Instant Coffee: Spurs, Tim Duncan Win One for the Thumb

Miami Heat 87 @ San Antonio Spurs 104

I picked the Heat to win in 6 games because of my respect and fear for Lebron James. I am not shocked about the Spurs winning the Championship but I am stunned by how easily they were able to defeat the Heat in the Finals. I have not been so surprised since the “5 game sweep” of the heavily favored Los Angeles Lakers by the Detroit Pistons who dominated that Finals. As this series progressed, the reasons became obvious. First, the Spurs deserve credit for their team play. They showed the world how the sport should be played. They were brilliant in executing their offense and it looked like art. Moreover, they rallied behind the loss in the NBA Finals last year. They knew they should have won the Championship. Blowing Game 6 haunted them all year. As a result, they were on a mission to beat the Heat and they were relentless in that goal. After the Western Conference Finals, Tim Duncan proclaimed that the Spurs would get it done this time. His words were prophetic. For the Heat, their warts were completely exposed by the Spurs. The role players are patched together with older players at the end of their careers, like Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, and fliers, such as Chris Andersen and Michael Beasley. They have a Big Three so they need to pay them. They cannot afford to spend big money on a big time bench. However, the Big Three usually makes them the favorite to win any series.  Unfortunately, the Big Three turned into the Big One, Lebron James. The same thing happened in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals but Lebron James was able to carry the team on his back en route to a second consecutive championship. Dwayne Wade is past his prime. He took off a lot of games throughout the year to stay fresh. While it appeared to work through the Eastern Conference Finals, he looked old in the NBA Finals. Chris Bosh is a talented big man. He adjusted his game to shoot threes to better complement Lebron’s game. However, he stays on the outside too often. He can no longer take over a game in the post or driving to the basket. It also affects his defense and rebounding as he has no presence on either of those aspects of the game. Lebron is the best player in the world but 1 on 5 does not work in the NBA, especially against the ultimate team in the Spurs.

Once Kawhi Leonard played well in this series from Games 3 to 5, it became a route. He dominated on offense and was able to meet the challenge of defending and bothering the best player in the game when he harassed Lebron. For his efforts, he was awarded the Finals MVP. The Heat came out flying at the beginning of Game 5 and took an early 16 point lead. The Spurs did not look sharp at all. It could have been the nerves of trying to close out a Championship or the law of averages since they were due for a lackluster quarter. Slowly but surely, they systematically chipped away at the lead and built up a big lead of their own at the beginning of the second half. Consequently, their fans had the end of the third quarter and the entire fourth quarter to celebrate the Championship. Game 5 was a microcosm of the series. The big three of Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili made their contributions. However, they were matched and even outshined by Kawhi Leonard and the supporting cast. Leonard was great again with 22 points and 10 rebounds while playing tremendous defense on Lebron. Boris Diaw, who played terribly for the Charlotte Bobcats before joining the Spurs, made some big plays throughout the series. He was especially great with passing the ball. He had 5 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists in this game. In addition, Patty Mills scored 17 points in 18 minutes. Whether Mills or someone else, the Spurs got a major contribution from role players in each game. He outscored both Bosh and Wade. It is telling when a bench player that only plays 18 minutes outscores two of the Heat stars.

Lebron was great again with 31 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks. He tried to carry the team but he literally received no help. Bosh and Wade were the only other Heat players to score double digits. No player, present or in the past, is good enough to beat a great team by himself. Lebron will get criticism for this loss but it is ridiculous. There are two plays in this game that I will always remember. The first play is Manu Ginobili’s monster dunk in traffic. It energized his team and I did not expect that kind of athleticism left in his game at his age. The second play is Tiaggo Splitter’s block of Dwayne Wade in the second half. It seemed to symbolize that Wade was over as a big player and the Heat were done for the season.

Spurs Championship Run in Perspective

It is the 5^th Championship for the Spurs franchise and its franchise player, Tim Duncan. They have been a model franchise in the last 15 years. Winning the draft lottery for Tim Duncan was luck. They immediately inserted him next to Hall of Fame center, David Robinson, and won a championship in Duncan’s second season in 1999. Robinson would also help win the second championship in 2003, his final season before retirement. Nevertheless, they have made a lot of good decisions to put a great supporting cast to help Duncan for his entire career. They drafted Tony Parker with a late first round pick and Manu Ginobili late in the second round. Those two players have formed a big three with Duncan that has carried the Spurs to 4 titles (2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014). In addition, it is impressive that their Championship window has remained opened for so long. I thought they were done winning Championships after the 8^th seeded Memphis Grizzlies upset them in the first round in 2011. However, they have made great decisions. The biggest move is trading backup point guard, George Hill, for the right to draft budding star Kawhi Leonard after the 2011 season. Leonard added athleticism to the team that it sorely needed. The Spurs have also been lucky that their Big Three have been unselfish and took less money so that the franchise could assemble a deep bench that has proved its worth in the last two postseasons. They clearly have the deepest, best bench in the NBA and each player knows how to play well and unselfish within the system. It has also allowed the Spurs the luxury of resting their players to keep them fresh.

Of course, the Spurs also have the best coach in the NBA, Gregg Popovich. He has guided the Spurs to each of their five Championships. He has been a great teacher and strategist. Early in Tony Parker’s career, Popovich brought the young point guard to tears. However, Parker has learned to trust Popovich. Those difficult lessons early in Parker’s career helped him transform into a great point guard. Moreover, Popovich has been great at adjustments. With an older team, he has revolutionized the way minutes can be utilized. No player averaged more than 30 minutes per game this season and they still had the best record in the league with 62 wins. He has also adjusted his team’s style along the years. In the first 4 Championships, they were methodical in playing great defense and executing their half court offense.  While they still execute great in the half court, Popovich knew he had to incorporate a more up tempo style to get more easy baskets. He knew he had to move away from a team centered on Tim Duncan’s great low post play to a team that utilized the skills of his extremely fast and quick point guard in Tony Parker. Moreover, the system maximized his contributions from a deep bench. In the first four Championships, I hated the Spurs because I felt they were boring. They just won with great defense and a precision offense. They did not have the flash of the Los Angeles Lakers with Shaq and Kobe. I was young and naïve. I did not understand the beauty of the Spurs game.

