(Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
It’s never easy to win an NBA championship.
It might sound obvious, but there are just so many factors to consider.
Some superstars are never able to be at their best when it matters the most, while others end up all alone with little to no help to get the job done.
That’s why it’s not easy to be named Finals MVP.
For starters, you also need your team to get the job done, as Jerry West was the only Finals MVP winner on the losing team.
Considering that, renowned NBA analyst Doris Burke ranked the last five Finals MVPs, and it was quite an interesting ranking (via Sling & ClutchPoints).
Doris Burke does a blind rank on past Finals MVPs
Giannis Antetokounmpo (2021)
Steph Curry (2022)
Nikola Jokic (2023)
Kawhi Leonard (2019)
LeBron James (2020)
Thoughts?
(via @Sling)pic.twitter.com/uBdgAtBtDP
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 17, 2024
At No. 5, she chose 2020 LeBron James.
James led the Los Angeles Lakers to the ring in the bubble with averages of 29.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 8.5 assists, and 1.2 steals on 59% from the floor and 41% from beyond the arc, winning it all in six games.
Then, she had Kawhi Leonard in his 2019 campaign with the Toronto Raptors.
Leonard was on a roll throughout the entire playoffs, and he finished the job against the injury-depleted Golden State Warriors, averaging 29.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game.
At No. 3, she chose Nikola Jokic, the reigning Finals MVP.
Jokic led the Denver Nuggets to their first-ever NBA Finals, averaging 30.2 points, 14.0 rebounds, 7.2 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game on 48/42/83 shooting splits to win in just five games.
Then, she chose 2022 Stephen Curry.
Curry was finally able to silence the doubters by taking the Finals MVP trophy home, averaging 31.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 2.0 steals a game on 48/43/85 splits.
And last but not least, she chose 2021 Giannis Antetokounmpo as the best Finals MVP of the past five years.
It’s hard to debate that when you look at his averages of 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game on 61% shooting, including a 50-point closeout game.
The post Doris Burke Ranks The Past 5 NBA Finals MVPs appeared first on The Cold Wire.