After two thrilling seven-game series wrapped up this week, the NBA Conference Final matchups are set in both conferences and only four teams are left standing in the Orlando bubble.

Two of the season’s top teams, along with two underdogs who advanced to the Finals in surprising fashion, will meet up with a chance to play for the coveted championship trophy in what should be a thrilling pair of matchups.

Let’s take a look at each one and predict a winner.

Eastern Conference Finals: Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics

The Heat got off to an early 1-0 lead in this series, whose Game 1 took place before the publication of this article. The Boston Celtics, who are considered to be the favorite in this matchup, will now have to win 4 of the next 6 games to advance to their first NBA Finals since 2010.

Boston has a dynamic squad lead by a superstar scoring trio of Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown. Despite their relative lack of punch on the low block, this team can score with the best of them and plays solid defense. But will it be enough to beat the inspired Heat?

Miami, considered to be an afterthought in the Eastern Conference picture, has been led by inspired performances from Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic, with Bam Adebayo emerging as one of the top youngsters in the league.

While the Heat did jump out to an early advantage with a three-point overtime win in Game 1, I like the Celtics to come back and win the series, seeing coach Brad Stevens take them to their first NBA Finals in his tenure.

Prediction: Celtics in 7

Western Conference Finals: Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers

No one expected the Nuggets to be just one series away from reaching the NBA Finals after they stormed back from a 3-1 deficit in their first round matchup with the Jazz, and after meeting up with the heavy favorite Los Angeles Clippers in the conference semifinals.

However, after a dominant Game 7 performance which saw the Nuggets overwhelm Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler with a gargantuan defensive effort, they are now one more LA team away from reaching the Finals for the first time in the franchise’s history.

They won’t have it easy, however, as the conference’s top seed and the league’s best collection of talent awaits them in the Western Conference Finals. LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and company are hungry and have only dropped two games so far in this playoff run.

It’s certainly true that seeing the Nuggets topple yet another heavy favorite would be a thrilling story, but I just don’t think they have the talent to overcome Los Angeles’s star-studded squad.

Prediction: Lakers in 5

The post Predicting the 2020 NBA Conference Finals appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The NBA is one of the principal leagues that has found its 2019-20 season put on hold as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the world of sports and society in general.

The league came to a grinding halt in early March after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus after coming down ill just before a game, sending the league into a state of suspension.

Currently, the coronavirus outbreak in North America continues to grow and doesn’t show any signs of letting up. Despite social distancing and “stay at home” policies enacted by many governmental organizations, it seems like quite a bit of time will past until basketball and other sports are able to return.

With that being said, we think that the NBA still has the opportunity to finish the 2019-20 season with a memorable set of playoffs come summertime when athletes should be able to convene again to compete.

How would the NBA do this? By calling off the rest of the regular season and shortening the playoffs.

In a normal season, the NBA Playoffs are a very long and drawn-out process. Under the current system, 16 of the league’s 30 teams make the playoffs and participate in a long-winded system involving four rounds of games that are part of a best-of-seven series.

While the NBA Playoffs begin in late April, they don’t finish until the end of June. Teams typically reconvene for training camp only a couple of months later, at the end of September or the beginning of October.

So, how could the NBA make the process faster and compact the playoffs to only a month or so? The solution could be in reducing the number of teams that compete.

The best solution for being able to hold the Playoffs and crown an NBA Champion for the 2019-20 season starts by halving the number of teams that compete in the competition. In doing this, the system could be compressed into only 4-5 weeks, especially if series were shortened to best-of-five for at least some rounds.

After reading this, you might be thinking, “But what about the fifth through eighth-seeded teams in their conferences? Wouldn’t they be upset about missing out on the playoffs?”

Well, yes, they probably wouldn’t be happy. But, the facts are the facts. The last time a team seeded lower than #4 in the Playoffs made the NBA Finals was in the 1999 season, and the last time a team seeded lower than #4 won the NBA Finals was twenty years ago when the sixth-seeded Rockets won the whole thing.

The reality of the current NBA landscape is that no matter the length of the Playoffs, two of the league’s eight top teams always make the Finals, and reducing the field in this way would provide the most satisfying end to the season.

