The rematch

Today marks the start of a hardcourt battle where one team tries to find redemption, another wanting to join the few others who had become professional basketball’s dynasty.

This championship series promises to be memorably exciting in a way that both teams have something to prove to their loyal followers.  Will Miami make it three in a row?  Can San Antonio get a fifth title?

As in all competitions, there will always be the main man, the team’s go-to guy, the team’s superstar.  The Heat will have nature’s anomaly disguised as LeBron James and the Spurs, although not fully relying on him all the way, still have the ever-dependable Tim Duncan.

LeBron is still 29 years old, definitely at his peak and will be freakishly amazing in this championship series.  Duncan, at 38, still looks like he enough gas left in his tank but no matter how many energizer bunnies San Antonio has stocked up for him, Tim can never go on, and on, and on.  As in forever.

Both LBJ and TD officially play as power forwards but they often shift to other positions.  LeBron, if the game dictates, either goes to the 2 or 3 spot and almost always, the results will be disastrous to opposing teams.  Duncan has often played at center but he will always be known as one of the NBA’s top power forwards.

Until last year, San Antonio has never lost an NBA Finals and a fifth title in 15 years will qualify their status as a dynasty.  Miami is a young team on the rise and with the free agent signings of years past, had made them one of the league’s most hated teams, not to mention the generic LeBron haters.  A 3-peat, (which, in the 67 years of NBA existence, was only pulled off by five teams) plus the title won in 2006 probably would change the resentment.

There will be no Lebron versus Duncan matchup, rather, it would be between the teams’ role players.  San Antonio will have a big advantage as far as reserves are concerned as they have a deeper bench.  The matchup could also be between Tony Parker versus Norris Cole or Mario Chalmers but if Parker can’t recover quickly from his hamstring and ankle injury, well, San Antonio, we have a problem.  To simplify discussions, things most likely point to a LeBron versus the rest of the Spurs battle, as what happened in last year’s finals when he averaged 32 points in the last four games.

Both teams are flexible and can easily adjust to situations.  Miami and San Antonio can either play big or small and still the cohesion remains the same.  The Spurs have discovered Marco Belinelli and Danny Green as dependable three-point threats.  Likewise, their offense is dictated by their solid defense and fluid ball distribution.  The Heat thrives on their pick-and-roll trap and perimeter rotations.  Which team flinches first will probably lose.

These guys will help carry their teams to glory if the usual suspects misfire.  Boris Diaw, Tiago Splitter, Patty Mills, Khwaii Leonard, Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis, Chris Bosh and Shane Battier should and must provide the numbers needed for their respective teams.

Dwayne Wade would be Miami’s X-factor and judging from his games of late, he has gotten back his almost-MVP like performance.  Likewise, Manu Ginobili could spell the difference for the Spurs.  Finals MVP could either go to LeBron or Tony Parker.  Let’s just wait and see.

Everything else considered, it bears heavy to say this but the Spurs will definitely feel the Heat.  Logic dictates Miami will win the series in six games but I personally go for a San Antonio Finals victory in seven games.  Old guys rule!  GO SPURS!

***

Email: [email protected]