The Finals: Lakers vs Heat 4-2 LAL Wins 2019-2020 Championship!!!

[Dmagic]

LeBron doesn't need much extra motivation for this one after Riley called him a coward on his way out in 2014.

He did? I never heard that, interesting.

Watch on YouTube

dangggg Riley snapped lol

[kblo247]

We have to destroy them inside the paint. Bam can't guard AD/Howard/heck even McGee.

Meanwhile, watch the Heat their hot shooting streak from 3 come to a halt. Duncan Robinson isn't averaging >50% on us.

I mean, the Heat just went through multiple teams that had all-defense guards trying to shut down their 3 point shooting. While size is going to be a big advantage against Miami, expect to do a worse job defending the 3 point line. They were the top shooting team in the NBA before the break and ended at #2 for a reason. They have a lot of good shooters that don't need much space.

The difference between their shooting and the shooting of Denver, Houston, and Portland is they aren’t one dimensional. Houston and Denver had all guys who stood still and shot the ball.

What they have in Miami is a standstill knockdown shooter in Crowder. They have an in constant motion shooter in Robinson who moves off the ball like Allen, Klay, Korver, and JJ. They have an off the dribble shooter in Heero. And they have an I can shoot it anyway you want it guy in Dragic. And all of them will take a mid range shot or lay up if it’s there.

I mean Robinson hit 41% of his contested threes these playoffs. That **** deadly

[stan francisco]

We have to destroy them inside the paint. Bam can't guard AD/Howard/heck even McGee.

Meanwhile, watch the Heat their hot shooting streak from 3 come to a halt. Duncan Robinson isn't averaging >50% on us.

I mean, the Heat just went through multiple teams that had all-defense guards trying to shut down their 3 point shooting. While size is going to be a big advantage against Miami, expect to do a worse job defending the 3 point line. They were the top shooting team in the NBA before the break and ended at #2 for a reason. They have a lot of good shooters that don't need much space.

The difference between their shooting and the shooting of Denver, Houston, and Portland is they aren’t one dimensional. Houston and Denver had all guys who stood still and shot the ball.

What they have in Miami is a standstill knockdown shooter in Crowder. They have an in constant motion shooter in Robinson who moves off the ball like Allen, Klay, Korver, and JJ. They have an off the dribble shooter in Heero. And they have an I can shoot it anyway you want it guy in Dragic. And all of them will take a mid range shot or lay up if it’s there.

I mean Robinson hit 41% of his contested threes these playoffs. That **** deadly

Then there’s that Butler guy.

We’re the best defensive team in the playoff. Miami is number two. Our offense is a little better than theirs, too.

Limit the touches by Bam and Herro and we have another trophy. Butler is a dawg but not good enough to go Kobe on us.

It is indeed the Pistons 04 feel but the Heat simply don’t have enough power against our bigs over seven games. AD, DH, JMG, MM, KK.

[kblo247]

I mean, the Heat just went through multiple teams that had all-defense guards trying to shut down their 3 point shooting. While size is going to be a big advantage against Miami, expect to do a worse job defending the 3 point line. They were the top shooting team in the NBA before the break and ended at #2 for a reason. They have a lot of good shooters that don't need much space.

The difference between their shooting and the shooting of Denver, Houston, and Portland is they aren’t one dimensional. Houston and Denver had all guys who stood still and shot the ball.

What they have in Miami is a standstill knockdown shooter in Crowder. They have an in constant motion shooter in Robinson who moves off the ball like Allen, Klay, Korver, and JJ. They have an off the dribble shooter in Heero. And they have an I can shoot it anyway you want it guy in Dragic. And all of them will take a mid range shot or lay up if it’s there.

I mean Robinson hit 41% of his contested threes these playoffs. That **** deadly

Then there’s that Butler guy.

We’re the best defensive team in the playoff. Miami is number two. Our offense is a little better than theirs, too.

Limit the touches by Bam and Herro and we have another trophy. Butler is a dawg but not good enough to go Kobe on us.

It is indeed the Pistons 04 feel but the Heat simply don’t have enough power against our bigs over seven games. AD, DH, JMG, MM, KK.

