Top 3 Finals Matchups We Want To See

The NBA regular season is rapidly coming to an end. It’s been a strange year given that it was shortened to 72 games and we’ve only had a few fans in the arenas to enjoy the basketball. Nevertheless, we’ve seen another quality NBA season, filled with drama and suspense that only looks set to improve once the Playoffs arrive.

If you’re a serious NBA team then the regular season is just the warm-up for the Playoffs. Title-contending teams will already be planning for the potential matchups they could face to try and maximise their chances of making the NBA Finals.

One of the interesting things to do is fantasise about the possible clashes we could see for the coveted Larry O’Brien trophy. The Finals is the arena when legacies are made or destroyed, where we see the best basketball the world has to offer. 

From what we’ve seen so far this season, we have some great potential matchups that happen. Here are my top 3.

3. The Milwaukee Bucks vs The Phoenix Suns

This matchup would be great because it features two stars that desperately need a title to cement their legacies. Chris Paul and Giannis Antetokounmpo are already Hall of Famers, there’s no doubt about that. However, both are still in the position of needing to prove themselves in the Playoffs.

Giannis has won the last 2 regular-season MVP awards, yet his Bucks lost in the 2nd round last season and in the Conference Finals the season prior. The Greek Freak has yet to show he can be that leader needed to elevate his team to the next level.

Chris Paul has been in the league since 2005, and at age 35, this may his last shot at winning a title. Nobody would accuse CP3 of not being clutch. He has come up big time and time again for whatever team he is playing for, it’s just that there have always been better teams in his way.

This matchup would lead to either Giannis or CP3 getting a title, something both of them desperately need. They both know how much a title adds to their legacy, so if they did get to the Finals, I expect them to play the best basketball of their careers, something we all want to see.

2. The Denver Nuggets vs The Philadelphia 76ers

Joel Embiid vs Nikola Jokic.

It really is that simple.

Even with Jamal Murray tragically tearing his ACL, the Nuggets still look like a really good team. This is purely because Nikole Jokic is the MVP this season. His averages through 56 games of 26.1 PPG, 11.0 RPG and 8.8 APG on a shooting line of 56.7/42.2/85.5 are out of this world.

Then there’s Joel Embiid who’s averaged 30.0 PPG and 11.1 RPG on 51.6 FG%, 37.9 3P% and 85.5 FT% for the 76ers. Embiid is the most dominant post player in the league right now. Nobody can stop him on the low block and he has the shooting and ball-handling skills to be a major threat from the outside as well.

This matchup would put the best players this season against each other, and they play the same position. It would be a duel for the ages seeing these 2 highly skilled big men go at it over a 7 game series. The winner of this potential matchup would then be declared the best Center in the NBA, a very prestigious title to have.

1. The Los Angeles Lakers vs The Brooklyn Nets

Obviously, this is the matchup most people want to see; Brooklyn vs LA, LeBron and his squad vs Durant and his entourage. Even though the Lakers are only 5th in the West after 57 games, this only because LeBron and Anthony Davis have missed so many games due to injury. I have no doubt that if these two had been healthy all season that the Lakers would at least have the 2nd seed in the West behind the Jazz.

These are the 2 more star-studded teams in the league with arguably 4 of the league’s top 5 players. LeBron James and Anthony Davis vs Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving would be a sight to see.

LeBron would be chasing his 5th ring, trying to close the gap between him and Michael Jordan. Durant would be going after his 3rd, fighting to get into peoples’ lists of their top 10 all-time players. 

This is what we want to see; the teams with the most firepower going at it with everything on the line. Let’s hope the stars align and we get what we deserve.