NBA Finals
5 July 2021
It’s been 195 days since the 2020-21 NBA season tipped off and we are less than 24 hours away from seeing the Suns and Bucks take the center stage in the NBA Finals. Click here for a look at the upcoming series schedule for the season finale…
Chasing Storylines…
Phoenix seeks their first NBA title as the Bucks seek their second title in franchise history, which would mark their first one since 1971. Best believe despite how talented both these squads are, they are in uncharted territory.
Speaking of unchartered territory, every single player on either roster will win their first-ever ring in this season’s Finals’ matchup. On top of that only player that has played on the big stage on either team is Suns’ Jae Crowder, who was a member of the Eastern Conference Champs, Miami Heat during last season’s bubble run that fell short in six games to the Lakers.
When it comes to legacies on the line, all eyes will likely be on Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo and Suns’ Chris Paul. Both players are a mere championship away from cementing themselves among all-time NBA greats.
There is nothing tougher than coming to a conclusion on who wins this year’s NBA championship. Both of these squads have so much going for them and both have storylines worth rooting for that it seems too good to be true. Through 16 seasons, Paul is among one of the greatest players in NBA history and is playing in his first career NBA finals, hoping for it to end in a ring that would be the cherry on top of an illustrious career. Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo went from being a teenager in Greece with a dream to play in the NBA to absolute stardom that has included a most improved player award (2017), two MVP trophies (2019, 2020), and a defensive player of the year trophy (2020) to name a few…
Meanwhile, several star players like Suns’ Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton are among the younger studs in the series and quite frankly should have another crack at another championship run with or without Chris Paul down the stretch.
As for the Bucks’ Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, the clock is ticking as the “Greek Freak: is the youngest of the trio, so best believe Milwaukee is certainly under more pressure to win a title not just for the Antetokounmpo’s sake, but for some of these seasoned veterans.
Matchup Breakdown
The defining matchup of this series is going to come down to Chris Paul against Jrue Holiday. This matchup is going to set the tone for the Bucks defense and Suns offense as Holiday will likely shadow Paul or Booker for this entire series. Milwaukee likes using the first-team all-defensive player in a role where he will take on the ball handler, and in this case, it is going to be Paul or Booker depending on how Phoenix wants to play it possession by possession. Here’s a closer look at how good Holiday is and how he makes opposing teams regret making a mistake…
Nine out of 10 times though, expect Suns head coach Monty Williams to trust Paul as the primary ball-handler… after all, he is known as the “Point God” for a reason. In his inaugural season with the Suns, the 16-year veteran has been nothing short of phenomenal, especially in the postseason.
CP3 2021 Playoffs (14 Games)
Apart from an impressive overall statline, through 14 playoff games, Paul has totaled 122 assists to only 22 turnovers. Expect Milwaukee to have their hands fall all series long as Paul also loves using the pick & roll to his advantage. Suns big man DeAndre Ayton is a pivotal part of Paul’s success, vice-versa, as Paul can not only get Ayton on the roll but also draw a matchup against someone like Brook Lopez, Khris Middleton, or even PJ Tucker to knock down a mid-range shot that seems as good as automatic.
X-Factor
Although Paul may be the primary playmaker for the Suns, the weight is going to be on Devin Booker’s shoulders to put up monster numbers as the Suns’ primary scorer. In his inaugural postseason run, Booker has averaged 27 PPG while shooting 44.4% from the field through 16 games. It’s going to be on Khris Middleton and PJ Tucker to contain Booker as he’s bound to drop 20+ PPG throughout this series. It’s tough to see Monty Williams draw up a game plan without D-Book at the centerpiece of it.
Meanwhile, when it comes to the Bucks, Khris Middleton is going to be the difference-maker both on offense and defense. Although Giannis Antetokounmpo’s absence is alarming as he is (arguably) the most important player in this series, Middleton has the potential to be the pillar Milwaukee can lean on in the likely absence of #34. Middleton has averaged 29.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 7.5 assists in the last two playoff games with Antetokounmpo out. However, it comes as no surprise that the Bucks are statistically better with the “Greek Freak” on the court in this year’s postseason run.
Bucks 2021 Playoffs
Unsung Heroes?
This series is going to be centered around those “X-Factors” listed above, however, there is no stage bigger than the NBA Finals so expect some unsung heroes to come alive and sway this series one way or another.
USA TODAY Sports
When it comes to the Suns and Bucks, Jae Crowder and Bobby Portis are names to watch respectively. Both Portis and Crowder have each scored 11 points or more in seven playoff games this year. Milwaukee and Phoenix have a combined record of 13-1 in those games. (The only loss coming in Bucks' Game 1 vs. Hawks in which Portis scored exactly 11 points). On top of that, both teams have an average margin of victory of 17.2 points in those games. Best believe if you’re a Bucks or Suns fan, start rooting for Portis or Crowder to knock down a minimum of 11 points!
Final(s) Prediction
Ultimately, when it comes to picking a champion for this season, it’s tough to write off the Bucks based on the postseason run that they have gone on, however, the Suns are the one team that may one up Milwaukee’s playoff run. Chris Paul’s veteran presence could be the main difference maker and with Giannis Antetokounmpo likely to miss game 1, DeAndre Ayton may have his way early on in this series.
To top it all of, the biggest uncertainty in this series is Antetokounmpo’s health. There have been reports of the two-time MVP “making good progress” in a private workout with both the front office and medical staff present. The Bucks star is listed as doubtful for Game 1, but even if he returns sooner than later, I doubt he will be 100% for the series. With that in mind, it’s tough to bet against a Suns team that has stayed healthy throughout the postseason for the most part. But if anyone should prove me wrong, it should be Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks be the team to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy.
Dustin Bradford/Getty Images
Until then, my gut tells me Phoenix will cap off their cinderella season and Chris Paul will secure the first ring that he so desperately has sought after for 16 seasons.
