NBA Finals Prediction: The Big Finish

The hopes were so high as we entered the conference finals, and the dramatic conclusion to Game 1 in the East certainly gave lots of people reason to believe that we were finally, finally going to get some basketball that was worth tuning in for. And, well ... not so much. San Antonio quickly did away with Memphis and while Miami and Indiana indeed went seven games, the finale was a predominantly one-sided affair. Alas, we arrive at the final matchup of the NBA season, and this one should definitely make for a pretty riveting conclusion to what has otherwise been a pretty forgettable basketball postseason. With the exception of, say, the upstart Golden State Warriors, the NBA Playoffs has more or less gone as expected and completely paled in comparison to what's been going on over on the NBC Sports Network most every night. But hey, don't take my word for it:

The NHL playoffs have been exponentially better than the NBA playoffs this year.
— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) May 22, 2013

As @danwetzel said, the NHL Playoffs have been miles more compelling than the NBA Playoffs this year. Not even close.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 22, 2013

Now, you're bound to hear some people complain that the Spurs are "boring," that the Thunder were the preferred opponent, that this year's playoffs suffered when some of the game's best point guards (Russell Westbrook, Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose) were unable to compete. However, San Antonio has been exceeding expectations, and this year's Finals has a nice narrative. Tim Duncan, arguably the greatest power forward of all time, against LeBron James, perhaps the greatest player of all time, period. A Spurs team that has never won consecutive titles trying to deny a Heat team back-to-back championships. LeBron getting an opportunity to avenge being swept by San Antonio in the 2007 NBA Finals. And, of course, Gregg Popovich getting the opportunity to accept what will be David Stern's final Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy presentation less than a year after the commissioner levied a ridiculous fine against the team for resting star players in a nationally televised game against this same Miami team. Yep, should be fun.

I got both of my predictions right last round, but neither was called in the correct number of games. So that brings me to 12-2 in this year's playoffs with six total series in the correct number of games. My final prediction should really come as no surprise:

San Antonio Spurs over Miami Heat in six games

LeBron is great, undoubtedly the best player in the league right now. The Spurs, however, are the more complete team. As a result, I envision a Finals that could very well unfold just like the one two years ago did when it was the Mavericks stunning the Heat, meaning these two teams split the first two games, Miami takes Game 3 and San Antonio wins three in a row to close it out. Or something like that. King James is still only one guy, and Popovich is the coach that should be able to present a roster that limits him as effectively as a basketball team can hope to. I'm not convinced that Spoelstra has enough weapons consistent enough to counter what the Spurs bring to the series, what with Duncan, Ginobili, Parker, Leonard and Splitter. Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade and Ray Allen could have their games where they have tremendous impacts on the outcomes, but probably not each and every game. The Heat defense will be tougher than any San Antonio has faced to this point, but the Spurs will also present more challenges than Miami has seen. In the end, I'll be likely watching most of this series from our bedroom (the wife loathes both of these teams), and be looking forward to whatever snide remark Pops has ready when accepting his fifth Larry O'Brien.