBA, even if we love to watch beautiful regular season posters, it is at the end of it, during the "NBA Playoffs 2020", that all fans follow the games more than ever and make their predictions. Indeed, when the 16 best teams in the league must produce their best basketball to reach the famous "NBA Finals" opposing the best team in the East to the best team in the West, as much to say that it necessarily promises spectacle!

NBA PLAYOFFS 2020: A difficult context with the health crisis

And yet, this long-awaited annual show did not almost take place in 2020. First cause, the global health context, but finally Adam Silver (the President of the National Basketball Association) found an alternative by proposing to carry out the confrontations in Orlando in an area reserved for organizers as well as athletes and their families. Fans will inevitably be a little disappointed not to be able to taste the electric atmospheres that characterize these matches that will have to take place this year behind closed doors. And despite this solution found by the league, the playoffs were almost boycotted by the players themselves following new cases of police violence against American citizens. Finally, the sporting event will be held in Orlando, and for the first time in the history of the playoffs, the NBA allows players towrite a "social" message (if they wish) on the back of their jersey. An authorization that will allow many of them to support, for example, the famous " Black lives matter " or to display strong messages such as " Equality", " Education Reform " or " Love us ". A year like no other, but the playoffs will take place. And even if they have to take place without the usual atmospheres, we clearly saw that the qualified teams had raised their level of play for the occasion. Well, some more than others, that's for sure! Back on the meetings and highlights of these Playoffs with our predictions for the Finals! Remember that in the Playoffs, there is a quarter, semi and final system in each conference (East and West) that brings out the best team from the East and West who must then compete in the famous "NBA Finals". The first team to win 4 games, advances to the next phase of the competition which is played in the same way.

Les Playoffs NBA "East Coast"

Come on, let's start by seeing what happened on the East Coast! The first round didn't really hold any surprises. Milwaukee with regular season MVP (Most Valuable Player) Giannis Antetokounmpo, defeated the Orlando Magic in 5 games (4-1). And for the other three confrontations of the first round, sweeps as they say in the middle ("sweep" in English)! Miami won 4-0 against Indiana, ditto for the Toronto Raptors, the defending champions who swept the Nets. However, Brooklyn without its two injured superstars – some Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving – promises great things for the coming season. The collective was forced to progress to compensate for the loss of its two outstanding scorers. No doubt when they return the Nets will be serious customers. On the other hand, what a disappointment for Philadelphia who fails to take a single game in Boston. We expected better from the trio of Simmons, Embiid, Harris.

So, the semifinals in the East give Milwaukee – Miami and Boston – Toronto. Who do we start with? Come on, honor to the defending champion! So obviously Toronto does not have the same roster as in 2019 with the departure of some players like veteran back Danny Green and his Final MVP last year, Kawhi Leonard who now plays in Los Angeles on the Clippers side. Nevertheless, the Raptors are still dangerous and hard to beat. Led by a Kyle Lowry always at 100% intensity on every possession and supported by his back VanVleet and his comrades-in-arms Gasol, Ibaka, Siakam, Anunoby and Powell. We quickly saw that the Canadian team knew each other well and that it knew how to exploit its collective strength on both the offensive and defensive phases. Opposite, the Boston Celtics field a very versatile five with potential to score: Jayson Tatum.Impressive two years ago against LeBron, he is ready to take a new step and he can count on an experienced player like Gordon Hayward and on the nice little collective that Brad Stevens the "Head Coach" has composed: including Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown and energizer Marcus Smart. The series between the two franchises will keep all its promises in terms of intensity and suspense. Because even if the Raptors struggle more to create open shots than their opponent, their defensive work often allows them to hang on to the scoring. And it will take a match 7 to decide between the two formations! Decisive game that Boston will win. And while we had feasted in front of this opposition Raptors-Celtics especially with a game 6 of madness that will go to double overtime, who could expect Milwaukee to give up so quickly against the Miami Heat. Indeed, the Bucks although counting in their ranks the inevitable MVP but also a very complete team composed of very skillful shooters behind the arc like Kyle Korver, Khris Middleton, Ersan Ilyasova; a racket goalie named Brook Lopez and very versatile players like Bledsoe, Matthews, DiVincenzo and George Hill… only managed to win a game against the Heat that we never really felt threatened. Disappointment for Giannis, who despite his title of best player in the league in the regular season, has not been able to impose his physical domination against the zone defense very well orchestrated by Eric Spoelstra's men. As you can see, the finals in the East pitted the Miami Heat against the Boston Celtics. And again, we had surprises. It must be said that it was already a surprise in itself to see the Heat in the conference finals. The playoffs revealed that Spoelstra's men had really raised their level of play around a very well controlled defensive system with a lot of rotations and an almost constant double presence on the ball carrier. And then, on offense the Floridians without a real offensive star on their team (except perhaps a certain Jimmy Butler), relied on fairly simple offensive systems around a lot of screens and pick and roll. It must be said that collectively Miami played with great accuracy, with Goran Dragic in the role of the ideal point guard who is not noticed too much during the season but who in the playoffs is effective in all areas of play, shooting and to give rhythm to the offense and serve his teammates. Because, indeed, Floridians have understood it well, it is together that they are dangerous. Thus, no wonder to see the scoring so well distributed among the players. An example of consistency with Butler and Dragic leading the way for the youngest, Herro (the rookie will even plant 37 points in Game 4) and Robinson who can also rely on the strong presence of Adebayo in the racket and handymen like Crowder and Iguodala.
For their part, the Celtics rely heavily on their starters to score and come up against a defense still well in place on the Heat side. Boston is struggling to adapt its game to upset this defense, like Marcus Smart angry after the first two games lost. We will have the right to interesting meetings overall and often close to the score but in the game, the Heat gives the impression of less force to create opportunities on offense and ends up winning the series 4-2. It must be said that this Miami team, nobody expected it at this level. Often, it's after making the playoffs that a group gets stronger collectively, but Miami felt like it had improved tremendously before that. Certainly the rigor brought by good old Jimmy Butler to his teammates has something to do with it. Indeed, the Heat's All Star, while the end of the season had been suspended and the playoffs were uncertain, offered brand new baskets to all his teammates deprived of training so that they could continue to work. It should also be noted that the Miami players came to Orlando on a mission. Unlike other teams that are also allowed to come with family or close friends throughout their time in Orlando, the Heat players came alone focused on one thing… basketball!

