2019-2020 NBA Season: Season for the ages
By: Aahan Kar
Beginning:
The 19-20 NBA free agency was bizarre. The most prolific players in the league were switching to new teams and for the first time in a while the league was balanced. This season was one of the most anticipated seasons in NBA history. The two teams that changed the most were the two teams in LA, Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers. Both added superstars to their teams. The Laker acquired Anthony Davis and the Clippers acquired Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. Both were ranked as the best two teams in the NBA. This season had so many different storylines, Lakers, Bucks, and Clippers contending for a ring, how Steph Curry would do without a super team, Raptors looking to defend their championship, etc. Opening day Clippers cruised against the Lakers. But after that game Lakers were so dominant with LeBron and Anthony Davis leading the way. In the first five games, Stephen Curry was playing horrendously but he got a severe hand injury and was out for most of the year.
MVP
Race:
On the Eastern Conference, the Milwaukee Bucks were dominating as usual with Giannis Antetnkoumpo leading the way. The MVP race at the beginning of the season was really close but later LeBron James and Giannis would be the clear top 2 for MVP. Giannis being number 1. The Lakers once again faced the Clippers on Christmas Day but lost once again in a close matchup. It seemed at the time Clippers were much better than the Lakers. There were a lot of surprising teams though, the Miami Heat, Nuggets, Celtics, Mavericks, and the Raptors. The Nuggets young superstar Nikola Jokic was getting better and was considered a top 10 player, the Miami Heat were making a run as the best Eastern Conference team with Veteran superstar Jimmy Butler and young star Bam Adebayo leading the way, Luka Doncic growing so fast and making himself one of the best players in the league and it’s his second year in the NBA, the Raptors lost superstar Kawhi Leonard but are playing well without him, and the Jayson Tatum who was a disappointment last year but now is growing into one of the best players in the league.
NBA All-Star Weekend:
The regular season was good but then came All-Star weekend. One of the most anticipated weekends in the NBA season. The NBA decided to change up the All-Star Game. The viewership was going down since the All-Stars were giving no effort. Also, the NBA wanted to honor Kobe since he passed away. They completely changed the rules and people were wondering how it would be. This All-Star game was rated one of the best all-star games in NBA history.
COVID-19:
After the All-Star Game, it seemed as if Giannis would win unanimous MVP which has happened only once in NBA history (2015-16 Stephen Curry) but the Lakers were playing the Clippers and the Bucks The Lakers already lost to the Clippers twice and lost to the Bucks once. The Lakers beat both of them and the MVP race became a lot closer. But it still seemed like Giannis was going to win the MVP. After a couple of weeks, an NBA player tested positive for COVID-19. Then more and more players started getting positive results and the league had to shut down. After a couple of months, the NBA was back but they had to play in a bubble in Orlando, FL. No team could travel and if players went out of the bubble they had to pay fines. Only a few teams were invited to the bubble and the teams that made the bubble were in the playoffs. Each team played 8 games before the playoffs officially started.
NBA Playoffs:
The Los Angeles Lakers were playing the
Portland Trail Blazers in the first round and won in 5 games. The Utah Jazz vs
the Denver Nuggets was one of the best series in the entire playoffs. The
Nuggets were down 3-1 against the Jazz but came back and won. The Clippers were
struggling against the Dallas Mavericks but ended up beating them in 6 games.
The Houston Rockets vs Oklahoma City Thunder went to a game 7 but the Houston
Rockets ended up beating them. In the
Eastern Conference, the Bucks beat the Orlando Magic in 5 games, the Miami Heat
beat the Indiana Pacers in 4 games, the Toronto Raptors beat the Brooklyn Nets
in 4 games, and the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers in 4 games. Some
surprising series were the Clippers/Mavericks, Rockets/Thunder, and
Bucks/Magic. These games were surprising because most people predicted it wouldn’t
be a close series but the weaker team fought really hard but they ended up
losing. Even though the Bucks beat the Magic in 5 games mostly everyone
predicted the Bucks to beat them in 4. Nevertheless, the stronger team ended up
winning and advanced to the next round.
2nd Round:
The Lakers were playing the Rockets and won in 5 games, but the Denver Nuggets vs the Clippers was the most surprising series in the playoffs. The Clippers were up 3-1 and in one of the games they were up more than 16 points but Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray put up historic numbers and came back 3-1 upsetting the Clippers. At the time Clippers were considered the best team in the NBA but a young Denver Nuggets team with a bright future beat them. In the Eastern Conference, the Miami Heat upset the Milwaukee Bucks in 5 games. Jimmy Butler led this young Heat team to the Eastern Conference finals and he put up great numbers throughout the playoffs at this point. Young superstar Jayson Tatum led the Boston Celtics to victory defeating the defending champions the Toronto Raptors in 7 games.
Conference Championship:
The remaining teams were the Los Angles Lakers, the Denver Nuggets, the Miami Heat, and the Boston Celtics. LeBron James and Anthony Davis led the Lakers to the NBA Finals winning in 5 games. Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo led the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals beating the Celtics in 6 games.
NBA
Finals/Conclusion of the season:
The Finals were set, Los Angeles Lakers vs the
Miami Heat. Both teams fought hard but in the end, the Lakers ended up
victorious winning their 17th franchise Finals. Tied with the most Finals win
with the Boston Celtics. LeBron James won Finals MVP once again. This season
was unique, odd, and exciting. No year in NBA history was this different and we
got to witness history.
