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

[kblo247]

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.

Lol I watch 5 teams throughout the year. Lakers being 1, Mavs as 2, Heat as 3, Spurs is 4, Pelicans is 5 because my nephew and neice like to go to their games live and tickets are cheap ... Warriors is usually 6 on delay but league pass broadband has been great so far which is why I gave up stars, showtime, Cinemax, and hbo

[Beethoven]

I'm gettin the doctor office jitters waiting for this game.

Too much hype about the emerging Miami heat and how they'll beat our team.

[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...

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

Yep, both games... The first time was really early in the season and Vogel was still messing around... The second time was right before Christmass and Vogel was messing around again... And both games were off games for LeBron where he came out flat... AD beasted though, so I'm not sure where the narrative "Bam will slow AD" is coming from...

Still waiting for McGee to have a good game in the bubble... This is a team where that could happen... It's not the greatest matchup for Dwight because their big guys are still quite a bit smaller, but McGee could be a factor, if his head is clear of his ass.

[Mujaki]

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.

Yep, both games... The first time was really early in the season and Vogel was still messing around... The second time was right before Christmass and Vogel was messing around again... And both games were off games for LeBron where he came out flat... AD beasted though, so I'm not sure where the narrative "Bam will slow AD" is coming from...

Still waiting for McGee to have a good game in the bubble... This is a team where that could happen... It's not the greatest matchup for Dwight because their big guys are still quite a bit smaller, but McGee could be a factor, if his head is clear of his ass.

The first game was on the second night of a back to back and in both games Meyers Leonard was the starting center, not Bam. Not the same team.

[SashaTheMachine]

Let’s go lakers. LAL in 5

[tamaraw08]

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.

Good points although I think it's going to take more time than just less than a full game to REALLY solve their defense. Boston with 4 legit scorers, 2 of them veterans with a very good coach in Stevens didn't exactly find the weak points of defensive schemes thrown by the Miami Heat coach and they played from Sept 15 t0 27.
I expect Spo to have more than 2 defensive zone formations with added wrinkles like blocking passing lanes to the shooters etc. I think it's wrong to just assume they are just using 3-2 or a simple match up zone... The key too is the patience on how to attack this. Lebron has shown a couple of times that he can be frustrated just like what happened in the first 2 games vs the Clips, game 1 playoffs vs Houston.

[Hoopz Afrik]

While the Lakers shouldn't take the Heat lightly at all (you shouldn't take anyone lightly in the playoffs, much less the finals), I really feel like if the Lakers just continue to be the team that they've shown all year and especially all playoffs long then they should be firmly in control of their own destiny. There are a lot of folks with a lot of things to prove for the Lakers and I have a strong feeling they'll go out and prove it.

All season long, no matter how well the Lakers played it was always met with skepticism and pessimism. After every loss, the narrative was how vulnerable they are. After every win, the narrative was a "yeah but (insert reason for skepticism here)". All this talk about what the Clippers are versus what the Lakers are not. What happens when the Lakers eventually fall apart and Frank Vogel is on the hot seat with Kidd marauding for his job. Meanwhile, there was no evidence to be overly skeptical/pessimistic of the Lakers all year long. Then fast forward to the playoffs.......

Round one, "watch out for the Blazers because they'll mess around and get the Lakers outta here". All that talk magnified after the game 1 loss. "They don't have enough for Dame/CJ, Nurk and Whiteside gonna make it tough on AD". Then boom, they didn't lose another game. Series over in pretty convincing fashion.

Round two, the Lakers will have no answers for Russ/Harden nor will they have enough shooting to combat the Rox long-ball barrage and microball lineup. Magnified after the game one loss. "AD is soft PJ Tucker has his number. They have so many bodies to throw at LeBron." Then boom, they didn't lose another game. Series over in pretty convincing fashion.

Conference finals, "if the Nuggets can do that to the Clippers then the Lakers should be worried." Game winner in game 2, "oh the Lakers barely escape." Loss in game 3. "Oh the Nuggets should really be up 2-1" s/o Jamal Murray for the bulletin board material. Win in game 4. "Wasn't convincing". Then all the comeback kids talk literally every time they made a mini run. "Oh, they've done it twice already so they can def do it again." 5 game series.

At some point, folks are going to have the realize that this team is just really freaking good. And at the very least, as it pertains to this series, just as tough and as resilient as the Heat are if not more. Folks have been looking for reasons not to believe it. All the Lakers successes have been understated while all of their perceived shortcomings have been overstated.

I think it all comes to a full head of steam and they finish the job to finally quell all concerns.

[BEazy]

Stay focused and finish the job. Lets get the W!

[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.

Good points although I think it's going to take more time than just less than a full game to REALLY solve their defense. Boston with 4 legit scorers, 2 of them veterans with a very good coach in Stevens didn't exactly find the weak points of defensive schemes thrown by the Miami Heat coach and they played from Sept 15 t0 27.
I expect Spo to have more than 2 defensive zone formations with added wrinkles like blocking passing lanes to the shooters etc. I think it's wrong to just assume they are just using 3-2 or a simple match up zone... The key too is the patience on how to attack this. Lebron has shown a couple of times that he can be frustrated just like what happened in the first 2 games vs the Clips, game 1 playoffs vs Houston.