Focus on the NBA Playoffs on the West Coast side

Let's see what happened on the West Coast now! It must be said that the forecasts were quite unanimous in the West. Many saw a Los Angeles battle between the Lakers and Clippers as the conference finals . And yet, again, there were surprises! Well, on the Lakers side with the impressive duo LeBron James – Anthony Davis, who is also well surrounded by experienced players like Rajon Rondo, Danny Green or Dwight Howard to which are added excellent " role players" like Alex Caruso, J.A. Smith and Markieff Morris, not to mention the young and talented Kuzma and Cadwell-Pope, let's just say that no one was surprised to see the second most successful franchise in the league eliminate the Portland Blazers in 5 games. The Lakers will meet the Rockets in the second round. Houston who had a little scare by having to play a Game 7 in the first round to eliminate Oklahoma. This fight against the Thunder did not bode well for the upcoming games against LeBron and his gang. Indeed, between Oklahoma and Los Angeles there is no photo, especially since the Rockets always rely on their "small ball". Because coach Mike D'Antoni believes in this strategy of focusing on the speed of the game. As a result, it is the attack to excess, with basketball often transitional and shots taken very early in possession. The problem is that the Rockets who want to impose a crazy pace, do not have an interior worthy of the name, an absence that is heavily lacking under the circle because in front of the Lakers, pivots there are at least three and sacred phenomena in addition: Davis, Howard and McGee. You'll have to ask the Houston coaching how they hoped that even a valiant P.J. Tucker of 1.96m manages to contain interiors of 2.10m and 120 kg! As a result, LeBron will not even need to come out of exceptional scoring level games to say goodbye to the Rockets in only 5 games. A disappointment for those who had high hopes in the duo Harden – Westbrook.

