NBA Finals preview? Lakers, Bucks meet in showdown of 24-4 powerhouses

Keane: Is this going to be a Finals preview? Do you see anyone knocking off the Lake Show in the West, and if so, what’s going to derail Los Angeles?

Heery: I’m not quite ready to guarantee it because we don’t know moves other contenders will make the next two months. But all signs point to a Bucks-Lakers Finals. Giannis looks absolutely unstoppable right now -- I watched him get 48 the other night in a loss to the Mavericks, and he could get to the basket literally every play. Now, a team like the 76ers can throw the likes of Al Horford, Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and others at him, so the Bucks must solidify their depth at guard and wing, as you eluded to, in order to keep teams from walling up on him in the playoffs again. Also, if the Heat or Celtics make a move for another star at the deadline, it could vault them into the Finals conversation as well. That said, Giannis is the Beast of the East, the conference’s best player, so I’d default to the Bucks coming out of the East.

Out West, I think we both know that a Battle of LA is on the horizon. That’s why I’m very interested in the Christmas Day clash at the Staples Center between what should be two relatively healthy teams, the Clippers and Lakers. Will the LeBron-AD pick-and-roll be as devastating against Kawhi Leonard and Paul George? Will the Lakers’ top-notch defense play well enough to slow down Kawhi and PG13 on the wings and the Lou Williams-Montrez Harrell pick-and-roll? I kind of expect the Clippers to win on Christmas, but I still favor the Lake Show in a seven-game series in which LeBron and Davis will both play 40-plus minutes.

I guess the Rockets (18-9) and Mavericks (18-8) could theoretically make a Finals run this season, but a lot would have to go their way. As fun as the scoring stats of the Rockets' James Harden (38.9 ppg.) are to track, he’s pretty miserable to watch, especially when he’s unabashedly chasing 50 burgers at the end of 20-point blowouts against bad teams. I really hope they lose quickly in the playoffs and blow that gimmick of a team up. Perhaps I am being too harsh? 

Nah.

Heery: Do you think there’s a move the Mavs could make to become a legit Finals contender or are they a year or two away? And are there any other fringe contenders out there that I overlooked? 

Keane: I also find Harden unwatchable, just because so much of his game feels like foul-seeking tricks. The Rockets are heading for another playoff disappointment, when players’ legs get tired, step-back threes stop falling, and the refs get wise to Harden’s chicanery and swallow their whistles.

It’s shocking to me that the Mavs have been this good, and it’s not just Luka Doncic (29.3 ppg.) making the leap into superstardom this season. They struck out on stars this summer but ended up with a monster bench, led by Delon Wright and the outside shooting of the Splash Brothers’ Brother, Seth Curry. Doncic gives them an elite offense no matter whom he plays with, but the Mavericks could use a defensive upgrade on the wing. Could Courtney Lee’s expiring deal and a couple of second-round picks pry Andre Iguodala from Memphis? I still don’t think that moves them past the LA squads, but at least the Mavericks would have one more guy to get in LeBron’s way. And think of how much he’ll hate having to go up against Andre yet again in the playoffs!

More likely, the Mavs go all-in next year, when Tim Hardaway Junior’s bloated deal expires and they’ll know how well Kristaps Porzingis can play with Luka. But among teams who could still go all-in this season, I still think it’s too early to count out the Nuggets, who are sitting in fourth place with a 17-8 record, and Nikola Jokic hasn’t been in shape until now. Now he’s in shape -- for him! -- and Denver’s defense is excellent. With Jokic back to doing Jokic things and the West’s deepest bench, Denver could be dangerous -- especially if it makes a move and turns its surplus of good, cheap young players into one more star. And it keeps Jokic away from carbs.

Keane: Are we neglecting anyone else? Do you think Utah can turn its offense around and keep Mike Conley on the court? And are we being too dismissive of the defending champion Raptors just because of the constant Kyle Lowry trade rumors? 

Heery: You know what? You're right about Denver. Jrue Holiday (recently made available by the Pelicans) could be a game-changer for them -- he's the ideal combo guard to play alongside an excellent passing big man like Jokic. Plus, he's an All-NBA level defender (at least he was in the playoffs two years ago versus Portland's Damian Lillard). I think something like Gary Harris, Michael Porter Jr., Juan Hernangomez and a lottery protected first-round pick or two could get the job done.

Quick aside: I love that "Michael Porter Jr. is untouchable," according to Woj. Great posturing, Denver! What exactly makes him untouchable? His degenerative knees? His family's history of knee injuries? Or the fact that he can't get any minutes this season?

I'll pass on Utah. The Jazz will probably go on its usual second-half tear, but nothing about that team scares me aside from the shockingly low IQ and self-awareness of the banned fan who decided to sue the Jazz and Russell Westbrook for defamation and emotional distress recently.

I could be talked into the Raptors contending with one more "win-now" move, but I'm not sure what that move is. I've seen some DeMar DeRozan homecoming rumors, which would give them another wing scorer and help them get to the free-throw line more (ranked 17th in free-throw attempts). Then again, I just can't picture a team with DeRozan winning a title (I watched LeBron turn the DeRozan and the Raptors into Barney too many times). 

So give me a prediction for Thursday night: Lakers or Bucks?

Keane: I’m more excited about this matchup now that both teams got a loss out of their system this week. I think we will see Robin Lopez and Dwight Howard come close to fighting, a mini-scoring duel in the second quarter between Caruso and Pat Connaughton, a triple-double from LeBron, and a close win by the Lakers, followed by a Last Two Minute Report explaining that the refs missed a call favoring the Lakers at the end. Because the one thing fans love more than a great basketball game is arguing about calls for weeks afterward.