Post#1677 » by O_6 » Tue Oct 13, 2020 3:54 pm
A ring is a ring, history will see this as #4 and that's all that really matters in the long run. But is anyone else disappointed that we did not get to see Lakers vs. Clippers? That was the matchup we were promised all season long, it felt inevitable. Everyone had the Clippers as a mortal lock to make the WCF. Kawhi vs. LeBron in a Finals MVP showdown for the crown of a Conference and a city, that's what I was salivating over all year.
But then the Clippers choke and go and blow a 3-1 lead to the Nuggets, and we never get that matchup. The Nuggets were a worthy WCF team, their 2.35 SRS seriously underrates the team they were at the end of the bubble. Jamal Murray was obviously on a completely different level in the bubble than throughout the entire year, the Nuggets were legit and the Lakers taking care of them in 5 was an impressive series win.
But missing out on Kawhi vs. LeBron this year stinks. I think LeBron proved in these playoffs that he still has that extra gear that makes him the best player in the world, but proving that against Kawhi and the Clippers would've felt more significant due to the season long narrative. Who knows how that matchup would've played out, I'm thinking AD vs. Harrell/Zubac would've been the deciding matchup but we'll never know.
Besides all the records that LeBron has his sights on, I think there are 3 teams that would be important for him to defeat in the playoffs.
- Beating Curry/Klay/Draymond Warriors
- Beating Durant/Irving Nets
- Beating Kawhi/George Clippers
I think beating the Warriors would mean the most, for the reasons others have mentioned. The Warriors Dynasty was the greatest rival that LeBron has ever had, and it all started in 2015 with Curry taking the league by storm. You just know that LeBron is extremely happy about the fact that he now has one more ring than Steph and the Warriors' core, and is now the player with the most active rings for the first time in his career. But I think he desperately wants a series against the Warriors in the playoffs and will go berserk and step on their throats to put an exclamation point in the last chapter of their rivalry.
Durant and Irving are obviously players who will be linked to LeBron forever. KD has solidified himself as the greatest individual rival that LeBron has faced in his career, one of the greatest scorers of all-time and a guy who a minority believe is better than LeBron at this point in their careers. Irving was LeBron's sidekick in Cleveland and helped him win that ring in '16. But their relationship is clearly "interesting" since Kyrie is such a "unique" guy. If KD and Kyrie prove to be healthy and still in their prime, I think that would be an important team for LeBron to defeat in a Finals.
And Kawhi/Clippers for the same reasons that were hyped all year. Kawhi is still an elite two way player and one of the few who can challenge LeBron. He also won a Finals MVP for his performance against LeBron. Beating the Clippers in a series would feel sweeter than merely outlasting them in the playoffs as they did this year.
I think the only thing missing from this ring was beating a team like that. Beating the Miami Heat and Pat Riley was meaningful and really emphasized how unique LeBron is historically for winning with different organizations, but it wasn't the same as beating one of the teams I mentioned above. I hope we get to see LeBron/AD vs. at least one of those teams in the playoffs next year.
