Patty Mills Representing WCC Well in NBA Finals
By Josh Horton
Jun 8, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills (8) shoots against Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) in game two of the 2014 NBA Finals at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
We’ve written about the Spurs before at West Coast Convo, but I think its fitting we talk about them another time.
The Spurs should be easy to like for WCC fans. They chuck up a bunch of 3-pointers, they play with a bunch of international players and two former WCC players are on the roster (Patty Mills and Austin Daye).
San Antonio has put on an absolute clinic in the 2014 NBA Finals, and is giving the two-time defending world champion Miami Heat all they can handle, and then some.
As a team, the Spurs are playing as cohesive as I have ever seen from a basketball team. All their pieces have meshed together, making the Spurs a well-oiled machine. It’s easy to rag on the Heat for letting the Spurs shoot 84.6 percent in the first quarter on Tuesday night, but there was no team on the face of the planet that could have slowed down the Spurs that night; they were just too good.
The Spurs primary players – particularly Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard – have been awesome, but it has been their role players that are making the whole machine turn as smoothly as it has (yes, I will overuse the Spurs as a machine anology).
Danny Green, Boris Diaw, Tiago Splitter and Mills have been huge components to the Spurs success this series. They all have particular skill sets that complement the team’s stars perfectly.
In particular, Mills has been fun to watch, especially after watching him play in the WCC. The former Saint Mary’s star has shined thus far in the NBA finals, allowing the Spurs to take a three to one lead over the Heat.
While Mills hasn’t logged as many minutes as he did in the regular season, he has been a great weapon for head coach Gregg Popovich on the bench. In four games, Mills is averaging 8.5 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists. He is also shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 53.3 percent from the 3-point arc, while only turning the ball over 0.3 times per game.
The Spurs have been thankful for Mills presence, as he is a great backup for the aging Tony Parker and a spark off the bench.
With only one more win needed to capture an NBA championship, two former WCC players could receive rings. It’s been fun tracking former conference players, especially when they are doing as well as Patty Mills has.