The post The NBA’s Best Solution For Finishing the 2019-20 Season is to Shorten the Playoffs appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Can you believe that there is only a month and a half left until the end of the NBA regular season? Teams are in full playoff push mode, looking to grab the best seed that they can for the long and grueling playoff slate that begins in April.

While sixteen teams will make the playoffs, in our opinion, there are two teams, one from each conference, that are clear NBA title contenders based on how they have played this season and the talent on their rosters.

Here are the two NBA championship contenders most likely to triumph in the playoffs.

Los Angeles Lakers: Western Conference

The Lakers are the best-positioned team to win the NBA title this year based on their lethal combination of talent, both from veterans such as LeBron James and Anthony Davis as well as young stars like Kyle Kuzma.

LeBron James, in his 17th NBA season, continues to be a dominant force. The three-time NBA champion is averaging 25.5 points per game and leading the league with 10.6 assists per game. He is a tremendous, multi-dimensional talent who puts the Lakers in a different stratosphere based on his production, talent, and experience.

Davis and James are the fiercest 1-2 combination in the league, and complimentary players such as Kuzma, Avery Bradley, and Danny Green should be enough to make them the title favorites come playoff time as long as they can stay healthy. They’re the most talented team in the NBA, and they have the playoff experience and mental fortitude to win a championship.

Milwaukee Bucks: Eastern Conference

The Bucks are the unquestioned top team in the NBA’s Eastern Conference this season. Why? The answer to this question revolves around one single player who is becoming the most transformative player in the league: Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Greek Freak is the leading candidate for the NBA MVP Award, averaging 29.7 points and 13.7 rebounds per game with absurd efficiency. He is the clear star and leader of the team, and he works with a supporting cast that allows him to shine.

Don’t think the Bucks are only about Antetokounmpo, however. Under-the-radar veteran pieces such as Khris Middleton (21.1 points per game) and Eric Bledsoe (a strong PG defender and a good ball distributor) are enough to propel their team past a dependence on their superstar. This might just be the team that will lift the title in June.

The post These Two Teams are the Strongest NBA Title Contenders appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The NBA landscape was altered in a big way last weekend when Kawhi Leonard decided to head for Los Angeles and the Clippers franchise in free agency after winning an NBA title in his only season with the Toronto Raptors.

Despite an excellent supporting cast that was due to return for the 2019-20 season and the passionate love of a city and an entire country, Leonard’s desire was to return home. With him, he’s bringing former OKC Thunder small forward Paul George with him. The Clippers agreed to send a bevy of draft picks to the Thunder in order to acquire the 2019 NBA MVP finalist’s services, pairing two of the league’s elite perimeter players together at the Staples Center.

Now, Oklahoma City is left with a dilemma. They don’t have the roster to compete for a championship or even the playoffs, but they still do have a superstar in Russell Westbrook. The 30-year-old point guard and former NBA MVP has shown few signs of slowing down, averaging a triple-double (22.9 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 10.7 assists) last season. The Thunder are reportedly looking to trade Westbrook and start a rebuild, and they have several suitors.

Nonetheless, we believe that the best fit for Russell Westbrook happens to be the team that Kawhi Leonard just left: the Toronto Raptors.

Raptors president Masai Ujiri has shown himself to be one of the league’s best roster constructors. He’s also shown an ability to make creative trades in order to land superstars, as he did for Kawhi Leonard, which means that he could probably find a way to free up enough salary cap space to make Russell Westbrook’s 4-year, $170 million contract work.

Now that Kawhi Leonard isn’t an option for a huge deal, the Raptors could find a way to add Westbrook’s salary to their roster. The supporting cast around him would be solid and would put the Raptors in instant contention to win the Eastern Conference yet again. Kyle Lowry and Westbrook would form a dynamic backcourt duo unrivaled by any other in the league.

On top of that, the Raptors have a solid base of big men to pair with a potential Westbrook addition. Still around from last year’s championship roster are Serge Ibaka, Marc Gasol, and young breakout star Pascal Siakam. While Leonard has moved on, it’s undeniable that the Raptors still have plenty of talent to make them competitive on their roster.

Toronto is looking for another star, and Russell Westbrook is the perfect fit for a reeling franchise that is trying to pick up the pieces after Kawhi Leonard’s disappointing departure. This move makes all the sense in the world, and both the Thunder and Raptors could end up being big winners in a potential deal for the All-Pro superstar.

