Last Star Standing – the NBA Finals, 2021
The Nets, The Lakers, the Clippers and the Jazz. James, Durant, Harden, Davis, Irving, Leonard, George, Mitchell and Gobert. These were the teams and the men we were told would be in these finals. Betting sites don’t like to be wrong – there is no profit in that. But here we are, heading into game 4 of the Finals and none of the stars we were told would be playing are here.
Not an issue if one of them slipped out, perhaps the Jazz with their lack of playoff experience and lack of a true superstar. Okay, fair enough, I guess we knew that 2 of them would drop out because after all, there are only 2 teams playing in the finals, but all 4 teams failing to reach? Seems more than improbable, but that’s what has happened. The question is why. The answer is reasonably simple. Injuries.
The Lakers. With no Anthony Davis and a wonky LeBron James, the Lakers took the Suns to 7 games. I dare say the Lakers would definitely have won that series and the Suns would not be in the finals.
The Nets. With no Irving and no Harden – we certainly can’t call that pale facsimile in the final 2 games Harden – they still nearly defeated the Bucks. Without those injuries, it would be the Nets in the finals.
The Clippers. Even without Kawhi Leonard, Paul George rallied the Clippers past the Nuggets and gave the Suns a serious scare. Once again, however, with a healthy Kawhi, the Suns would not have made the finals.
The Jazz. Okay, you got me. No injuries here, however, most betting sites had the Lakers and the Clippers better bets to get to the finals so perhaps it’s no surprise at all that the Jazz with no deep playoff experience wouldn’t make the finals regardless.
The result of these injuries is a 2021 NBA Finals featuring one team which has never won a championship and the other over 50 years removed. Chris Paul, one of the top stars entering the twilight of his career to never win a ring is playing for the finals for his first and perhaps only chance at the ultimate prize in basketball. Two time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, has his first chance as well. Even without the regular characters, it’s a finals well worth watching.
But what would have happened if there had been none of these injuries? As stated previously, the Nets would have come out of the East and faced off against either the Clippers or the Lakers, depending on what side of that argument you fall on. Regardless, the question is mute. Without any injuries, the 2021 NBA Champions would have been…the Brooklyn Nets.