2010-2011 NBA Predictions: A Finals Showdown No One Will Expect

 

Look at everybody’s NBA season forecast, and you will be hit with a barrage of repetition. The Finals match-up is widely projected to be a two-team race, despite a number of teams making improvements.

I don’t have to say the two squads, because you all more than likely know who they are. I’m here to provide an alternative opinion, and it’s an opinion I feel confident in.

Here it is: neither the Heat nor the Lakers will make the NBA Finals this season.

Due to that last sentence, I imagine I have lost all of the Heat and Lakers fan readers. Call me delirious, delusional, demented, I don’t care. It’s what I sincerely believe. Let me tell you why before I delve into the teams I expect to play for the title.

 

Why the Heat Won’t Play for Larry O’Brien Trophy

Ever since Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh have joined forces, people have been saying they are winning the championship. This was being said even when the Heat had four players under contract, including Mario Chalmers.

Outside of the big three, this team is unproven and inexperienced. Wade, Udonis Haslem and Eddie House are the lone players on this team with rings. James, Big Z and Mike Miller have playoff experience. That’s about it. Bosh hasn’t gotten out of the first round of the playoffs.

This team has yet to play together at full strength. The preseason is a time where teams are fine-tuning their roster to figure out what pieces fit and how the team’s chemistry is coming along. That is being halted by James' and Wade’s leg problems. And don’t forget about Wade’s injury-proneness. Who knows if he could miss significant time during the season?

Nonetheless, this is playing time that is valuable to the future success of this team.

Basketball is a team sport. A lot of people seem to ...

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