I agree with you to a degree, but I’m not sure if you can actually keep Dwight or Javale out there. I think for us Kuzma, AD, and LeBron go be the front court. Spos monster he created coming back to bite him with Bron at the 4.

I disagree on the Bam and Herro part. I think Bam is going to get his and go at AD on both ends in a way that no one else has so far, he’s just built that way. Now where we really differ is I wouldn’t concentrate on taking Herro out as much as I would Dragic because he’s really the guy who when they hit a drought keeps them in games

[Kilroy]

I think we should win and I definitely want the chip... But I think it's starting to sink in that we're finally back in the finals after all those **** years... It really didn't seem like that long, but damn... It's nice to be back and while the chip isn't unimportant, it's also easy to stay loose going into this , considering the rout we took to get her and the fact this season was such a ****...

[stan francisco]

The difference between their shooting and the shooting of Denver, Houston, and Portland is they aren’t one dimensional. Houston and Denver had all guys who stood still and shot the ball.

What they have in Miami is a standstill knockdown shooter in Crowder. They have an in constant motion shooter in Robinson who moves off the ball like Allen, Klay, Korver, and JJ. They have an off the dribble shooter in Heero. And they have an I can shoot it anyway you want it guy in Dragic. And all of them will take a mid range shot or lay up if it’s there.

I mean Robinson hit 41% of his contested threes these playoffs. That **** deadly

Then there’s that Butler guy.

We’re the best defensive team in the playoff. Miami is number two. Our offense is a little better than theirs, too.

Limit the touches by Bam and Herro and we have another trophy. Butler is a dawg but not good enough to go Kobe on us.

It is indeed the Pistons 04 feel but the Heat simply don’t have enough power against our bigs over seven games. AD, DH, JMG, MM, KK.

I agree with you to a degree, but I’m not sure if you can actually keep Dwight or Javale out there. I think for us Kuzma, AD, and LeBron go be the front court. Spos monster he created coming back to bite him with Bron at the 4.

I disagree on the Bam and Herro part. I think Bam is going to get his and go at AD on both ends in a way that no one else has so far, he’s just built that way. Now where we really differ is I wouldn’t concentrate on taking Herro out as much as I would Dragic because he’s really the guy who when they hit a drought keeps them in games

Good point on Dragic. Just play him going left on every play (I’m sure Rondo will lead the way) and we should be fine.

I kind of sneezed at Herro at first, and then watched a game. The kid is a real baller and gamer. He can win a tight game 7 for them. Has no fear. Let’s just make sure he doesn’t get the ball late in games.

Bam is not big enough to shake Howard or AD physically, but they’ll have to box him out thoroughly on every shot going up. Don’t allow him position.

[BEazy]

I think Lakers in 5.

[myersia]

It is nice to be back to the glory days. On paper we should destroy the heat like we did in the season. How bad do we want it? Heat are going to come out in game one playing hard. Hopefully we do the same and don’t underestimate this team. Heat are like a bunch of blue collar scrappers. To me this screams more 76ers lakers in 01. Would not be shocked if they take game 1 and we destroy them after that. For that reason I’m going lakers in 5.

[DanishLakerFan]

Question:

How does the Heat handle the starting lineup the Lakers went with in the final game against the Nuggets (KCP-Green-Lebron-AD-Howard)?

Bam can only defend one of Howard and AD, which gives the other big man a major advantage against whoever is guarding him. The size of that lineup would completely clog up the paint which makes it tough to get to the rim and the Lakers even are at an advantage in terms of shooting as they have 4 capable shooters on the floor, with Miami only having 3.

[Mujakki]

It is nice to be back to the glory days. On paper we should destroy the heat like we did in the season. How bad do we want it? Heat are going to come out in game one playing hard. Hopefully we do the same and don’t underestimate this team. Heat are like a bunch of blue collar scrappers. To me this screams more 76ers lakers in 01. Would not be shocked if they take game 1 and we destroy them after that. For that reason I’m going lakers in 5.

How is it on "paper" when you played a completely different Heat team?

[Mujakki]

The difference between their shooting and the shooting of Denver, Houston, and Portland is they aren’t one dimensional. Houston and Denver had all guys who stood still and shot the ball.

