Return of the Kings

By Peyton Schultze

It won’t be taking place at STAPLES Center any longer, but the race to the top between the Lakers and Clippers should take center stage in Orlando (via Lakers Nation).

After months of stoppage and uneasiness, it’s finally official: the NBA is returning to play at Walt Disney World in Orlando for the finish to the regular season and the ensuing playoff stretch. It’s been a long time coming full of dramatic debates, concerned players, and overall uneasiness among members of the league, but the deal reached between Disney and the NBA signals the return of the sport and some positive news in such a dark time. And from LeBron James of the Lakers to Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks, fans will finally be able to watch their favorite players and teams battle it out once again for a championship. While health and safety concerns remain a heavy topic lingering around the situation, the return of basketball is an exciting proposition that is sure to get fans excited.

With that being said, and with so much uncertainty surrounding the league’s plan and the teams participating, here are some of our biggest storylines to watch when the league resumes play on July 30th at Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports.

Will the Bucks Continue to Ride Their Historic Momentum From Earlier in the Year?

The Bucks were putting together a historic season before the delay, largely led by the superstar talents of last year’s league MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo (via The Undefeated).

With plenty of teams out West were making noise and making a case for themselves as title contenders, no team in the East even came close to the power and strength of the Milwaukee Bucks for the majority of the 2019-2020 season. Led by the likely MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo and the shooting talents of studs like Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton, Milwaukee was simply dominant with a overwhelming 53-12 record and a huge lead for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. But with the major stoppage forcing play around the league to temporarily end, will the Bucks lose all of their momentum from earlier in the year when they were easily considered the presumptive favorite in the league?

Although it’s unlikely at this point, there at least has to be some concern in the building for the Bucks based on the teams around them in the conference. Although teams like the Celtics, Raptors, Heat, and 76ers were struggling to keep pace with them at the beginning of the year, the restart of the season in Orlando should be a fresh start for teams who were struggling with momentum, chemistry, or injuries earlier in the season. This makes the margin for error much slimmer for the Bucks, who now face some uncertain waters in an uneasy time. They’re still the clear top dog in the East with Antetokounmpo playing at such a high level, but after a disappointing postseason run last year and with plenty of time off, other teams in the East have to feel like they’re that much closer to Milwaukee with so much time off.

Can the Lakers Overcome the Loss of Avery Bradley and Capture their 17th Title?

No other duo in the league strikes more fear into their opponent’s eyes than the combination of LeBron James and Anthony Davis (via CBS Sports).

The early suspension of the regular season hurt plenty of other teams, but did it affect any other squad more than the Lakers? Before the break, the Lakers were cruising to the best record in the West with LeBron James playing at an exceptional MVP level and Anthony Davis excelling on both sides of the floor. However, with so many months of rest under their belt, maybe the Lakers are still better positioned than any other team in the league. It’s never a bad thing to give LeBron James even more rest heading into a brutal playoff stretch, and the oft-injured Davis is projected to enter the playoffs at full health for the first time in his career. Expect plenty of rust to show up early on, but there’s no reason to think the Lakers can’t hoist another championship this October in Orlando.

Sure, the Lakers will miss the presence of Avery Bradley as a starting guard who played well alongside LeBron for most of the season. But the Purple and Gold have been rumored to bring in J.R. Smith for their missing roster spot, and their late season acquisition of scoring guard Dion Waiters appears to have been a timely move that could have some serious implications with the loss of Bradley. But if the Lakers truly want to get past the rest of the West, the Clippers, and presumably the Bucks on their way to a 17th championship, they’ll need some key role players such as Kyle Kuzma, Dwight Howard, and Alex Caruso to step up in a big way. If those players can perform well in big moments on both ends of the floor, the sky is truly the limit for the Lakers with the healthy, rested, and lethal combo of James and Davis.

Will Kawhi Leonard Capture the Second of His Own Back-to-Back Championships?

Don’t be surprised whatsoever if Kawhi Leonard puts together another magical playoff performance (via Forbes).

Although the Lakers were the red-hot team by the time the regular season was cut off in mid-March, the Clippers have been hailed as the Western Conference favorite for most of the year. With Doc Rivers at the helm, the Clippers truly have it all: size, physicality, mental toughness, and playoff experience. Most of this supreme confidence stems from their star player in Kawhi Leonard, who has continuously proven that he is one of the best players in league history in clutch moments and defensively against some of the best players in the NBA. In addition to Leonard, the Clips are also to run out the ultimate sidekick in Paul George, who should be completely healthy and ready to compete for a championship when the playoffs come around.

But if the Clippers want to end up beating the Lakers and getting to The Finals for the first time in franchise history, they’ll certainly need to regain some of their distant team chemistry that seemed to plague them for much of the year. One of the real reasons for this lack of cohesiveness comes from the fact that their starting lineup rarely played together, with George and Leonard sitting out plenty of games this season. Yet after months of rest and plenty of time on their hands to recover from prior injuries, that should not be the case in Orlando. At full strength, this looks like the best roster in the league on paper with a stud player who captured last year’s Finals MVP award. So will Los Angeles finally take home their first Larry O’Brien Trophy in franchise history, or will prior playoff misery reappear in some untimely moments?

