2013 NBA Finals: Heat vs. Spurs

[DarthFed]

Well, here we are. It's the usual drawn out NBA playoffs that will have lasted 2 months when all is said and done. Disappointing playoffs so far with only the Chicago-Brooklyn series and the Miami-Indy series going 7. The Miami-Indy series was good but game 7 was unfortunately a blowout when most expected a close game.

As for this series it should be a great one. San Antonio like Indy figures to have an advantage in the paint and on the boards. However, as great as Tim Duncan is playing he doesn't present the same kind of mismatch as Roy Hibbert did. Hibbert is a couple inches taller and more athletic at this point. I don't think the Heat will have the same fear driving on Duncan as they did with Hibbert.

However the Spurs do have a couple other things going for them that the Pacers don't; great point guard play with Parker playing lights out and a team with tons of playoff and championship experience. The Spurs after all these years are still a hell of a team.

This is a series of an amazing team vs. an amazing player and the latter has HCA. The question for the Heat is how much D-Wade can contribute. If he plays like he did in game 7 it is hard to see SA winning the series. If it's the Wade we've seen most of the playoffs then SA has a good chance. I do think this will be the Heat in 6 but it could easily go 7.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

RE: NBA Finals: Heat vs. Spurs

Good synopsis Darth. What I would like to add is the Popovic factor. I am sure for the last 10 days or so, he has been watching like a hawk, anylising every detail...That still does not stop a guy like Bron, but can make life miserable for the rest of the Heat, who did not impress that much to begin with. If you let Bron get his 40 and lock everyone else, who knows...I am not sure how the long break will affect the Spurs, but they are an older team so I do not see them complaining. Plus Popovic would not let them relax.

Not the dream final, but I will enjoy it.

 

[kskate2]

RE: NBA Finals: Heat vs. Spurs

Spurs in 6 or 7. I agree w/ Murat. Pop will have a plan for how to deal w/ the Heat. It's a shame the 2 regular season games didn't feature everyone or we would have some kind of blueprint for the match-ups.

 

[DarthFed]

RE: NBA Finals: Heat vs. Spurs

Spurs in 6 or 7. I agree w/ Murat. Pop will have a plan for how to deal w/ the Heat. It's a shame the 2 regular season games didn't feature everyone or we would have some kind of blueprint for the match-ups.

The regular season doesn't tell much in general IMO. You only need to look back at the last time Lebron played the Spurs in the 2007 finals. Cleveland won both regular season games and Lebron had all the confidence in the world after the crazy game 5 he had in Detroit that year. The Spurs swept them easily.

As Murat said there is nothing you can do about Lebron at this point. It is not 2007 and I wouldn't expect Lebron to play like he did in the 2011 finals either. The key for the Spurs is doing a lot of what the Pacers did; outrebound the Heat and dominate down low while limiting Wade and Bosh. The Spurs have more firepower and experience than Indy but I don't see the Spurs having the same success defending the paint. It really was crazy seeing 6 games where Lebron and all of the Heat team basically never drove the paint when Hibbert was in the game. The 2,000 year old Duncan is still playing great but he will not cause the same fear in the paint.

 

[calitennis127]

RE: NBA Finals: Heat vs. Spurs

Spoelstra's defensive strategy yesterday was moronic. There was too much help and too much of chasing passes. San Antonio was getting good shots every time down the court.

Just a pathetic defensive gameplan by Spoelstra.

 

[DarthFed]

RE: NBA Finals: Heat vs. Spurs

Spoelstra's defensive strategy yesterday was moronic. There was too much help and too much of chasing passes. San Antonio was getting good shots every time down the court.

Just a pathetic defensive gameplan by Spoelstra.

You are not the only person I've seen say this. I thought it was mostly all around good offense from the Spurs and the problems for the Heat in the paint were exploited. But since there are many thinking the same way as you maybe I wasn't paying attention as closely as others.

 

[huntingyou]

RE: NBA Finals: Heat vs. Spurs

tired of lebron, tired of Miami Heat and their fans.

 

[DarthFed]

RE: NBA Finals: Heat vs. Spurs

tired of lebron, tired of Miami Heat and their fans.

You'll probably be happy in a couple years. I think James is going to bolt again and the current state of Miami is deceptively weak. Everyone on that team is looking really old except for Lebron.

I hope this series goes 7. If SA wins tonight it is likely a sweep or 4-1.

 

[kskate2]

RE: NBA Finals: Heat vs. Spurs

I can't see MIA losing 3 straight road games in SA. I think they get at least one of those.

 

[kskate2]

RE: NBA Finals: Heat vs. Spurs

Just heard that Joey Crawford is doing tonight's game. :huh:

 

[DarthFed]

RE: NBA Finals: Heat vs. Spurs

Yep, a Crawford special is coming.

