Sequels rarely live up to the originals, but this original was so good you can’t help but be excited about round two.
Do you remember how great the 2013 Spurs vs. Heat NBA Finals was? Game 1 had Tony Parker doing his Curly Neal impression, going to his knees, getting up and nailing the dagger. As the series moved along we got LeBron James shutting down a Tiago Splitter dunk, we got Danny Green raining threes, we got Tony Parker and Dwyane Wade playing vintage ball.
And all that was before the epic Game 6, with the Ray Allen stepback three and a thrilling overtime.
I’ll take another series like that any day.
The 2014 version will be different — this is a better Spurs team. Boris Diaw has found his comfort level and Kawhi Leonard is playing better. Plus these Spurs have played all season for this — to avenge Game 6, to seek revenge against the Heat.
Miami still has the best player on the planet and they are the two-time defending champions. A team capable of raising its level of play when it needs it to something nobody else can match.
Miami is athletic and brings great defensive ball pressure. San Antonio defuses that with its ball movement and movement off the ball — no NBA team is better suited to deal with what Miami brings.
This has all the potential to be another great series.