Power Ranking Every Key Player in NBA Finals

Playoff series resemble a chess match, with each team making strategic adjustments throughout. This NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs involves two of the sharpest tacticians in the game. Coaches Erik Spoelstra and Gregg Popovich have a bevy of pieces at their disposal.

The NBA is marketed around its superstars, so it is no surprise that the media coverage of this year's NBA Finals has centered around each team's "Big Three." Yet,  LeBron James, Dwyane and Chris Bosh or Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili cannot win a ring without significant contributions from a strong supporting cast.

The Heat and Spurs are two of the deepest teams in the league, with the personnel necessary to play different styles, depending on the opponent and game situation. Certain players, such as James and Duncan, affect the game in numerous ways, while others are specialists, on the floor for one specific skill.

All players have weaknesses and can be sidelined by injury or foul trouble, which presents a challenge to the coaches as to when and how to use them. The team that utilizes its players' strengths most efficiently will be crowned champion. 

18. Boris Diaw and Matt Bonner

Coach Popovich likes to mix and match with his big men. Tiago Splitter starts alongside Tim Duncan, and either Boris Diaw or Matt Bonner is the first power forward off the bench. 

Diaw is not particularly athletic, but he is a crafty veteran with an excellent feel for the game. He can knock down a mid-range jumper and finish around the basket with either hand, though his greatest strength is his passing ability. 

Matt Bonner provides the San Antonio Spurs with more of a deep threat. The Red Rocket shot 44 percent from downtown during the regular season and will be called on to stretch Miami's defense during this series. 

17. Gary Neal

Gary Neal can score in bunches. He is a career 40-percent shooter from behind the arc and has a smooth mid-range game. 

Neal is a shooting guard in a point guard's body, though Manu Ginobili's playmaking ability allows Gregg Popovich to use Neal as the point guard for the Spurs' second unit. Pop may even go to a small lineup at times when Neal, Ginobili and Tony Parker together.

Neal has been ice cold in the postseason, shooting 36 percent from the field and 25 percent on three-point attempts. But, Pop has stuck with his gunner, and Neal responded with a few big shots in the second half of Game 1. 

16. Udonis Haslem

Udonis Haslem's role in the Heat's scheme has decreased over the past couple of seasons as the team has transitioned to a smaller lineup. However, Coach Spoelstra leaned heavily on the 10-year veteran in the conference finals against a physical Indiana Pacer team. 

Haslem brought some much-needed toughness to the Miami lineup and let the Pacers know that the Heat would not be intimidated by getting in the face of Indiana's enforcer David West in Game 5. Haslem also shot a surprising 8-of-9 from the field on two different occasions in the Indiana series.

Haslem will continue to start against the Spurs, but expect the Heat to go back to their small-ball lineup for most of the game. Shane Battier should see the majority of minutes at the 4 in the fourth quarter. 

15. Shane Battier

Shane Battier was the forgotten man during the Eastern Conference Finals. His playing time decreased as the series progressed, culminating in a DNP for the decisive Game 7. He appears to have fallen behind Mike Miler on the depth chart and played just six minutes in Game 1 of the Finals.

However, Battier should see plenty of opportunities as the series progresses. The San Antonio Spurs are tall, but they are not nearly as physical as the Indiana Pacers.

In addition to his value as a stretch 4, Battier is a better defender than Miller. His instincts and willingness to take a charge will be crucial to the Heat's chances of stopping Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili's forays into the paint.   

14. Chris Andersen

Chris Andersen was a huge late-season acquisition by Pat Riley. The Birdman has been a reliable rim protector for the Miami Heat, averaging 2.9 blocked shots per 36 minutes in the playoffs, while shooting a staggering 82.6 percent from the field (via basketball-reference.com).

His absence was apparent in Miami's Game 6 loss of the Eastern Conference Finals. Joel Anthony filled in for the Birdman, who was suspended for knocking the Indiana Pacers' Tyler Hansbrough to the floor in the previous game. While Anthony is a comparable defender, he was unable to convert around the basketball.

Andersen will face a different challenge in the NBA Finals. Instead of banging with Roy Hibbert and David West, his primary responsibility will be as the last line of defense during Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili's drives to the basket. 

