Jun 16, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Manu Ginobili (20) dribbles against Miami Heat point guard Norris Cole (30) during the third quarter of game five in the 2013 NBA Finals at the AT

That’s how many days it’s been since the San Antonio Spurs were in position to close out an NBA Finals series. It was a day I never thought I’d see again.

In 2011, I wrote a Spurs obituary/rant on my blog, after losing to the Grizzlies in the first round.

I hoped for the best. The Spurs gave me way more than I expected. At least during the regular season. But don’t fault me for my anger with this organization. I’ve never been an overconfident/cocky fan. Not for any of my teams…until this season. I believe in destiny. This team was destined to be champions. And in a span of six games, it all came crashing down.

I’m not angry at the fact that they let me down, I’m angry at the Spurs false advertising. You can put the most beautiful and expensive rims in the world on a Camry. It’s still a f****** Camry! But a “new” Richard Jefferson, plus the additions of Gary Neal, James Anderson and Tiago Splitter weren’t rims. They were like reupholstering your s***ty stained interior. And that simply doesn’t get the job done.

I was convinced that the dream of a fifth title was dead. But with the lockout shortened season, the familiarity and consistency of the Spurs roster would only prove to be vital in a year with a two week training camp and lack of practice time.

Jun 16, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Danny Green (4) celebrates with power forward Tim Duncan (21) during the fourth quarter of game five in the 2013 NBA Finals at the AT

The addition of Kawhi Leonard, trading for Stephen Jackson mid-season and adding Boris Diaw led to a stretch of 20 straight wins, putting the Spurs two games away from another NBA Finals. They seemed unstoppable heading to Oklahoma City. Then the young Thunder won four straight and dashed those dreams.

Again, after attending Game 5 at the AT&T Center, I wrote another obituary.

Ginobili’s age, Duncan, Green and Diaw’s impending free agency…all key pieces to what seems to be the Spurs last hurrah, could all be gone in the blink of an eye.

Nothing will ever be the same again. The golden age of Spurs basketball is no more. There’s nothing more to be done, except to enjoy the Heat and Thunder usher in a new era of competition to the NBA.

The scariest part is knowing the San Antonio Spurs may never make it this far again. Fans have taken 50-win seasons and playoff appearances for granted.

Nothing can take away the accomplishments of this organization and the ability to argue the Spurs as one of the greatest franchises in sports history, as long as it’s cherished correctly. And it can’t be cherished until reality is accepted.

Reality is, Father Time is undefeated. The Spurs dynasty is his newest casualty.

Which leads us to today. After killing the Spurs off for two consecutive years, and picking the Miami Heat to win this series in six games, I feel embarrassed. The confidence I’ve displayed in the Spurs hasn’t been nearly as strong as in previous years. I know I’m not the only one, but it amazes me how often Tim Duncan and company continue to prove me wrong.

Sure the Big Three are probably too old to make a title run, but this isn’t about them anymore. It’s about the role players coming to their aide, while also ushering in a new era of Spurs basketball.

No longer will Danny Green be the second round pick that nobody was willing to give a chance to. A San Antonio victory will ensure Green is Finals MVP. Kawhi Leonard isn’t the quiet and humble defender out of San Diego State. He’s a blossoming superstar, capable of doing nearly everything asked of him. And Tony Parker is the only member of the Big Three who still has work to do, to cement his place in NBA history.

But regardless of the outcome, the next 48 minutes of basketball mean one thing and one thing only to me. Never doubt the system. From top to bottom, the culture Pop and R.C. have built in San Antonio has enabled the organization to rival some of the greatest sports dynasties of all time.

Win and cement your place amongst the all-time great franchises. Lose and you still have the opportunity to finish the job on Thursday. This game, this season, and this dynasty are no longer hinging on life or death, as I once thought.

What I am certain of though, is I’m glad the San Antonio Spurs have proved me wrong. Again. I don’t care about how it makes me look anymore. Because after all, a little humility is good for the writer’s soul.

