NBA 1v1 Madness: Final Four + Championship Game
By: Wayne and Schwartz
FINAL FOUR
(MW1) LeBron James over (S3) Jayson Tatum
LeBron vs Tatum just feels right in the Final Four. These two matched up in the Eastern Conference Finals a couple of years ago as Tatum announced his presence on the national stage by leading the shorthanded Celts in a hard-fought series, punctuated by a furious poster of the Cavs legend. Even this season, the two dueled it out in a thrilling regular season game, where Jayson torched LeBron and co. to the tune of 41 points, but yet another stellar performance by King James lifted the Lakers to victory in a tight contest to even the season series between the NBA’s most historic rivals. Now the faces of the most iconic rivalry in all of basketball, these two trade blows in a heavyweight battle between old and new. Once again, the youngster impresses, often flustering the King with his silky stepbacks and killer midrange shots, as well as forcing LeBron into challenging shots. However, being the legend that he is, LBJ hits many of those shots regardless, and is able to use his mental mastery of the game to create trouble for Jayson with his defense. LeBron expertly controls the latter portions of the game to come away with the win after another chapter in what has been a short but exciting individual rivalry between the undisputed player of the past decade, and the youngster who aims to define the next one.
Final score: 21-17
(W1) Kawhi Leonard over (E2) Kevin Durant
With due respect to LeBron and Kobe, these two guys just might be the best two-way wings of this generation of basketball. KD is the better 3-point shooter, but Kawhi’s perimeter defense is unmatched when he’s locked in, and he surely would be for the Final Four. The Klaw thrives in the biggest moments, and in front of a raucous Chicago crowd, he would showcase that killer instinct. Leonard could generate a couple of steals out of the Slim Reaper’s lanky arms, and would likely hold a small rebounding edge with his physical frame and massive hands. We were robbed of seeing these two match up in these past Finals, and it would have been a matchup for the ages with Kawhi in peak playoff form and KD at his very best. The two have faced each other 33 times in the past, with KD slightly edging him out with an 18-15 record, although you can make the case KD has had more talent on his teams in that span with the Thunder and Warriors. Kawhi’s defense, rebounding, and physicality become all the more important in this format, and while KD is a generational scorer and an absolute sniper from deep, I think Kawhi’s skillset is exactly what would be required to slow him down. This could have easily been the Finals matchup in this tourney, but Kawhi narrowly wins out to take on LeBron in the next round.
Final score: 24-22
Championship
So far, this article has been a completely collaborative effort between Schwartz and Wayne. However, when we started talking about this final matchup, we made absolutely no headway in agreeing on a champ, so we’re each going to give you our own write-up.
Lebron James vs Kawhi Leonard: How Schwartz Sees It
This is it- the best player many of us have ever seen, and maybe the current best player in the world. Neither has a tangible home field advantage in Chicago, but that doesn’t stop the crowd and atmosphere from being absolutely nuts, as basketball fans from all over flock to the South shore of Lake Michigan to watch this absolute clash of giants. LeBron sets the pace early by catching Kawhi off-guard and slipping past his fellow LA superstar and throwing down a monster dunk. Not to be outdone, Kawhi regains control by using one of his main advantages over the king; his elite perimeter game. He levels the game with a layup, and stifles LeBron on the next possession, forcing a frantic jumper late in the shot clock which the Klaw collects and turns into a quick deep ball. The two go back and forth, trading blows all game long to the delight of the crowd until Kawhi hits a tough midrange shot to pull the game even at 18. In this battle of two closers, LeBron responds by stepping up in yet another big moment as he drains a big 3 at the top of the paint, putting Kawhi in a tough spot. In familiar form, showing the grit that helped him lead Toronto to its first NBA championship, Kawhi immediately goes score, stop score, to level the score at 20- next 2-point lead wins. LeBron plays it safe, opting for a comfortable layup to take the late lead, and Kawhi follows suit to tie the game up. The superstars trade singles for another two possessions each, followed by a classic Bron fadeaway to give the Lakers forward an extremely valuable 24-23 edge. Kawhi responds by driving inside, but his layup is barely touched by LeBron’s flailing hand for a key block, which neither player is able to corral. The official determines that Kawhi had the last touch, setting up a potential game-winning possession for LeBron. The King takes two hard steps towards the rim, seemingly gunning for that final dagger, before taking a huge step behind the arc. In a true rarity, Kawhi gets sucked in by the move and can only watch helplessly from the inside the foul line as LeBron strokes a three to end the game. 26-23 LeBron, tournament over, the King reigns.
LeBron James vs Kawhi Leonard: How Wayne Sees It
LeBron has had to knock off Trae Young, Anthony Davis, and Jayson Tatum in recent rounds, but none of those players have presented the challenge that Kawhi Leonard will. What does it take to stop James - the King and the guy who many see as the best player of all time? You have to start with an elite defense, a player who can provide enough physicality to guard LeBron in the paint and enough athleticism and lateral quickness to keep up with him on the perimeter. Kawhi is one of the few players who can check both of those boxes. He proved as much when he won the Finals MVP in 2014 as his Spurs defeated the Heat thanks to his defense on LeBron. Next, you need a player who can punish LeBron in the paint with rebounding and interior scoring. The Board Man presents a unique challenge as one of the strongest players in the NBA and a guy who has some of the biggest hands of all time. Finally, you need a guy who can score in a variety of ways and comes up with his best play in the biggest moments. Kawhi’s mid-range jump shot became the biggest weapon in the playoffs last season and he absolutely defines clutch as he came up with several crucial shots throughout the Raptors’ championship run. Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James are the two best players in the NBA today and as the basketball world anxiously awaits a hopeful Western Conference Finals between Leonard’s Clippers and James’s Lakers, these two guys are likely to define this NBA season. A one-on-one matchup between these two guys would be an absolute treat and it wouldn’t be shocking to see either of these guys win this hypothetical tournament. Is there any bias involved in my selection of Kawhi here? Of course. Does that particularly matter? Well, that’s for you to decide. Final score: 24-22. The Klaw asserts himself on a national stage over the King.
