Experience or Talent of the Team?

Experience or Talent of the Team?

The "Big 3"

Many believe that a team only needs talent to make it through the NBA finals, while others believe that without the experience, they cannot make it through. With the Eastern Conference Finals coming to a close soon, will the team with the “Big 3” or the team with the most experience carry on to the next round?

With the NBA finals just around the corner, the Eastern Conference finals could not be more intense. “I’m going to take my talents to South Beach.” Ever since LeBron James made that decision in July of 2010, Miami fans know that they are bound to win a championship sooner or later with the ‘Big 3”. Defeating the New York Knicks, 4-1, in the first round of the playoffs showed the Miami Heat’s determination to go far in the playoffs. Losing one of their star players due to an abdominal strain in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals was a major setback for the team. Many believed that the Miami Heat would not proceed to the next round after losing Chris Bosh. There was lack of communication and Dwyane Wade and LeBron James were not playing like their normal selves. Finally, the Heat returned to their old selves, passing the ball, making free throws, playing with determination and showing that they were not going down without a fight. They entered the Eastern Conference finals with a 4-2 win over the Indiana Pacers. With the series tied at 2-2 against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals, the idea of Chris Bosh playing in Game 5 is exactly what Miami needs.

The Boston Celtics entered the playoffs strongly with 39 wins and 27 losses in the regular season. The Celtics defeated the Atlanta Hawks, 4-2, in the first round of the playoffs, but they had a tough series with the Philadelphia 76’ers. Their hard work and teamwork helped them defeat the 76’ers with a 4-3 win in the series and advance to the Eastern Conference finals where they would play against the Miami Heat. The team has been doing really well as a whole with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rando and Ray Allen. Now there has been talk about Kevin Garnett’s age and whether his time is coming to an end, but by the looks of it, he’s determined to take his team to the finals. He’s minutes have increased in the playoffs and he’s been averaging more points per game than he was in the regular season. “Age does not matter for KG. He’s still shooting and has skill,” says Jared Reed.

“Wade and LeBron can play really well together and are impossible to stop when they are focused,” says Reed. But is the talent of the team all that’s needed to make it through the finals or is experience a bigger factor in winning the finals?  “You have to know how it feels like to be in the finals and to have won a championship. You have to be comfortable with it,” says Reed. Wade, Bosh, and James may have the skill, but do the Boston Celtics have more experience? Both Dwyane Wade and LeBron James have entered the playoffs twice in their NBA career and Wade has one ring while LeBron is still working hard for his first one. Both Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce have one championship ring, but have entered the finals numerous times. With the NBA finals date set for Wednesday June 13, we’ll just have to wait and see for which team will take their talent to face off against the San Antonio Spurs or Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Boston Celtics NBA Championship ring.

Maryam Rezaie

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Credits to NBA.com