Jun 5, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra speaks to the media after practice for game one of the 2013 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Both teams dispatched of their respective conference’s most thug-loved squads. So you can make a case that each will gladly welcome a new defensive scheme to, uh, scheme against. Anticipating their adjustments, you can weave a potential scenario wherein each coach opts for a small lineup and draw out the adjusted match-ups accordingly. There are many interesting angles to the NBA Finals matchup of the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs.

Tony Parker has been the NBA’s dark horse option for MVP the last few years, and for good reason. The Spurs have transitioned to a Tony Parker-centric offense for awhile and almost made it to the finals with it last year. Whereas LeBron James is the focal point of Miami’s offense, picking apart a defense and hitting open shooters or driving all the way to the rim, Parker is the Spurs engine doing the same.

Whether Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh are healthy enough to support James the way Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili will Parker almost doesn’t matter — the fact Bosh won’t be tangling with Indiana’s Roy Hibbert will make him feel fresh as a daisy. Tiago Splitter, for all his defense, rebounding and opportunistic scoring isn’t Hibbert or David West. Bosh will be resurgent against San Antonio.

Wade could have the biggest opportunity to shine, as James, Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole will switch off defending Parker, Wade will most likely draw Danny Green or match up with Ginobili and the Spurs second unit. Kawhi Leonard has shown himself to be a player worthy of hype (tremendous! outstanding!) but hasn’t lined up against LeBron but one time. I have a hard time believing that matchup won’t end up benefiting the Heat more than Parker and whoever ends up checking him.

The Spurs have the personnel to make the Heat’s aggressive defense pay for loading up on pick and rolls, but Wade and LeBron are two of the best off-the-ball perimeter defenders in the league and the fast break points could pile up. If Bosh performs like he’s had a Hibbert-sized weight lifted off his shoulders and all the 40% 3-point shooters come back to their average, Miami could roll in 5.

That’s right. I said it. Miami in 5.

Mar 27, 2013; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio (9) during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Target Center. Lakers won 120-117. Mandatory Credit: Greg Smith-USA TODAY Sports

After the B.S. Report about Pek in the first Wolves entry on his list, Ricky Rubio is #22 on Bill Simmons Trade Value rankings with a cute graphic showing that Simmons has researchers working for him and — and everyone is shocked to learn this – Ricky shoots it bad. Beyond bad. From everywhere. I mean, just look at this graphic evidence.

Fortunately, you know, this isn’t news or — despite said cute graphic — even the point, because Simmons realized long ago what Ricky brings to the table. He and Larry Bird talked about it at length. The fact he can’t shoot should be more damning, but the intangibles outweigh the evidence — even for a Timberwolves hater.

22. Ricky Rubio 
It’s like 1997 Jason Kidd had a baby with 2009 Rajon Rondo. You’re right, that was disgusting. But he’s a spectacular playmaker, an electric passer, a phenomenally unselfish teammate and an occasionally destructive defensive player. He sees everything about a split-second before everyone else does. He’s wonderful to watch. There’s nobody like him. Right now, he can’t shoot even a lick. That’s the only problem, and it’s not a small one. Check out this Rubio shot chart that our friend Kirk Goldsberry made us.

 

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So this isn’t just about struggling to become a respectable outside shooter, which was Kidd’s biggest issue once upon a time. If Rubio isn’t finishing around the rim, that’s a much bigger problem if the reason isn’t “Don’t be a dick, you know it takes two years to recover from a torn ACL!” Then again, how many guards could affect games as dramatically as Rubio does without scoring a single point? It’s not a long list. I’m still drinking the Kool-Aid here.

Not really addressed here: There are concerns about Ricky’s shooting having gone unaddressed for so long that it’s beyond repair. I think everyone would agree that patience and this offseason will bear this out. Still, there are bigger concerns that the supposed 5-year deal Kevin Love wanted and didn’t get (more on that in Part Three) won’t be offered to Rubio, either. The idea that Glen Taylor is so concerned about being saddled with any big contracts of length, he would give Ricky the identical offer Love ended up with (again, more on this later) and alienate both of his best players — this a conspiranoid thought process everyone following the Wolves can only hope is rendered moot by success and winning curing all ails.

Still to come, Part Three…