2021 NBA Finals

Despite all of the major super-teams being eliminated early on this year, both the Bucks and the Suns have had an incredibly tough path to the finals. As it remains unclear whether Giannis Antetokounmpo will be able to play in the first game, the Bucks are going to have to rely on their role players early and often. There is no question that Middleton and Holiday are fully capable of stealing a game or two, and it looks like they will need to if Giannis can’t play. The Suns have been on fire ever since the Sun’s in four guy beat up the Nuggets fans, and will a nearly entirely healthy lineup expect the Suns to take advantage of a potentially limited Giannis. Without Giannis, I don’t give the Bucks a chance to win this series simply because he is far and away from their best player, and their entire offense revolves around him. Of course, the Bucks were able to beat the Hawks without him, but the Suns are on a completely different level than the Hawks. I expect Chris Paul to have an incredible series in his first finals appearance which will allow for the other star players such as Booker and Ayton to put up some impressive numbers. If the Bucks don’t have Giannis for an extended stretch, Sun’s in four is my pick. However, if Giannis Antetokounmpo can play effectively then the Suns might be pushed to six games.