We expect an epic seven-game series between two of the top title favorites, but it’s the Lakers that move on to the NBA Finals by a slim margin. That's enough to make L.A. sweat and even put a couple of notches in Dallas' win column. The former is the reigning MVP, the latter is a four-time MVP, and they're suspended in a two-player race for this season's honor. His co-star, Khris Middleton, would be the Heat's highest scorer (21.1). Antetokounmpo has the highest RPM; James is one spot behind. Harden and Westbrook run statistical circles around George and Leonard with advantages in points (61.9 to 47.9), assists (14.4 to 8.9) and even rebounds (14.4 to 13). The Los Angeles Clippers seem both capable of a championship and an early playoff exit, and they are unsure of the status of important sixth man Montrezl Harrell, who has missed all bubble games due to the death of his grandmother.
Though you can say that about many things in 2020. While James is past the point of encountering measuring-stick matchups, he'll still summon his best when he feels his throne is threatened. 2 Toronto Raptors vs. No. But can the Heat even get out of the first round? LeBron vs. Giannis is the storyline that takes center stage, but in the end, it’s about who is the better team. But Leonard and George can conjure up basketball magic of their own, plus the Clippers are equipped to exploit big advantages in scoring balance and size. That was L.A.'s aforementioned big win, and in it, Ivica Zubac and Montrezl Harrell combined for 36 points on 15 field-goal attempts and 22 rebounds. No, we're not going out on a limb by picking both No. While Toronto sports enviable depth, it could have trouble matching the combined second-tier star power of Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward. 7 Brooklyn Nets.
1 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. That said, teams can only contain for Antetokounmpo for so long (he had 29 points, 17 boards and nine assists in their first meeting). Similar to the West, we have the fifth-seeded Miami Heat upsetting the fourth-placed Indiana Pacers in the East, though it’s probably not really much of an upset. What kind of playoffs will we see? Neither team has a great option for handling the other's stars. For the sake of simplicity, we'll set the playoff field based on the current standings. They each have a rising star at forward (Pascal Siakam for the Raptors, Jayson Tatum for the Celtics) and a veteran All-Star running point (Kyle Lowry and Kemba Walker). Eastern Conference Champions: Milwaukee Bucks in 6. Hayward looks almost as good as ever. He can be a bigger help to his teammates, and he gets a better boost from his sidekick (Davis) than Antetokounmpo does from his (Middleton).
But our imagination is spiking in this socially distanced environment, and we don't want to let our trusty crystal ball go to waste. With those parameters in place, we can run through a round-by-round prediction to crown basketball's next champion. The Bucks still remain the favorite in the East, but Toronto plays the long game, and outside of Phoenix's 8-0 bubble record, the defending champion Raptors were 7-1 with a coach and players who know how to win important games. Prediction: Clippers defeat Mavericks 4-2, No.
3 Boston Celtics vs. No. NBA Western Conference 2020 betting predictions & game preview. 4 Utah Jazz vs. No. At one point we weren’t sure we were going to make it, but thanks to the hard work and sacrifice of everyone in the league, here we are.
The teams not only split their season series 2-2, but you have one squad in an outright embrace of all things small-ball and the other built around a multifaceted 7-footer. Philadelphia is without Ben Simmons against the Boston Celtics and their young talent. 1 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. Can the Sixers' Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris make up for Simmons' absence? If the C's overload the paint in an effort to contain him, that just makes them vulnerable to all the snipers around him. But the Nuggets will need—and be unable to find—a more consistent No. We’re taking the Oklahoma City Thunder over the Houston Rockets for our first of a couple upsets in our NBA playoff predictions. Over his final 14 games before the shutdown, his per-game contributions had rocketed to 29.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.6 steals. The Sixers are the biggest wild card in the field, as you could argue they have as much talent as any team in the East that doesn't reside in the Badger State. Domantas Sabonis could have a monster series, especially if the Pacers can isolate him against the Heat's offensive-minded bigs.
3 Denver Nuggets vs. No. The Magic are technically a playoff team, but they're climbing up multiple weight classes to join the heavyweight Bucks for what will surely be a swift series.
L.A. has the better offense, the better defense, the brighter stars and the deeper bench. 5 Indiana Pacers. Its frontcourt quickness could create issues for Marc Gasol, who no longer packs the scoring punch to torment smaller defenders (three games over 15 points all season).
2 option to keep pace with James Harden, soon to collect his third straight scoring title, and Russell Westbrook, who's been power-boosted by the small-ball shift. Plus, Mike Conley is going to miss the start of the series for the birth of his son. As unconventional as it appears, the Thunder's three-headed point-guard monster of Chris Paul, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dennis Schroder has emerged as the Association's most efficient trio. 2020 NBA Champions: Los Angeles Lakers in 7. No. They're one of only two teams to topple the Bucks twice, and the last time they squared off—a 16-point Heat win in early March—their defense rattled Giannis Antetokounmpo like no one has. The Thunder can cover their lack of non-Chris Paul star power against certain clubs, but the Lakers aren't one. The Raptors will finally feel the void left by reigning Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, and despite a formidable challenge, they eventually fall to the league-best Bucks. They're side by side in the standings and in net efficiency rankings (Toronto is fourth, Boston is fifth). Nothing is usual about the 2019-20 NBA season. No. It’s a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, but this time around, the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Bucks wind up getting their revenge. That can prove a massive advantage in the chess match that is the NBA Finals.
James and Davis rank second and third, respectively, in career PER. Either way, L.A. has the pieces to advance.
That's a glaring void when he sinks the second-most buckets inside of five feet and finishes in that range at a 71.1 percent clip.
Houston has championship talent when healthy, but Rockets All-Star guard Russell Westbrook is dealing with a strained right quadriceps. Caris LeVert is going to have an amazing series, but the Toronto Raptors will still take the first step toward defending their NBA title. With seven double-digit scorers on the roster, Indiana can exploit the defensive leaks that Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Andre Iguodala can't cover. The offseason departures of Kyrie Irving, Al Horford and Terry Rozier allowed the supporting cast to blossom into centerpieces.
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