finals mvp

[Half-time of game 2 between the Spurs and the Cavs]

I thought i was going to be all smart and be the first to bring this up, but then Dan Patrick kinda mentioned it during the half-time break.

Tony is a scoring opportunist. He is a master of exploiting what defenses give him, but against a strong defense (like Detroit several years ago) he has to defer to his able team mates. That's fine. He's a point guard. That is what he's supposed to do. So far Cleveland can't stop him and isn't playing particularly well - so he's having a huge series.

Tony Parker may well end up the finals MVP. As solid as he is playing and running the team, he is putting up gawdy stats and playing very solid defense.

Tim Duncan has so far played very well too, but two factors are keeping him a step behind Tony. 1) He is just being Tim. He has been so dominant for so long, that it doesn't feel like he is having a great series. 2) He doesn't have to. Tim is great at taking over games and winning them. Getting the blocks and stops when it matters and scoring at will against defenders.

But i honestly think that if Cleveland was putting up some kind of a fight, Tim would be the MVP. He would stand out for his ability to close out games, and be the go-to guy. As it is, Cleveland is so under-matched, that Tony is being able to put on a clinic on how to drive the lane and draw contact.

So in a close series, Tim gets it.
In this one, Tony gets it, and deserves it.

Oh, and Cleveland fans, do not despair. You'll be back. Mike Brown, Danny Ferry, and LeBron James are modeling themselves after the Spurs. This model works. There is a Cleveland dynasty coming down the road. This year is just not your year.