Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs

Seeing a rematch in the NBA Finals is a rare occurrence. It hasn’t happened since 1997-98 when the Chicago Bulls won their last two titles against the Utah Jazz. This is also rare that both teams have virtually the same roster in both matchups. Miami is still counting big contributions from LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. They’ll need the same from the likes of Ray Allen, Mario Chalmers and Shane Battier just to name a few. The Heat should be the favorites since they are the two-time defending champions, but with another long run to a potential title their players aren’t getting any younger. Their depth isn’t the greatest either, but they make up for it in pure speed on both ends of the court. They pose a mismatch to every team with that attribute.

San Antonio figures they had the best of Miami last year and came very close to doing that. Nothing says that the Spurs won’t be able to do the same thing this year with home court on their side. It would be a fitting end, if this is the end for Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili who could be retiring after the series regardless of the outcome. Duncan has had a very consistent hall of fame career and another title to his resume would cinch his name among the greats. Ginobili hasn’t had a long career in the NBA, but playing professional overseas does count for something this day and age. Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green made their presence felt during last years Finals and will do so again with the help of Ginobili and Tony Parker setting them up. Leonard has actually been more adept at creating his own shot this year and that doesn’t bode well for Miami. Parker’s health is a big key for the Spurs, but their depth is almost unmatched by any team in the league.

Players to Watch: F LeBron James Heat and F Tim Duncan Spurs

Who Wins: Spurs in 7 games