I was watching a show on NBA TV that featured the old rivalries of the NBA. On there they mentioned something I hadn’t noticed before, that in the 80’s, Larry Bird or Magic Johnson played in the Finals every year. Now people talk about the NBA not having those type of rivalries and the storyline is missing, but is it really?
Since 1999, Tim Duncan or Shaq have played in every Finals. Starting with Duncan in 1999 and latest with Shaq playing for the Heat in the 2006 Finals. Last season also marked the first time since 1999 that the Lakers or Spurs were not in the Finals.
Tim Duncan plays a smooth, calm, and very fundamental game of basketball. In a time where every player seemingly shoots to hit no rim or backboard, Duncan shoots many bank shots off of the backboard. Where other marquee players such as Kevin Garnett seem to “show off,” Duncan goes about his business very quietly. Many times Duncan will score 30 points, and grab 10 rebounds and no one notices because it is his average game.
Shaq played for years in Los Angeles and people would say the only player who played like Shaq was Allen Iverson. Both men would cut right through defenders under the rim to get to the basket. Where Iverson used quick moves, Shaq would rely on using his 300+ pound, 7 foot frame to power his way to the rim. Shaking what would seem like the entire arena, the big man would then dance or celebrate after a move that is not fully explained by “slam dunk.” Shaq was never a great defender, but his size alone would stop many offenses as the average center could not post up against O’Neal.
I don’t get why there is no Shaq and Duncan storyline.
I also realized I never said my predictions for round three.
Spurs in 4
Pistons in 4
Sounds logical right?
So that’s enough for now, but I’ll leave you to think about this, Robert Horry has played in every NBA playoffs since 1993.
