photo courtesy of NBA.com
This is the fourth straight year that we’ll see the Miami Heat in the finals. And if you’re still unconvinced, maybe it’s time you follow a different league. Or a different sport.
This year hopes were high again as Indy got older and maybe they’ve matured enough to meet their goals. They did take care of the first part, being top seed. Then they got distracted of the noise. Most of which are generated by their own chest thumping jungle rituals.
Maybe it’s more disappointing this time. One hopes Indiana make one more run. They’re really just one point guard away from winning it all.
A great storyline is San Antonio, dominating all of the west and earning a rematch. They are the youngest overaged team out there. Timmy, uncharacteristically, played along the revenge angle. Maybe it has truly left a bitter taste in the mouth. The great thing about it is that we’ll all find out.
This year the NBA gets a rematch between 2 of the greatest and most consistent teams in the last 3 years. Even on 2012 where the Thunder went to the dance, San Antonio rode on an 18 game winning streak en route to the Western final. Then Serge Ibaka happened. Then OKC believed what Derek Fisher told them about beating the Spurs is as good as winning the championship. The west after all is heavily favored and heavily stacked.
The Spurs persisted. San Antonio got better and better. And this team, this year will win them all. It is, after all, a convergence of excellence in game execution mixed with destiny.
It is destiny. It is justice that will free the world of Bizarro. That dude is on a quest of ruining all the basketball records we hold sacred.
How dare he take the last shot?
How dare he pass to an open man for the last shot?
All our points are easily confused.
The stats are out, the projections are in, all of which won’t matter unless the stat favor the cause of the team you like.
This is why I don’t believe that the Spurs will beat the Heat in this finals. Yes, it is not fair when the whole of the series is hinged on the performance of one man. A man that will do his best. A man who is better than others. A man who makes others better. A man who is only second best to a ghost.
But this is how you’ll beat him.
Let him take a bulk of jumpers. Don’t give him passing options. Let him score 60 every night. That game plan never worked on Jordan because he’s a relentless, indefatigable scoring machine. LBJ almost always take time to get everybody going. That’s why you see slow starts from the Heat. It’s the same plan coach Pop employed in game 7. Only this time, make him play alone. Take away his options. Make him play like MJ. We all know he won’t.
It’s a game plan as effective as making him go to the left. How fruitful was that? As fruitful as yapping about how he isn’t worthy.
As long as the spot is on him. He will not let you down.
Heat in 6.
danDAman 