Kevin Durant is not part of the Brooklyn Nets squad competing in the Orlando bubble games but the superstar is certainly monitoring the underway show. KD thinks the NBA Finals showdown will be between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Milwaukee Bucks, with the latter winning the series.
That read correct, the former NBA champion is not seeing his team, the Nets, figuring deeper in the playoffs, which should be understandable as he and Kyrie Irving are both in the injury bay. Instead, pointed to the Clippers as the 2020 champions, eventually overwhelming the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Milwaukee.
KD said the depth the talent will do the work for the Clippers, headlined in the season by the tandem of Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
"When you have [Paul George] and Kawhi [Leonard] at the wings, that's what you need to win is wings. You got those two at the wings, arguably top three, top four at the wing position on one team," Bleacher Report quoted the former Warriors star as saying.
It would help too that the Clippers can count on the likes Marcus Morris, Reggie Jackson, and Patrick Beverley as ample support for the team's main men. These players have the firepower to complement and cover for Leonard and George as they are top of their class.
They are, in fact, regarded as top starters and should be the superstars when starring for a different team, Durant noted.
KD betting on the Clippers with Leonard leading the way did not come as a surprise. His fellow MVP winner appeared to be in top form and ready to grab his second NBA title in a row. And if indeed Leonard faces off with Antetokounmpo in the Finals, he has a record of winning over his younger rival.
As the same report recalled, it was Leonard's Toronto Raptors that frustrated Antetokounmpo's bid for a first NBA finals appearance last season. And Leonard went on to collect his second championship ring.
It might be a wonder why Durant left out the Lakers as contenders in this year's NBA Finals but according to Clutch Points, the All-Star has his reasons. And one could be the perceived below-par performance of Purple & Gold in the seeding games - the Lakers only won two games out of four.
Still, the Lakers cannot be counted out mainly because of Anthony Davis and LeBron James. The latter, notably, has the talent and experience to play in the big games and win them. James owns three NBA rings.
It's the same case with the Bucks. The team might be lacking in depth but the showing so far is nothing short of impressive. The stats and pundits are one in saying that with Antetokounmpo's incredible run in the season, and the support he is getting on both ends of the floor, the Bucks are the certified frontrunners to win the 2020 crown.
