Photo Credit: John W. McDonough/SI
For the second straight year, the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat will meet in the NBA Finals. It is the first time that two teams will meet in back-to-back finals since 1998. Last year, Miami managed to outlast the Spurs in a seven game thriller. The Spurs were 28.2 seconds away from being champions, leading by 5 points in game six before Ray Allen hit a clutch three-pointer and the Heat rallied to win in overtime to force a game 7, which they ultimately won at home. Can the Heat win three championships in a row or will the Spurs avenge their loss and win their fifth championship in 16 years?
The Heat managed to get back to the finals sweeping past the Charlotte Bobcats, overpowering the Brooklyn Nets and defeating the Indiana Pacers in six games. Throughout the playoffs, the Heat have done a great job in spacing the floor with three-point shooters in their smaller lineups. Also, their pressure defense forces opposing team to turn the ball over. Coach Spoelstra chose to rest Dwyane Wade during the regular season and it has paid off during the playoffs as he has been more consistent than he was last year. Chris Bosh managed to find his confidence during the last few games of the series with the Pacers . The Heat team lost an extremely close game to the Pacers when Lebron James only managed to play 24 minutes due to foul trouble. This team has confidence in their role players and has developed better chemistry over the years.
The Spurs re the most efficient team in basketball. What Miami has in athleticism, the Spurs can make up in ball movement and smart decision- making. Coach of the year, Greg Popovich is not afraid to make lineup changes. The Spurs have size, but when the Thunder won games 3 and 4 playing small, Popovich decided not to play Tim Duncan and Tiago Spliter at the same time. Tony Parker, who left early in game 6 against the Thunder with a sore ankle, needs to be at full strength against this Heat team. The fact that the Spurs managed to get a victory in Oklahoma City without him proves that this team is confident as well. This Spurs bench is very deep and talented. Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobli have had solid playoff performances. Kawhi Lenord and Boris Diaw have stepped up as well. Danny Green and his three-point shot is still a game changer, and this year the Spurs have four home games.
This is going to be another close series, which might go seven games again. The margins between the two teams are narrow. The Spurs have a better team this year with more shooters, and Duncan, Parker and Ginobili are still playing at a high level. The Miami Heat has the best player in the world, Lebron, who is hungry to add another ring to his legacy. The two-time defending champions are capable of raising their level of play, recognizing the key moments in the game. The Spurs have just as much belief as the Heat and have prepared all year for this rematch.Expect another epic series with the Spurs as a slight favorite.
