It is that time of year.
After something like 7 years of exhausting playoff wrangling, we are down to two. LeBron's Heat v. The Real Big Three. Spo v. Pop. Wade's disintegrating knees v. Ginobli's disintegrating hair.
The storylines are good. The play on the court should be solid, at least as solid as it can get after these players have waded through almost 100 games. It should be a fine series. Not likely one for the ages, but at least one we'll remember--especially since it will likely be Miami's last real shot at a title. (The preceding statement is not a vote of confidence in a team like, say, the Pacers to dethrone the Heat but rather a lack of confidence in the Heat's ability to seriously contend with their current roster.)
The prediction - Miami in 6.
The Spurs have had too much time off. The similarities between the 1998 Finals and the 2013 Finals are plentiful enough for me to not like San Antonio's chances. In '98, the Utah Jazz annihilated the Lakers in a 4 game sweep. Jordan's Bulls, meanwhile, fought tooth and nail against the Pacers in a series that went the distance. The result - the Bulls in 6, albeit minus the theatrics from Jordan pretending he was sick. The 2013 Spurs rolled through the Grizzlies, the Heat went 7 rounds with the Pacers.
Dwayne Wade should be well rested after taking some much-needed vacation time during the Eastern Conference Finals. He rose up when he needed to. With just a couple of weeks worth of games left before the offseason, I expect Wade to rise up once again. The Heat probably only need him to show up for two games. LeBron and some perverse combination of Udonis Haslem, Chris Anderson, Ray Allen, and Mike Miller can take care of the other two games. Anything provided by Chris Bosh will be gravy.
LeBron James, in my opinion, is the greatest player of all-time. He has passed the media and fan-imposed hurdles of "can't win the big one" and/or "can't win a championship". Now, he's playing for legacy. I think he understands that. He is a much smaller player and can essentially do whatever he wants on the court. He seems to want to win a championship now not to prove anything, but because it is what he is supposed to do. I also suspect that he understands that the days of this current era of Heat dominance appear to be numbered. Unless Wade can hook up with Kobe's doctor in Germany I just don't see him being any more than a role player as he drifts more and more out to the perimeter. Wade's jump shot has always left a lot to be desired. Jason Kidd developed into a very useful perimeter player in his career, it remains to be seen if Wade has similar focus and dedication. Bosh still has many years of production left in him but it will just be production, not transcendent performance. For the Heat's style to work, they need at least one more guy that can attack the basket. All that being said, LeBron can still likely carry these old Heat bones to a couple championships--barring injury of course.
Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobli. It has been a glorious run for this group. Just like last year in the conference finals against the Thunder, I see the Spurs falling to the athleticism of LeBron and whoever else from the Heat decides to show up.
