Game Thread: NBA FINALS!!! SA vs MIA

[Logicallylethal]

Miami needs to bench Rio and Wade and start a lineup that revolves around Bron and Bosh and shooters. Miami is capable of moving the ball at a frantic pace too, they just need the right personnel to do it.

Having Wade on the floor allows San Antonio to sag off on him as a shooter and then simply wall up the paint when he drives.

Cole
Ray
Lebron
Rashard
Bosh

Miami needs to start fast and regain that confidence. If game 5 starts off with the Spurs going up 8-10 pts early on again it's going to deflate the Heat. Right now confidence is very important. For the first time since uniting as a big three, they are facing a team that is truly better than they are. No one is ready to concede that just yet, but in their minds and in their body language on the court...you can see that they feel that way.

This is why they need to regain that confidence and that swagger early on. Play some Miami Heat basketball. Go small ball from the beginning, play to their strength, and even if they lose at least go out swinging.

 

[hockey878]

Miami needs to bench Rio and Wade and start a lineup that revolves around Bron and Bosh and shooters. Miami is capable of moving the ball at a frantic pace too, they just need the right personnel to do it.

Having Wade on the floor allows San Antonio to sag off on him as a shooter and then simply wall up the paint when he drives.

Cole
Ray
Lebron
Rashard
Bosh

Miami needs to start fast and regain that confidence. If game 5 starts off with the Spurs going up 8-10 pts early on again it's going to deflate the Heat. Right now confidence is very important. For the first time since uniting as a big three, they are facing a team that is truly better than they are. No one is ready to concede that just yet, but in their minds and in their body language on the court...you can see that they feel that way.

This is why they need to regain that confidence and that swagger early on. Play some Miami Heat basketball. Go small ball from the beginning, play to their strength, and even if they lose at least go out swinging.

exactly. just look at the screen shot in that article i posted. wade has no one with in 10 feet of him out by the 3pt line and passes to a guarded ray allen

 

[trojanfan12]

All starts with defense and defending the 3 ball so spo need to go with a more defensive starting lineup and start ud or battier over lewis.

With the way the Spurs are moving the ball, I'm not sure how much it would help (although it certainly couldn't hurt). The most basic premise of offensive basketball is "the ball moves faster than the player". The Spurs are passing 4-7 times on many of their possessions and making the extra pass every time. That's why they are getting so many open looks.

About the only adjustment that the Heat can make is to start picking up the Spurs guards full court so that they get into their offense later and don't have time to move the ball as much. I'm not sure the Heat have enough left in the tank for that though. Spo may have to go much deeper into his bench than he has been.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

From what i've seen so far is that Miami are playing as a one-man team. Lebron goes out with cramps in Game 1 and they get blown away in the final four minutes.

Wade and Bosh were pretty much useless in game 4. Wade is playing like a 60 year old man.

Heat fans better pray to the gods that Lebron doesn't go anywhere.

Notes...Wade saved himself all season for this? Father time waits for no man so I can't come down too hard on him, but it looks like he stayed 1 yr too long.

Bosh...I'm not sure why I heard the Heat was a bad matchup for SA now...Bosh is too small to handle Duncan inside and on OFC he's a perimeter player...he's either on or he's off.

With the exception of game 1, LBJ has done his part...the supporting case has largely failed him.

 

[TurnUpTheHeat]

Miami needs to bench Rio and Wade and start a lineup that revolves around Bron and Bosh and shooters. Miami is capable of moving the ball at a frantic pace too, they just need the right personnel to do it.

Having Wade on the floor allows San Antonio to sag off on him as a shooter and then simply wall up the paint when he drives.

Cole
Ray
Lebron
Rashard
Bosh

Miami needs to start fast and regain that confidence. If game 5 starts off with the Spurs going up 8-10 pts early on again it's going to deflate the Heat. Right now confidence is very important. For the first time since uniting as a big three, they are facing a team that is truly better than they are. No one is ready to concede that just yet, but in their minds and in their body language on the court...you can see that they feel that way.

