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The Miami Heat have made it through a hard fought Eastern Conference Finals to face the San Antonio Spurs in the 2013 NBA Finals. The Spurs have cruised through the NBA Western Conference defeating every team in their path in convincing fashion. The regular season match-up isn’t much of an accurate gauge when measuring each teams success because neither team was at full strength – at least two key players were inactive on both teams during competition. On March 31, 2013 versus the Spurs, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were sidelined in a close 88-66 win for Miami. On November 29, 2012 the Spurs were without Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili as the Heat barely escaped with the victory, final score 105-100.
Both teams are Championship caliber teams but in the end there can be only one remaining and holding the NBA championship trophy.
Sports Unbiased debates: Which team will win the 2013 NBA title?
J.R. Williams:
Spurs in 7. First you need to know this fact, the Spurs have NEVER lost in an NBA Finals. With that being said I believe the Spurs have a better bench along with a nucleus of young talent who can spread the floor more effectively than Heat. Don’t get me wrong, the combination of Lebron James and Dwyane Wade is a scary duo, however, Wade hasn’t been 100 percent healthy throughout the playoffs and Chris Bosh will remain a virtual no-show because the Spurs have just as much of a size advantage in the low-post as the Pacers had in the Eastern Conference Finals. Lets put it this way, the Miami Heat could be looking for a way to get rid of Bosh, meaning if the Heat fail to repeat, Bosh has significant chance of being traded. Overall I think the Spurs have a more balanced attack and their coaching is considerably better. Coach Popovich understands his players and he knows how to get the most out of his entire team. Miami Coach Spoelstra hasn’t convinced me he has what it takes to motivate his team, or should I say Lebron’s team. Lebron has shown greater ability at motivating his team to play more aggressively. This series is going down to the wire and the Spurs will win the title.
Kimani Gregoire:
Miami in 6. In the past 30 years in the NBA, whichever team has the best player in the league usually wins. The Lakers and Celtics won during the 80s because they had the league’s two best players in Magic and Bird. The Bulls dominated the 90s because they had perhaps the greatest player ever in Michael Jordan. The Lakers of the early 2000s won because they had the most dominant player during that time in Shaquille O’Neal and they won in 2009-10 because Kobe Bryant was the best player in the league. Lebron James is undoubtedly the best player in the NBA right now and he plays for the Miami Heat. Therefore I am picking the Miami Heat to win the 2013 NBA Finals.
Fred Phillips:
Heat in 7. The combo of Pop, Duncan, Parker, and the “flop master” Ginobili won the title in 2007 and haven’t even make it back to the finals since 2007, even though they had the SAME combo for the last six years. What makes them so special this year that they can take down the 2012 NBA champs? I have no idea. It’s kind of reminiscent of the Bulls/Jazz championships of 1997 and 1998. The Jazz had an excellent system, a great coach (Sloan) and All-Star players (Stockton and Malone). But what was the outcome? The sheer talent of Jordan and the Bulls, with the best coach ever in the NBA, won the titles. Along with having home court advantage, the Heat without a doubt have the best player in the league right now in Lebron James. I feel Bosh and Wade will “show up” for at least four of the games, along with the X-factor players (Chalmers, Ray Allen, etc.) to put up surprising numbers to guarantee four wins.
Wesley Dotson:
Spurs in 5. I pick the Spurs in five because they have had 10 whole days off and no one in the league is better than Coach Popovich at preparation. It comes down to coaching in the end. We know the stars will do their thing but who can play a better chess game? The Miami Heat coach Spoelstra or the San Antonio Spurs coach Popovich?
J.R. Williams:
Great point Kimani, I think the 30 year trend is about to change. Most NBA fans will pick the Heat as the sure winner but we could be in for a real shocker!
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