OKC Thunder: 3 keys to watching the 2020 NBA Finals

Keys to the NBA Finals:

There will be in-depth breakdowns of the series available on national sites and TV programs over the next few days. In the interim here are the three keys to the series.

Superstars versus depth:

While the Lakers can boast the top two players in the series with LeBron James and Anthony Davis the Heat have two stars of their own. Granted, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo fall well south of the Lakers duo on the talent ladder but their two-way ability and grit make them viable opponents.

That said, this is the first series where Davis will receive constant physical defense from Adebayo and simultaneously be required to stop him on the offensive end.

More importantly, the next four to six best players arguably all belong to the Heat. Goran Dragic has found the fountain of youth and as I already touched on the Lakers issue has been stopping guards. That means Duncan Robinson and the player Thunderous Intentions begged Sam Presti to target in last summer’s draft (Tyler Herro) should feast versus the Lakers.

Of all the issues the Nuggets struggled with versus the Lakers, it was not having Will Barton healthy to offer another viable guard who could score consistently besides Murray.

Which teams veterans will be the x-factors?

On the Lakers, the presence of Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard proved to be the x-factor James and Davis needed to succeed. At times Kentavious Caldwell-Pope or Danny Green have provided a key 3-pointer or block that was pivotal to victory.

For the Heat, they have equal talents who’ve provided positive effects for Miami on the hardwood. As noted Dragic has been superb but others such as Kelly Olynyk, Jae Crowder, and Andre Iguodala all have provided positive effects for Miami.

In the closeout game versus the Celtics, Iguodala who hasn’t been considered a 3-point threat other than the year he won the Finals MVP for Golden State once again discovered his range hitting five 3-point shots.