What they have in Miami is a standstill knockdown shooter in Crowder. They have an in constant motion shooter in Robinson who moves off the ball like Allen, Klay, Korver, and JJ. They have an off the dribble shooter in Heero. And they have an I can shoot it anyway you want it guy in Dragic. And all of them will take a mid range shot or lay up if it’s there.

I mean Robinson hit 41% of his contested threes these playoffs. That **** deadly

Then there’s that Butler guy.

We’re the best defensive team in the playoff. Miami is number two. Our offense is a little better than theirs, too.

Limit the touches by Bam and Herro and we have another trophy. Butler is a dawg but not good enough to go Kobe on us.

It is indeed the Pistons 04 feel but the Heat simply don’t have enough power against our bigs over seven games. AD, DH, JMG, MM, KK.

I agree with you to a degree, but I’m not sure if you can actually keep Dwight or Javale out there. I think for us Kuzma, AD, and LeBron go be the front court. Spos monster he created coming back to bite him with Bron at the 4.

I disagree on the Bam and Herro part. I think Bam is going to get his and go at AD on both ends in a way that no one else has so far, he’s just built that way. Now where we really differ is I wouldn’t concentrate on taking Herro out as much as I would Dragic because he’s really the guy who when they hit a drought keeps them in games

This guy watches Heat games.

[stan francisco]

Then there’s that Butler guy.

We’re the best defensive team in the playoff. Miami is number two. Our offense is a little better than theirs, too.

Limit the touches by Bam and Herro and we have another trophy. Butler is a dawg but not good enough to go Kobe on us.

It is indeed the Pistons 04 feel but the Heat simply don’t have enough power against our bigs over seven games. AD, DH, JMG, MM, KK.

I agree with you to a degree, but I’m not sure if you can actually keep Dwight or Javale out there. I think for us Kuzma, AD, and LeBron go be the front court. Spos monster he created coming back to bite him with Bron at the 4.

I disagree on the Bam and Herro part. I think Bam is going to get his and go at AD on both ends in a way that no one else has so far, he’s just built that way. Now where we really differ is I wouldn’t concentrate on taking Herro out as much as I would Dragic because he’s really the guy who when they hit a drought keeps them in games

This guy watched a Heat game.

Fixed it for you. Nah, I watch one Heat game, too. It was fun seeing Keltics eliminated while scouting our next opponent.

Lakers in four.

[tamaraw08]

We need to be very careful and put together a very good game plan against this Heat team. There is a really distinct feel of the 04 Pistons with this Heat team, where the team is greater than the sum of its parts. The battle of the interior is going to be important for us. Heat only has one big in Bam, and we need to make sure we attack him relentlessly to wear him out and put him in foul trouble. When they go zone, we need to make sure we hit the open man for cuts and jump shots. Our shooting ability will really be tested in this series. Throwing out a crazy idea, given the crucial need for shooting, i might give guys like Cook a look for some minutes.

I can see some comparisons bet the Pistons/Lakers 04 too. I remember Fish hitting a buzzer beater too to advance ala AD's 3.
Both Heat and '04 Pistons have a very good coach who are very detailed and disciplined in their approach with both having a great defensive minded center but having said that, the point of attack is not the same. Billups was lethal and with the injuries of Karl AND GRANT, Lakers didn't have an answer for Sheed Wallace.
My biggest concern is how Lebron and Rondo properly solve the Heat's zone defense. Brad Stevens with 4 good scorers couldn't find the weak points of that scheme for 5 games and like 14 days (?) and it's a possibility that James can get FRUSTRATED just like games 1 & 2 vs the Clippers and ESP, game 1 versus Houston where he GAVE UP in the 4th quarter.
The rest like Kuzma, Dwight, AC must also know when and how to cut and pass. Vogel will try to simulate using the bench but I see Spoelstra creating some wrinkles.

[MAMBAEMD]

It's dangerous to underestimate this Heats team. They are very solid. We will have some trouble with their guards.
Everybody is talking about Herro and Robinson, who will not be easy to guard, but Dragic has also played great games against us in the past.
Butler is going to come out very aggressively both on D and scoring wise.
Bam is a great defender and shot blocker but his contribution on offense is also immense in the way he sets solid picks for his guards and rolls. Their shooters need just a quick open moment before they launch their shots. Vogel and the coaching staff better be spending a ton of time practicing an strategizing Defense of the pick and roll, and guards coming off picks.
And Crowder can't be left alone from distance.
Their zone defense is also pretty solid and not easy to figure out although I do think it will take us less than a full game to figure out how to penetrate it.
They are extremely well coached and make excellent mid-game and mid-series adjustments.

