Alright welcome in to your preview for the 2014 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs. Same two teams, same goal, different home court advantage. I believe this is the first time the same two teams have faced each other in the finals for a second straight year since the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz in 97-98, yup during the days of Jordan-Pippen and Stockton-Malone. The Heat are trying to complete a 3-peat in 4 straight finals and try to be the team to win 3 straight championships since yours truly, the 2000-2002 Lakers while the Spurs are trying to get the taste of last year's finals loss out of their mouths by dethroning the 2x champs.
Miami Heat
Since the Big 3 era began in 2010, the Heat have made a trip through every NBA Finals and are 2-1 with that one lone loss coming from the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, but since then, the trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh have helped Miami capture 2 consecutive titles after that loss, against OKC 2 years ago and last year against the Spurs. By today's standards, it is hard to reach a 4th straight NBA Finals. If you ask, my Lakers tried to do that, but didn't do so because 4 straight 82 game seasons took its toll on them. Not putting the Heat down, but they have had a benefit of the lockout two seasons ago. With a short season and two 82 game seasons before and after the lockout season, the Heat have had the benefit of not logging too many games. However early on in the season they did show signs of complacency, hence why Indiana had the best record, but down the stretch of the season, Miami played at a championship level as expected from the 2x defending champs. Competition in the East was a complete joke come playoff time and Miami just strolled through to make that 4th finals trip. They beat a Bobcats team that is 0-8 all time in the playoffs, they beat the Nets, though the Nets swept Miami in the regular season, the Heat proved that regular season matchups don't matter and they avenged that season sweep, and against the Pacers, a team that started great in the regular season, but showed great inconsistency down the stretch and during the playoffs. No East team was able to push the defending champs on the brink of elimination and most of the playoff games Miami won weren't in a close margin.
San Antonio Spurs
How does Gregg Popovich do it? Time after time, he keeps the Spurs relevant and keeps them on top as the best team in the West. However, it does not just revolve on just Coach Pop, it does not just revolve around the perennial nucleus of Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili, it revolves around team play and moving the ball. The Spurs were always an overlooked franchise by the media, but they were respected around the league because the team puts team first over individuals and Coach Pop has emphasized that since day 1 when he became coach of the Spurs. That's why they made the playoffs every year, have won 4 titles in the last decade, and made now a total of 6 trips to the NBA Finals. This time the Spurs are out for blood; they really came close last year to being 5 for 5 in the finals in game 6, but Ray Allen's 3 reversed that fortune and the Spurs suffered their first finals loss in history in the decisive game 7. Now they're back at it again, but they had to overcome a really, really difficult Western Conference. The Western Conference as a whole proved why it is a nightmare to play there come playoff time; 3 first round matchups came down to a deciding game 7. The Spurs were on the brink of elimination against overlooked Dallas Mavericks team. The Mavs gave Spurs fans a huge scare after Dallas got a 2-1 lead over San Antonio, but the Spurs rebounded and outlasted them in a blowout in game 7. The Spurs then got a little break having to face an inexperienced Portland Trailblazers team and disposed them easily in 5. Then in the Conference Final, they go up against the MVP in Kevin Durant and the OKC Thunder. The Spurs were able to dispose them in games 1 and 2, but heading OKC with Serge Ibaka back from injury, the Thunder bounced back and Spurs fans are probably thinking deja vu because the last time the Spurs took a 2-0 lead, the Thunder were able to come back and win 4 straight to reach the finals. However, the Spurs were able to correct that mistake and blew out the Thunder in game 5 and outlasting them in game 6 in OT to reach the finals.
How the Heat match up:
As the two time defending champs, the Heat are gonna rely on their same formula they have followed their last three trips: tough defense and for each role player outside of LeBron, Wade, and Bosh to step up. The Heat had no choice but to lose their key championship role player Mike Miller to the amnesty clause. Someone has to fill that Mike Miller void and guys like Shane Battier, Ray Allen, Norris Cole, Mario Chalmers, etc. they have to be that Mike Miller-type role player whose scoring, hustling, and 3 point shooting gives Miami a huge lift. As much as LeBron is currently the greatest player on the planet, he hasn't impressed me in last year's finals till the last two games. If he's the best player in the league, he has to bring his A game in every game, the guy has had 4 years experience in the NBA Finals so there's no excuse for LeBron to foil under pressure on the biggest stage, especially if he wants to rip the Spurs' hearts out early. Dwyane Wade has been as healthy as I've seen him in the playoffs, so if he as long as his knees don't nag him, he's going to bring it 100%.
How the Spurs match up:
For the Spurs, is Tony Parker good enough to go for game 1 considering he suffered an ankle injury in game 6 against OKC? The ball movement starts and ends with Parker because he's able to command players into positions, set pick and rolls, generating rotations. I know it contradicts the Spurs' emphasis on team play and ball movement, but the point guard is always the important position in the NBA in order to set a team's offense and defense formations, so Parker is basically the primary key if the Spurs want to dethrone the Heat because the Spurs' slow pace will effectively counter the Heat's fast pace. Another point is that Manu Ginobili has to play turnover free. No disrespect to Manu's competitive fire, but his wreckless play was one of the key reasons why the Spurs couldn't seal the deal against Miami last year. Also, Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, also key reasons why the Spurs loss with Green going ice cold in the last 2 games and Leonard missing a free throw that allowed Miami to tie the game, I'm sure Miami has drawn up a defensive game plan so Green doesn't go off on them like last year so Green has to adjust his game if Miami is able to contain his 3 game early on. For Leonard, he's the future franchise player for the Spurs by the time Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili are gone and he's gotta answer the call come crunch time when he's needed.
Prediction:
As usual, a really tough prediction to make considering these are the teams many expected in the finals and it is the rematch of last year's finals. It's going to be a dog fight like last year with Miami or San Antonio drawing first blood and Miami or San Antonio responding back to even the series up. However, the Spurs have last year's finals loss on their mind and they want to restore the fact that a great NBA team is built through the draft rather than buying a group of superstars from other teams to form a super team in free agency.
Spurs in 7
Game 1, Q-by-Q, Halftime Post, and Full Recap on Thursday
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