NBA Finals Reaction

I'll be spending time this week focusing on the NBA. I'll start with a simple reaction to the NBA Finals, which ended last night:

Congratulations to the San Antonio Spurs on the winning the championship! It was truly a magnificent performance, aided emotionally by the fact that the Heat stole the championship from them a year ago. The balanced effort by the Spurs, seen through their team defense and dynamic passing on offense was absolutely a joy to watch. It was astounding that they won so easily over the two-time defending champs. Kawhi Leonard was a deserving MVP. I didn't see him winning before the series, but I did see the Spurs winning.

So what now?

- The Miami Big 3 will remain together. When it's all said and done, Lebron/Wade/Bosh will stay with the Heat. They've gone to the Finals each season they've played together and won twice. That's success they won't pass up. If Cleveland traded for Kevin Love, then maybe Lebron would go there. But that's far-fetched at this point.

- The Spurs Big 3 will not remain together. There hasn't been any indication of this, but I think Tim Duncan retires. He's a free agent this summer, and it makes sense going out a champion at the age of 38. The crazy thing is that he's still playing at a high level. If he returns, it would likely be for a one year deal so he and Manu can finish up together.

- Miami will once again make the Finals, and they'll beat OKC in seven games. You heard it here first folks. As a bonus, Lebron will win the Finals MVP, as well as the MVP in the regular season. I think this series will motivate him.

- The Spurs will be a Top 4 seed in the West in 2015, but lose in the second round. I respect Coach Pop, but unless they get a replacement for Duncan (assuming he retires), they won't make it quite as far with his other aging players.

- Miami will look different next year (besides the Big 3). Ray Allen may retire, Battier already did, and they will likely part ways with Chalmers after his disastrous playoff run. Anderson will likely stay put, as will Haslem, but I'm not so sure about Beasley, Jones, Lewis, etc. They may have to retool the bench with other vets and their first round pick.

- San Antonio will look similar next year, but potentially with a new big guy. Duncan is the key free agent (with a player option), but three role players up for grabs include Diaw, Mills, and Bonner. I say it's likely that at least two of them return. If Duncan retires, I see them making a run at Greg Monroe, who would be perfect for Pop's system.

- All eyes now turn to the NBA Draft (next week) and free agency (July). It should be an excited first month or so of the offseason, and it will set the stage for a great 2015 I'm sure.

That's all for today. We'll talk NBA more tomorrow.

By: The Sports Guys