I think that the most critical game is game 1. It will probably take us a couple of quarters to figure them out. If we win game 1, which I think we will, the Lakers will win the series 4-2.
If we lose game 1, it will be a slugfest and we will win 4-3.

[EArl]

Added a poll.

im sticking with Lakers in 5 if they play like they have been playing. Especially Bron and AD.
I hope that they are working on those nagging injuries and are ready to go. AD didn't look the same last game.

[TheHartBreakKid]

I just believe that while the Lakers will have a hard time scoring against Miami, Miami will have an equally difficult time scoring on a focused on defense Lakers team. And in a grind out battle down the stretch, having the two best players in the series is a huge advantage.

Things that could go wrong are obviously injuries, but also a lack of focus. We've had around 2 lack of focus games each series, losing one in each series and pulling the other one just from pure talent. It's hard for me to believe the Lakers will have more than 2 relaxed games in the finals. So based on that, I think barring some ridiculously miraculous cold shooting from the Lakers AND hot shooting from Miami that lasts multiple games, the Lakers should win this in no more than 6 as long as everyone is healthy.

Regarding coaching/adjustments, obviously Spo is the far better coach. That said, I believe the coaching advantage will show itself more in obviously how cohesive miami plays, vs making much of an impact in terms of adjustments, exploiting matchups, or calling plays. The Lakers just have too much flexibility imo to be too vulnerable when it comes to coaching.


The only real concerning variable is shooting against their zone. Our shooters will get decent looks, and if they convert at their average pace, there shouldn't be a problem. A ridiculously cold KCP/Danny Green start of the bubble type shooting though is unlikely to happen, but it is a legit concern, along with a cold Rondo.

[EArl]

Watch on YouTube

[Kilroy]

Watch on YouTube

Yeah we struggled with the zone, but we also were going at about 3/4 speed at best in those games and still won...

This team is way different right now. We're going to attack like crazy in the 1st... If the 1st quarter of the first game ends in a double digit lead for us, that's a huge sign how this series is going to go...

[EArl]

Watch on YouTube

Yeah we struggled with the zone, but we also were going at about 3/4 speed at best in those games and still won...

This team is way different right now. We're going to attack like crazy in the 1st... If the 1st quarter of the first game ends in a double digit lead for us, that's a huge sign how this series is going to go...

I also remember that lineup not being refined. We had try Daniels out there as well as quinn cook.

[Slink]

Then there’s that Butler guy.

We’re the best defensive team in the playoff. Miami is number two. Our offense is a little better than theirs, too.

Limit the touches by Bam and Herro and we have another trophy. Butler is a dawg but not good enough to go Kobe on us.

It is indeed the Pistons 04 feel but the Heat simply don’t have enough power against our bigs over seven games. AD, DH, JMG, MM, KK.

I agree with you to a degree, but I’m not sure if you can actually keep Dwight or Javale out there. I think for us Kuzma, AD, and LeBron go be the front court. Spos monster he created coming back to bite him with Bron at the 4.

I disagree on the Bam and Herro part. I think Bam is going to get his and go at AD on both ends in a way that no one else has so far, he’s just built that way. Now where we really differ is I wouldn’t concentrate on taking Herro out as much as I would Dragic because he’s really the guy who when they hit a drought keeps them in games

Good point on Dragic. Just play him going left on every play (I’m sure Rondo will lead the way) and we should be fine.

I kind of sneezed at Herro at first, and then watched a game. The kid is a real baller and gamer. He can win a tight game 7 for them. Has no fear. Let’s just make sure he doesn’t get the ball late in games.

Bam is not big enough to shake Howard or AD physically, but they’ll have to box him out thoroughly on every shot going up. Don’t allow him position.

If Herro is in, I think Lebron will be looking to switch on to him on the offensive end, just the way he did with MPJ.