Here I am again having just watched the San Antonio Spurs dismantle the Miami Heat for the second straight game of the NBA Finals. From the very beginning, the Spurs seemed to have an edge. They came out and played much more aggressively than the Heat did and took an early lead the Heat could never overcome. LeBron James showed flashes, specifically in the third quarter, of why he is the best in the world, but looked fairly human tonight as Kahwi Leonard held him in check. However, Leonard went off and landed himself a double-double. He threw down some massive dunks and looks like everything has fallen into place. He is quietly leading the Spurs attack right now. Tony Parker also played light out on offense scoring 20 points and shooting 53 percent from the field. Dwayne Wade had an awful shooting night, but played well defensively despite that.

Here are some of the other things I noticed though during the game. First LeBron looks sluggish on defense. He makes his fair share of great plays, but has several others where he just doesn’t make any play at all. For what it is worth, he had the worst plus/minus ratio of anybody on his team at -21. The Heat’s defense has dropped since LeBron and Chris Bosh came to town. Maybe it’s about time LeBron got mad about it and made some more plays on defense.

Secondly, there was something up with the scoreboard operator tonight. I think he or she was a little trigger-happy or just started assuming the Spurs would make shots. At least three separate times tonight, the scoreboard on ESPN would add an extra point after a missed free throw by the Spurs, and then three seconds later correct it. Nothing really relevant, I just thought it was both funny and interesting.

Lastly, and this is the major point I want to get to, Miami in recent days has been linked to potential free agent Carmelo Anthony, who is currently a member of the New York Knicks. The thought is Miami wants to take a stab at getting Melo to come to South Beach to play for a contender and win a couple of championships. Here is the thing, that doesn’t solve anything.

Melo is capable of playing both the three and the four (small forward and power forward) and is mainly known for being an offensive scoring threat. He has often been criticized for his lack of hustle and effort on defense. Now, LeBron James is capable of playing both the three and the four and I think has been struggling a bit defensively of late. Where does getting a player who has the same player type as a guy you already have help you? I just don’t see the logic. The Heat need some help defensively. Melo does not bring that to the table.

What the Heat have a pressing need for is a point guard. They need a floor general who can play stingy defense and make a couple of shots when needed down the stretch. I listened to the announcers talk about the Heat playing without a point guard at times and I really didn’t think the Heat played very well. Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole simply are not cutting it. The Heat always seem to find good players to rotate in as big men but they are in desperate need of a true point guard. Clearly, they would never be available, but players like Paul George or Rajon Rondo come to mind here. They are great on ball defenders that would give a point guard like Tony Parker hell and they distribute the ball nicely, Rondo more so than George. They could look to address this need in the draft (Elfird Payton or Shabazz Napier perhaps) or, more likely for the Heat, in free agency.

I just hope this is something the Heat realize during the off-season. I watched them play tonight thinking, “How good could they be if they had someone feeding LeBron and Wade and Bosh who wasn’t missing jump shot after jump shot (Chalmers)?” This team needs to add a point guard to fix their inefficiencies. So this is a message to you Miami, don’t sign Melo. Just get a true point guard and then we will see how good the Heat could really be. Especially LeBron. He hasn’t had a decent point guard since Mo Williams back in Cleveland. It’s about time to give the man some help. I hope that Pat Riley thinks so too.

I just finished watching game three of the NBA finals and my first reaction is “man, Kawhi Leonard can play.” Leonard made the world’s greatest player, LeBron James, uncomfortable all night long with some stifling on-ball defense. Leonard always had his hands up and forced LeBron to play away from the basket for most of the game. And then there was Leonard on offense. He lit up the Heat defense to the tune of twenty-nine points and showed that he really is capable of being a star player. He shot the ball well from three point range and he displayed some fantastic athleticism driving to the basket. He also seemed to play in a more cerebral manner than I can remember seeing him play. Overall, San Antonio better hope that Leonard just unlocked the sleeping monster that would easily be the difference maker in their championship run.

Following the game, I spent a little time wondering how both of these teams, the Heat and the Spurs, were so good. This series represents a rematch of last years NBA Finals and it is Miami’s fourth trip in as many years. The Spurs had the league’s top record and I believe lead the league in offensive efficiency. The two teams dominated at stretches during the playoffs to make is back to the finals once again. It got me to think about what made these teams so good year in and year out. I came up with a short list of the primary reasons for both teams success. Surprisingly, they model each other in these regards making them very similar.

Selflessness

Both teams are littered with future Hall of Famers that could go out and attempt to make every play on his own. Rather than take that approach, both Miami and San Antonio have great team play. The Spurs are one of the greatest at moving the ball and moving off the ball. Their offense, while successful, is flowing and constantly moving. Even when they are setting up the pick and roll, players are shifting and positioning themselves to ensure they are ready to make a play. That all stems from everyone believing they are going to get the opportunity to make a play. There is no one who takes all of the glory. For all he is criticized, LeBron James is one of basketball’s best distributors and team players. He is always aware of who is playing well and who could use a boost. I have seen plenty a time where LeBron has made a concerted effort to get another player involved because he understands the importance of having everyone playing at a high level. And for as talented a scorer James is, he consistently spreads the ball around and sets up others for easy shots. The style of play is completely selfless and it is clear that both teams have bought into playing as a team for a championship. (Not to mention sacrificing money in contracts to add other key players around them. If that isn’t selflessness, then I am at a loss for what is.)

Depth

Even with the right mindset, it helps to have so much talent on both rosters. San Antonio is the king of rotating players evenly across the board to avoid fatigue and spark creativity. Gregg Popovich has a great system down that allows him to make full use of all of the players he has. From his stars, Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, to his role players, Patty Mills and Thiago Splitter, Pop gets everyone to contribute. There are so many players on this Spurs team that are capable of playing at a high level and making significant contributions. The fact that Manu Ginobli comes off the bench for San Antonio should let you know how deep this team is. On the Heat’s side, they do not have the same kind of crazy rotation but they do have some incredible “role players.” The best examples of this would be Shane Battier and Chris Andersen. These guys are by no means stars but they come in, make big plays and frustrate opponents with their energy and determination. That Heat bench also has Greg Oden and Ray Allen among others. Both teams have more than just five starting players who can contribute and run the team when the stars are slumping. It was astounding the number of times I would look out on the floor and see one San Antonio starter on the floor with four subs and still they would have success on the defensive side of the ball. That is the mark of a great team.

Coaching

The last key to the puzzle for the Spurs and Heat would be the man holding down the fort. Popovich and Miami’s Eric Spoelstra are true leaders and represent no-nonsense authorities.  They are fierce competitors and excellent motivators. They both blend the star power and bench players to create a more than effective and well rested team. These two men are clearly decorated and really embody that silent leader image. Without these two leading the way, both teams would likely fall apart throughout games and lack cohesiveness among players. Popovich is clearly one of the best of all time but I think Spoelstra gets overlooked despite making his fourth consecutive finals appearance. They are the ones who make those slight adjustments that make the game so diverse in style and usually fairly close. I also am astounded by the confidence they have in their players to be creative and make plays on their own. These two are clearly headed for the Hall of Fame themselves.

This has been a very entertaining NBA Finals so far and I am looking forward to tomorrow’s game four. We will see what adjustments are made and if Miami can bounce back from their sub-par defensive performance. Those are my thoughts on the two team’s dominance. Let me know what you think.