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Back before the NBA instituted a draft lottery to control where potential stars went, there was just a coin toss between the two worst teams in each conference. In 1969 the Phoenix Suns lost one such coin toss to the Milwaukee Bucks, who ended up with the rights to draft one Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Two years later, the Bucks won their first and only NBA title. Phoenix has never reached the mountaintop, sticking to the valleys and the dells that they’re used to. They will meet in the Finals Tuesday night for Game 1 (9PM, ABC).
It’s an interesting and refreshing look for the NBA. Two smaller market teams with fan bases starved for ultimate glory. Two young superstars that are poised to lead the next generation of the NBA elite and a Hall of Fame Point God with his first shot at the chip. In fact, every player playing is trying to win their first title. Let’s take a look at what I said about these teams back in December in my heralded Season Preview.
Granted, I had neither team getting far in the playoffs but with the magic of reality, here we are. These teams are evenly matched and it should be a treat for basketball fans. Here’s what I’m looking most forward to:
Chris Paul versus Jrue Holiday: Two of the best two-way point guards in the game. Paul finished 5th in MVP voting this year (age 35 in his 16th season!) but Holiday made 1st Team All Defense. Paul has made 9 All Defense teams in his career and will be going up against a red hot Holiday who’s been the Bucks best surprise while Giannis has been out. Holiday perhaps has an advantage with age and health but Chris Paul is arguably the 2nd best point guard ever, and an all time great in his first Finals.
Khris Middleton’s Offense versus Devin Booker’s Offense: Both these teams play tough team defense. And so there will be a concerted effort to stop the other team’s most relied upon offensive player. Expect lots of switching and trying different strategies to stop these two gifted scorers from doing their thing. Middleton gets the nod here over Giannis due to him being the “closer” on the team and taking over in the 4th quarter/crunch time. Booker is bringing the mid range back with superb footwork that raises comparisons to Kobe Bryant. Both these guys can completely take over the series and bad games by either will usually spell doom for their team..
Big Men Battle: Giannis Antetokounmpo hyperextended his knee in Game 4 against the Hawks a week ago and has been ruled doubtful for Game 1. It’s up in the air how many games he will miss but I expect he will play most of this series. He probably won’t be at 100% but it remains to be seen how effective he will be. This is going to make the battle in the paint pretty interesting. Will the Suns put Deandre Ayton on Giannis? Will the Bucks be able to contain Ayton? How well will Brook Lopez need to play for Milwaukee to have a chance? Do the Suns have the depth to not be overrun near the basket when Ayton has to sit?
I’m most excited to see Chris Paul try to win his first title. Reminiscent of another all time great, Dirk Nowitzki earning a well-deserved title later in his career. Just one of the best players we’ve seen in the last 30 years and an ultimate competitor. Unfortunately for the Bucks, their best and most effective player is not 100%. But even so, in these playoffs and recent ones, the Bucks have not passed the eye test. They have lost important games and looked bad in ones they’ve won. Almost like they’re scared to win and don’t know what to do to put a team away. And Coach Mike Budenholzer’s astonishingly confused expressions do not inspire confidence in Bucks leadership.
The Suns, on the other hand, have played beautifully in challenging moments. The Lakers were up 2-1 against them in the first round before Phoenix reeled off three straight. Then after sweeping the Nuggets, they didn’t let the Clippers crawl back in after going up 2-0. And they have Monty Williams, a well-acclaimed coach who’s really seemed to have gotten this team together to play at peak performance. Milwaukee may have more talent but they’ve played too inconsistently in big moments for me to feel strong about their chances. Phoenix, though, has played like a well-oiled machine and come up big in the right moments. They have the look of Team of Destiny this year. Pick: Suns in 7.