13. Norris Cole

Norris Cole made significant strides in his second season, cutting down on turnovers and improving the range on his shot. He has also developed into a very good on-ball defender.

Coach Spoelstra has demonstrated that he is comfortable playing the young guard in big games. Cole provided the Miami Heat with a spark in their second-round series against the Chicago Bulls, scoring 18 points in back-to-back games.

He will see plenty of time on Tony Parker in the finals, and his quickness should create problems for backup guards Gary Neal and Cory Joseph.  

12. Mike Miller

Coach Spoelstra dusted off Mike Miller toward the end of the Eastern Conference Finals, and within a few games the sharpshooter replaced Shane Battier in the Heat rotation. 

Miller has always been a great three-point shooter and is adept at using a shot fake to get his defender in the air. The 13-year veteran typically makes smart decisions with the basketball and is a good rebounder for a guard.

Miller demonstrated last season that he is not afraid of the big moment, scoring 23 points on 7-of-8 shooting from downtown in the decisive game of the 2012 NBA Finals. Spoelstra hoped for a repeat performance when he left Miller on the floor for the closing minutes of Game 1 against San Antonio. 

12. Mario Chalmers

The Miami Heat will take a team approach to slowing down Tony Parker, trapping him on pick-and-rolls and throwing several defenders at him. The primary assignment of stopping the MVP candidate falls on the shoulders of Mario Chalmers. 

Chalmers has had a quiet postseason, during which he has lost playing time to second-year guard Norris Cole. However, Chalmers is a very good on-ball defender, capable of maintaining contact with Parker as the Spurs guard runs him off screens. 

Rio, as his teammates call him, can also make Parker work on the defensive end, where Gregg Popovich likes to hide him. If Chalmers, who shot 41 percent from downtown during the regular season, is hitting his shots, Parker will be forced to come out and defend him. 

10. Tiago Splitter

It took three seasons, but Tiago Splitter and Tim Duncan have finally figured out how to play together with Duncan moving to the high post and Splitter getting his touches off of pick-and-rolls and duck ins. 

Splitter's defense on Zach Randolph played a big part in San Antonio's sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies during the Western Conference Finals. The third-year center may not be as effective against a Miami Heat team that relies more on athleticism and finesse than size and power.

Miami will try and draw Splitter away from the basket by playing Battier at the 4, and the Brazilian does not have the post game to hurt Battier on the other end. 

The Spurs typically forgo offensive rebounds in favor of getting back on defense. However, based on the way the Indiana Pacers dominated the Heat on the boards, Gregg Popovich may tell Splitter to be more aggressive on the offensive glass. 

9. Ray Allen

Ray Allen had a sub-par postseason heading into the NBA Finals, shooting just 39 percent from the field and 35.5 percent on threes. A lot of that had to do with the defenses he faced.

Miami's last two opponents, the Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls, were ranked first and fourth, respectively, in opponent three-point field-goal percentage (via ESPN.com). Allen shot 29 percent from downtown in those series. 

San Antonio is not as effective at defending the three-point line, and Allen found some breathing room in Game 1, shooting 3-of-4 from behind the arc. The NBA's all-time leader in three-pointers has struggled in the playoffs before, only to turn it on in a hurry. His hot hand could be the difference in a tightly contested series. 

8. Danny Green

Danny Green is one of those great R.C. Buford finds, another team's castaway who fits perfectly into Gregg Popovich's system. Green knocked down 43 percent of his three-point attempts this season and is crucial to the Spurs' offensive spacing. 

The University of North Carolina product has also developed into a solid defender. He guarded Stephen Curry for short stints earlier in the playoffs and may have to check LeBron James at times in the finals. 

Green was so unnerved in the conference finals last season that Pop had to take the young guard out of the rotation. San Antonio cannot afford for Green to stumble again. The team is depending on his shooting to open driving lanes for Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili against the Heat. 

7. Manu Ginobili

No Spurs player enjoyed the nine-day layoff before the finals more than Manu Ginobili. The Argentinian turns 36 this summer and was hampered by leg injuries throughout the season. He has been a diminished player during the postseason, averaging 11.5 points per game while shooting 38 percent from the field over the first three rounds. 

However, Ginobili is as savvy as they come, and even without his legs at full strength, he has found ways to help the Spurs win. He grabbed 11 rebounds twice in the postseason, hit the game-winning three-pointer in double-overtime against the Golden State Warriors and shot 5-of-10 from behind the arc later in that series.

