2020 WBA Finals predictions
by Timmy Frenchie
Paris Honeybees vs Brooklyn Rage
(season series tied 1-1)
USA Conference Finals was, as expected, a battle of the titans. After losing game 1 at home, we already knew this would be no easy task for the Rage. Brooklyn won convincingly in game 2 after a huge 2nd half where they outscored California by 20 points. But when the Fighting Cocks took game 3, it looked like the Rage were in trouble. Could this be (finally!) the end of their dynasty? It was not, as Brooklyn went on to win 3 straight games. As good as California is, Brooklyn has the better overall team and they proved it once again. A strong team performance is sending the Rage to the WBA finals for an opportunity to win a fifth consecutive title.
What an incredible performance by Paris in the Conference Finals. I predicted they were to win this, but I did not envision that Albacete would be swept. The Honeybees brought their A-game in hostile territories for the first 2 games. With the help of an efficient high-octane offense, and by keeping their poise at the end of games, they were able to win 2 close games on the road to set the tone. The Burning Hell did not find an answer to slow them down, as Honeybees dominated even more at home by outscoring Albacete by 44 points for the last 2 games. Once again Bisset led the way, scoring 27 points per game in that series. George really turned it on in the Conference as he averages 7 more points per game than in the regular season. As usual, Saunders gave his team an efficient scoring option inside with a 58% on FG in this series. Eberle was even better with a FG of 63%. But, the heart and soul of this team is, without a doubt, WBA phenom Jervan Timmons. Let us look at his Conference Finales average: While his scoring might not be impressive (12 pts), his assist (16), turnovers (1.75), and steals (5) are out of this world. A master at his craft, Timmons dished 64 assists while committing only 7 turnovers in the Conference Finals. He also finished the series with a +/- of 70. Legendary performance.
After getting rid of the Fighting Cocks, the Rage just have eliminated their biggest threat in these playoffs. The only opponent remaining is a team no one expected to be there when the season began. Will these Finals be just a formality? Will it showcase some early celebrations of another Brooklyn triumph? Not so fast. Paris has been surprising teams since new ownership arrived. Not only have they defeated many good opponents to get here, but they have done it in a dominant fashion. Even if the Honeybees come in as vastly underdogs in these Finals, it would be foolish to count them out. The pressure is on Brooklyn to finish what they started, or it will be called a failure. Paris has nothing to lose and more than one trick up its sleeve. Still, we might have to wait another year before celebrating Brooklyn’s fall.
Prediction: Brooklyn over Paris in 6