By Mardeio Cannon | OBSERVER Columnist
Now that the NBA Finals are set with the well-rested Denver Nuggets making their first appearance vs. the underdog Miami Heat, NBA fans in both cities are hyped for this battle that hopefully will be a competitive series.
This is not the matchup Commissioner Adam Silver and league brass hoped for. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics was the NBA’s dream matchup because of the prospect for an off-the-chain television ratings bonanza. However, all of the conspiracy theorists need to keep their mouths shut in reference to the NBA fixing games to get the desired matchup for ratings. I heard from several of these people who have a conspiracy theory about everything. They said the NBA would manipulate the results of games to get their desired matchups. If that were the case, the NBA should have manipulated that Golden State Warriors would beat the Kings in their exciting series because Stephen Curry would bring higher ratings. But the Kings were one missed three-point shot by Harrison Barnes from eliminating them.
Another widely held belief is that the NBA fixes series to extend to the maximum of seven games so that the league and its owners can make more money. For that logic to stand, someone has to communicate to the players that the fix is on! A conspiracy on this level eventually would be exposed.
It makes no sense risk-wise for the NBA to fix games for ratings.
Now for the matchup of Nikola Jokic and Denver vs. Jimmy Butler and Miami for the coveted championship ring. The Nuggets are heavy favorites and have dominated the Heat over the last few years. The Heat were 0-2 against the Nuggets this year. Jokic also dominated Heat center Bam Adebayo, who did not play well in the series against Boston.
However, before everyone gets carried away, Miami is the first team since the New York Knicks in 1999 – and just the second ever – to reach the NBA Finals as a No. 8 seed. This team, though undersized, plays tough and hopes to get a key player, guard Tyler Herro, back by Game 3.
Nevertheless, the Nuggets are very talented and hungry, and I expect them to prevail. My prediction: Nuggets in six.