2014 NBA Finals Preview
San Antonio Spurs vs Miami Heat
Well we are finally here. Back at the same spot we were at last year. Things feel a little different this time around though. Last year, the Spurs marched into the Finals almost surprisingly. Even after posting the best record int he West and redefining how offense should be played in the NBA, we kind of chalked up their Finals run to a lack of Westbrook and a couple good matchups. When we finally reached game 1 of the 2013 NBA Finals, the Spurs had gained a little respect, but were meeting an opponent that had a similar story line. The Miami Heat, despite dominating the league and winning 66 (!!!) games, were seen as vulnerable. The narrative was eerily similar to that of the Spurs. Star point guard (Derek Rose) goes down and paves the way for an easy Finals march. Let's not forget, the Indiana Pacers brought an uprising to the Eastern Conference Finals last year and we all came out of that series wondering if the Heat could muster the energy to win another title.
Through all that, the questions, the narratives and the upstart punk kid teams, we received one of the best Finals series ever. Looking back, it was really games 6 and 7 that made this series what we all remember. In fact, taking a glance back at the series as a whole, it was very similar to this year's Western Conference Finals between San Antonio and OKC. There were 4 blow out games, but 3 epic fun ones. Most people didn't believe the Spurs could bounce back from the heartbreak of that battle with Miami, but they made it back and find themselves in a favorable position.
This year, the Spurs will have home court advantage against their nemesis from the East. I'm not sure how much that will matter, but I do know injuries will be key. Yeah, Birdman and Ray Allen have been slightly banged up, but those are the normal playoff lumps and bumps. Tony Parker is the real question here. Will his ankle injury bother him through the whole series, or even hinder him? The Sp
urs could probably manage without him at his peak for a game or two, but this very well could be a 7 game series.
Assuming Parker is healthy, the Spurs might actually pull this off. Here is my reasoning: Greg Popovich and the Spurs have done an amazing job of adapting to teams that have beat them. Think of the Grizzlies, who they destroyed last year. In 2011, the Grizz upset the Spurs and had us all waiting for the Fat Lady to sing. Remember that? Of Course not, because the Spurs have murdered the Grizz since then. Remember when they got knocked out by the young Thunder in 2012? Yeah, the Fat Lady still wasn't singing and all we heard last round (you may have heard it from me) was that the old fellas from Texas couldn't beat the Thunder. Well, I was wrong, along with a lot of other people. Pop found a way. This time, it is the Miami Heat and after last years near title, I expect some crazy shit to come from the SanAnt coaching staff. Enough to slow the Heat and take advantage of D Wade's shortcomings. I expect the Spurs to even this championship series 1-1 and to come back next year for a final round with the Heatles. We're in for a treat
BJ's Pick: San Antonio in 6 (11/2 odds)
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