This is why they need to regain that confidence and that swagger early on. Play some Miami Heat basketball. Go small ball from the beginning, play to their strength, and even if they lose at least go out swinging.

No way Spoelstra doesn't start Wade.

That being said, Lewis and Chalmers should be replaced with U.D. and probably Jones/Allen.
It's unorthodox, but so is what the Spurs are doing.
Beasley also needs to be active and used.
I don't want to hear about the defense anymore.
Spurs are shredding everyone.
Maybe Beasley gets hot? Maybe he puts a couple of Spurs players in foul trouble by attacking.


UD to me is needed sometimes as a situational starter, certainly not an everyday one.
Spoelstra doesn't seem to understand that. With him its all or nothing with certain players.
Sometimes the emotion and energy can be more valuable than perceived talent.

Not sure if they showed it on TV, but in the 3rd qtr yesterday after the Spurs got an easy rebound/inside score UD jumped up off the end of the bench, walked over and started yelling at the assistant coaches.
He was the only player willing to show anger/passion.


We just need to raise/adjust our game on Sunday and hope the Spurs fall a little bit back to earth.
Its certainly not looking good for the Heat, but 1 win Sunday can change the whole perception and erase the memories of what we saw the last 2 games.

 

[trojanfan12]

to be fair(and this takes a lot considering how much i hate LeClown), he DID put up 28 pts, 8 rebounds. can't ask for much more than that...

Lord, i can't believe i defended this clown...

You goin' soft CL?

 

[ATL96Steeler]

All starts with defense and defending the 3 ball so spo need to go with a more defensive starting lineup and start ud or battier over lewis.

The Spurs OFC is setup for any one of the 5 on the floor to shoot depending on the DEF so it's tough to defend them...especially when they can't play Duncan 1 on 1...ball in the post...once they commit another player to Duncan, the ball comes out and kicked around until they get an open guy, and they all seem to be playing with confidence.

 

[HuskerCradle2Grave]

No...Leonard and Parker in prime and they have a deep bench. The Jazz are NOT better than the modern day Thunder with Westbrock, Durant, Hardin and Ibaka. Or a Bulls team with Rose, Noah, Deng, and Gibson. Miller with his Pacers not as good as the current Pacers and Ewings Knicks not like the modern day Clippers, Mavericks, Rockets or even Knicks talent wise. Look though to compare eras, but the like I have said, the Heat have accomplished amazing things over the last 4 years that not even the Bulls dynasty accomplished...GREAT to be a HEAT FAN.

Lose 2 of 4 trips to the finals? You would be right...

 

[hockey878]

I'll say this. I'm impressed with a number of usual laker fans (and lebron haters) defending LeBron. Props to you guys for not being blinded with the hate.

 

[trojanfan12]

All this talk about Melo when I think our real move should be to get a wing like Trevor Ariza who can defend multiple positions and hit the 3. That and sign someone like Spencer Hawes who can rebound, is agile, can pass, and shoot the 3.

The decline of Battier really hurt the Heat this year. Their defense saw a dramatic dip. If it gets back to being a top 8 defense again then the big 3 + role players are more than good enough to contend for titles.

^^^THIS^^^

Adding 'Melo, just adds another scorer to a team that can already score. It doesn't address the real reasons that the Spurs are dominating this series.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Not quite sure we are as bad as the Spurs have made us look these last couple games.
They have simply played flawless, amazing to watch basketball.

Regardless, we have learned from this series that Wade is a shell of what he was.
His game was always based on athleticism, and he's lost a lot.
Duncan, might have an 'old' body, but his basketball skills still let him find ways to play at a high level.

Bosh CLEARLY needs to be accepted and used as the #2 option going forward.

Both Bosh and Wade should opt out and sign for less IMO, if it's still all about winning.
Bosh already said he would. I would expect the same from Wade.
They need a couple younger bench option upgrades,( and they should have been playing Beasley this series).

If they don't, then you really couldn't blame James for moving on if another team can show him a better opportunity to win like Riley did when he lured him here.

