Regardless of record, the Spurs should be favored to win the NBA title

     The San Antonio Spurs have now won nine straight games and only are half a game back of the #3 seeded Houston Rockets. While the Golden State Warriors have rightfully stolen the show for the regular season, the San Antonio Spurs appear poised to steal the show in the playoffs and repeat as NBA champions.

     What is especially alarming about their winning streak is that they've beaten some really good teams and in the process gained some serious ground in the standings. The Spurs have beaten the Thunder, Mavericks, Grizzlies, Warriors, and Rockets over these last nine games, and as a result look likely to have home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

     The only thing that other teams in the West could hang their hat on before this streak began was that the Spurs would likely have to go on the road to win every series they played. Not that the Spurs can't win a series without home court advantage, but having to win four straight series' without home court advantage is too tall of an order for even the best of NBA teams.

      But now that the Spurs look likely to enter the playoffs with a really good seed, there really is no reason to pick against them. They are playing really good basketball, beating really good teams, and seem to be peaking at the right time. The only thing that can stand in the way of the Spurs and another NBA title is injuries. Tony Parker has experienced some tightness in his Achilles, which is scary for the Spurs, but so far he appears to be ok. So long as nothing catastrophic happens to Parker or any other key member on this Spurs team, they have to be considered the favorite to come out of the West and win the NBA championship.

     We would be fools to doubt their ability to win it all after seeing how they torched the Heat less than one year ago. I'm not saying the Warriors can't take out the Spurs or that they shouldn't have confidence to beat the Spurs, because they should. But if we are using history as a guide, we have to look at how the Spurs are playing right now as an indicator that they are likely to come out of the West and demolish whichever team it is that they face in the NBA Finals.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord 

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Bulls In A Statement Game, Beat Spurs, 104-81

The Chicago Bulls have been mired in a season worst slump, losing 6 of their last 8 games, and playing matator defense.  Opposition have scored over 100 points on a fairly regular basis, which sounded the alarm.

Bulls players and Coach Thibobeau met for an airing out session.  Each player got a turn to speak.  The results of that meeting were good.  The Bulls played with energy and spirit and locked down the defending NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs to 37% FG shooting. The Bulls held the combined big three of  Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker to just 17 points total points and routed San Antonio 104-81.

Derrick Rose, made some strong statements after the Bulls got thrashed by the Cavs, where the Bulls looked flat and not able to compete. Rose came out fired up and scored 22 points on 9 of 16 shooting. His shooting slump, perhaps, a thing of the past.  In all, 5 other Bulls scored in double-figures. Pau Gasol was just named as a starting F on the All-Star game. He played like one too, scoring 12 and grabbing 17 rebounds.  Jimmy Butler had 17 efficient points. Taj Gibson scored 15 points and had 9 boards. Chicago out rebounded San Antonio 46-39.

Spurs Coach Paul Popovich said, "I want my money back."  The Spurs had won four games in a row, but ran into a determined Bulls team, with something to say.  "It shows what we're capable of doing," said Gasol.

What was impressive about this win, was the Bulls holding the Spurs to under 100 points, heck, under 90 points. Kawhi Leonard led the Spurs scoring with 16 points, all in the first half.  Chicago had a good third quarter outscoring the Spurs 31-20, and the game was essentially over. Rose hardly played in the fourth quarter.

Both Joakim Noah and Mike Dunleavy were out due to ankle issues. Noah missed his 4th game, and Dunleavy, his 11th.  Both are practicing and Dunleavy is expected to return "very soon."

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The change in the NBA Finals format from 2-3-2 to 2-2-1-1-1 really helps the Spurs

Unless you are a die hard Spurs fan or somebody who desperately wants to see LeBron James fail, you knew that the NBA Finals was going to be tied up 1-1 after two games in San Antonio. The Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs are too evenly matched for there to be a situation in which one team takes a 2-0 series lead.  Also, by that same train of logic,  I also think it's unlikely we see a team win two games in a row. That is why this switch in format from 2-3-2 to 2-2-1-1-1 is so crucial. It gives the San Antonio Spurs a pivotal Game 5 right on their home court, and that I think gives them a huge edge in this series even with things tied up 1-1 going back to South Beach.

