NBA Finals Winner (and Finals MVP)
DJ: Los Angeles Clippers 4-2 Philadelphia 76ers (Kawhi Leonard)
The Clippers are just too talented not to win a championship with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. With the improvements to the roster as well as a coaching shift, it seems as though at least some of their issues from the past season will be mitigated.
JT: Los Angeles Lakers 4-3 Milwaukee Bucks (Anthony Davis)
The Bucks finally make the jump and make it to the NBA finals. However, this Lakers is going to be hard to beat. The Lakers pack the paint against Giannis and the Lakers win back to back titles for LeBron’s 5th title.
MO: Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 Milwaukee Bucks (LeBron James)
The one knock on Giannis is that in a playoff series you can game plan for him and “Build a wall” and I think the Lakers have the perfect team to do that. Between Lebron, AD, and even Marc Gasol they can roll out a really big lineup to slow down Giannis and make the rest of the Bucks beat them.
PF: Los Angeles Lakers 4-3 Brooklyn Nets (Anthony Davis)
If and when the Nets land Harden this will be a finals for the ages. LeBron James and Anthony Davis up against Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving. Four of the top ten players in the league and another (Irving) just outside the top ten facing off in the Finals. This may be the next great rivalry in the NBA. East Coast vs. West Coast, super team vs super team. This would be one of the most exciting matchups in NBA Finals history. At the end of the day it will come down to Anthony Davis and how he dominates the post. If he plays the way he did in the bubble last season, the Lakers will have the advantage both down low and on the defensive end. Durant, Irving, and Harden will be able to keep up and win three games because they will be able to drop 130 points on anyone at any time. I think this is an all-time classic Finals that comes down to last second heroics by LeBron and AD to save the day and repeat as NBA Champs.
PL: Boston Celtics 4-3 Los Angeles Lakers (Jayson Tatum)
The 2021 NBA finals will be a battle until the end, but when it comes down to it the Boston Celtics will win in 7 games. Both teams have enough pieces to win a championship, but it comes down to who will have enough strength to want it more. The mix of Jayson Tatum’s pure talent and shooting ability with the grit of players like Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, and Kemba Walker will lead Boston to a championship.
Finals winner count: Los Angeles Lakers 3, Los Angeles Clippers 1, Boston Celtics 1
Finals MVP count: Anthony Davis 2, Kawhi Leonard 1, LeBron James 1, Jayson Tatum 1