LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are looking to lead the Miami Heat to back-to-back NBA championships.
There are always plenty of storylines to watch for when the NBA Finals roll around, but here in 2013, it seems as though there are more than ever.
Whether it’s the dominance of LeBron James and the Miami Heat or the fact that the San Antonio Spurs are yet again competing for a title, there’s plenty to analyze for this playoff matchup.
The series itself is important, but here are five storylines to watch for in the 2013 NBA Finals.
LeBron James’ Greatness
LeBron James’ career will be defined by the amount of championships he wins. (Photo Credit/Keith Allison/Flickr)
With all of the comparisons to Michael Jordan, when it’s all said and done, LeBron James’ greatness will be defined by how many championship rings he owns. We already know he can play at a high level like M.J., but ultimately, a player’s legacy is determined by how many banners he’s raised.
After declaring that the Miami Heat would win multiple championships when the Big Three got together, the pressure is on James and the Heat to come through.
Miami will undoubtedly be the favorite having won it all last season and owning the home-court advantage in 2013, only adding more pressure against a veteran Spurs squad.
If James doesn’t get it done in the Finals, questions will again begin to swirl about his greatness.
The End of a Dynasty?
This could be the last time Tim Duncan plays in the NBA Finals. (Photo Credit: jmtimages, Flickr.com)
Is this the last time we’ll see Tim Duncan in the NBA finals?
Over the course of the past 15 years, the Spurs have been one of the most successful franchises in basketball, winning four championships since 1999.
Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have won three rings together (2003, ‘05 and ‘07), but with Duncan being 37 and Ginobili being 35, one has to think the big three era in San Antonio will be coming to an end very soon.
Basketball fans will be anxiously watching as the Spurs look to hang another banner before Duncan and Ginobili call it quits.
The Decline of Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade isn’t nearly the player he used to be. (Photo Credit: Mark Runyon, Basketball Schedule)
Dwyane Wade is still a talented player, but there’s no doubting that he’s slowing down as his career progresses. He may only be 31, but all of the mileage on Wade’s body has seen him steadily decline, especially here in the 2013 NBA playoffs.
The two-time NBA champion is averaging a career-low 14.1 points per game in the postseason and is shooting an abysmal 25 percent from downtown and 44 percent from the field.
He did come up big in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, with 21 points and nine rebounds, but it’s not the D-Wade NBA fans are accustomed to seeing.
It’s clear that this is James’ team and that Wade is a second scoring option for Miami.
The Emergence of Kawhi Leonard
You can’t say enough about what Kawhi Leonard has done for the Spurs this season. (Photo Credit: Mark Runyon, Basketball Schedule)
Averaging 11.9 points and six rebounds per game during the regular season, San Antonio small forward Kawhi Leonard has carried that effort into the postseason.
The 21-year-old forward is averaging 13 points and eight rebounds per game in the playoffs and has been an instrumental piece in the Spurs’ run to the NBA Finals.
Leonard set the tone in Game 1 against the Memphis Grizzlies, netting 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting as the Spurs won 105-83 and cruised to a perfect 4-0 sweep of Memphis in the Western Conference Finals.
On an aging Spurs roster, Leonard could be the future of the San Antonio franchise, but we’ll wait and see how he responds against Miami before dubbing him the future of the Spurs.
Will the Rest Hurt?
With an aging roster, the layoff will benefit the San Antonio Spurs. (Photo: Flickr user Killbucky).
It’s always a double-edged sword when a team gets a long layoff between playoff series.
In the past, we’ve seen teams come out flat due to the lack of cohesion and consistency of play, but for an aging team like the Spurs, strength and training coach Alan Stein believes it’s a good thing:
Regardless of who wins tonite's Game 7, the Spurs have been getting a ton of rest. That is a HUGE advantage for a veteran team. #Dangerous
— Alan Stein, Jr. (@AlanSteinJr) June 4, 2013
Being such a fundamental team and having played with each other for quite some time now, it’s likely that the layover won’t affect San Antonio. You can fully expect Parker to come out as energetic as ever and Duncan to continue being a solid presence in the paint.
Get ready for one epic series, ladies and gentleman.
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