Heat vs. Spurs: Power Ranking Most Important Stars of NBA Finals
When Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook went down in the opening round of the playoffs, there was little doubt as to which team would be representing the Western Conference in the NBA Finals.
Sure, the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies tore through the opening rounds with little resistance, but the San Antonio Spurs erased all doubt by dismantling both teams in the Western Conference playoffs. The NBA championship will have to go through Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and the Spurs—and it won’t be easy.
The pair of San Antonio staples defines what makes the Spurs one of the NBA’s most consistent teams. With Duncan and Parker playing their best basketball, the Miami Heat will face an uphill battle for a second title in the Big Three era.
But the Big Three hasn’t been itself in the playoffs, due in part to Dwyane Wade’s nagging injury issues and Chris Bosh’s inconsistency at both ends of the floor. LeBron James has carried the Heat as he did for much of the regular season, and with the league’s preeminent superstar firing on all cylinders, it will take a team effort from the Spurs to shut him down.
At its core, that’s what winning basketball is all about—team defense. Team offense. Team everything.
And while the team element has to take center stage to win big games, individual performances drive that engine. No team is less than the sum of its parts, but all championship squads are greater than the sum of theirs.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at the five biggest stars in this series and break down the importance of each as it relates to winning an NBA championship.
5. Chris Bosh
The Heat can win without Bosh playing his best in the finals, but don’t expect that scenario to play out.
San Antonio is the kind of team that can beat opponents in any number of ways, be it perimeter scoring, frontcourt dominance or lockdown defense. Apart from being faced with shutting down James, the Spurs hold the edge in nearly every phase of the game.
For Miami to combat Tim Duncan and Tiago Splitter, Bosh has to play better than he did against the Pacers—much better, in fact.
In that series, the 29-year-old averaged just 11 points and 4.3 rebounds, including a Game 7 performance that saw Bosh shoot just 3-of-13 from the field. It was a bad enough series to prompt Bosh to apologize to his teammates after a five-point, four-rebound Game 6 performance, as noted by Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.
That kind of underwhelming production won’t be enough to boost Miami to a win in the finals against a balanced, experienced Spurs squad. The “star” tag may be debatable at this point, but Bosh is still a crucial component for a Miami championship.
4. Dwyane Wade
If not for a 21-point, nine-rebound performance in Game 7, we might be talking about a Spurs-Pacers finals matchup right now. Wade was tremendous in that contest, battling through a knee injury with workmanlike poise that put the Heat over the top.
It’s not as if Indiana made the game close, but there’s something to be said for momentum. Wade did his part to create and sustain Miami’s momentum throughout the contest, and his efforts can’t be overlooked.
The Spurs are phenomenal at taking away opponents’ best scoring threat, and with James likely facing a Gregg Popovich game plan tailored to shutting him down, Wade has to be consistently productive in augmenting that offense.
Mario Chalmers will play his part, but Wade has to get it done in the finals. For all the talk of his decline this season, this is the perfect time for the 31-year-old to prove he can help carry his team to another championship.
3. Tim Duncan
San Antonio is a complete team, but its success has started and ended with Tim Duncan for the better part of 16 seasons. As well as Tony Parker has played in the playoffs, Duncan still can’t afford to have a disappointing series.
That particular scenario is unlikely, but the Big Fundamental is human. At 37, he’s not the same athletic defender he was even five years ago, and he may struggle to keep up with Miami’s small sets and shifty perimeter scorers.
Duncan hasn’t played poorly through three rounds, but he also hasn’t been the dominant frontcourt presence we’ve come to expect from him. Consistency is key.
Given Miami’s struggles against Roy Hibbert and his tremendous defensive prowess, San Antonio needs to get similar production from Duncan in this series. It may not take 20-plus points per night from Duncan for the Spurs to win, but he certainly needs to make his presence felt at the defensive end.
2. Tony Parker
Arguably the most underrated player in the NBA, Parker has taken center stage in the playoffs, doing everything in his power to prove he’s not only the best point guard remaining, but also one of the best in the entire league.
The 31-year-old has averaged 23 points and 7.2 assists per game through three rounds, but Parker’s offensive production isn’t the only thing that has set him apart from the rest of an extremely talented Spurs squad.
He’s also played tremendously at the defensive end of the floor.
With Wade and James both proficient at assuming the point guard role in Miami’s offense, Parker will be expected to play a big part in helping neutralize both players. Don’t expect to see Parker matched up with either for an extended period of time, but as is often the case, stopping the Heat's most talented scorers will require a team effort.
Parker’s incredible postseason play has put him in the spotlight, but he’s always been a cornerstone for San Antonio’s game plan at both ends of the floor. Simply put, he must play his best basketball to keep San Antonio moving in the right direction.
1. LeBron James
As if there was ever any doubt.
When it comes to winning basketball, there isn’t a more important player in the entire NBA—not just in the finals. When Miami is winning, you can count on James being the biggest reason for it.
Averaging 26.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game in the playoffs is impressive enough, but the fact that James is leading the team in all three categories is simply absurd. When the best player on the planet is off, the Heat are a completely different team.
Given San Antonio’s balance and experience, it’s going to take another monumental series from James for the Heat to come away with a second title with No. 6 at the helm. If he fails to show up for even one game, Miami will find itself up against the wall with its title hopes on the line.
