The Spurs and Heat will be battling for the ultimate prize in the NBA, the Larry O’Brien Trophy, but each team’s individual players will also be vying for some prestigious hardware: the Bill Russell Finals MVP Award. With surefire Hall of Famers on show for both teams, this award will be as hotly-contested as the championship itself – which, according to our survey of experts’ predictions, has no clear favorite..
A deserving Finals MVP must be consistent performer, from Game 1 all the way to the final buzzer. Make like an MVP and create a betting account today to get into this Finals series from beginning to end.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Top 3 Candidates for 2014 NBA Finals MVP
[sc:NBA240banner ]Throughout the history of the NBA Finals MVP Award, two trends stand out among the winners. First, the award will inevitably go to the eventual NBA championship team; only Jerry West in 1969 has ever won the award despite losing the Finals.
Second, the player is almost always the team’s leading scorer in the Finals. The only exception in the last 20 years came in 2004, when Chauncey Billups won the award for the Pistons despite Richard Hamilton having a slightly higher scoring average (just .4 point).
So who are the main candidates to lift this year’s trophy? By our count, there are three contenders, beginning with the one who’s won the last two years in a row.
LeBron James – Miami Heat
LeBron James may have missed out on his third-straight regular season MVP, but he can still complete a Finals MVP three-peat if he can lead the Miami Heat to another NBA title. If the Heat emerge with their third consecutive NBA championship, which they are currently EVEN odds to do, it’s hard to look past LeBron as the eventual MVP.
King James is once again doing it all for the Heat in the postseason. He’s averaging 27.1 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.8 SPG and 8.7 free throw attempts while shooting 56% from the field. He leads the team in all of those categories in the playoffs, which is definitely MVP-worthy.
Former Finals MVP Dwyane Wade (18.7 PPG on 52% shooting in the playoffs) will have a decent shot to win if he explodes in the Finals. The same goes with Chris Bosh, who averaged 23 PPG in the last three games of the Pacers series. But unless either of them comes up with something incredible to lead the Heat to victory, the award is still James’ to lose on Miami’s side.
Tim Duncan – San Antonio Spurs
Three-time Finals MVP Tim Duncan may be 38 years old, but he’s still the most important two-way player on the Spurs roster. Duncan has been rock solid all postseason long with 16.5 PPG and 8.9 RPG, while his rim protection remains vital to the Spurs’ defense.
With Tony Parker potentially hobbled by an injured ankle, Duncan may need to take on a bigger offensive role in this series, which he’s shown he can still handle. Duncan led San Antonio in scoring with 17.8 PPG in the Thunder series as he schooled Serge Ibaka in the art of low-post scoring.
If Duncan can pull off a similar performance to lead the Spurs to a Finals victory, where they are favored at –120, a fourth MVP trophy could be within reach.
Manu Ginobili – San Antonio Spurs
Manu Ginobili has been a game-changing sixth man his entire career, and another few series-altering performances against Miami could land him his first-ever MVP trophy.
Ginobili has had a very good 2014 postseason, averaging just over 14 PPG and shooting 38% from beyond the arc. He averaged 15 PPG on 50% shooting against the Thunder, including big Games 5 and 6 to close out the series. The Argentine will have more opportunities to be the playmaker against the Heat, especially if Parker’s ankle affects his ability to drive and penetrate.
Writer’s Prediction
As mentioned earlier, picking an MVP will basically be like picking who will win the championship. With a series this close, it’s hard to come up with a definitive choice. But because of homecourt advantage, the San Antonio Spurs will most likely claim their fifth title in franchise history. And there to lead the Spurs triumph is Tim Duncan, who will cap off a glittering career with a fourth MVP trophy.
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