The upcoming NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat will be fascinating because of what it will mean for basketball legacies.
LeBron James can win his fourth NBA title across three different franchises. Either Jimmy Butler or Anthony Davis will win his first championship. And Pat Riley, the architect of the Heat, can burnish his résumé.
So which team will win, the Lakers or the Heat, and why?
To answer that question, The Athletic asked a league scout, a coach and a front office executive to break down the matchup and offer their predictions. The scout, coach and executive received anonymity so they could speak without holding anything back.
Let’s get to it!
Scout’s outlook: “There are some matchup problems for Miami if the Lakers go big to start.
“I thought the problem or the issue with Miami versus Boston was (going to be) this: Were there going to be other guys besides…
