The best duel in the west wasn’t in the finals, it was the battle of fundamental basketball between two titans, Doc Rivers and Gregg Charles Popovich. The series went to seven. The Clippers pulled out a harrowing win and true sports fan clamored for one more game. It was a mathematician’s dream watching the numbers pile in- from rebounds to assists. We all lay in shock at the end when, Doc Rivers, the jovial less experienced coach, walked away the victor.

Popovich did not take losing well. Winners never do. He lay in state, freezing out the media, as he watched Steve Kerr walk away with something we had all anointed him with.

While Lebron’s PR people brainstormed how to take press away from Steph Curry’s win, Gregg Popovich went to work. He needed to retool pieces to break through the Clippers, but another hurricane was forming to the east in a city ESPN has written off after their golden child jumped ship. Popovich had one eye on the matter. He knew the entire world would not exhale until they saw ink on the line with Dwyane Wade’s name. If Wade went to Cleveland, you prepare for them. Wade seemed locked in an argument with Heat GMs and was making it clear through Snapchat and his friendship with Lebron, that he had no problem walking away. Popovich knew this, he also knew that Wade was most likely to go to the Lakers and not Cleveland and if that was the case. He had to plan for a Kobe, Flash showdown.

But the minute Goran Dragic signed, the puzzle pieces started falling into place. The Miami Heat now had a caliber power forward. The Spurs head coach wasted no time perusing LaMarcus Aldridge, especially Aldridge had reached out to Pat Riley for a meeting. Popovich was not going to take another dagger from that party city on the east coast. Aldridge was already leaning to come home to a Texas team, but Pop knew exactly how persuasive Pat Riley could be and there was no room for error. The one thing San Antonio had that Pat didn’t was cash. Aldridge could get a multi year deal from the Spurs whereas he would have to wait at least one year for that from the Heat. Pop planned to exploit that factor and he did. Lamarcus Aldridge signed a 4 year max contract on July 4th.

Aldridge signing with the Spurs was quickly followed by David West burning 11 million dollars at a chance to snatch a championship ring. Pat Riley was not blind to what Popovich had pulled off with Aldridge. With the Wade deal finalized on the first official day of signing, Miami was able to pick up Dragic’s teammate, Gerald Green. This latest move came off the steal of the century. At the NBA Draft, the Knicks went after a 7 foot phenom, opting out of domestic superstar named Justice Winslow. Winslow went from 5th to 10th place as if Pat Riley called God himself to ask him to make it happen. Happen it did.

The Miami Heat signed Winslow, Dragic, Wade, and Green. Before Wade signs, Luol Deng opts in. Bosh is training with the Heat and has been cleared to play. Defenders Haslem and Birdman and ready to go back to work. Whiteside is still under contract. But the Heat aren’t done yet. They want one more big man, someone to alleviate Whiteside when Duncan is on the floor. Riley persuades Amar’e Stoudemire to a veteran’s minimum- the same term Gerald Green agreed to. Pat Riley doesn’t have any money to give these players and he’s up front with that. “If you want money, the Pelicans have cap, if you want a ring, come see me.” I’m sure that’s how the pitch went, because it’s true.

ESPN will have you believe next year’s battle is between the Cavaliers and the Spurs. Nice try. Popovich knows Dan Gilbert is a Kardashian to his Hillary Clinton. No matter what press release the Mouse House tries to run, most will see through it. The real battle come October is Pat Riley versus Gregg Popovich. Their lightsabers are drawn and we’re all panting for this showdown.