Game 1 of the NBA Finals is Tuesday night and the sports world cannot wait.
The Milwaukee Bucks are taking on the Phoenix Suns to see who will be crowned champion.
This series is out of the ordinary from what we are used to in the Finals.
We are used to seeing LeBron James or the Golden State Warriors in there.
At least some form of juggernaut is in the Finals, but not this season.
Now with the teams set to battle for the crown, what are the talking points heading into the series?
Every series has key storylines for us to follow.
The NBA Finals have that, but obviously on a different scale.
Here are the biggest storylines before Game 1.
3. Giannis’ Health
The Bucks are back in the NBA Finals after such a long drought.
They were able to get past all of the Eastern Conference to make it here.
However, the last two games to clinch this spot were won without their franchise player.
Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a hyperextended knee injury during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Luckily, the Bucks were able to pull out the last two games and win the series.
Now it is the Finals and we still do not know about his health for the series.
Game 1 is already looking like the two-time MVP will be out once again.
Giannis Antetokounmpo listed doubtful for Game 1 of Bucks-Suns NBA Finals.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 6, 2021
His health will be monitored for the entirety of this series.
We do not know when he will be back, if at all, during the Finals.
2. Is Chris Paul Ready For The Big Stage?
Chris Paul is finally in the Finals after 16 years.
For years, it seemed as if Paul was cursed.
He was this tragic figure that could never get over the hump.
On different teams, but the same unfortunate events would occur.
However, Paul is here in his first season with the Suns.
He has obviously played in high-pressure situations, but this is the biggest stage of them all.
We have seen him in bad situations in big games.
Hopefully, that does not happen now.
Paul might be ready to take over and be the best player in this series.
Chris Paul is the current favorite for Finals MVP. 👀
(via @betonline_ag) pic.twitter.com/HP4jStRIXV
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) July 6, 2021
Or the NBA Finals nerves will take over Paul in this series.
1. Can the Bucks Do It Without Giannis?
We know about Antetokounmpo’s injury and his health being a problem.
However, if he doesn’t play for majority of the series, can the Bucks win it all?
The Bucks need to be prepared for Antetokounmpo to be out for the series just to be safe.
In order for them to do that, they need the everyone to play great basketball together.
Khris Middleton needs to be consistent and play how he played in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Without Antetokounmpo, Middleton needs to play like that every game to beat a great Suns team.
Jrue Holiday has to take Paul out of the game, while scoring when he needs to.
The Bucks need to also focus on dominating the paint.
Threes have not been falling at a rapid for them, which is their usual source of offense.
The playoffs have been different as they are dominating inside the paint.
They have a tendency to still throw up a high number of threes, but they need to avoid that problem.
There is a chance to gain their superstar player back, but they need to be ready to go without him.
NEXT: Why Hawks Are Not Here To Stay After Incredible Run
