SDH's 2013 NBA Finals Preview: Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs

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It has all boiled down to this one point where the champions of East and West collide for one final showdown to determine basketball supremacy.  This year's NBA Finals will feature two familiar faces--one team that will be heading there for the third straight season, and the other which will be participating in it for the fifth time in fifteen years.  It will certainly be a clash of the titans as it will feature the current champs in the Miami Heat looking to continue their championship tradition against the San Antonio Spurs, a team that already boasts a strong championship tradition with four championship rings to its credit.  This will certainly be a battle for the ages as these two teams are an equal match in term of the talent and depth of their roster along with their styles of play resulting in there being no clear cut favorite.  Expect this series to be a grudge match from beginning to end for its not about just winning a championship--it is also for pride and glory. San Antonio, after three straight disappointing playoff performances, had been essentially written off as having any chance of returning to the NBA Finals, let alone winning another title.  Two of the team's players who were instrumental in its winning four championship title looked to have reached the twilight of their careers as age and wear and tear have finally caught up with them.  Manu Ginobli has all but lost his explosiveness and athleticism which made him such a deadly opponent while Tim Duncan, while still remaining somewhat consistent throughout his career, is no longer the dominant force in the paint he once was.  Only Tony Parker remains as the sole remnant of San Antonio's championship past that has not felt the ravages of Father Time and by default, has also become the team's de-facto leader coming into the Finals.  Yet despite the decline of two of their superstars, the Spurs still have enough athleticism and firepower to give Miami quite a few headaches. Unlike most of the teams the Heat have faced thus far, San Antonio actually have enough bodies with the talent and athleticism to front the Heat's Big Three on the defensive end.  Coming into the Finals, Lebron James will be facing one, nor two, but three players that have the ability to cause his problems on the defensive end.  The same goes for his two wing men, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh as the Spurs have answers to them as well with players who have the size and athleticism to not only keep up with them, but potentially hold them back as well.  Once the Spurs are able to neutralize Miami's big three, there will not be much else in their way as the rest of the team is not much to really speak of to say the least.  On the other hand, the Spurs have so many other weapons in their arsenal compared to the Heat that have the ability to step up and come through in the clutch that can possibly determine the outcome of this series. Unlike the Heat, whose offense is most derided from just three players, the Spurs have their offensive output spread out with six players who averaged ten or more post per game in the regular season.  After those six, San Antonio also boasts a bench of five players who contributed an average at least five or more points per game during the regular season as well.  Thus looking at what the Heat will be facing, it certainly will not be as simple of a challenge as they had last season when they bested the Oklahoma City Thunder in just five games.  In facing the Spurs, the Miami Heat will probably have its toughest challenge to date as they enter their third NBA Finals with a team that is not only their identical match, but also a few added advantages that will make the Heat think twice about taking the Spurs lightly; however, even with all the obstacles that Miami face, the Heat still remain the odds on favorite to win the NBA Championship trophy and the Spurs are just fine with that. For most of their playoff streak which span fifteen years with included four NBA championship title, the Spurs have always been underestimated, undervalue and disregarded as a contender.  Despite their accomplishments, they still have yet to receive the same notoriety or respect as many other of the NBA's elite.  Nonetheless, to the chagrin of many, San Antonio has continued to defy the odds and regardless of their lack of exposure or respect.  So be wary those who have the Heat winning their second straight title because the Spurs might just as well leave you dumbfounded once all is said and done.