Which Fringe Contender will Make the Most Noise in Orlando?

The Rockets and Heat are two squads that could make some serious noise amongst the favorites in the league (via Sky Sports).

Although it’s certainly tempting to lean toward a leaner Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets or a rested Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers, the most frightening team when the season resumes has to be the Houston Rockets. In prior postseasons, Russell Westbrook and James Harden have earned a reputation for flaming out in big moments or failing to step up on both sides of the court against some of the best teams in basketball. But with months of rest on their hands and with some great shooting wings surrounding them on their roster, fatigue should almost be thrown out the door when it comes to Houston’s superstar talents who are in desperate need of a ring to seal their legacies. Yes, the Rockets still lack the size of the Lakers or the gritty mentality of the Clippers, but they can surely run any team in the league out of the building with their tough mix of speed and shooting.

In addition to this, although they would need several things to bounce their way in the East, watch out for the Miami Heat. With a roster full of defensive blocks that have proven that they’re capable of going head-to-head with the Bucks, Miami presents an interesting foil to the favorites in the Eastern Conference, especially if teams are forced into halfcourt basketball in order to win. In addition, Jimmy Butler has also proven to be someone who plays well offensively in the playoffs and Bam Adebayo’s emergence as a legitimate star on both sides of the floor should scare some teams over the course of a seven-game series. Teams who face off with the Heat in the postseason will need to be prepared for a gritty fight that could test their physical and mental conditions, and they’ll surely be a team to keep any eye on over the next several months.

What Will Happen if a Star Player Tests Positive in the Middle of a Playoff Run?

Nikola Jokic’s recent positive test for the coronavirus has to at least be a little concerning for the upcoming stretch run at Walt Disney World (via The Denver Post).

One topic that seems to have very few answers at this point is what will happen if a star player conducts the virus in the middle of the playoffs. For instance, say that the Clippers advance to the second round of the playoffs, but shooting guard Paul George tests positive for COVID-19. Will George essentially be ruled out for the playoffs? Will the entire Clippers’ squad have to quarantine? Will their opponent cruise to a series win, and pull off a major upset due to unforeseen circumstances? Whatever the case may be, NBA fans of any team have to hope that players will not test positive whatsoever during their stay at Walt Disney World. But with major precautions being put into place all throughout Orlando, such as staying within the assigned “bubble” and at select resorts assigned to the teams, Adam Silver and the rest of the league office seem to be committed to protecting the players at all costs so that they can crown a champion and pull of what many thought was impossible just weeks ago. It’s certainly going to be an uphill battle from here until mid-October, but fans can only hope for the best for all players, coaches, and personnel soon traveling to Orlando for the conclusion of the season.

Can the Sport Make it Through their Entire Playoff Schedule?

If the NBA is able to finish the entire season, expect some wildly competitive matchups over the course of the playoffs (via The Athletic).

And with the possibility of a star player testing positive or an entire team being forced into a two-week quarantine, there still has to be some real concern about whether or not the entire regular season and playoff schedule can truly be reached. With the amount of coronavirus cases rapidly rising in the state of Florida and the re-opening of the Disney theme parks over the next month, there’s certainly going to be a major risk for the players despite entering the “bubble” as described by the league office. And if there’s one thing that everyone has learned over the past few months, it’s to expect the unexpected. Even with entertainment options such as movie screenings, game rooms, and the ability to attend other games over the course of their stay at the resort, there’s still a fair chance that players could come into contact with someone who has contracted the virus themselves. The NBA obviously wants to complete their season and finish one of the most chaotic periods in sports history; but will time be on their side and will health guidelines allow them to do so?

Will There Be a Surprise Champion?

The battle of MVPs: Giannis versus LeBron should take center stage on the court in Orlando (via EssentiallySports).

Although teams like Houston, Philadelphia, and Boston look like they’ll have a even better chance of making a Cinderella run to The Finals with tons of time to rest and recover from prior injuries, the clear favorites remain Milwaukee and both of the Los Angeles squads. Before the regular season was interrupted, it seemed like a clear path for those three teams to battle one another for a ring, and even with months of added rest for stars like Russell Westbrook, Joel Embiid, and Jayson Tatum, that assumption remains likely at best.

But don’t expect a cakewalk for any of those teams. From the beginning, expect both the Lakers and Clippers to have some battles against other Western Conference foes such as the Nuggets, Rockets, Mavericks, and possible even Zion Williamson and the rested Pelicans in the first round. However, the L.A. duo should be able to make it through the rest of the gauntlet and meet up for their expected Western Conference Finals matchup, with the Lakers taking a slight edge over the Clippers in a seven-game series featuring other stars such as Paul George and Anthony Davis. Meanwhile, with the Bucks expecting to only have to seriously worry about the Heat, Celtics, and Raptors in their path through the East, Milwaukee has to be considered the favorites at this point. Giannis Antetokounmpo should only continue on his path toward legendary status with his first ever Finals appearance after a win over the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, where he’ll meet up with LeBron James in a battle between the two best players in basketball. And while Giannis may eventually take his rightful spot on the throne one day, that day does not appear to be anytime soon. LeBron will capture the fourth, and most difficult, title of his career, while the Lakers will tie the Celtics for the most championships in NBA history.