The 2019-20 NBA season has culminated with a Finals matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. It's a series that is filled with several notable story lines, but we're here to discuss why the Lake Show is destined to claim its 17th championship.

The Lakers come into the 2020 NBA Finals as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. Impressively, they've posted gentleman sweeps over each of their opponents in the postseason (4-1 victories against the Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets). By most accounts, Los Angeles was (and is still) viewed as the favorite in the playoffs.

The Heat, on the other hand, have become the Cinderella story of this postseason. As a No. 5 seed, they swept the 4th-seeded Indiana Pacers in the first round. Then, against the odds, they went on to defeat Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in the semifinals. Continuing to defy the odds, Miami fought hard to dispatch the Boston Celtics in the Conference Finals, 4-2.

And so the stage is set for James to take on his former team. More on that headline later…

Brow beat

LeBron James is recognized by most experts as the best player in today's game, but it's Anthony Davis that has become the kick to the Lakers' proverbial drum. Simply put, the seven-time All-Star has been a headache for opposing sides, stretching the floor and knocking down perimeter shots.

Notably, this marks the first time that Davis will be playing on the NBA's biggest stage. The former University of Kentucky standout said he's proud of this accomplishment, but he knows that there is more work to be done:

“It feels good,” Davis said after dispatching the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. “It's good to get something like this accomplished with this group of guys. We've battled a lot this year, starting with the beginning of the season. But we know the job is not done. It's a great feeling, but we've got four more to win.”

As previously mentioned, Davis has been a beast in the playoffs. He's currently averaging 28.8 points on 57.1 percent shooting (36.6 percent from beyond the arc), 9.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.2 steals. He was better defensively during the regular season (2.3 blocks and 1.5 steals), but his offensive prowess has shone through in the playoffs.

The Heat will have their hands full with Davis, but they do have a few options at their disposal. Bam Adebayo has been great for Miami, but will he be able to compete at this level against The Brow — a big who stretches the floor and dribbles like a point guard?

Conversely, Davis will need to elevate his game even further to slow Adebayo's production. In Sunday night's closeout win over the Celtics, Bam racked up an impressive 32 points on 11-of-15 shooting to go with 14 rebounds. Other Heat players will be asked to guard Davis at times, but this will certainly be a pivotal matchup.

Defending The King

LeBron James is making his 10th trip to the NBA Finals — a remarkable feat by any stretch. It ties him for the third most all-time with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, trailing only Sam Jones' 11 and Bill Russell's 12.

Reaching the Finals is a great accomplishment for the Lakers — a team that has ridden an emotional roller coaster in the wake of Kobe Bryant's passing earlier this year. Like Davis, though, James knows there is more work to be done:

“Right now, it don't mean s— unless I get it done,” James told ESPN following the Lakers' 117-107 Game 5 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday to win the Western Conference title. “I got to get it done.”

The Heat now have the unenviable task of guarding The Akron Hammer. They'll have several players to send in his direction, including Jimmy Butler, Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala. Interestingly enough, James was once Crowder's teammate in Cleveland, and Iggy was on the Golden State Warriors team that fell to the LeBron-led Cavs in the 2016 NBA Finals. Needless to say, these players are familiar with one another's tendencies.

These are solid options for defending James, but will they be able to slow him down enough to make a difference? The former No. 1 overall pick has been hot in recent games, recording his 27th career playoff triple-double in Saturday's closeout win over the Nuggets (38 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists).

Delivering depth

anthony davis, lakers, heat, 2020 NBA Finals

Another factor that will be playing against the Heat in their Finals matchup against the Lakers is depth, especially in the paint. As mentioned before, Adebayo has been great for Miami, but will he be the only one to stand against Davis, Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee?

In most cases, Miami plays a smaller lineup that shoots a lot of threes. For this reason, they may not be concerned about matching up with Los Angeles' bigs in the paint. However, the Heat will need to hit their shots for this strategy to work. Otherwise, the Lakers will simply leak out rebounds to runners in transition.

Aside from their depth in the paint, the Lakers have received a big lift off the bench from Rajon Rondo, who recently moved into 8th all-time on the NBA's playoff assist leaderboard. Counted out by many and slept on by others, “Playoff Rondo” has been the spark that is driving Los Angeles' engine. Often times, he's the general on the court when LeBron is called to the bench for a rest — a role he's taken to heart.

The Lakers seem to go as Rondo goes. In their only postseason loss to the Nuggets, he committed four turnovers, shot 0-for-3 from beyond the arc and 1-for-3 from free throws, for a total -13 plus/minus. Still, he racked up eight points and nine assists, and completed three key steals in the fourth quarter.

Aside from that performance, Rondo has been great from the perimeter in the postseason. Right now, the former Kentucky Wildcat is shooting 44.8 percent from downtown. He's also been an excellent facilitator, averaging 7.2 assists off the bench.

The second half is where Rondo has made most of his hay. Let's see if that trend continues.

Motivation

LeBron James and the Miami Heat have a storied past, but this will be their first meeting in the playoffs. Most hoops fans will remember The King's announcement in 2010, when he revealed that he would be “taking his talents to South Beach” to play alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Pat Riley was the orchestrator in forming Miami's big three. The team went on to claim two championships, including LeBron's first (2012 and 2013). The future was looking bright for the Heat — until James decided to return to his hometown team in 2014.

LeBron's decision to return to the Cavs reportedly rubbed Riley the wrong way. He challenged James to stay with the Heat after losing in the 2014 Finals, but The King's mind was already set.

“This stuff is hard,” Riley said at the time, via CBS Sports. “And you got to stay together, if you've got the guts. And you don't find the first door and run out of it.”

James never identified Riley specifically, but he later spoke about leaving the Heat and how it motivated him towards the 2016 championship:

“When I decided to leave Miami,” James said at the time, “I'm not going to name any names, I can't do that. But there were some people that I trusted and built relationships with in those four years [who] told me I was making the biggest mistake of my career.”

One or the other will be walking away from these Finals with a smile. Will Riley have his revenge, or will James etch a championship victory over his former team?