The Los Angeles Lakers are finally back in the NBA Finals where they will square off against the Miami Heat.
It has been ten years since we last saw the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals and after a long NBA season, we may finally see the Lakers get their 17th world championship. The Miami Heat have fought just as hard to get to this stage and beating them will be quite the challenge for the Lakers.
With a playoffs record identical to the Lakers, the Miami Heat hold a 12-3 record heading into the Finals, with everyone on the roster clicking at exactly the right time. From top to bottom this carefully constructed team has several different weapons who work together very unselfishly.
Unlike the Lakers who have two bonafide superstars in LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Heat have two all-stars in forward Jimmy Butler and center Bam Adebayo, the latter of whom has yet to reach his full potential. The team also has key contributors in starting point guard Goran Dragić, and rookie sixth man Tyler Herro.
All four of these players hit their strides in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics and will look to continue their team’s success in the NBA Finals. If the Lakers want to prevent Miami from winning their fourth NBA championship, they will need to strive towards forcing the Heat to have these magic numbers.