The NBA playoffs are approaching quickly. NBA fans around the world are getting excited to see who their favorite teams are matched up against in the first round of the playoffs.
Many fans are also hoping their team will make it all the way to the NBA Finals and with the 2020 NBA Championship. However, not every team appears to have a realistic chance to make it to the NBA Finals this year.
We’re going to explore the five teams we feel have the best chance to go all the way this year based on what we have seen so far this season.
#1) Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James and Anthony Davis are dominant this year. In fact, LeBron James was recently quoted as saying that Anthony Davis is “everything I expected and more.” The biggest thing we feel that sets the Lakers apart this season is the playoff and Championship experience LeBron James has. With nine trips to the NBA finals, three championships, and three Finals MVP awards, LeBron is one of the best leaders of all-time. The recent addition of former Miami Heat guard Dion Waiters adds depth to a Lakers team that already has tremendous talent. South Florida sports bettors and Miami Heat fans can’t be happy about that.
#2) Los Angeles Clippers
At this point in the season, we feel the Los Angeles Clippers also have an excellent chance at making it all the way to the NBA Finals and winning the Championship in 2020. After acquiring Marcus Morris at the trade deadline, we feel that the Clippers are properly equipped to play “small ball” and outgun the Houston Rockets, for example. None of the Clippers players in the starting lineup stand taller than 6’8″. They’re considered a “big” small ball team because they don’t use a traditional center, but they still have size.
We think that the real “X Factor” when it comes to analyzing the Los Angeles Clippers is the leadership of Kawhi Leonard. Leonard has valuable playoff experience and also is a two-time NBA Finals MVP (2014 & 2019). After leading Toronto to an NBA Championship in 2019, Leonard is asserting himself as one of the top current NBA playoff performers. Winning in the regular season is one thing, but Leonard has proven he can bring home Championships.
#3) Milwaukee Bucks
Reigning 2019 NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has been dominant again in 2020. He’s averaging nearly 30 points a game (29.6) and 13.8 rebounds per game. Milwaukee has the best record in the NBA at this point in the season. Many people think that they should be the favorites to win the NBA Championship this year.
We think they have an excellent chance to win the Eastern Conference, however, they haven’t proven themselves yet when it comes to actually winning championships. Maybe this year will be the year they assert themselves and win it all.
#4) Houston Rockets
James Harden is one of the best players in the NBA and has been for several years now. However, the Rockets also haven’t yet proven themselves as a team that can win championships. In fact, it has been very rare that they’ve made it deep into the playoffs, despite talented rosters and the individual accomplishments of Harden. That being said, they are undoubtedly one of the top 5 teams in the NBA at this point in the season.
#5) Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are third in the Western Conference behind the LA Clippers and LA Lakers currently. They’re just ahead of the Houston Rockets at the time this article was published. However, we don’t think they have the “star power” to be able to outgun the teams above. Some teams have been able to defeat the odds and win a Championship without a “top-tier” superstar, but it is rare.
Excitement is Building Among NBA Fans Worldwide
NBA betting is heating up and there are dozens of different NBA betting odds you can opt for. Fans are already placing their bet on who will end up taking home the 2020 NBA Finals trophy this year.
In terms of the favorites among oddsmakers worldwide, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers are leading the pack. The Los Angeles Clippers are not far behind those two teams. Houston and Denver round out the Top 5 as it currently stands.
