Riverwalk parade, anyone?
While the national media was going ga-ga over the run and gun Phoenix Suns, their opponents ended the love fest with a decisive 4-1 series win. The San Antonio Spurs have won me over, and in no small part to the way they handled the offensive onslaught of the Suns.
They held the Suns to under 100 points twice, something of a rarity this season, much less twice in a period of days. Just ask the Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets how easy it is to pull that off. Coach Gregg Popovich has worked out a near perfect balance of offensive power and a grinding defense that will serve his team well against a grittier eastern conference team in the NBA Finals.
The way San Antonio is playing; they have to be considered favorites. This team has been here before – they were champs in 2003 and 1999 – and has had time to rest up since disposing of Phoenix in five games.
All of that said – do not expect this team to get the respect it deserves. This team has quietly gotten to the Finals because of its, well, less than flashy approach to playing basketball. That style of play, focusing on spreading the ball between Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, doesn’t get huge ratings or national coverage.
But it will be good enough to bring home another NBA title.
Getting back to Dallas…
As for the Mavericks, after watching the Suns/Spurs series it’s clear that their season ended earlier than it had to. For a team that stressed the importance of defense during the stretch run of the regular season, their lack of it against the Suns ensured an unnecessary exit.
Thankfully, owner Mark Cuban has signaled that the Mavericks disappointing performance will not mean dismantling the team during the off-season. He believes, and rightly so, that this current group needs time to gel. A full year under the control of Avery Johnson can only help the Mavericks refine their defensive schemes and improve on their play in the clutch.
Cuban is also correct in defending last year’s loss of Steve Nash. The Mavericks would not have made it past the Rockets with their 2003-2004 team. Drastic changes had to be made, and ultimately it will be shown that Cuban made the right choice. Anyone who thinks that Nash would have had a similar MVP-type year in Dallas is seriously deluded.
The Suns are facing the same problems that the Mavericks did a few years ago. They can outshoot anyone, but can’t play defense to save their life. The Mavericks have taken the steps to become a part of the NBA elite. Next season will give them the chance to show they belong.