The drop off in Wade's game is the difference in this series imo...yes, they're getting torched on DEF, but when your #2 option scoring drops off as much as he has, it's all fallen on LBJ that it's really impossible for him to match 5 or 6 guys contributing...with no real post game, the # 2 guy needs to be an off the dribble player and they don't have another guy.

It's not over, but the morale just seem to be gone midway thru the 4Q last night...you're right, it's a different series if they win SUN, but 31 teams have gone down 1-3 and all 31 lost the series.

 

[OregonDucks]

Heat win game 5. Spurs take game 6.

 

[anotheridiot]

What a thing of beauty. lol, they cant stop san antonio now, get a guy that plays no defense to help.

I never liked Lebron, I often call him Leroy. After the win the sprint commercials or whatever company with his kids kinda warmed me up a little. But he is a pouter, a rock hard 280 or whatever pound guy should not be whining fouls. He cant guard everybody. Bigger question with the heat is do they even bother trying to resign wade? Friends are friends, he is definitely playing 6 years older than he is.

 

[trojanfan12]

I'll say this. I'm impressed with a number of usual laker fans (and lebron haters) defending LeBron. Props to you guys for not being blinded with the hate.

Can't hate on Lebron, he's tried everything, especially the last 2 games. In game 3, he tried to get himself going first (14 pts. in the 1st quarter) and then getting his teammates going.....didn't work.

Last night, he tried to get his teammates going 1st..........didn't work.

About the only thing he has left is to "go MJ or Kobe" and try to drop 50 on the Spurs and see if his teammates can make up the difference.

 

[Vitamike]

Notes...Wade saved himself all season for this? Father time waits for no man so I can't come down too hard on him, but it looks like he stayed 1 yr too long.

Bosh...I'm not sure why I heard the Heat was a bad matchup for SA now...Bosh is too small to handle Duncan inside and on OFC he's a perimeter player...he's either on or he's off.

With the exception of game 1, LBJ has done his part...the supporting case has largely failed him.

Well he didn't exactly do his part in Game 3 either, especially in the second half when the Heat made their charge.

Had he played up to his capabilities in the second half, this series could be tied 2-2.

 

[RobToxin]

I'll say this. I'm impressed with a number of usual laker fans (and lebron haters) defending LeBron. Props to you guys for not being blinded with the hate.

Everybody knows that LeBron is the only reason ... the only reason ... this did not end last night via sweep.

 

[lakersrule]

Can't hate on Lebron, he's tried everything, especially the last 2 games. In game 3, he tried to get himself going first (14 pts. in the 1st quarter) and then getting his teammates going.....didn't work.

Last night, he tried to get his teammates going 1st..........didn't work.

About the only thing he has left is to "go MJ or Kobe" and try to drop 50 on the Spurs and see if his teammates can make up the difference.

I agree. Lebron needs to get a little selfish in game 5 and score big. Perhaps that will light a fire under some of his teammates and get them going as well.

 

[Shanemansj13]

The way the Heat have played and the Spurs have played, I don't know how this doesn't end at Game 5. But we could see Lebron go to even a different level, but will it matter the rest of the team is shit right now.

We have seen this before and 3 in a row is nothing, but SA is playing flawless.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Well he didn't exactly do his part in Game 3 either, especially in the second half when the Heat made their charge.

Had he played up to his capabilities in the second half, this series could be tied 2-2.

4Q more specifically...agreed, but could be 2-2?...they still gave up 25 in the qtr and lost by a bunch. LBJ is not why the Heat are down 1-3.

 

[Kold]

In response to BK, in theory I agree with everything you said about the adjustments and I'd start UD over Lewis as well, but man I don't know how much it can work when the Spurs are passing the ball 7-8 times every possession. I've been trying to think of adjustments, and I all I literally have is this...Miami probably has to go 2007 Phoenix Suns. They've tried to do everything on defense and it just doesn't work, so I say they play the up and down style game with San antonio and try to beat them 120-117. I know that sounds ludicrous, but what else can they do?