Courtesy: Bleacher Report
1. Tim Duncan is the greatest player in the NBA, since Michael Jordan retired. Period.
The “Big Fundamental” outperformed everyone on the court, not wearing No. 6 for the Heat, during the entirety of the series. Let alone that he is a 4x champion, 2x league MVP, 3x Finals MVP, and 14x All-Defensive first or second team (accolades which combined are comparable to Kobe Bryant or LeBron James to date); he played at a level unprecedented for a 37 year old big man. Now “King James” may be well on his way to taking over that mantle, but Duncan is the greatest Power Forward ever. When building the All-Time NBA, he is in the starting five, along with players like MJ, Magic, and Bill Russell.
Courtesy: Miami Herald
2. Juwan Howard is going to be one hell of a coach.
Though technically still on the Heat roster, Howard was nothing more than a glorified bench coach for the past two seasons. That proved to be not a bad thing; as he was a vocal leader and the calming head on a roster full of superstars. During timeouts and commercial breaks, Howard was witnessed voicing his wisdom, especially during the most of the crucial moments throughout the series. His days of playing the post may be over, but someone will sign him up to lead their franchise in the near future.
Courtesy: CBS Local Miami
3. Kawhi Leonard will be a star in the very near future.
Leonard asserted his presence on basketball’s biggest stage on both sides of the court. His blend of a vast shooting skill set, athleticism, defensive prowess and rebounding ability translates into a well-rounded player to build a franchise around. For a 21 year old, playing up to the level of his competition in LeBron James, he proved to be a worth watching for years to come.
4. Dwayne Wade used his injury as an excuse and proved to be overrated.
Courtesy: USA Today
Wade had a meteoric rise in the NBA, willing the Heat to their first title in team history during his second season. Since then, it was a steady downfall in his career path; leading to an all-time low, when Miami was one of the worst teams in the league in 2008. None of the All-Time greats would allow their team to such lows. His return to prominence coincided with the LeBron’s talents in South Beach. Wade never elevated his game to become a great shooter or facilitator; never more evident than against the Spurs. He consistently was taking bad shots and becoming a black hole for the ball. And when he was on the wrong end of a bad play, like a dead-legged Manu Ginobli blowing past him in Game 7, he would come up hobbling like it was his knees fault. Though an extremely talented and superior player in the NBA, his name cannot be placed among the All-Time greats, because of his inability to evolve with age.
5. It is time for the Heat to move on from the “Big Three.”
Courtesy: Washington Post
Watching LeBron take over games, while Wade and Bosh watched from the bench, is proof enough that Miami needs a major change going into the next season. Wade will stay, even though his -52 player rating during the Finals, because of his history and relationship with James. But Bosh may not be so lucky; as Pat Riley cannot be happy with his 7-footer, hanging out around the 3-point line. Duncan completely dominated him in the post as well and Bosh was outplayed by Chris Anderson. Bosh is an offensive threat, but this team showed its flaws and need a banger down low to do the dirty work. They should get a good haul of bodies and picks, if and when they decide to rid themselves of 29 year old 100 million dollar man.
