NBA SIMS LEAGUE
NSL Insider - FINALS Preview: LA V Milwaukeeby jmac, updated on Sunday, June 16 2024, 09:33 pm EST The NSL FInals Making it to the NSL Finals is truly a remarkable achievement. Capping off a terrific regular season and an enthralling playoff sequence, arguably the two best teams of the season are now facing off in the 2024 NSL Finals, which is only fitting. And exciting. Basketball fans are foaming at the mouth at the prospect of this titanic battle of two powerhouse teams. Don't miss all the NSL action, live on the site: A Finals game, every day or night! Congratulations to both the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. It's consecutive gauntlets just to get to the Finals. 82 gruelling games to get you through the regular season, just to win a chance at the playoffs. The playoffs, three fights, best of seven rounds, just to get to the precipice. By this stage, every one has seen your team, night after night. Your awaiting opponent has weeks of tape and moments to study and learn from, in order to strategically skewer you when you least expect it. Making it to the Finals is incredibly difficult. The aspiration, and concentration, and skill, and will, and creativity, and problem solving, that is required to even get close to the NSL Finals, is extremely high. Without one of these elements, you are likely not going to make it this far. Each component of GMs-manship and leadership must be a reliable, functional cog in the war machine. Otherwise, you are just making up the numbers. The prize? A chance at NSL immortality. To be revered amongst your peers, to be titled as 'champion', to own a slice of NSL history. To spike your flag at the peak of the great mountain of Champions. To say that they all chased you and you fought them off. The hype around the draft, around trading, brings the most excitement due to the fact that everyone can be apart of it. After this week, only one team will remain, celebrating in solice and allowing themselves to pause and reflect on what an achievement it is, to win the NSL Finals. Enough philosophy and marketing. Here is, the tale of the tape: Dazman & the Milwaukee Bucks For the Bucks, it's all about natural progression. Building on last season's success, in making the Conference Finals, the Bucks went a step better this season. They began the season in such form that many NBA pundits were questioning if this team would ever lose. They reverted back to the mean, eventually, but by all measures they were an elite team, clinching the two-seed. The Bucks were given a scare a few times during the playoff run, but Daz is clinical and committed and he was never truly too worried about his team perservering through the field. Daz has his guys that he likes and isn't one to make rash decisions or wholesale changes. However, Daz was forced to partake in the Finals Arms Race and invest his capital to ensure the season wasn't wasted (we will get to that later).  His core is still in tact, with his beloved young stars still centrai to the build. SGA has been arguably the best player of the 2024 season and likely the Most Valuable Player, to be awarded at a later date. He has put up some of the most gaudy scoring numbers we have seen from a guard, with elite efficiency. SGA hasn't ever played a bad game or scored at less than a 50% click. 2k has boosted SGA quicker than any young star before, hitting a 97 rating. Evan Mobley is still untradeable, as an elite big man defender, creating a springy, defensive tandem with Myles Turner. His starting lineup has changed dramatically, though, which isn't common for Daz. So, the Arms Race - after seeing his opponents going all in with their capital and their teams, Daz was forced to add some star power for himself. Eventually, Daz agreed to add Paul George and gave SGA a co-star, moving out OG and Herb Jones. Thybulle rounded out an elite starting five and Daz made some fringe deals to fortify the rotations and the claim to the title. Titles & the Los Angeles Lakers The Lakers did it their way, and perhaps no GM has been validated this season in their skill and conviction as a GM than Titles. LA has been a laughing stock in the NSL since the very beginning, with the Lakers holding up the standings for multiple years in a row. Mired in a losing culture, sure, but it wasn't without its reward; the Lakers portfolio gathered weight during the dark years, setting up Titles for the raiding and pillaging that took place this season in Lakers trade conversations. In contrast to the Bucks, the Lakers had ties to no man (other than Cade), and opened the coffers wide to any opposition Front Office who had talent to move. There was nothing natural about their changes; it wasn't progression as much as it was Super-Saiyan evolution. In what would prove to be symbolic and catalytic to their tale this season, the Lakers ransacked the Trail Blazers in a trade for Andre Drummond that set the machine in motion. After getting a taste for blood, Titles and his LA cronies would pilfer Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Wendell Carter Jr before the trade deadline arrived, completing one of the greatest trading runs this league has ever seen.  No team has turned from dogshit to diamonds like this Lakers team and their efficiency in doing this all in one season is truly remarkable. As an avid trader, I am not sure how they pulled it off and packed it all in to the one season. The Lakers had a bit more of a scare in the Playoffs, but not too dissimilar from the Bucks' run. In the end, when you have the most talented team in the league, and multiple stars sitting on your bench, you are probably going to get it done. The Thunder and the Wolves tested them, and they passed. Conclusion: Both these finalists are worthy of the title and I cannot pick a winner. I just wanted to personally congratulate Daz and Titles for this achievement. For one of you, the results will be much sweeter. But try to take a moment, before it all starts, to realise how well you have done and how proud you should be of your efforts. Best of luck, Gentleman. May the best team win!
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