San Antonio Spurs successfully thrashed the Miami Heat to win the NBA title. Kawhi Leonard was named Finals MVP, a move that made a lot of noise because Leonard is not considered to be one of the core three players on the Spurs.
A lot has been made about the way the Spurs won, with many saying it was “good team ball” that carried them through. But that phrase doesn’t really explain exactly how the Spurs were able to beat a team that features possibly the most talented trio of teammates in NBA history. After all, this was the Miami Heat team that we assumed would be an unstoppable dynasty for at least an entire decade.
Could the Big Three formula be a flawed design?
We had never seen a team built like the Miami Heat were built. Therefore, we could never really predict how they would work out over the course of their existence. In the first year of the Big Three era, they struggled out of the gate before making their way to the Finals. Dallas outplayed Miami, who showed a lack of Finals experience. That’s to be expected, however, when completely overhauling a team. In fact, making it to the Finals is a great accomplishment, given the way the team was built.
Of course, what followed were back-to-back titles, including a dramatic series against a San Antonio team that had Miami dead to rights in Game 6. Ray Allen, who was acquired as a free agent, proved to be the key addition that the Heat needed.
Beyond Ray Allen and Birdman, not a single bench player on the Heat made much of a noticeable impact. In fact, those are the only free agent signings who contributed at all. And with declining play from Shane Battier and Udonis Haslem, bringing in free agent help had to be a priority. Instead, they were stuck with Michael Beasley and Greg Oden, who spent a lot of time wearing suits.
A quick look at the Miami Heat contracts brings to light a few issues. The team is built to be top heavy, so it’s not surprising to see Lebron, Bosh, and Wade at the top of the contract list. It’s alarming, though, when you realize that those three contracts take up all but $1.8 million of the Heat’s cap space. This leaves room to resign players like Battier and Haslem, who were already there, but hardly any room to bring in new players. Plus, according to that list, they signed Deandre Liggins twice, which is two times more than anyone ever should.
This problem rears its ugly head when the accessory pieces surrounding the Big Three are older and fading. Instead of being able to snag proven assets (who would demand more money than the Heat can afford) they have to settle on questionable additions like Beasley and Oden. Not as many veterans are rushing to sign for less money but the chance at a ring, and it’s hurting the Heat.
As we’re beginning to see, the top-heavy model of building a team isn’t built to last. After a few years, it leaves a team with absolutely no flexibility to make impactful additions. Yes, you might land Chris Andersen or the reanimated corpse of Rashard Lewis, but more often than not you’re building a winning team with role players like Haslem and James Jones and then watching them fall apart and eventually become useless.
Instant success, yet potential danger in the long run. The Big Three were signed for at least four years, and it looks as though four years might be the longest a team like that could survive.
Does this make the San Antonio formula a better choice? Their top paid player makes $7 million less than both Bosh and James. In fact, Tim Duncan makes only $10.3 million, barely more than his backup, Thiago Splitter. They only have three contracts that hit double-digit millions, and none of those players are Manu Ginobli or Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard.
Don’t mistake this for a guaranteed winning formula, though. Nobody knew if Danny Green would ever find his shot when he was brought to the Spurs, and Boris Diaw was supposed to be well past his prime and overweight. Kawhi Leonard wasn’t a highly touted prospect when he was drafted. He was an athletic defender, which fit a need in San Antonio and nothing more. Nobody predicted that in a few years, he would outplay the best player in the world.
So did San Antonio find the secret to winning? Not necessarily, although having five titles in 15 is an incredible accomplishment. Owning the cap space to find and sign proven role players (like Patty Mills and Boris Diaw) who fit your needs helps. Miami hasn’t put themselves in a position to do so, and has to take more gambles.
All we can really glean from this without much speculation is that the top-heavy, Big Three formula doesn’t lend itself to long-term success building. Stars are necessary, of course, and nobody will deny the talent of Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili. But they were still wiling to take less money than they were probably worth, and it helps their team in the long run.
Formulas work and fail and must constantly be tested. What is really important is the attitude of those involved. Rarely will we ever see such talent and good attitude combined in one team like the 2013-2014 San Antonio Spurs exhibited.
We can speculate what the off-season may bring, but don’t let that get in the way of realizing just how special and rare this Spurs team was.
