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The NBA Finals showdown is ready! The Los Angeles Lakers will face the Miami Heat in the 2020 NBA Finals.
I have detailed some statistics and keys for the Los Angeles Lakers to win this series.
Season Series: Lakers lead 2-0
09/08/2019: Lakers 95 – Heat 80
12/13/2019: Lakers 113 – Heat 110
Postseason stats comparison:
Lakers
- 49.8% FG
- 35.5% 3 points
- 113.9 PPG
Hot
- 45.9% FG
- 35.7% 3 points
- 112.2 PPG
Lakers, keys to success
Movement in the half court offense
The Miami Heat will likely use a defensive strategy that is a combination of the way they played against Boston and Milwaukee. To restrict LeBron James’ driving and minimize post space for Anthony Davis, Heat coach Eric Spoelstra will likely pack the paint. The point of this is to keep James and Davis off the rim and force the Laker role players to contribute points.
Zone defense was another strategy the Heat used often against Boston. The Lakers are likely to see a similar scheme because of their perimeter shooting problems. Many teams have deployed a zone against the Lakers, knowing their fight from deep inside. Defensively, the Heat’s goal is for the Lakers to beat them with perimeter shots.
While the Lakers have struggled offensively in the midfield at times, they have also shown that they can be very dangerous. The common tendency of the Lakers’ poor midfield offense is stagnant off-the-ball players. This allows the defense to establish themselves in their defensive positions where they can easily protect their man while also ready to help with the ball.
When Lakers off-the-ball players are continually moving, the defense needs to be concerned about cutters into the basket, shooters coming off screens, and therefore will have a more difficult time helping when the ball is brought to the basket. Movement on offense gives Lakers superstars room to drive to the basket while giving off-the-ball players opportunities to score. If the Lakers run their offensive sets and continue to move on and off the ball, they should have no problem in their midfield offense.
Bouncing
The rebounding battle will be one of the determining factors in this series. In the postseason, the Lakers and Heat are averaging 43.7 and 42.9 rebounds per game, respectively. Both teams include star players Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo, who will battle for the boards throughout the series. The Lakers also have two versatile greats in Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee, who have played these playoffs well.
Dwight Howard, in particular, had his best game streak since joining the Lakers in the last series against the Nuggets. While the Lakers should have the upper hand with their three athletic greats, Anthony Davis struggled to recover against the Nuggets. The Lakers will look to AD to be aggressive on the boards as he has been all season. If the Lakers greats are hungry for rebounding, they should be able to capitalize on second-chance points offensively and limit second-chance possessions on defense.
Defending
Legendary soccer coach Paul Bryant said it best: “Defense wins championships.” That explains why the Lakers and Heat are tied for best team defense in the postseason this year. Led by Anthony Davis, the Lakers have consistently shown that they are one of the best defenders in the league and must continue to play as such to win this series. The Heat have a complex offense with a lot of off-the-ball movement and screens trying to open up their shooters. Therefore, it is imperative that the Lakers fight through the screens, specifically against Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro, who will take shots if they are given an inch of space.
Defensive rotations are also important in this series. Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic are excellent at finishing around the rim, so help on defense will be needed to get into the driving lines and force charges.
The Lakers are more dangerous when they generate live turnovers because they allow their defense to become offensive. Being the best transition team in the league, it is imperative that the Lakers get steals and blocks to get the team out on the fast break. The team will look to Rondo, Caruso and KCP to be aggressive in defense and generate turnovers.
Series schedule
Game 1: Wednesday, September 30 at 6 p.m. PT (ABC)
Game 2: Friday, October 2 at 6 p.m. PT (ABC)
Game 3: Sunday, October 4 at 4:30 p.m. PT (ABC)
Game 4: Tuesday, October 6 at 6 p.m. PT (ABC)
Game 5: Friday, October 9 at 6 p.m. PT (ABC)
Game 6: Sunday, October 11 at 4:30 p.m. PT (ABC)
Game 7: Tuesday, October 13 at 9 p.m. PT (ABC)
The Lakers are looking to win the organization’s 17th championship beginning Wednesday, September 30 at 6 p.m. PT on ABC.
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