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If an air of inevitability has lingered in the National Basketball Association Finals, it’s because the Lakers boast that they have the two best players still in the bubble. More importantly, it’s because these players – LeBron James and especially Anthony Davis – have found it convenient to shift into a higher gear that no one else can achieve. Meanwhile, the Heat, already a big loser heading into the series, found themselves with an even greater disability following injuries to vital cogs Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic early in a Game One battle that quickly turned into a slaughter. They did better in Game Two despite the absence of the aforementioned starters, but not by much; they were more competitive, although it simply meant sniffing out single-digit deficits in the middle of the fourth quarter.
Against the backdrop of James and Davis, not to mention the previous dismissal called Rajon Rondo, poking fun at supposedly robust zone lineups, the Heat are now faced with the need to claim four of the next five Finals starts. It is an effort of Sisyphus for the walking wounded, regardless of their continued defiance according to their character. They have pledged to keep moving forward, with head coach Erik Spoelstra declaring that “we don’t even give what others think. What do you need? Whatever is needed. Simple as that. “
However, there is only one problem. Not everyone has fully subscribed to the “never give up, never give up” mentality of All-Star Jimmy Butler. Make no mistake: the Heat are willing, at least in spirit. Unfortunately, his body has been weak – so fragile, in fact, that veteran Udonis Haslem couldn’t help but break them during a time out the other day. They played better after the tongue lashes, but really, they shouldn’t have had to be scolded before they were better than the sum of their parts. Against the stronger, faster, and much more skilled Lakers, collective resolve is his only calling card. And, so far, they haven’t consistently shown it.
Butler is correct in stating that “it’s not over” and that the Heat “will keep this going until the wheels go off.” However, there is a reason that experts view the Lakers’ march to glory as a question of when and not if. And the Finals have been so uneven that the only thing left to resolve seems to be who will take home the Bill Russell Trophy. Unfair to them? Maybe. However, to surprise each and every one of them, they must first really re-display the self-confidence that got them through the first three rounds of the playoffs. Otherwise they will still be deer in the headlights, a real trampling for James, Davis and company.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside as Business world introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant in strategic planning, human resources and operations management, corporate communications and business development.
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