An MVP won’t be crowned until after the waning seconds burn off the final game of this postseason, but there’s no reason not to project who’s leading the candidacy. Game 1 of the 2013 NBA Finals was much like hardened fans and analysts expected: precision execution and a battle of tempos. And Tony Parker’s improbable shot was icing on the cake (and the Heat’s hopes of retaining homecourt advantage).
There’s still plenty of basketball to be played, but some notable performances are in the books, with a number leading the MVP contention.
1. Tony Parker – Anyone who can leave LeBron hanging in the air like a plastic bag fluttering in the wind, while knocking a crucial, era-defining shot takes top honors. Parker didn’t have a monster night stats wise, only finishing with 21 points and 6 assists, but his ability to take over games will make the Heat lose plenty of sleep. Even if they’re used to it, living in South Beach.
Even with James guarding him for the final three minutes, Parker did everything he wanted to. Before his wild bank shot, he hit a jump shot, had two free-throws, made a crafty layup, assisted Splitter on a hook shot, and shot a pullup jumper with the coolness of a natural born killer.
Spoelstra might put James on him for longer stretches in Game 2, but it won’t matter. Parker’s greatest weapon is his patience, and that coupled with world-class quickness, is going to debilitate James on the defensive end. Playing James on Parker for full games is the last card Miami wants to play, but it might be the only one they have against the speedy point guard.
2. LeBron James – 99 games out of 100, an 18-18-10 statline would put you at the very top of performance charts. But Parker is one of those players that shifts the odds in his favor even when working with very little room. Just ask Norris Cole.
The only detraction against James is that he let Parker dominate when it mattered, and was quieter in the 4th than Kawhi Leonard during a TV interview. But no one else on the Heat snagged more than five rebounds (other than James who had 18), and the rest of the team had as many assists as The Chosen One.
The MVP needs to be more aggressive in Game 2, after all he only went to the line twice in Game 1, but this Finals have the makings of being one where James will play on a supernatural plane. Not that he isn’t normally on one already.
3. Tim Duncan – The Big Fundamental started with a Big Zero in Game 1, going 0-5 from the field. But when you’re as smart, quietly crafty and fundamentally sound as Duncan, you don’t remain scoreless for long. He ended with a 20-14-4-3 statline that should be the kind of numbers Chris Bosh should be logging and not a 37-year-old who has played 41,447 minutes.
The big man’s defense was superb for most of the night, and he’s constantly helping his team in ways that never garner a replay. But highlight plays do little to excite a player who is chasing his 5th ring.
4. Kawhi Leonard – The small forward had a mild-mannered night, 10-10-1, that is a clear reflection of his personality. But nothing was mild-mannered about the way he fronted LeBron.
Against Leonard, the machine-efficient LeBron went for six points on 2-for-8 shooting. When being guarded by the other Spurs, LeBron sunk 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting. Those are miles apart in a closely contested Finals opener.
There’s the glaring issue that Kawhi went 0-for-4 from deep, but he wasn’t the only San Antonio player to suffer from the three-point line. If he can manage to hit some threes in Game 2, he’ll force James to have to put in even more work, as he looked exhausted in the opener.
5. Manu Ginobili – The career 6th man continues to be inefficient from the field, going 4-for-11 in Game 1, but his wizardry is alive as ever.
Along with Parker’s and Duncan’s sharp, lightning-quick passes, Ginobili’s expert ball movement helped keep the Spurs from falling into the Heat’s trademark traps. More important than his 13 points where the 3 assists he logged in 29 minutes of playing time as it helps to keep the Heat on their heels. He’ll need a big game or two in this series to overcome Miami, but he did what he needed to in Game 1 to nab a W.
6. Danny Green – Green is the Mario Chalmers of the San Antonio Spurs: he often gets cussed out by his teammates for bonehead mistakes. Giving Ray Allen three free-throw attempts in the final minutes is one of many. But his ability to stretch the floor (4-for-9 from the 3-point line in Game 1), guard Dwyane Wade, at times bother LeBron, and be the kind of two-guard Popovich needs him to be at any given moment, keeps the Spurs’ motor running.
7. Dwyane Wade/Ray Allen – In reality, Allen might edge Wade for Game 1 but both will need to play bigger against a hungry Spurs squad.
Wade’s night wasn’t particularly bad, but it also wasn’t particularly convincing. He shot 47% from the field, but only made 17 points and had lukewarm postings of 2 rebounds and 2 assists. For those keeping track, Wade also had the lowest +/- rating of the night, with a sub-standard minus-11. His energy was good, but he’ll need to be a better all-around force to help take some weight off of LeBron’s very-capable shoulders.
Allen was mostly superb as he seems to have rediscovered his shooting stroke. If no one noticed, he also shot the most amount of free-throws for the Heat (5). That tidbit isn’t good news for Miami, as LeBron and Wade should be out earning themselves double-digit freebies, but it certainly is for Allen as he can help his team by getting to the line.
The Spurs kept Allen and the rest of Miami’s sharpshooters honest in Game 1 (32.0% from afar), but Ray did his best to put himself in the run for a second ring.
