NBA Conference Finals

Courtesy of Inner-City Newspaper

The NBA conference finals are underway, with two trips to the NBA finals at stake. This is my assessment of the two series, based on the information available as of May 21, 2013.

San Antonio vs. Memphis:
It is way too early to say the series is over, but the Spurs looked great in the first two games. They dominated game 1, and they looked fantastic in game 2 outside of the fourth quarter. Although this series could easily be tied 1-1 right now, San Antonio appears to be the more complete team. In game 1, the Spurs did a great job of spreading the scoring around. Tony Parker had 20, Kawhi Leonard had 18, Danny Green had 16, Matt Bonner had 12, and Gary Neal had 11. Memphis had trouble scoring, and Zach Randolph was completely shut down (2 points, 7 rebounds). Their biggest bright spot was Quincy Pondexter, who went 5-9 from 3-point range. Game 2 was much closer, and Memphis had a great 4th quarter that sent the game to overtime. Both teams spread around the scoring, but Parker reminded everyone why he is an elite point guard by dishing out 18 assists. Zach Randolph played better, but he still struggled. He scored 15 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, but he shot 6 for 18. Memphis missed their last 14 shots of the second quarter, which dug the team into a deep hole. Tim Duncan scored 17, and had 6 critical overtime points that led them to the win. Marc Gasol and Mike Conley are the only two Grizzlies who played consistently in the first two games, and everyone else has been spotty. Late in the game, Memphis put Mike Conley, Quincy Pondexter, and Jerryd Bayless on the court at the same time. This lineup played with speed, and coach Lionel Hollins realizes that he needs to take advantage of the youth that his team has. Expect to see this lineup more often moving forward. Memphis clearly has the ability to compete with the Spurs, but San Antonio has a huge edge in experience and coaching. Memphis does have the size advantage, but that is irrelevant if Randolph continues to struggle. I expect to see more of the same in this series. San Antonio in 6.

Miami vs. Indiana:
Both teams looked pretty convincing in their previous series; Miami beat Chicago in five, and Indiana beat New York in six. Both teams will be very confident coming into this series, and it is a very intriguing due to contrasting styles. Indiana is hard-nosed, and Miami is a finesse team. Indiana likes to post up, and Miami's lack of size will work against them in this series. Miami likes to wall off the paint on defense, but the scheme is tough to execute against two post players. Roy Hibbert and David West will be Indiana's focal point offensively, because it is likely that one will be open at any given time. Indiana's size is a great asset offensively, but Miami will find a way to neutralize Indiana's bigs defensively. Chris Bosh is such a catalyst offensively for Miami because of his ability to shoot outside shots. This will cause a Pacer big to go out and guard him, which will open up driving lanes for LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. It will be almost impossible for Indiana to guard both the post and perimeter. Indiana matches up well against Miami's stars, but Miami's role players will give them trouble. Either Mario Chalmers, Ray Allen, Norris Cole, or Shane Battier will click on any given night. All of them can hit threes, which will also cause problems. Indiana has skill offensively, but it is unclear who will be there main scorer on a game-by-game basis. One night it could be Paul George, another night it could be Roy Hibbert, another night it could be George Hill. This lack of consistency means that they will have at least a couple games where they struggle to produce offensively. Miami knows what to expect from their big three, and that level of comfort goes a long way. Last year these two teams met in the second round of the playoffs, and Indiana gave Miami all they could handle. Chris Bosh missed the series however, and he is probably the biggest advantage Miami has. When Bosh is hitting his outside shots, it opens up a tremendous amount of floor space. Indiana needs to neutralize him to have a chance, but it is doubtful that will happen. Miami is vastly superior in the talent department, and no one can shut LeBron down. Miami in 6.