In case you are reading this, not understanding what I just said, the 2-3-2 format gives the team with home court advantage the first two games at home and the last two games at home. If we were still in that format, that would mean Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals would be in San Antonio; Games 3, 4, and 5 would be in Miami; and Games 6 and 7 would be back in San Antonio. But with the NBA Finals format returning to 2-2-1-1-1 for the first time since 1984, that means that Games 5 and 7 are in San Antonio and Game 6 is in Miami. Under the previous format, with the series tied at 2-2, Game 5 would be in Miami and that would give the Heat an unfair advantage. The bottom line is that home court advantage is supposed to give the team possessing it more advantage than the team without it, and in a series as tight as this and as evenly matched as this, the 2-3-2 format actually would give the Heat an edge because a pivotal Game 5 would be in their building. Assuming they win that, all they would have to do is get 1 of 2 games in San Antonio and the championship is theirs. But since this format is back to 2-2-1-1-1 assuming the series gets tied up 2-2, a pivotal Game 5 gets to be back in San Antonio where the Spurs thrive. This gives them a huge edge to go up 3-2 and from there have a chance to close out the series in Miami in 6 or come back home for a Game 7 if needed.

The luxury of having both a pivotal Game 5 and a series deciding Game 7 on their home court is huge for the Spurs to have at this point in the series. All they need to do to make things right again is to get the split in Miami to make things tied 2-2. In the previous format, it wouldn't be that simple. They would need to take 2 of 3 games in Miami to really feel comfortable, which would be a tall task.

Ultimately, the format of this series tremendously helps the Spurs and it is the right format for the league to have. The rest of the playoff series' are 2-2-1-1-1 and making things switch to 2-3-2- in the NBA Finals just felt weird. The NHL Stanley Cup Finals does 2-2-1-1-1 and so if they can do it in their finals so can the NBA. I'm glad the league made this switch because it makes things more fair for the team with home court advantage. It may sound silly, but it is really true that this simple change in format could wind up making a huge impact on the outcome of this series. It'll be interesting to see if the Spurs capitalize off of it and get this series back to San Antonio tied 2-2.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord 

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NBA Playoffs: 2014 NBA Finals Preview

San Antonio Spurs (1 WC) vs Miami Heat (2 EC)

If you are feeling a sense of déjà vu, you are not alone. The San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat will compete for the right to call themselves NBA Champions for the second consecutive season, the first time two teams have played in two straight NBA Finals since the Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls did so in the late 1990s.

Ray Allen ties Game 6

The last time these two teams met in the Finals was an epic seven game thriller, which would have ended in six games were it not for some late missed free throws by the Spurs and a heroic corner three pointer by Ray Allen.

With that in mind, the mental toughness of this Spurs team to rebound from such a heartbreaking series defeat to make it back to the NBA Finals the following season is incredible. They have also shown that, despite the critics saying they are too old to compete for a Championship, they continue wreak havoc on the league.

Meanwhile, Miami’s ability to keep themselves healthy, while at the same time avoiding fatigue after making it to the Finals for the fourth straight year must also be admired, as they look to continue to build their legacy and join the exclusive three-peat club.

San Antonio’s road to the Finals:

The Spurs' Big Three are
in the NBA Finals once again

The Spurs finished the regular season with their highest win total in eight years, completing the season with a 62-20 record. This was achieved despite no player on their roster averaging more than 30 minutes per game. A testament to both Gregg Popovich’s coaching and the depth of this Spurs team, San Antonio are looking as dangerous as ever, even in the twilight years of their big three era.

San Antonio struggled to get past the eighth seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs, scraping through in seven tough games. The second round was considerably easier, as the Spurs found a way to negate the threat of LaMarcus Aldridge, winning the series in five games.

