Going into the 2019-20 NBA season, it felt like the 2020 NBA Finals were a wide-open field for the first time in a few seasons.
In the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, and Utah Jazz all felt like serious championship contenders. And in the Eastern Conference, the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, and Philadelphia 76ers all felt like they could make noise.
Now, as the league sits on hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic with just about 20 games left in the regular season, it’s clear that the list of serious contenders is just three teams long.