The post If Russell Westbrook is Traded, His Ideal Destination is Toronto appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After being traded to the Toronto Raptors on July 18, 2018, few could have imagined what Kawhi Leonard and his team would go on to have a magical 2018-19 season. Leonard became an immediate franchise legend for the Raptors, making an All-Star appearance and averaging 26.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

The story became even more magical after Leonard put the Raptors on his back and led them to the first NBA Championship in the franchise’s history after an epic Finals series against the Golden State Warriors. Leonard was named Finals MVP after a monster performance, averaging 28.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in the team’s six-game triumph.

Now, the future is less clear. Leonard is now an unrestricted free agent and can theoretically sign a contract to play for any franchise he chooses for the next season and years beyond that. The soon-to-be 28-year-old has been as guarded and secretive about his future as always, but many believe that Leonard’s future is not in Toronto.

However, Kawhi Leonard’s best option for his future, without a doubt, is to stay in Toronto and go back to the city that lifted the trophy earlier this month. Why?

Well, for one, why fix what isn’t broken? Leonard won the 2019 NBA Title with the Raptors, and the Canadians will return every single member of their roster from last season with the exception of role player Danny Green. While teams like the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers can talk about their financial flexibility to add free agents, there’s already a roster that’s proven to be capable of winning a title in Toronto.

The Los Angeles Clippers appear to be the Raptors’ primary competition for Leonard’s services, and their roster doesn’t come close to stacking up with Toronto’s.

Of course, the issue of money is also in play, but Leonard would benefit financially from staying in Toronto too. The Raptors are the only team that can offer the forward a 5-year, $190 million supermax contract. Other teams can offer Leonard 4 years and $141 million, but for a player with Leonard’s injury history, he would be wise to take the most possible years and the most money that he can.

For these reasons, plus the immense love that Toronto and the country of Canada already has for Kawhi, the Raptors are the best place where Leonard can end up signing a contract. There’s no reason to let the magic end with the 2019 NBA Title—they can accomplish much more together.

The post Kawhi Leonard’s Best Option is Staying with the Toronto Raptors appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After two thrilling seven-game series wrapped up this week, the NBA Conference Final matchups are set in both conferences and only four teams are left standing in the Orlando bubble.

Two of the season’s top teams, along with two underdogs who advanced to the Finals in surprising fashion, will meet up with a chance to play for the coveted championship trophy in what should be a thrilling pair of matchups.

Let’s take a look at each one and predict a winner.

Eastern Conference Finals: Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics

The Heat got off to an early 1-0 lead in this series, whose Game 1 took place before the publication of this article. The Boston Celtics, who are considered to be the favorite in this matchup, will now have to win 4 of the next 6 games to advance to their first NBA Finals since 2010.

Boston has a dynamic squad lead by a superstar scoring trio of Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown. Despite their relative lack of punch on the low block, this team can score with the best of them and plays solid defense. But will it be enough to beat the inspired Heat?

Miami, considered to be an afterthought in the Eastern Conference picture, has been led by inspired performances from Jimmy Butler and Goran Dragic, with Bam Adebayo emerging as one of the top youngsters in the league.

While the Heat did jump out to an early advantage with a three-point overtime win in Game 1, I like the Celtics to come back and win the series, seeing coach Brad Stevens take them to their first NBA Finals in his tenure.

Prediction: Celtics in 7

Western Conference Finals: Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers

No one expected the Nuggets to be just one series away from reaching the NBA Finals after they stormed back from a 3-1 deficit in their first round matchup with the Jazz, and after meeting up with the heavy favorite Los Angeles Clippers in the conference semifinals.

However, after a dominant Game 7 performance which saw the Nuggets overwhelm Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler with a gargantuan defensive effort, they are now one more LA team away from reaching the Finals for the first time in the franchise’s history.

They won’t have it easy, however, as the conference’s top seed and the league’s best collection of talent awaits them in the Western Conference Finals. LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and company are hungry and have only dropped two games so far in this playoff run.

It’s certainly true that seeing the Nuggets topple yet another heavy favorite would be a thrilling story, but I just don’t think they have the talent to overcome Los Angeles’s star-studded squad.

