Sports

A bunch of smart NBA writers are picking the Spurs to upset the Heat

Business Insider Contributor
Font Size:

The Miami Heat are big favorites to win the NBA Finals.

They’ve been a juggernaut all year, and the betting odds have them at 2-to-1 to beat the Spurs.

But, somewhat surprisingly, a number of big NBA writers are picking San Antonio to pull off the upset.

Ken Berger of CBS Sports has the Spurs winning in six. He says the teams are dead-even based on every advanced stat, and he thinks Tim Duncan and Tiago Splitter will abuse Miami they way Roy Hibbert and David West did in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated has the Spurs winning in six. He wrote, “Rested, experienced, balanced, intelligent, disciplined and potent, San Antonio is a nightmare matchup for any opponent, particularly one struggling with team-wide inconsistency and, possibly, a series-altering health concern in the form of Dwyane Wade’s ailing knee.”

Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated has the Spurs winning in six. He says this is the best Spurs team since 2007 and Tony Parker is going to destroy the Heat, who’ve been susceptible to quick point guards.

Marc Stein of ESPN has the Spurs winning the six. He wrote,San Antonio’s versatility, depth, better shooting, advantage at the point and superior execution add up to a lot for the Heat to overcome.”

These four are smart, respected NBA writers.

NBA legend Phil Jackson picked the Spurs as well.

The majority of commentators are picking the Heat in 6 or 7. But it’s not as clear-cut as the hype surrounding Miami’s regular season would indicate.

Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.

Join the conversation about this story »