Expect Heat versus Spurs in NBA finals

Times have changed since the 2007 NBA Finals when the San Antonio Spurs swept the Cleveland Cavaliers and then-hometown star LeBron James, 4-0.

With James now on the Miami Heat, I expect them to meet the Spurs in this year’s Finals, which start Thursday.

The Spurs have already surprised everyone and have swept the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference final. I had expected the Grizzlies to make it to the Finals and play Miami, but obviously that’s not going to happen.

Finishing the season second in the Western Conference with a 58-24 record, the Spurs play efficient basketball year in and year out. When you have a head coach like Gregg Popovich, you are expected to play the way the Spurs have played this past decade.

It doesn’t hurt to have a future Hall-of-Famer and arguably the best power forward of all-time in Tim Duncan on your team.

In this year’s playoffs, at 37 years old, Duncan is averaging 17 points per game and nine rebounds.

Tony Parker has made a huge contribution this season, especially in the playoffs, averaging 23 points per game and seven assists.  Still, he is often overlooked when it comes to listing elite point guards, but I think he is a top-five point guard in the league.

Another area where the Spurs have always excelled in depth. Manu Ginobili and Kawhi Leonard have been consistent wing players for the Spurs and have helped push them into the Finals.

If anyone can beat the Heat this season, it will be the Spurs. They have all the qualities you want in a team: leadership, strategy, and being consistent have made the Spurs such an efficient unit to this point in the playoffs.

As of The Advocate’s press deadline Thursday, Miami was tied two games apiece with the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference final, but I think Miami can manage to take the series and match up with the Spurs.

If so, I have Miami winning the championship — but anything can happen, especially after watching San Antonio sweep in the Western final.

Miami just has to play as it did during the regular season and stay consistent. However, I’m starting to see that the Heat’s other star, Dwayne Wade, isn’t what he once was in the league as far as his overall game, and now it’s also becoming known that he is a dirty player. In game two of the eastern conference finals, which the Pacers beat the Heat 97-93, after a Miami possession Wade ran down the court and jumped in the air and collided his elbow with Pacers guard Lance Stevenson’s head. The NBA later reviewed the play and it was decided that there would not be consequences for his actions. During this year’s All-star game in February, Wade broke Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant’s nose when he came from behind and attempted to block his shot but hit Bryant’s nose so hard that it broke and actually started bleeding.

Wade is still a star in the league but he has lost his “superstar” title.

And just like a lot of big men in the league, the Heat’s other all-star, Chris Bosh, has been exposed in this year’s playoffs. He has been abused on the defensive side, especially in the current matchup against the Pacers. Every time he guards the Pacers’ 7-foot, 2-inch big man, Roy Hibbert, Hibbert scores with ease.

Bosh also has gotten too comfortable shooting jump shots all game, especially sitting at the three-point line waiting for the ball. At 6 foot 11 inches, Bosh should be capable of scoring in the paint, but I haven’t seen that yet.

But in the end, when you have James on your team, I wouldn’t expect you to be an underdog in a seven-game series.

If this year’s Finals end up unfolding as I predict, it should definitely be a good one to watch.

This rematch of sorts (of the 2007 Finals) for James will show if he really has what it takes to bring a title back to South Beach, for back-to-back championships.