Prediction: Lakers in 5

The post Predicting the 2020 NBA Conference Finals appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The NBA is one of the principal leagues that has found its 2019-20 season put on hold as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the world of sports and society in general.

The league came to a grinding halt in early March after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus after coming down ill just before a game, sending the league into a state of suspension.

Currently, the coronavirus outbreak in North America continues to grow and doesn’t show any signs of letting up. Despite social distancing and “stay at home” policies enacted by many governmental organizations, it seems like quite a bit of time will past until basketball and other sports are able to return.

With that being said, we think that the NBA still has the opportunity to finish the 2019-20 season with a memorable set of playoffs come summertime when athletes should be able to convene again to compete.

How would the NBA do this? By calling off the rest of the regular season and shortening the playoffs.

In a normal season, the NBA Playoffs are a very long and drawn-out process. Under the current system, 16 of the league’s 30 teams make the playoffs and participate in a long-winded system involving four rounds of games that are part of a best-of-seven series.

While the NBA Playoffs begin in late April, they don’t finish until the end of June. Teams typically reconvene for training camp only a couple of months later, at the end of September or the beginning of October.

So, how could the NBA make the process faster and compact the playoffs to only a month or so? The solution could be in reducing the number of teams that compete.

The best solution for being able to hold the Playoffs and crown an NBA Champion for the 2019-20 season starts by halving the number of teams that compete in the competition. In doing this, the system could be compressed into only 4-5 weeks, especially if series were shortened to best-of-five for at least some rounds.

After reading this, you might be thinking, “But what about the fifth through eighth-seeded teams in their conferences? Wouldn’t they be upset about missing out on the playoffs?”

Well, yes, they probably wouldn’t be happy. But, the facts are the facts. The last time a team seeded lower than #4 in the Playoffs made the NBA Finals was in the 1999 season, and the last time a team seeded lower than #4 won the NBA Finals was twenty years ago when the sixth-seeded Rockets won the whole thing.

The reality of the current NBA landscape is that no matter the length of the Playoffs, two of the league’s eight top teams always make the Finals, and reducing the field in this way would provide the most satisfying end to the season.

The post The NBA’s Best Solution For Finishing the 2019-20 Season is to Shorten the Playoffs appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Can you believe that there is only a month and a half left until the end of the NBA regular season? Teams are in full playoff push mode, looking to grab the best seed that they can for the long and grueling playoff slate that begins in April.

While sixteen teams will make the playoffs, in our opinion, there are two teams, one from each conference, that are clear NBA title contenders based on how they have played this season and the talent on their rosters.

Here are the two NBA championship contenders most likely to triumph in the playoffs.

Los Angeles Lakers: Western Conference

The Lakers are the best-positioned team to win the NBA title this year based on their lethal combination of talent, both from veterans such as LeBron James and Anthony Davis as well as young stars like Kyle Kuzma.

LeBron James, in his 17th NBA season, continues to be a dominant force. The three-time NBA champion is averaging 25.5 points per game and leading the league with 10.6 assists per game. He is a tremendous, multi-dimensional talent who puts the Lakers in a different stratosphere based on his production, talent, and experience.

Davis and James are the fiercest 1-2 combination in the league, and complimentary players such as Kuzma, Avery Bradley, and Danny Green should be enough to make them the title favorites come playoff time as long as they can stay healthy. They’re the most talented team in the NBA, and they have the playoff experience and mental fortitude to win a championship.

Milwaukee Bucks: Eastern Conference

The Bucks are the unquestioned top team in the NBA’s Eastern Conference this season. Why? The answer to this question revolves around one single player who is becoming the most transformative player in the league: Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Greek Freak is the leading candidate for the NBA MVP Award, averaging 29.7 points and 13.7 rebounds per game with absurd efficiency. He is the clear star and leader of the team, and he works with a supporting cast that allows him to shine.

Don’t think the Bucks are only about Antetokounmpo, however. Under-the-radar veteran pieces such as Khris Middleton (21.1 points per game) and Eric Bledsoe (a strong PG defender and a good ball distributor) are enough to propel their team past a dependence on their superstar. This might just be the team that will lift the title in June.

The post These Two Teams are the Strongest NBA Title Contenders appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The NBA landscape was altered in a big way last weekend when Kawhi Leonard decided to head for Los Angeles and the Clippers franchise in free agency after winning an NBA title in his only season with the Toronto Raptors.