The Western Conference Finals appeared as though it was going to be straightforward for the Spurs after the news that Ibaka was expected to miss the rest of the playoffs due to a calf injury. San Antonio went 2-0 up, dominating offensively in the paint, which prompted Ibaka to make a surprise return to the Thunder lineup. His inclusion back into the side was not enough to stem the bleeding, with the Spurs going on to win the series in six games.

Miami’s road to the finals:

Dwyane Wade spent a third of
the resting his troublesome knee

Considering there were reports around the league that the Heat were playing far from their best basketball, Miami had another excellent season, although they were not able to secure the first seed in the Eastern Conference. Dwyane Wade was rested for 29 games over the course of the regular season to allow his ailing knees some time to heal, while at the same time keeping his fresh for a deep postseason run.

Miami’s path to the Finals was a relatively straightforward one; sweeping the Bobcats who could barely put up a fight after the injury to Al Jefferson was swiftly followed by a five game victory against the Brooklyn Nets, with Joe Johnson being the only player who was able to keep the series interesting.

The Pacers gave the Heat their only genuine test during the postseason in a highly anticipated match-up, improving considerably on their earlier performances in the first two rounds. Indiana took the Heat to six games, the last of which turned into a comprehensive blowout, ensuring that the game 7 on the Pacers’ home floor that Indiana declared that they had played for all season would never happen.

How the Spurs can win:

The Spurs are always looking
to move the ball

The Spurs have one of the deepest rosters in the league, with any of the twelve players that make up their starting five and bench capable of contributing to the team. They are a joy to watch offensively, constantly moving the ball and passing up good shot opportunities for great ones.

This is the key to what makes the Spurs so dangerous, as there is no player who they look to run their offense through. It can also confuse the opposition defense, making them chase the ball, leaving gaps to exploit and players open for easy shots.

The Spurs were among the top five teams in defensive efficiency in the regular season, allowing the opposition just over 100 points per game. Much of this is down to Gregg Popovich’s defensive system, which is in place to slow down the opposition’s best player(s).

This type of system could pose Miami problems, as their bench production has been somewhat inconsistent during this postseason. If one, two, or even all three of their All-Stars is having a tough night, do they have anyone who can step up?

How the Heat can win:

Chris Bosh has become a
legitimate three point threat

Stretching this San Antonio defense is the key to the Heat’s chances of winning this series. Surrounding attacking wing players like James and Wade with three-point marksmen will stretch the Spurs’ defense and open gaps for Miami’s superstar duo to attack the paint and either finish at the rim or kick the ball out to a shooter.

Chris Bosh has started to emerge even more from the shadow of his two fellow All-Star teammates. He has been shooting excellently in recent weeks, especially from behind the three point line. He was used against Indiana to drag Roy Hibbert out of the paint, and will more than likely be employed in the same role against Tim Duncan.

The Heat’s defensive match-ups will certainly be interesting to watch. Will they look to Haslem or Battier to guard Duncan in the post if Bosh is off the court? Or could Rashard Lewis see more court time like he did against Indiana? Will Chalmers and Cole be solely responsible for guarding Tony Parker, or will LeBron switch on to him like he did last season?

These potential match-ups will be interesting to watch, and we will more than likely see many changes as the 

series goes on, as Erik Spoelstra has proven he is not afraid to try different rotations if things are not working as planned.

San Antonio was desperate to get to the Finals and play Miami once again, with Tim Duncan stating at the end of the series against Oklahoma City that the Spurs “will do it (beat Miami) this time”. Interesting comments from a player who for so many years has let his game do the talking.

The Heat will know that the Spurs will be out for retribution, and this season it is the Spurs, not the Heat, who possess the home court advantage. However, if Miami can win at least one of the first two games on San Antonio’s home floor, it would be hard to bet against them going on to win the series.

Winner: Heat in 6

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