This year’s NBA finals is the same as last year’s when it comes to the teams that are playing each other. However there are some major differences. For one the format of 2-3-2 is finally gone (about 20 years too late if you ask me), and has been replaced by a better more far system 2-2-1-1-1. Which does not force the team with home court (Spurs this year last year Heat) to play three games away from home. On the other has it doesn’t forcer an away team win game six and seven on the road. If you remember last year’s final the Spurs up three games to two lost game six and seven to the Heat in Miami. This will make it easier for the Heat to win because if they can steal an early game in San Antonio they have game six at home to win the series. Still a casual fan might say the heat should easily beat the Spurs because of LeBron James, but that’s not true. Remember last year’s miracle comebacks in both game 6 and 7 that the heat needed to win. I will give a million dollars to anyone that can hit the three that Ray Allen did to win game 6. The Spurs truly out played the Heat last year, but blew it because they let the heat go on a run at home with the crowd behind them. It’s not difficult to say had we been playing a 2-2-1-1-1 format the Spurs would have won.
Both teams this year are going to have to have players that aren’t superstars step up and play well enough for each team to win the series. The first player for the Spurs that has to do this is Kawhi Leonard. He needs to contain LeBron James. I’m not saying Kawhi needs to stop LeBron because no one can. He needs to not allow LeBron to score over 35 points in any game this series. He also can’t allow for LeBron to score several strait buckets in a row and have him start a run. The next player for the Spurs that needs to step up is Marco Belinellii. I watch all six games of the western conference finals and I did not watch Bellini play well at all. Put me in that series instead of him and I could do what he did. Bad defense on Derek Fisher and Caron Butler who are so old they should have retired two years ago. Take two shots a game and make one of the two (they were all wide open threes). For the spurs to win Bllinelli needs to be able to play defense against the heats stretch fours and get into space on the offensive side and make open shots. For the Spurs to win the series Belinelli needs to have the one game at home where he hits four of five threes. The most important player for the Spurs is Tony Parker. If Parker can play like he did in last year’s finals I don’t see the Spurs losing especially with home court. However, Parker did not play as well as you expect in the Western Conference finals. Also he left the final game at half time with a hamstring injury. Him staying healthy is key because I don’t think Patty Mills or Manu Ginobli can run an offensive especially against the heat who love to get steals very well.
There are two key players for the Heat in this series. One is Chris Bosh. If Bosh can do what he did to Roy Hibbert in the Eastern Conference finals to Tim Duncan and Thiago Splitter he would have done more than his part in this upcoming series. The next key player for the Heat is Ray Allen. If he could have repeat of Game 3 and 4 against the Pacers for three games in this series I don’t see how the Heat lose those games. Is was like watching him as Jesus Shuttleworth again (old movie reference Denzel was in it not too bad). Look Ray Allen still has it. He can score 20 a game and make three like its nobody business. The thing is he’s not playing against and immature Pacer team. Tim Duncan has more rings than anyone on the Heat. He needs to step up and be good in this series. One more thing Eric Spolstra can’t be total out coached by Greg Popavich in the series. I think Spurs win in overtime which they dominated in game seven.
by Jason Phillips
