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 Oh, the possibilities! NBA Finals matchups just loaded with intrigue
Posted: Friday June 04, 1999 01:53 PM
By John Donovan, CNN/SI ATLANTA -- If the voters had their way -- and, darn it, why shouldn't they? -- we'd be seeing the San Antonio Spurs and the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals. That's what online sports fans want, anyway. But is that the best matchup for the NBA's showcase, the best foot forward for a league that has spent a year tripping all over its feet? The NBA Finals are still a little ways away -- the earliest they will start is June 13 -- and the teams are still TBA. But it's never too early to take a quick look at what the best-of-seven series could be:
San Antonio vs. IndianaThe themes : The upstart Spurs meet the aged Pacers, the hottest team in the West meets the creakiest team in the East. Do the Pacers have an answer for Tim Duncan and David Robinson? Can the Spurs match the experience and savvy of the Pacers? Can Reggie Miller keep his mouth shut? Will Tim Duncan's heart rate get above 32? The subplot : Can Larry Bird really coach, or did he simply inherit a good-to-great team? Numerology : The Pacers have six players on their roster with at least 10 years of NBA experience -- the most of any team left in the playoffs. Mano-a-mano : Shooting guards Reggie Miller (Pacers) and Mario Elie (Spurs). Two guys that know all the tricks there are to know.
San Antonio vs. New York KnicksThe themes : The gutty and surprising Knicks, without a real starting center, face the Spurs' Twin Towers. Can Chris Dudley play for more than 20 minutes without fouling out? Will the Spurs have an answer for the unstoppable Latrell Sprewell? Is this Jeff Van Gundy's swan song, or his crowning achievement?
The subplot : Who the heck is Gregg Popovich? Numerology : The best shooting team in the playoffs still alive (at 45 percent) vs. the best defensive team in the playoffs (the Knicks have held opponents to 37 percent shooting). Mano-a-mano : Forwards Sean Elliott (Spurs) and Kurt Thomas (Knicks) and Marcus Camby (Knicks). Elliott can play outside, as he showed in his game-winning heroics in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals. Can the Knicks' duo stop him?
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Indiana
The themes : The young, talented and disgustingly deep Blazers meet the old, talented and pretty darn deep Pacers. Can Portland's Brian Grant handle the two Davis dudes, Antonio and Dale, underneath? Will Rik Smits have the breakout series the folks in Indianapolis have been waiting for? Black socks or dreadlocks? The subplot : A changing of the NBA guard? Numerology : In the one game this season between these two teams, Blazers guard Isaiah Rider, playing against Reggie Miller of the Pacers, scored 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a 100-92 Blazers' win in Portland. Mano-a-mano : Point guards Stoudamire (Blazers) and Mark Jackson (Pacers). Jackson is big enough (6-foot-3) to back down the 5-foot-10 Stoudamire. Is Jackson quick enough to keep up?
Portland vs. New YorkThe themes : The all-around, comeback Blazers meet the worn down, comeback Knicks. Can Marcus Camby, Kurt Thomas, Larry Johnson and Chris Dudley handle the depth of the Portland front line? Who has the best tattoos, Damon Stoudamire or Marcus Camby? Halfcourt or running game? Jeff Van Gundy: Should he stay or should he go? The subplot : Bad boys Isaiah Rider and Latrell Sprewell bang heads -- and just about everything else -- to prove who's the baddest of them all. Numerology : How deep are the Blazers? The Knicks have five players who averaged at least 30 minutes a game this season. The Blazers have two. Mano-a-mano : Shooting guards Rider (Blazers) and Sprewell (Knicks). At times, this series could be reduced to a one-on-one matchup between these two scoring machines. Rider averaged 13.9 points a game, best on his team. Sprewell was good for 16.4, second on the Knicks.
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