Despite an excellent supporting cast that was due to return for the 2019-20 season and the passionate love of a city and an entire country, Leonard’s desire was to return home. With him, he’s bringing former OKC Thunder small forward Paul George with him. The Clippers agreed to send a bevy of draft picks to the Thunder in order to acquire the 2019 NBA MVP finalist’s services, pairing two of the league’s elite perimeter players together at the Staples Center.

Now, Oklahoma City is left with a dilemma. They don’t have the roster to compete for a championship or even the playoffs, but they still do have a superstar in Russell Westbrook. The 30-year-old point guard and former NBA MVP has shown few signs of slowing down, averaging a triple-double (22.9 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 10.7 assists) last season. The Thunder are reportedly looking to trade Westbrook and start a rebuild, and they have several suitors.

Nonetheless, we believe that the best fit for Russell Westbrook happens to be the team that Kawhi Leonard just left: the Toronto Raptors.

Raptors president Masai Ujiri has shown himself to be one of the league’s best roster constructors. He’s also shown an ability to make creative trades in order to land superstars, as he did for Kawhi Leonard, which means that he could probably find a way to free up enough salary cap space to make Russell Westbrook’s 4-year, $170 million contract work.

Now that Kawhi Leonard isn’t an option for a huge deal, the Raptors could find a way to add Westbrook’s salary to their roster. The supporting cast around him would be solid and would put the Raptors in instant contention to win the Eastern Conference yet again. Kyle Lowry and Westbrook would form a dynamic backcourt duo unrivaled by any other in the league.

On top of that, the Raptors have a solid base of big men to pair with a potential Westbrook addition. Still around from last year’s championship roster are Serge Ibaka, Marc Gasol, and young breakout star Pascal Siakam. While Leonard has moved on, it’s undeniable that the Raptors still have plenty of talent to make them competitive on their roster.

Toronto is looking for another star, and Russell Westbrook is the perfect fit for a reeling franchise that is trying to pick up the pieces after Kawhi Leonard’s disappointing departure. This move makes all the sense in the world, and both the Thunder and Raptors could end up being big winners in a potential deal for the All-Pro superstar.

The post If Russell Westbrook is Traded, His Ideal Destination is Toronto appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After being traded to the Toronto Raptors on July 18, 2018, few could have imagined what Kawhi Leonard and his team would go on to have a magical 2018-19 season. Leonard became an immediate franchise legend for the Raptors, making an All-Star appearance and averaging 26.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

The story became even more magical after Leonard put the Raptors on his back and led them to the first NBA Championship in the franchise’s history after an epic Finals series against the Golden State Warriors. Leonard was named Finals MVP after a monster performance, averaging 28.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game in the team’s six-game triumph.

Now, the future is less clear. Leonard is now an unrestricted free agent and can theoretically sign a contract to play for any franchise he chooses for the next season and years beyond that. The soon-to-be 28-year-old has been as guarded and secretive about his future as always, but many believe that Leonard’s future is not in Toronto.

However, Kawhi Leonard’s best option for his future, without a doubt, is to stay in Toronto and go back to the city that lifted the trophy earlier this month. Why?

Well, for one, why fix what isn’t broken? Leonard won the 2019 NBA Title with the Raptors, and the Canadians will return every single member of their roster from last season with the exception of role player Danny Green. While teams like the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers can talk about their financial flexibility to add free agents, there’s already a roster that’s proven to be capable of winning a title in Toronto.

The Los Angeles Clippers appear to be the Raptors’ primary competition for Leonard’s services, and their roster doesn’t come close to stacking up with Toronto’s.

Of course, the issue of money is also in play, but Leonard would benefit financially from staying in Toronto too. The Raptors are the only team that can offer the forward a 5-year, $190 million supermax contract. Other teams can offer Leonard 4 years and $141 million, but for a player with Leonard’s injury history, he would be wise to take the most possible years and the most money that he can.

For these reasons, plus the immense love that Toronto and the country of Canada already has for Kawhi, the Raptors are the best place where Leonard can end up signing a contract. There’s no reason to let the magic end with the 2019 NBA Title—they can accomplish much more together.

The post Kawhi Leonard’s Best Option is Staying with the Toronto Raptors appeared first on SportzBonanza.