2013-2014 NBA Preview: Can The Miami Heat Three-Peat?
By Jesse Mapati
If only Tim Duncan on the floor in the final minute of Game 6 of the NBA Finals and Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh might
not have grabbed that crucial rebound and found Ray Allen in the corner for a three pointer that forced overtime and denied the San Antonio Spurs a championship.
Put Roy Hibbert, and not Sam Young, under the basket in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, and LeBron James perhaps would have thought twice about slashing around Paul George for a game winning layup against the Indiana Pacers as time expired.
Certainly, it helped that Miami had the NBA’s all time leader in three pointers and a four time league MVP on its roster, but the Heat’s second championship run in as many years was more about survival than domination. After steamrolling through the regular season highlighted by a remarkable 27-game winning streak the Heat was pushed to the limit in consecutive seven-game series that easily could’ve gone the other way if not for a few questionable decisions and good fortune.
The Eastern Conference is stronger now that Derrick Rose has returned from his left knee injury to catapult Chicago back into the title hunt, since the Brooklyn Nets borrowed some Boston edge and swagger with the additions of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett; and the Pacers have bolstered their bench and will eventually welcome back former all-star Danny Granger, who will miss the start of this season with a calf injury after a knee injury sidelined him last postseason.
The Western Conference has the defending conference champion San Antonio Spurs and the teams looking to over take them are the Clippers, Thunder, and the new look Rockets.
Top Story lines to watch this season:
1. Miami Heat go for the 3 peat
2. Derrick Rose’s knee
3. Dwight Howard in Houston
4. Kobe Bryant recovery from his torn Achilles
5. The New Look Brooklyn Nets players additions of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett with new Head coach Jason Kidd.
6. Doc Rivers coaching the Los Angeles Clippers.
PREDICTIONS:
Most Valuable Player: LeBron James
Rookie of the Year: Victor Oladipo
Breakout Player: Bradley Beal
Surprise Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Coach of the Year: Mike Brown
Sixth Man of the Year: Lance Stephenson
Conference Finals and Finals Picks:
Western: Spurs over Clippers
Eastern: Heat over Pacers
2014 NBA FINALS( REMATCH): Heat over Spurs.