NBA Finals Preview

The Miami Heat dismantled the Indiana Pacers in game 7 and have punched their ticket to the NBA Finals. They get the pleasure of playing the San Antonio Spurs, who have had over 10 days of rest after sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies.

Tony Parker is the key to the success of the Spurs. He is the best player on the team and I don't know if the Heat can stop him without putting LeBron James on him. Mario Chalmers is simply not good enough, Tony Parker would make him look silly. Parker is too fast and quick for most of the Heat players, he has grown as a scorer and is very adept at finding the open player, usually for an open three.  Chalmers just needs to stay out of the way on offense. He is not a point guard, he does not run the offense, he is a three point shooter who can sometimes get an open shot off of a LeBron drive. Parker obviously wins this matchup, but I doubt they go against each other when the Spurs have the ball because Chalmers would have a very hard time guarding Parker.

Will we see the Dwyane Wade from games 1-6 in the Eastern Conference Finals or will we see game 7 Wade? I have a feeling game 7 was more of an admiration, rather than a coming out party. He is still injured and I think Danny Green will be able to shut him down consistently. Wade needs to focus on getting good shots, rather than just a lot of shots. If he tries to get a lot of shots, the Heat will be in major trouble. Danny Green is not the most talented player, but he fits into the team very well. He is a good three point shooter who knows his place on the offense. He is also a good defender who could give Wade problems throughout the series. Depending on which Wade we see, if he is game 7 Wade, then he will win the matchup. If we see games 1-6 Wade, Danny Green should easily be able to handle him on each side of the court.

LeBron James was LeBron James during the series against the Pacers. He was able to handle Paul George on offense. George had a great series on offense, but James was not always guarding him. I think James should guard Tony Parker for this series because he is the Spurs best offensive player and he is the only player who is quick and fast enough to guard him. On offense, James will be guarded by Kawhi Leonard who is a good defensive player. He has the skills to stop most players, but LeBron is a different animal. Leonard is still developing as an offensive player, but he has a decent all around game. The corner three is where he is the best at, but if he is left open he can knock down any shot. He should also give LeBron some problems on the boards. He is a very good rebounder and LeBron is not used to that type of competition when going after rebounds. LeBron obviously wins this matchup, but that does not mean Leonard cannot throw him off of his game a little but.

Tim Duncan and Undonis Haslem man the power forward position for each team. Haslem played well in the Indiana series, but there is no way that he could outplay Duncan. Haslem has a decent mid range jump shot that could possibly stretch Duncan out, but he should not be too worried about it. Duncan should be able to dominate him on the boards and on offense. Duncan is simply the superior player and Haslem should not be able to slow him down. Duncan's offense is the most important part of his game in this series. If he is able to consistently score inside, as well as hit mid-range jumpers, this could be a very quick series.

Chris Bosh needs to step his game up from what it was in the Indiana series. He cannot make mistakes when going against Tiago Splitter. He needs to work hard on the boards because Splitter will give every ounce of his energy to get rebounds. Bosh needs to find his shot again because the Heat will be much more effective if he is able to stretch out the Spurs' defense. Splitter is a talented player who will give it his all. He is underrated on offense and is a good defensive player. He has developed some nice moves this season and it has really helped his game. I think Bosh will have a hard time if he tries to go inside on Splitter. Splitter is simply too strong for him to do that. I think this matchup is a wash, especially with the way Bosh has played recently. Whoever comes out on top, could decide the series.

Both of these teams have good benches. The Heat bench features Birdman, Ray Allen, Norris Cole and Mike Miller. It seems as if Shane Battier has been kicked out of the rotation, but it remains to be seen what the game plan is for the Spurs. Birdman provides ferocious defense which will come in handy against both Duncan and Splitter. They need Ray Allen to provide three point shooting on the outside. The Spurs cannot afford to leave him open even if he is having an off game because there is no telling when he will go off, same goes with Mike Miller. Manu Ginobli, Gary Neal, Matt Bonner and Boris Diaw are the main contributors off of the bench for the Spurs. Ginobli has not played too well in the playoffs to date, but there is a good chance he could bounce out of the slump. Neal is a solid point guard for when Parker comes out of the game for a quick rest. Bonner and Diaw can both stretch the floor, Bonner more so than Diaw, but Diaw has good ball handling skills and when he is focused, he is hard to stop. I am giving the Spurs the edge for bench play because of the versatility that they have off of the bench.

It is sometimes hard to compare coaching in the NBA, but it is obvious that Gregg Popovich has the coaching advantage. He is crafty with his lineups and he is not afraid to pull players out of the game if they are playing badly, even if it is Tony Parker or Tim Duncan. Erik Spoelstra is an OK coach, but I think he can be Overrated at times.

I think the Spurs will win this series in 7. They are simply too calculated for the Heat to handle in seven games. Popovich is always one step ahead of his competition and if his players are on the top of their game, it is over.