If you had the Los Angeles Lakers vs The Miami heat playing for the NBA finals this year either your a liar or you better pack up and get to Las Vegas and ride your hot streak while you got it. After the #1 seed Los Angeles Lakers handled business Saturday night eliminating the Denver Nuggets in game five it did not take long for the Lakers to find out who their opponent would be because a day later the # 5 seed Miami Heat eliminated the Boston Celtics in six games and the storylines are going to heat up before game 1 which is on Wednesday at 6 pm on ABC. But to say both teams are deserving of making the finals would be an understatement The Lakers being the #1 seed had to get through Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers in round one, in round two they beat a Houston Rocket team with two of the most prolific scorers in NBA history in James Harden and Russell Westbrook, and in the conference finals they eliminated a nuggets team who beat the clippers who was a heavy favorite heading into the bubble. As for the Heat they made it look incredibly easy getting here in the first round they swept a pacers team, in the second round they knocked out the #1 seed Milwaukee Bucks who had League MVP Giannis Antekounmpo in just five games, and just previously mentioned the heat defeated a heavy favorite in the Boston Celtics. For a year that is so unpredictable what a better way to end the NBA season with an unpredictable finals.
How both teams matchup
Los Angeles Lakers- #1 seed- 52-20 Record. At first glance when you look at the Lakers it is not to hard to find the two superstars in Lebron James and Anthony Davis but overall this is a team that went 12-3 in the tournament due to the depth and play of this team with names like JaVale McGee, Kyle Kuzma, Danny Green, Rajon Rondo, Dwight Howard, and maybe the secret weapon of the Lakers Alex Caruso its no secret under the mentorship of head coach Frank Vogel that this Lakers team was a force in the western conference. The Lakers are four wins away to seal their 17th NBA championship and for Laker fans the hearts are still heavy with the passing of Laker legend Kobe Bryant this championship would heal some wounds and put some smiles on faces on Laker fans everywhere. As well as Lebron silencing some critics along the way for taking two teams in each conference to a #1 seed and a NBA final appearance and if the Lakers were to win that would silence Lebron haters from saying he can not win in a hard western conference. Also if the Lakers were to win the Finals they would tie with the Boston Celtics with 17 NBA championships for franchise history. To say the Lakers are not ready for the NBA finals would be a understatement when they traded for AD the goal instantly became winning the NBA finals only four more wins are in the way to reach their ultimate goal.
Miami Heat- #5 seed- 44-29 record. The Miami Heat are the lowest seeded team to make an NBA final appearance since the 1998 New York Knicks when they were the 8th seed. Led by team leader Jimmy Butler the Miami heat have a lot of players with experience with the likes of Goran Dragic, Andre Iguodala, and surprising rookie Tyler Herro, with head coach Erik Spoelstra making his 5th appearance in an NBA final which will tie him for 6th overall. The Heat will have to face lakers team that on paper look unstoppable but time after time the heat play with a lot heart and are well coached with a scheme that makes every player on this team deadly shooters and defenders. This would mark the first time in NBA history that the two teams playing in this years championship did not even make the playoffs last year. For the heat they would love nothing more than to rub it in Lebrons face after helping him win his first two championships the heat would be looking for their fourth NBA title and to beat a franchise like the Lakers would be an amazing feat for a franchise in a small market to get more hope and fans to join something special.
PREDICTIONS
All in all this should be a series that should go the distance I truly believe that it will go to a game seven but I have the Lakers winning it in seven I truly believe that Lebron and AD will be to much to handle for the Miami Heat as I said I expect them to make it a series but in the end I believe the Lakers will win the series 4-3 over Miami in what should be a memorable NBA Finals.