I agree with everything you said.
One key difference between BOS and LAL is LBJ. BOS just doesn't have that 6'9" guard who can see the floor and read the defense the way LBJ does. BOS has more legitimate scorers but not play makers.
I agree that it may take longer for us to figure out the zone but I like our odds.

Let's go Lakers!!

[iamworthy]

Here's what I've learned reading and listening to podcast.

- Bam is the greatest thing ever
- Lakers are the underdog
- Lakers will struggle in the half court

[Beethoven]

I actually feel safer in the outlook of being underdogs. ^
Too much expectations on the 2008 kobe team all sportscasters overwhelmingly picking the Lakers to beat Boston due to so many this and that criteria and it just crashed in game 6.


I want the media to pick Miami just like they picked the hobos to come out of the West.

Even now, they are disputing Vegas odds. Can you believe that ? Back then Vegas odds were always some sort of measuring stick on actual forecast.

However now they are saying Vegas odds in Los Angeles teams always get heavily favored due to too many California residents making homer bets on their home team.

[Dr Aki]

Here's what I've learned reading and listening to podcast.

- Bam is the greatest thing ever
- Lakers are the underdog
- Lakers will struggle in the half court

Don't forget:
- Lakers have the best 2 players but the other team has the next best 5-7 players
- Lakers will struggle to contain the other players guards and will be forced to go small
- Heat have all these guys to throw at LeBron

[zimpy27]

Here's what I've learned reading and listening to podcast.

- Bam is the greatest thing ever
- Lakers are the underdog
- Lakers will struggle in the half court

Don't forget:
- Lakers have the best 2 players but the other team has the next best 5-7 players
- Lakers will struggle to contain the other players guards and will be forced to go small
- Heat have all these guys to throw at LeBron

I love that people still think you can throw guys at LeBron.
He just can't really be defended because if you think you're stopping him from getting to the basket then he's trying to open space for a pass, and if you defend him like he's going for a pass then he's already at the rim.

Heat focus needs to be about inside defense and forcing outside shooting, which isn't their forte.

[iamworthy]

Here's what I've learned reading and listening to podcast.

- Bam is the greatest thing ever
- Lakers are the underdog
- Lakers will struggle in the half court

Don't forget:
- Lakers have the best 2 players but the other team has the next best 5-7 players
- Lakers will struggle to contain the other players guards and will be forced to go small
- Heat have all these guys to throw at LeBron

We clearly listened to the same stuff....

[Beethoven]

Ok I get it..the whole country has been stating that the Heat is DEEPER than us.

Ok
They got:

Dragic
Iggy
Butler
Adebayo
Robinson
Herro
Crowder (ok cool ..but not sure how he is better than any of our 3-10)

So ..

They are 7 deep??

Who am i missing?


--
I mean...we got our 3-10:
Playoff rondo
Dwight howard
Caruso
Kcp
Green (hopefully he'll step up)
Kuzma
Javale
Morris


Are our 3-10 junk compared to their depth???
Ok whatever you say general board and media...we will just go into this unassumingly and try to win one ...just one tonite.

[TylersLakers]

Serious stomach issues today. I truly forgot how much I hated/loved the NBA playoffs and Finals.

3 Keys:

- LeBron and AD gotta be stars and raise their games
- Offensive rebounding. We have to crush this team on the glass.
- Make shots. The only games we've lost in the playoffs is when we've been horrible from 3PT land. If we make 30-35% of our threes, we'll give ourselves a great shot.
- Crunch time. I'm worried about our offensive game down the stretch in a tight game.

Lakers in 6 is my prediction.

[Crooked-I]

I read some stat where Lebron is 1-8 in Game 1 was the NBA finals. I think we got to get game 1 to set a tone for the rest of the series. Hopefully they know this and come out with energy at the start of the game.

[stan francisco]

Team play:
As a five man unit the Heat are a well oiled machine. Scary well oiled. But so are we. I’d say the two best teams when it comes to team play are the two left standing.

Star power comparison:
Butler and Bam vs LBJ and AD. Advantage Lakers.

‘Third guy’ by committee: Iggy / Herro / Dragic / Robinson / Crowder vs Caruso / Green / Rondo / Kuzma / KCP. It’s close but I give us the edge.

Bench:
On the guard side, we’ve got more versatility than they do.

Big man depth; AD, Howard, JMG, Morris, Kostas is better than what they have, regardless of what they have behind Bam and Kenny.

The zone:
Let Rondo break down their zone with two quick alley oops to AD and a cut for LeBron. Timeout.

Coaching:
It’s close to a draw. Slight edge to us due to Lakers assistant coaches. Riley is one of Spoelstra’s assistant coaches so it won’t be an easy coaching battle.


I think it’ll be a well played series. I say we sweep them in four relatively painless games due to better talent.

[zimpy27]

I can see the Lakers blowing the Heat out in Game 1. I think they know what the Heat will do and are ready to crack the zone with their size. I can see Heat being in early foul trouble trying to acclimatize to the size of the Lakers.

I don't see either taking a 2-0 lead though.

[EArl]

I believe Dwight is starting. Gotta start strong and fast. Set the tone early.