NBA 2013 Finals has been a battle of different basketball eras. The San Antonio Spurs already has four titles and is trying to get their fifth ring this year while the Miami Heat only has two titles and will hopefully win their third one this season.
A lot of people thought it would just be easy for the Heat to beat the Spurs because they are perceived to be a stronger and younger team compared to the Spurs composed of the ever scrutinized, 4-time season MVP and last year’s NBA Finals MVP Lebron James, 2006 Finals’ MVP Dwayne Wade and the other member of their big three, Chris Bosh.
The addition of Ray Allen, Chris Andersen and Rashard Lewis give the Heat the depth and also their other players contributing in defense and offense. On the other hand, the San Antonio Spurs is already a veteran and experience team with 3-time Finals’ MVP Tim Duncan, 2007 Finals’ MVP Tony Parker and their ever reliable point guard Manu Ginobili. The Spurs also do not lack bench power for they can still generate points even their bench players playing on the floor.
In terms of coaching, the San Antonio Spurs with their coach Gregg Popovich is undeniably one of the best coaches in NBA coaching the Spurs for 17 years now and making his team win the championship every time they enter the finals (1999, 2003, 2005, and 2007). Meanwhile, coach Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat’s coach started as an assistant coach of Pat Riley, Miami Heat’s former coach and currently the team’s president, before he was appointed as the head coach of the Heat last 2008. In his five years of coaching, he showed great potential making the team enter the finals 3 years in a row and winning one championship, hopefully get their second title this year under his coaching.
The Miami Heat gained a lot of experience being in the finals three years consecutively. As we all know, Lebron James originally form the Cleveland Cavaliers just decided to team up with the Heat last 2010 and lost the championship to Dallas Mavericks but regained its confidence and won against the Oklahoma City Thunder last year which made him again the key player for the Heat. They maybe the defending champions but after a very exhausting Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers which they won 4-3, their challenge never stops for they will go against a very difficult team also to beat, the San Antonio Spurs.
These two teams are both #1 in their respective divisions. They both have their star players, their own big three and great support from their benches. But when you talk about age, experience and playing time together, the Spurs has the advantage. They were legends in their own ways not only the players but the coach as well. There may be new and young players in their team like Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green but still their veteran players make play and carry the team. Winning four championships is not easy. It requires a lot of hard work and determination and the Spurs proved that they are eager enough to be in this position once again and win another championship.
The match between these two teams unexpectedly turned out to be a must-see final for they really are putting up a very good fight, outsmarting each other with their defensive and offensive strategies and their home crowd helping in putting up pressure to their opponent.
But the biggest question is, “Who will be the 2013 NBA Champions”? Will it be the San Antonio Spurs who already have their four titles and won of all of those in their four finals’ appearances? Will their experience give them an edge to win the championship or will their legend and magic end this year? Or will the Miami Heat defend their crown and continue to be the best team in NBA? Will they prove that they can beat basketball legends? The answers for these questions are yet to come. But whatever happens, this is a great match—battle of legends and rising stars.