Jayson Tatum said something about the Finals.
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Just like Tatum, I thought it would be the Denver Nuggets too. I never expected that much from Kyrie and Luka of the Mavs that year because I thought they were still building their chemistry. That was really a surprising end on the Western Conference side.
Well, this year will be more surprising, I see the Timberwolves going back strong in the WCF, maybe against the Mavs again or the Nuggets. Eastern Conference could become unpredictable and I see the Knicks being on the top if healthy. 76ers should not be underestimated too after acquiring PG13, as long as he and Embiid stay healthy it will be a scary duo, plus Maxey of course.
I have doubts that the Celtics could make a back-to-back championship.
Many of us expected the same thing, and I think it's pretty normal that we think that way knowing that they're the defending champions at that time.
TBH, that Finals Match-up would be much better than that of Dallas-Boston. No disrespect to the Mavericks because they're a strong team, but it would be a better series in my opinion if it's Denver-Boston. It is what is, and the Nuggets can contend again this season and get that 2nd title...
or are they a title contender right now? Why and why not? As for the contenders for the West, I see the Timberwolves as well to compete, but let's not forget the Thunder that just got an upgrade with the acquisition of Hartenstein and Caruso. I will not be surprised if the Thunder will win a title in the next 3-5 years with their current roster or at least the core players intact.
As for the East, Knicks might be the "dark horse" of the East but I'm thinking of who will be their Center if Mitchell Robinson will get injured. They don't have a back-up big because they let Hartenstein walk away, and because of this, I see the Sixers as the top contender in the East aside from the Celtics. Bucks? Nah, just forget about them they're pretty shit in defense and you can't win a title if you're that bad on defense. Will the Celtics make a back-to-back? TBH, they can. I mean the roster's almost the same, and their role players stayed which is a good thing. If there's one hindrance to them, it's injuries, but I think they can do it.