However, I have evolved with age and can appreciate the art of their execution. Moreover, they have become even more efficient in executing their offense over the years. It is amazing to watch. The Spurs have a model franchise that other teams want to copy. The Heat will try to copy the model. They have the admiration and respect of the world. They did not have to win a fifth title for their place in history but it does cement it. They have never won back to back championships but five titles in fifteen years are amazing, especially considering the longevity of the window. Of course, they also have a great redemption story. It is difficult to get to the NBA Finals. In addition, they lost in devastating fashion during last year’s Finals. The last losing NBA Finalist that won the next year was the 1989 Detroit Pistons. It is truly impressive that the Spurs were able to use that loss as motivation to return to the Finals then annihilate the team that beat them last year. It is definitely a lot tougher than they made it look. They handled defeat and victory with class and professionalism. They completely deserve all their accolades for their accomplishments.

Tim Duncan’s Legacy

In my opinion, he is clearly the best power forward of all time. His team has never won less than 50 games in a season. Moreover, the five championships put him in the company of the elite players in the sport that include Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant. I also think he is among the top 10 players to ever play the game. He is a brilliant player. In his prime, he was robotic. He did everything. He had a great low post game and was especially known for his bank shots. He is also a great passer as a big man. In addition, he was a great rebounder and defender. During the great playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers, Duncan would guard Shaq one on one. On the other hand, Shaq would try to avoid Duncan to focus on offense. He may be also the last in a dying breed of great big men. He stayed in college for all four years to develop his skills. For big men, it makes sense for them to stay in school so they can develop their fundamentals. The NBA teams just do not have time to teach a raw big man. Duncan is a great example for big men to follow but they will never turn down the pay day. As a result, we may never see a big man as great as Tim Duncan. There is a chance that Duncan retires after this season to ride into the sunset with a Championship. However, he is still effective and can continue to be a role player with the strong supporting cast and the rise of Kawhi Leonard. I think he sticks around for a shot at back to back titles next season. It is one accomplishment that has still eluded him.

Kawhi Leonard’s Ascension

After last year’s Finals, I agreed with the consensus that Leonard could be a star. Throughout the playoffs, I have noted that he would be the key to a Championship. He has delivered. After a passive first two games, he took over the series. He was great on offense and defense. He is still young and has room to grow. When I see him on offense, I see flashes of Carmelo Anthony based on his movement and build. While I am not suggesting he will ever be as good at scoring as Carmelo Anthony, I believe he can develop into a 20 points per game scorer. On defense, he uses his great athleticism to go against the best players. He went up and held his own against the sport’s two best players, Kevin Durant and Lebron James. He has length and freakishly large hands. During the Game 5 telecast, a Scottie Pippen comparison was made by the color commentators. While I did not think of it before, it is a very good comparison and he does remind me of Pippen. For his great play in the final 3 games, Leonard won the Finals MVP. He is clearly the future of the Spurs. However, consistency is what makes a star. As such, it will be interesting to see if Kawhi can make that progression. I expect him to do it.

Future of the Heat

The loss is embarrassing. Their weaknesses were covered up by a bad Eastern Conference and exposed in the Finals against the Spurs. The 8^th seeded, Dallas Mavericks, took the Spurs to 7 games in the first round of the playoffs. The Heat would have had trouble making it out of the first round in the Western Conference and certainly would not have made it out of the West. They have a big offseason ahead of them. The Big Three will need to decide if they want to opt in. Wade will definitely do it. He is older and no team will give him the 2 years and $40+ million that he has with his player option. However, he needs to realize that he is regressing. He is no longer a star. He can be a nice role player that can still have big games but he cannot be relied on to bring it every night. As such, he will need to take a paycut for the Heat to have the money to acquire impact, supporting players that can compensate for his concessions to age. There has also been talk about the Big Three taking paycuts so they can sign Carmelo Anthony. He would surely lighten the load on offense and make them a better team. However, he does not address the issues on defense that surfaced during the Finals. In the first three seasons of the Big Three era, the Heat ranked in the top of the league for defense. They fell below top 10 this season. Regardless, I doubt Anthony takes a paycut. He can find a contender (Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, or Dallas Mavericks) that can pay him much more money. Moreover, I do not see Chris Bosh taking another paycut. He can get money from other teams. He is still young and in his prime. He would be a candidate to go to the same teams that Carmelo might sign with as a free agent. Of course, the big question is Lebron James. I highly doubt he goes back to Cleveland. They are a mess and he has every reason to hate the owner. I do not see him going to the Chicago Bulls because he does not need any more Michael Jordan comparisons. As I go down the list, I do not really see other situations that will be that much better for him. In Miami, he has Pat Riley as the President, Erik Spoelstra as the coach, and Micky Arison as the owner. He has every reason to trust them and they should have the cap space to rebuild the team. If Wade agrees to a lesser deal in terms of less money per year to be cap friendly but a longer deal that gets him more money overall, it should be a done deal that Lebron stays because the Heat will have the financial flexibility to rebuild the team. If Wade does not and they do not have the resources to build a supporting cast, I think Lebron needs to consider another team. My money would be on Lebron staying with the Heat.

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