NBA Finals 2024: Expert Predictions on Who Will Win the Championship

Alright, let’s talk about the 2024 NBA Finals. I’ve been watching basketball for what feels like forever, and every year around this time, the same question starts buzzing: who’s actually going to win it all? It’s funny, because thinking about this year’s contenders reminds me of something completely different I was playing recently—a game called Eternal Strands. Stick with me here, because there’s a connection, I promise.

In that game, you play as Brynn, a character who starts with a sword, shield, and bow. At first, you’re dealing with what the game calls “normal wildlife or human-sized constructs,” and honestly? Those fights aren’t nearly as rewarding. You can just mash buttons and get through them. It’s routine, almost trivial. But then, about three hours in, I managed to take down a dragon. That was the game-changer. I used the materials to craft a bow that dealt fire damage, and suddenly, I could just burn most smaller enemies alive from a distance. Traversing the world became a breeze. I’d snipe enemies long before they even knew I was there. The only things that still posed a real challenge, that forced me to actually think about strategy and survival, were the larger-than-life monsters. Everything else just… melted away.

That’s exactly how I see the NBA playoffs shaping up this year. The regular season? That’s the “normal wildlife.” It’s full of action, sure, but a lot of it is just button-mashing. Teams with flashy stats beating up on lesser opponents. It’s entertaining, but it’s not where the real story is written. The playoffs are where the dragons come out. And right now, we’re heading toward the Finals, which is the ultimate boss fight. The question is, which team has not only crafted their “fire bow” but also has the grit to face the final, colossal monster?

Let’s look at the landscape. In the West, you’ve got the Denver Nuggets, the defending champs. They’re like a perfectly balanced character build. Nikola Jokic is that crafty player who doesn’t rely on pure athleticism; he’s all about vision, passing, and that unguardable touch around the rim. He makes the complex look simple. They’ve already got their championship gear, so to speak. But complacency is a killer. Then there’s the Minnesota Timberwolves. My goodness, their defense is a thing of beauty—it’s like a spiked shield that just shuts down lanes. Anthony Edwards is the fiery bow, a player who can erupt and score from anywhere, capable of taking over a series single-handedly. They’ve slain some giants already to get here.

Over in the East, it feels like a two-horse race between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks. The Celtics, on paper, are the most complete team. They have what, five guys who could be All-Stars on other teams? They’ve been sniping opponents all season with their three-point barrage. They’ve made the conference look trivial for long stretches. But—and this is a big but—they’ve had a habit in recent years of running into that one “larger-than-life” challenge in the playoffs that makes them freeze up. Do they have the survival instinct this time? The Knicks, led by Jalen Brunson, are the ultimate grinders. They don’t have the flashiest gear, but they fight for every scrap, every rebound. They’re the character who wins through sheer will and button-mashing fundamentals when the magic runs out.

So, who wins? I have to make a call, and I’m leaning toward a Nuggets vs. Celtics Finals. It’s the ultimate clash of styles. The Celtics’ elite, spaced-out offense versus the Nuggets’ intricate, Jokic-led symphony. It would be a seven-game epic. But here’s my prediction, and it might be a bit of a hot take: I think the Denver Nuggets repeat. Why? Because of that Eternal Strands principle. The regular season is for crafting your weapon. The early playoff rounds are for learning how to use it. But the Finals are for facing something you can’t just burn from a distance. You have to get in close, think on your feet, and adapt. The Nuggets have been there. They’ve stared down the dragon. They know what that pressure feels like. Jokic is the ultimate “larger-than-life” problem for any opponent, and I’m not sure Boston, for all its firepower, has an answer for him in a drawn-out, physical series. I’m predicting Nuggets in 6. They have the poise, the best player in the world, and a proven system that elevates in the biggest moments. The Celtics are fantastic, but they still have to prove they can win the last fight, not just all the ones leading up to it. It’s going to be a spectacular showdown, the kind of basketball that makes all the button-mashing of November through April worth it.