The working environments for the Heat and the Spurs about as different as South Beach and the Riverwalk.

In Miami, the noise often reaches a deafening pitch and the scrutiny has provided plenty of distractions. In San Antonio, the relative silence and minimum surveillance by the national media have not only been welcomed, they've been essential to the development of the recent Spurs dynasty.

“They can focus on what's real -- getting better and preparing to compete for an NBA championship,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of the Spurs, who visit Miami on Monday. “That's what we're doing as well. But there are so many distractions every single day. New headlines. New stories about anything but that. We're trying to get better. For us, we're in a different situation than San Antonio. Completely different.”

While the Heat's mistakes have been magnified under the media spotlight, the Spurs have had the space to grow. Dwyane Wade said the Spurs don't get as much attention because they aren't perceived as a “sexy” team with exciting players. 

“But it's just a perception,” Wade said, who also believes the silence around the Spurs has been a blessing in disguise. “When you go through a lot of preseason and regular-season hype, attention, it adds a different kind of pressure to your team. It doesn't allow you to all the time keep growing and not worry about what's being said all the time. But you have to win no matter what.”