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The Miami Heat secured their spot in the 2020 NBA Finals after defeating the Boston Celtics in six games. Jimmy Butler & co. now face the favorites LA Lakers in the best-of-seven series finals.
The Heat have made quite a name for themselves as giant-slayers. Before knocking out the Boston Celtics, they eliminated the Milwaukee Bucks in even more emphatic fashion, which means that LeBron James and the LA Lakers do not face an easy task by any stretch of imagination.
On that note, let us take a look at five key match-ups to look forward to in the 2020 NBA Finals.
#5 Andre Iguodala (Miami Heat) vs Markieff Morris (LA Lakers)
Andre Iguodala will be playing in his sixth straight NBA Finals series this season, which is an astonishing achievement in itself.
Iguodala, who won the NBA Finals MVP award in 2015, has been used off the bench by coach Erik Spoelstra to mainly play great defense and guide the youngsters in the team with his experience.
However, in Game 6 against the Celtics, the player showed that he can turn up the heat offensively as well. The veteran made all five of his shot attempts, scoring 15 points in the process.
Markieff Morris has a similar role for the LA Lakers. He uses his experience to help the team off the bench and is tasked with making his shots when found open. He also shows great hustle on the defensive end of the floor.
Whoever between Morris and Iguodala plays better will give their respective franchise a major boost off the bench.
#4 Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat) vs Frank Vogel (LA Lakers)
The gameplan the two coaches choose to employ in this series will be extremely key in determining which team wins the 2020 NBA Finals.
Erik Spoelstra has been coaching the Miami Heat for well over a decade now and has already won two championships with the franchise. Frank Vogel, on the other hand, is looking to win the title in just his first season with the LA Lakers.
Erik Spoelstra has proven all over again that the zone defense could work wonders when implemented perfectly. The Miami Heat have hustled hard in defense and followed coach Spoelstra's instructions to the hilt.
With the LA Lakers themselves being extremely well-drilled defensively and possessing some top quality rim protectors, it'll be interesting to see which coach tactically outsmarts the other.
Also Read: NBA Trade Rumors: The dream starting-5 for the LA Lakers going into the 2020-21 season.
#3 Tyler Herro (Miami Heat) vs Kyle Kuzma (LA Lakers)
As in any other series or even a singular face-off, the 6th men of teams go a long way in deciding the outcome of the event. The 2020 NBA Finals should be no exception in this regard as rookie Tyler Herro of Miami Heat goes up against Kyle Kuzma of the LA Lakers in what would be a key battle of the second units.
Herro has been playing incredible basketball in the playoffs so far, from nearly lodging a triple-double in his Eastern Conference Finals debut to scoring a career-high 37 points in Game 4 of the same. He has quickly evolved into a complete basketball player and is not just a one-dimensional scorer.
Kyle Kuzma, on the other hand, has struggled to fit in with the rest of the squad this season. The most he has scored in one game was against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals where he scored a mere 11 points.
Kuzma needs to regain his form quickly and respond to each point Herro scores, or else the LA Lakers starters could have too much to worry about when they step on the court.
#2 Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat) vs Anthony Davis (LA Lakers)
Bam Adebayo was absolutely immense for the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals where he dropped 32-5-14 to go with his excellent defense.
Adebayo, who has developed into one of the most complete centers in the league this season, can do a little bit of everything. His presence is key on both ends of the floor, and the Heat will rely on him to come up with big plays once again in the 2020 NBA Finals against the LA Lakers.
Anthony Davis, too, has been crucial for the LA Lakers throughout the post-season. He has continued to register mind-blowing statlines on a regular basis. No team has managed to stop him just yet, and it remains to be seen what the Miami Heat come up with to keep him in check.
#1 Jimmy Butler (Miami Heat) vs LeBron James (LA Lakers)
At the end of the day, it all comes down to the leaders of the two teams, Jimmy Butler of Miami Heat and LeBron James of LA Lakers, who will go right at one another in what promises to be an exhilirating personal battle.
Both Butler and James have been exceptional in the post-season and have contributed on all fronts. They have taken on scoring responsibility, come up with big defensive plays down the stretch and have also acted as the facilitator.
Two of the best players in the NBA also share another quality - that of fearlessness. Neither will refrain from being aggressive despite knowing fully well how difficult it could be to win this particular duel.
They should guard each other on most possessions, so this is certainly the match-up to look forward to the most, and one that could perhaps be the most important deciding factor in the 2020 NBA Finals.
Also Read: NBA News Update: Jayson Tatum not ready to discuss contract extension, Kemba Walker looking forward to next season.