Go Spurs Go.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS

Point Guards
Tony Parker – Mario Chalmers
Shooting Guards
Danny Green – Dwyane Wade
Small Forwards
Manu Ginobili – Mike Miller
Power Forwards
Kawhi Leonard – LeBron James
Centers
Tim Duncan – Chris Bosh

Key Bench Players
Boris Diaw, Gary Neal, Tiago Splitter – Ray Allen, Norris Cole, Shane Battier

Head Coaches
Gregg Popovich – Erik Spoelstra

GAME AND BROADCAST INFORMATION

When: Tuesday, June 18th, 2013. 8:00 PM Central Time
Where: American Airlines Arena – Miami, Florida
Television: ABC (National) Radio: 1200 AM WOAI (Local)

For perspective on the Miami Heat, head over time Fansided’s own All U Can Heat.

Jun 15, 2013; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Manu Ginobili (20) during practice before game five of the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat at the AT

On Sunday night, the San Antonio Spurs will face the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. It will be the last game of the 2012-2013 season, inside the AT&T Center. And if the Spurs want to leave the arena on a positive note, they must win on Sunday.

And it all starts with the man pictured above, Manu Ginobili.

During the Spurs nine days off in between the end of the Western Conference Finals and the beginning of the NBA Finals, Ginobili said that he finally felt healthy. Even went as far to say he was healthier now than he was during training camp. Now just hours away, Spurs fans are wondering if they’re ever going to witness ‘the old Manu’ instead of ‘old Manu.’

It’s not just the NBA Finals though. Ginobili’s production in the playoffs has stayed on par with his regular season averages. But his field goal and three point shooting are both down five percent in the playoffs (43% to 38% and  35% to 30%, respectively). It just gets a lot uglier in the Finals, with Manu shooting just 34% from the field and an unacceptable 19% from three.

Ginobili’s performance is so concerning that everyone’s asked, what’s wrong with Ginobili?

“If I knew that, I would have already fixed it,” retorted Gregg Popovich.

The media went around asking players if they still believed in Manu, and their answers were of course yes. But Parker and Duncan even admitted, Ginobili needs to be more aggressive and score more if the Spurs are to have a chance. Ginobili disagreed saying that his role in the offense is different. He’s a facilitator and doesn’t need to shoulder some of the scoring load.

It’s one thing to be a distributor on offense and it’s another to be passive and lack awareness. Ginobili’s had moments where he’s forgotten how to dribble, made passes that not even Brett Favre would attempt, and thrown up unnecessary shots, praying that they go in.

In short, Manu must play smarter. Instead of playing like the wise athlete he is, he’s looked ancient and senile. And it’s disheartening to watch. Especially if Manu plans on playing one more year, he might want to prove he’s worth signing for another season. The old Manu Ginobili made plays that would make you rip your hair out by wondering how the hell he just did that. But this Manu Ginobili makes you rip your hair out wonder WHY the hell he just did that.

So here are the San Antonio Spurs. Two games away from a fifth NBA championship, and in a situation that even Tim Duncan acknowledged is a must-win. Nobody wants to go back down to Miami trailing this series 3-2. This could very well be the last hurrah for the Spurs.

And now it’s time to go out with a bang. Go Spurs Go.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUPS

Point Guards
Tony Parker – Mario Chalmers
Shooting Guards
Danny Green – Dwyane Wade
Small Forwards
Kawhi Leonard – LeBron James
Power Forwards
Tim Duncan – Udonis Haslem
Centers
Tiago Splitter – Chris Bosh

Key Bench Players
Manu Ginobili, Boris Diaw, Gary Neal – Mike Miller, Ray Allen, Norris Cole

Head Coaches
Gregg Popovich – Erik Spoelstra

GAME AND BROADCAST INFORMATION

When: Sunday, June 16th, 2013. 7:00 PM Central Time
Where: AT&T Center – San Antonio, Texas
Television: ABC (National) Radio: 1200 AM WOAI (Local)

For perspective on the Miami Heat, head over time Fansided’s own All U Can Heat.