Ginobili is the X-factor against the Heat. He is the Spurs' primary playmaker when Tony Parker is not on the floor and is capable of swinging a game with his deceptive drives to the basket. The question is: How much does he have left in the tank? 

6. Kawhi Leonard

The San Antonio Spurs took a big gamble by trading combo guard George Hill to the Indiana Pacers on draft night 2011 for the rights to Kawhi Leonard. The move has turned out better than they could have imagined. 

Leonard has a great work ethic and has fit in well with the Spurs' culture. The second-year forward is an excellent perimeter defender and a great rebounder for his size, can finish on the break and has mastered the corner three, which is so important to San Antonio's offense.

Leonard drew the task of defending LeBron James in the finals. James is unstoppable one on one, but the Spurs hope that Leonard's tremendous wingspan will bother the four-time MVP enough to alter some of his shots and force a couple of turnovers.  

5. Dwyane Wade

Dwyane Wade is fighting through an injury to his right knee and has clearly not been himself throughout the playoffs. He is averaging 14.1 points per game on 45 percent shooting and has cracked the 20-point plateau just twice in 16 postseason games. 

With Wade and Chris Bosh struggling against the Indiana Pacers, LeBron James was forced to go back to his Cleveland days and carry the team by himself. That approach will not be successful against the San Antonio Spurs. 

The Spurs will collapse on James and force other players to beat them. Wade does not need to duplicate his MVP performance from the 2006 NBA Finals, but he must be a reliable scoring option for the Heat to win their second consecutive championship.  

4. Chris Bosh

Chris Bosh had a dreadful Eastern Conference Finals. The eight-time All-Star was held to single digits in each of the final four games, grabbed more than five rebounds just once and was pushed around by the Indiana Pacers frontcourt of David West and Roy Hibbert.

Bosh should feel more comfortable against a less physical San Antonio team. However, he faces a formidable opponent in Tim Duncan, who severely outplayed him in Game 1. Bosh must hold his own against the future Hall of Famer going forward.

Miami is leaning on Bosh more heavily than usual with Dwyane Wade hampered by an injured knee. The big man needs to be more aggressive offensively and drive the ball to the basket, rather than settle for outside jumpers. 

3. Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan was named to the All-NBA First Team for the 10th time after another exceptional season. He has shifted to the high post in recent years in order to accommodate Tony Parker as the new centerpiece of the offense. However, the Big Fundamental will see plenty of time on the low block in the finals. 

The San Antonio Spurs coaching staff had more than one week to study film in preparation for the finals, and the one thing that had to jump out at it was the Miami Heat's inability to defend the Indiana Pacers' big front line in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Duncan has had his way with Heat center/forward Chris Bosh over the years and should be able to continue pounding Miami inside. His ability to protect the rim is equally important to the Spurs' success on defense. 

2. Tony Parker

Tony Parker is the engine that makes the Spurs offense run. He averaged 23 points and 7.2 assists per game through the first three rounds of the playoffs, dropped 37 points on the Memphis Grizzlies to close out the Western Conference Finals and hit an incredible shot to seal Game 1 of the 2013 NBA Finals. 

San Antonio will run a variety of screens and misdirection plays designed to get Parker the ball in a position where he can drive into the lane. Once in the painted area, he is an excellent finisher. If the defense collapses on him, he kicks the ball out to an open shooter.

The 2007 NBA Finals MVP has developed a solid mid-range jumper to complement his driving ability, and if defenders go under screens, he can burn them from behind the arc. Miami will rely on several defenders to try and slow him down.

1. LeBron James

LeBron James has been Mr. Everything for the Miami Heat. He leads the team in points, rebounds, assists and steals in the postseason and often defends the opposing team's best player.

James will have to find the right balance between getting his teammates involved and looking for his own shot against a disciplined San Antonio Spurs defense. That could be challenging if Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh continue to struggle as they did in the Indiana Pacers series.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has the difficult task of determining how and when to utilize James' various skills. The four-time MVP is best equipped to contain Tony Parker, but it would be too exhausting for him to chase the elusive point guard around screens all game. Expect James to continue to switch onto Parker in the closing minutes of games as he did in Game 1.