7/21/2023 0 Comments 2020 eastern conference finals![]() ![]() Horford will also have help in the form of Robert Williams III – who became one of the best defensive players in the league this season – while Theis remains as a 'break glass in case of emergency' option.Īdding to the rise of the Celtics has been the emergence of Grant Williams as a reliable two-way player, capable of slowing down Giannis Antetokounmpo while hitting over 40 per cent of his threes, as well as the trade to add Derrick White as a second defensively sound 'small' guard next to Smart.įor a team with a real defensive identity – willing to 'switch' every screen and allow their small guards to take on bigger assignments – being able to replace Kemba Walker with a trustworthy, stout defender completely takes away an avenue of attack for a sharp offensive team like Miami. Replacing Theis with Al Horford may be the most consequential addition or subtraction on either side, with the potential to nullify the series-altering presence of Adebayo on the inside. When taking into account an outlier 37-point showing from Tyler Herro on 14-of-of-21 shooting that single-handedly won Game 4 112-109 for the Heat – making it a 3-1 series lead instead of 2-2 heading back to Boston – it begins to become clear that there was not much the Celtics could do, given their personnel.įast-forward a couple of years, 22-year-old Jayson Tatum is now 24 and in the midst of a rapid ascension into the game's best players, 23-year-old Jaylen Brown is now 25 and has developed into a true number-two option, Marcus Smart is now 28 years old and the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and, more importantly, the supporting cast is built for the long-haul. Adebayo averaged 21.8 points while shooting over 60 per cent from the field, with 11 rebounds and five assists per game, and was clearly the most dominant player in the series. He was also supported by Goran Dragic, just two years removed from his lone All-Star appearance, who in the series averaged 20.5 points and 4.7 assists per game in 34 minutes.Īs well as having two strong initiators, the Heat also had a complete mismatch in the form of Bam Adebayo against a Celtics team starting Daniel Theis at center, with no competent back-up. ![]() Jimmy Butler was invigorated in his first year in Miami, in his physical prime at 30 years old and was determined to show he was not at fault for pushing his way out of the Minnesota Timberwolves and being traded from the Philadelphia 76ers in the space of a year. In that 2020 series, which the Heat won 4-2 in 'the bubble' to advance to the NBA Finals, the Celtics were the higher seed, and were playing in their third Eastern Conference Finals in the space of four seasons.īut in hindsight, it was Miami who were built to win that series, despite it being their first time past the second round since LeBron James carried them to the finals in 2014. ![]() From an individual perspective, seeing James guarded by defensive stalwart Jimmy Butler and former NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala will be a blast.Two years after meeting in the 2020 Eastern Conference finals, the Boston Celtics are on a mission to flip the script on the Miami Heat. However, it’s going to be extremely fun to watch LeBron go up against his former team. Riley and Spoelstra remain with the Heat. King James starred in South Beach for the Heat from 2010-14, leading the team to two championships in the process. It will be the top storyline leading up to the start of the 2020 NBA Finals between the Lakers and Heat. Lakers in NBA Finals, LeBron James goes up against former team It’s simply amazing what front office head Pat Riley and head coach Erik Spoelstra have done with this roster. They joined the likes of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Washington Wizards with the longest odds to win the championship, let alone appear in the NBA Finals. Meanwhile, stud rookie Tyler Herro did his thing with 19 points to go with five rebounds and seven assists off the bench.īack in June of 2019 (seems like eons ago) before they acquired Jimmy Butler, The Heat had 200-to-1 odds to win the NBA title. ![]() This came after some major struggles from the youngster during Game 5 on Friday. All-Star big man Bam Adebayo dropped 32 points in Miami’s decisive 125-113 win over Boston Sunday evening. ![]()
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