The new era of the NBA is here. Dynasties are no more as no teams have repeated as champions since the Golden State Warriors in 2018. As we now enter the conference finals, one of the Celtics, Pacers, Timberwolves, and Mavericks will capture the Larry O'Brien trophy in mid-June. Thus the question becomes, who would gain the most from winning the NBA title this year? Luckily, I have the answers for you all!
Honourable Mentions:
Rudy Gobert
Jaylen Brown
Tyrese Haliburton
Kristaps Porzingis
5. Karl-Anthony Towns:
There was once a time when Karl-Anthony Towns was regarded as the individual who led the next generation of the NBA. In 2016 and 2017, Towns was voted as the player GMs would choose to build their teams around if they could pick one player in the entire NBA.
Since that time, it has felt like Towns has never truly lived up to his potential, and rumours about the Timberwolves considering parting ways with their first overall pick in 2015 have been going around the league since the Jimmy Butler fiasco in Minnesota in 2018.
If Towns can help bring a title to Minnesota, those rumours step aside for a while. No matter how much the critics go after him, Karl-Anthony Towns would be the second-best player on an NBA Champion which not many players in today's NBA can say, while also being one of the premier bigs in all of basketball.
4. Kyrie Irving:
Kyrie Irving since he arrived in Dallas at the February Trade Deadline in 2023 has felt completely different than the person who played in Boston and Brooklyn from 2017-2023. It is truly remarkable how Irving has been able to remake his image since it seemed like a controversy was always just a few feet away from him at any point.
If Irivng can capture the title of his career, he will have shown that yes, he can win without LeBron James, and he would cement himself as one of the greatest point guards to ever play the game. Not to mention, it genuinely would be hilarious if he and the Mavericks beat his former team, the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.
3. Jayson Tatum:
Nobody has ever denied the talent of Jayson Tatum. Since his rookie season in 2018 when he was touted as the greatest thing since sliced bread, the big question that has surrounded Tatum, especially since the Celtics' loss in the 2022 Finals to the Warriors, is if he has that "dog in him" to say the least. Boston has not played in many close games throughout this season, and when they have been put in uncomfortable positions, Tatum and the Celtics have struggled to hit those clutch buckets near the end of games.
If Tatum can bring Banner 18 to Boston this June, all the questions about whether he can win the big game go away, and he will be on the way to becoming a Boston sports legend, which is no small feat in a town that has seen the likes of Brady, Bird, and Orr to name a few.
2. Anthony Edwards:
The Rise of Anthony Edwards has been captivating to watch throughout this NBA season. Edwards has turned around the culture in Minnesota since he arrived in 2020. Throughout this post-season, he has positioned himself to be the face of American basketball players for the next decade.
If Edwards can lead the Timberwolves to their first NBA Championship this year, Ant-Man then puts himself in prime position to be the face of the NBA after LeBron, Steph, and KD start to depart over the next few years.
On a more historical level, Edwards would speed up the timeline if he continues to ascend his level of play of where he compares to all-time two-guards throughout his career.
Luka Doncic:
If the Dallas Mavericks win the NBA title this year, it will be because Luka Doncic was by far the best player on the floor over both of his next two series, and he was simply unstoppable.
By capturing his first ring, Doncic would likely go into next season as the consensus best player in the league or face of the NBA. To add onto that, unlike Edwards, if Doncic wins the title, we seriously need to ask the question if he can finish his career as one of the top-10 players who ever lived as he already has the stats trending in that direction, and would then have his championship to validate his numbers.
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