It is therefore by continuing their walk of health that the Lakers find themselves in the conference finals for the first time since 2010, the year of their last title won with a certain Kobe Bryant! So who to face the Angelinos? Many were waiting for the other Los Angeles team, the Clippers, to join them in the ring. But you will have understood everything did not go so well for the men of Doc Rivers! It didn't start too badly though, with a first round win in 6 games against Dallas and his fantastic Luka Doncic who became simply the youngest basketball player to score so many points in his first playoff game. 42 points like that, not to mention that in the wake of the young man of 21 years chains two games to 43 and 38 points! As a result, the winner of the series between Denver and Utah had to meet the Clippers in the Conference Semifinals. And then, those who like scenarios with reversals of situations have been served! It is true that the predictions saw the Jazz impose itself on the experience and strong of its pretty little group that has been able to make a place for itself in the West. Especially thanks to some Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert, counting on the contribution of Mike Conley and the regularity of Bogdanovic and Ingles! But just because Denver doesn't often make the playoffs doesn't mean they're going to be impressed. From the first matches, the tone is set. Place to a duel that will remain in history between Jamal Murray the leader of the Nuggets and Donovan Mitchell the back of the Jazz. Because when the two men answer basket for basket with Jordanesque performances, including two games with more than 50 points each… to accumulate between them a total of 475 points scored on the series…Well, it's called an NBA record! At the end of Game 4, Denver is leading 3-1, and even if each game is very competitive and we want to see more, it is difficult to see how Utah could not finish the job by winning an extra game. Especially since teams that go up a score of 3-1 in the NBA it has never been seen … Oh yes, once in 2016, ask the Golden State Warriors the damage that can do a LeBron James on a mission assisted by his talented lieutenant Kyrie Irving! Again, in games with unbearable suspense for fans, the two franchises will fight for victory until the last second of Game 7. And it is Denver that will write a little more history by becoming the second team to make this comeback !
Good for the Clippers, we say, who will have to face an opponent who will have left a lot of energy to make such a comeback. So yes it's true, the team of this good Doc Rivers led by the duo of winger Superstars, Kawhi Leonard – Paul George that we can't wait to see on the bill against LeBron and Anthony Davis, perhaps leaves with an advantage in terms of physical freshness against Denver. In any case, that's what the result seems to indicate at the end of Game 4: 3-1 again, for the Clippers. And here it seems really cooked for Jamal Murray and his family! It was already historic to see a team go up this score once but then twice and in a row it is still unheard of. Well, it didn't take more to give the Nuggets a valid reason to gohang on a Game 7 and win it. Still historical objective that they will achieve thanks to their formidable duo composed you will have understood the untenable Jamal Murray and the "Big Man" Nikola Jokic! And then, as much to say that the questions fuse around the Clippers, how this collective that had made us vibrate in 2019 by hanging somehow the Warriors of Curry, Durant and Thompson, could not reach the finals with the additional contribution of George and Leonard? Unfortunately, inexcusable fault for Doc Rivers who will no longer coach the Clippers next year. So the conference finals in the West give Lakers vs. Nuggets. And we're not going to say that Los Angeles only made a bite of the Nuggets because they still had the merit of hanging on to several games and winning one. But their lack of presence under the basket with a lonely Nikola Jokic, cost them the battle of the rebound among others, and in the playoffs it does not forgive! Denver still showed very good things and proved that they did not rely only on a talented duo but also on a young group including a very good Michael Porter Jr. Let's hope that with the return of a certain Will Barton next year and wiser choices in place of Paul Millsap (who has not contributed much compared to the payroll he occupies in the team), Denver can continue its good progression!

Lebron James 35 years old, outstanding player!

Well, let's talk a little about the Lakers in all this! And how not to mention LeBron James, who at 35 years old continues to impress! Even if this year he is better surrounded and does not always need to run the machine at full speed to win, it is clear that the King is a stratospheric athlete in excellent physical shape (just see how he still takes off the floor in his 16th year in the NBA) with an even more refined basketball intelligence. So certainly we could say that Anthony Davis with his stats that would make more than one jealous, overshadows James, but we feel the Leadership that emerges from the real boss that no one disputes within the Lakers ! Because that's also the mark of the greats, to make you feel this deep determination that drives you to win and that pushes teammates to invest with the same seriousness and to raise their level of play!

A Dream NBA Finals: Miami Heat VS Los Angeles Lakers

So what can we expect in these "NBA Finals 2020" between the Heat and the Lakers? Already Miami will have its work cut out for it defensively. Because even if the Floridians have shown several times that they control their zone defense of which they have the secret, it may be complicated to apply against the Lakers. And for at least two reasons, James and Davis are such threats that they are the subject of many catches to two that will necessarily leave space for players and when you see how Frank Vogel's men are skilled at shooting, it can hurt a lot! But hey, we can often count on this strategist of Eric Spoelstra to make adjustments and adapt to the opponent. But the options remain limited. To keep Davis in the racket and prevent him from averaging almost 30 points per game, it will take a heroic Bam Adebayo under the circle. And to try to slow down the King, the Heat still have Andre Iguodala, the veteran winger and now accustomed to the finals will certainly be given the painful task of trying to contain LeBron who will be set to the sport mode! An iron defense will be necessary for Miami if they want to have a shooting window to win games. On the other hand, we feel that offensively, the Heat has the weapons to score points. Everyone can deviate to 3 points so it will be possible to space the game and create mismatches. On the other hand, not sure that the pick and rolls that Heat players use a lot have the same effectiveness against the Lakers roster. Indeed, when you see the average size of the team it facilitates rotations in defense! Let's get ready for what LeBron James has in store for us for this 2020 edition. Because if there is a time when the King will let go of the horses it is now! Remaining quite silent towards those who were close to him not having managed to qualify the team the season before and never having reached the finals by playing in the West, the four-time MVP offered an answer to the Jordan that is to say without talking but playing! And as much to tell you that it will take courage to get in the way of a LeBron James in search of Title. We're not going to lie to each other's teammates Jimmy Butler are not starting favorites, but they have accustomed us to surprises and we would not be totally surprised to see them manage to put in difficulty a franchise like L.Has. Even if there, the task looks complicated… In any case, we all hope for the best scenario… Spectacle, teams that do not give each other gifts, games that go to overtime… and especially a series that ends on a game 7!

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