The NBA goes back to three years ago. What to expect from the two conference finals

Three years later, exactly like in 2020, the season NBA has come to the decisive moment with Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Miami Heat to contend for the title. And so, after the skimming of the first month of the playoffs and the fall of several contendernow everything is ready for the double rematch of the finals played in the midst of the pandemic. What can we expect?

The protagonists will not be very different from those who battled it out at Disney World: Jokic and Murray vs. James and Davis, Tatum and Brown vs. Butler and Adebayo. Presence of the public and normality of the context aside, however, the two series promise to be different in terms of balances, tactical keys and even the favors of the forecast. If in 2020 it was the Lakers and the Heat who advanced to the Finals, as favorites, this year the field factor and the label of teams to beat, at least according to Las Vegas, belongs to the Nuggets and Celtics. The former with a minimal margin, the latter with a large gap.

Nuggets-Lakers, two parallel universes

The paths that have brought Denver and Los Angeles here, as well as their perspectives, could not be more different. Nuggets chase first Finals qualifier in history as Lakers aim for 18th titlebut it’s not just about that.

Denver, in the eighth season with Malone on the bench, closed a quiet year in first place in the west, unlike LA, led by a rookie coach (Darvin Ham) and recovering from an infinite number of turbulences, which ended with the comeback from ‘eleventh position. Furthermore, the Nuggets present themselves with a tested roster and a starting five almost unchanged in the last two seasons, net of the addition of Caldwell-Pope and the return of Murray, while the Lakers have distorted their staff close to the trade deadline .

On the one hand, the genius and offensive talent of Nikola Jokic, supported by a Jamal Murray who has returned to his spring standards after two years of absence and the best supporting cast Serbian has ever had. On the other hand, a 38-year-old LeBron James who has confirmed that he is still capable of shifting the balance in decisive moments, an Anthony Davis so far impressive in the defensive half and a side dish that has proven the goodness of the management’s moves on the market.

An open and predictably long series is coming, between the best offense and the best defense of the playoffs. In two weeks we will be talking about the definitive consecration of Jokic, or another extraordinary feat by LeBron.

Heat-Celtics. David versus Goliath

Yes, in the east it’s David versus Goliath, but history has taught us that this time of year it takes a lot more to put Jimmy Butler and Erik Spoelstra off. Miami, which survived the play-in, comes from the victory in the first round against Giannis’ Bucks, yet another tactical masterpiece by Spo and Jimmy’s coach, and then by the easy semifinal against the Knicks. And here again the Heat one step away from the Finals, for the third time in four years.

Strengthened by the court factor and a deeper and more talented roster, led by a Jayson Tatum who in game 7 against Phila seemed to be the best LeBron (at least according to Doc Rivers), there is no doubt that Boston is starting ahead. The Celtics do not have the two individualities on their side, between the field and the bench, capable of having a greater impact on the series, but they have a range of weapons that is too broad not to consider them favorites. By now not even experience is lacking in this nucleus, fresh from several races in the post-season including the trip to the last Finals.

But be careful: in spring there is never a shortage of surprises. In two weeks we’ll be talking about another sensational upset, or the Celtics’ second chance to bring the title back to the TD Garden.