The NBA Finals rematch between the Spurs and Heat, expected to be a tightly contested series between the two squads widely considered to be the league’s best, quickly turned into a bloodbath. The Spurs made one adjustment – moving Boris Diaw into the starting lineup for Tiago Splitter – and didn’t look back, outscoring the Heat by a combined 57 points in Games 3-5 and cruising to their fifth championship in franchise history.
Such a victory has particular ramifications for the stars dotting each roster and the coaches standing on the sideline for the two model franchises in the NBA. Here’s a look at those consequences, beginning with the star who claimed his fifth championship Sunday night:
Tim Duncan: Now the best of his era
With this fifth championship, there is no longer an argument about who was the best player to come out of the “bridge” period between the Jordan Era and the LeBron Era. The only real argument that supporters of Kobe Bryant – Duncan’s only real competitor for this crown – had was Bryant had an extra ring. That distinction is now gone, as Duncan has now matched Bryant’s fistful of championships, and his other accomplishments surpass those of the Lakers star.
The thing that truly tilts the scales in Duncan’s favor is the remarkable consistency the Spurs have shown during his career, winning the equivalent of 50 games or more in each of his 17 seasons.
Gregg Popovich: Up there with Phil and Red?
With a fifth championship of his own, the Spurs mastermind should pass Pat Riley as the third-best coach of all time, at minimum, trailing only Phil Jackson and Red Auerbach. Popovich may not – well, OK, certainly does not – care about such accolades. He barely wants anyone to look at him when he’s not coaching his team. But the job Popovich did this season was undeniably brilliant, even for his absurd standard of success.
After a devastating loss to the Heat in last year’s Finals, many expected that to be the end of the Spurs’ incredible, multi-decade run. Popovich, however, refused to let that be the case.
He brought the team back for training camp this season and, in agonizing detail, went through every step of the collapse late in Game 6, as well as their close loss in Game 7. Everyone from the coach on down to the last player on the roster accepted his role in their demise. Once they did, they all moved on, and began preparing to finish the job this season. That they did is a testament to the leadership of Popovich, who shepherded the Spurs team to such success over the past 17 years, winning over 70 percent of their games in the regular season in addition to the five championships.
Manu Ginobili: Numbers don’t tell his story
With a fourth championship under his belt, it’s hard to say Ginobili – one of the best international players in NBA history – is not deserving of entry into the Basketball Hall of Fame when his legendary career ends.
Ginobili doesn’t have the spectacular numbers you’d expect from a player of his stature. The Argentine has scored a little over 11,000 points in his career because of his role on the Spurs’ roster as a super sub, but Ginobili remains one of only two players, along with Bill Bradley, to have won a Euroleague title, an NBA title and an Olympic gold medal, and has been one of the game’s most breathtaking and unique players throughout his career.
His dunk on Chris Bosh during Game 5 Sunday night showed he still has plenty in the tank, too – something that didn’t seem possible during his massive struggles in last year’s Finals, when he seemed to be on his last legs and openly talked of retirement. He’s expected back next season to make another run at a title.
Dwyane Wade: Best days well behind him
To put it simply, Wade is not a superstar anymore. Wade’s supporters would point to his numbers during the regular season – 19.0 points per game on 54 percent shooting, 4.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists – and say they suggest otherwise.
But the Heat did absolutely everything this season to ensure Wade would be ready to be a star in the playoffs. He sat out one-third of the regular-season games – almost all of them as a healthy scratch – to have him rested for the playoffs, and he played a career-low in minutes per game. What did that get Wade and the Heat in the Finals? A rather pedestrian 15.2 points per game on 43.8 percent shooting – including poor showings in Games 4 and 5. He scored 10 and 11 points, respectively, as the Heat’s season ended without much of a fight.
Wade has never been a good shooter – he’s a career 28.9 percent marksman from 3-point range, and has been under that mark in each of the past three seasons – and as his legs have started to fail him as he enters his 30s, his trademark athleticism is starting to slip, as well.
Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh all have the option to opt out of their contracts this summer and next, but of those three, only Wade would have trouble equaling the two years and $40 million he’s owed on the open market. Given the lack of a supporting cast around the trio this season, the smart thing might be to opt out of their contracts, take lower annual salaries and allow the Heat front office to retool the roster. But whether Wade, in particular, will be willing to do so will be an awfully interesting thing to watch.
LeBron James: Where will his talents go now?
Take a look at the numbers James put up in these Finals: 28.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 57.1 percent from the field, 51.9 percent from 3-point range and 79.3 percent from the foul line. The Heat lost in spite of spectacular play from James, not because of him.
There are many who won’t agree with that, either because they refuse to say anything remotely complimentary about James four years after “The Decision,” or because it’s more fun to mock him for his body shutting down with cramps in Game 1. But the bottom line is James remains the best player on the planet, and it still isn’t close.
As with Wade, the question now shifts to whether James will exercise his ability to opt out of his contract and become a free agent this summer – and, if he does, where he’ll wind up playing next and whom he’ll play with. If he remains in Miami, the Heat have to improve their supporting cast to win a championship next season.
That could mean trying to expand their super-team concept by chasing Carmelo Anthony, or it could mean spreading the money around for more supporting players to give the Big Three the support they lacked in these Finals. Either way, the focus will be on James and what he chooses to do – just as it has been ever since he came into the league in 2003.