 

[shawnbm]

RE: NBA Finals: Heat vs. Spurs

Well, the Heat defense certainly was huge last night. It is hard to see any team able to withstand that kind of pressure on the perimeter and in the paint late in the third and into the fourth. There is an explosive factor Miami has that San Antonio, does not seem to possess.

 

[kskate2]

RE: NBA Finals: Heat vs. Spurs

That's true Shawn, but the Heat defense doesn't show up like that for 48 min every night. Besides, the finals are all about adjustments. Pop will make adjustments just like Miami did after Game 1. We'll see the true measure of all the adjustments in Games 3-5.

 

[Johnsteinbeck]

RE: NBA Finals: Heat vs. Spurs

so that one wasn't really close, ey? couldn't watch anything, but LeBron's stats say it all. did he just have an off day, or was is the D shutting him down so effectively?
alright, two to go in SA, spurs with the chance to get the decision at home.

 

[DarthFed]

RE: NBA Finals: Heat vs. Spurs

so that one wasn't really close, ey? couldn't watch anything, but LeBron's stats say it all. did he just have an off day, or was is the D shutting him down so effectively?
alright, two to go in SA, spurs with the chance to get the decision at home.

It's both SA's defense and Lebron not making some easy uncontested shots. Lebron was great in the finals last year so his play the first few games has been a major surprise to me. The last 2 years he has played unreal basketball every time the Heat's backs have been against the wall. Game 4 is shaping up to be a good one I think.

 

[kskate2]

RE: NBA Finals: Heat vs. Spurs

The question is why does there back have to be against the wall? If they really are the most talented team in the league w/ the best player in the league, it begs the question why they struggle mightily at times and look nothing like the real force they're supposed to be.

 

[DarthFed]

RE: NBA Finals: Heat vs. Spurs

The question is why does there back have to be against the wall? If they really are the most talented team in the league w/ the best player in the league, it begs the question why they struggle mightily at times and look nothing like the real force they're supposed to be.

It is not the most talented team in the league when you consider that D-Wade is washed up. They do have the best player in the world by a country mile and that alone makes any team elite in basketball. However, Lebron has looked pedestrian through most of the first 3 games.

Indy is a tough matchup for Miami due to their size down low. I don't think there are matchup issues with the Spurs but SA is just playing great ball all postseason and is a much better all around team than Miami. The Heat have the Lebron factor and that's about it right now. The Heat need Lebron to start having big games or they have no chance.

 

[kskate2]

RE: NBA Finals: Heat vs. Spurs

The question is why does there back have to be against the wall? If they really are the most talented team in the league w/ the best player in the league, it begs the question why they struggle mightily at times and look nothing like the real force they're supposed to be.

It is not the most talented team in the league when you consider that D-Wade is washed up. They do have the best player in the world by a country mile and that alone makes any team elite in basketball. However, Lebron has looked pedestrian through most of the first 3 games.

Indy is a tough matchup for Miami due to their size down low. I don't think there are matchup issues with the Spurs but SA is just playing great ball all postseason and is a much better all around team than Miami. The Heat have the Lebron factor and that's about it right now. The Heat need Lebron to start having big games or they have no chance.

I understand Indy was a matchup issue especially inside. But outside of the Milwaukee series, they have not consistently looked like the dominant force that won 27 straight games. Outside of the blowout in the Bulls series, the other 4 games were close and could have went either way. The banged up Bulls really shouldn't have been a match for MIA at all.

They struggled w/ Indy and had to go to a game 7. They are struggling w/ an elderly Spurs team w/ a few role players on it. This series is going 6 or 7 games now. I'm sorry, I just don't get it.

 

[DarthFed]

RE: NBA Finals: Heat vs. Spurs

The question is why does there back have to be against the wall? If they really are the most talented team in the league w/ the best player in the league, it begs the question why they struggle mightily at times and look nothing like the real force they're supposed to be.

It is not the most talented team in the league when you consider that D-Wade is washed up. They do have the best player in the world by a country mile and that alone makes any team elite in basketball. However, Lebron has looked pedestrian through most of the first 3 games.

Indy is a tough matchup for Miami due to their size down low. I don't think there are matchup issues with the Spurs but SA is just playing great ball all postseason and is a much better all around team than Miami. The Heat have the Lebron factor and that's about it right now. The Heat need Lebron to start having big games or they have no chance.

I understand Indy was a matchup issue especially inside. But outside of the Milwaukee series, they have not consistently looked like the dominant force that won 27 straight games. Outside of the blowout in the Bulls series, the other 4 games were close and could have went either way. The banged up Bulls really shouldn't have been a match for MIA at all.

They struggled w/ Indy and had to go to a game 7. They are struggling w/ an elderly Spurs team w/ a few role players on it. This series is going 6 or 7 games now. I'm sorry, I just don't get it.

Wade is the main difference. He was healthy during that run and had a lot of good games. Bosh is also banged up a bit and is basically worthless out there. After you get past the big 3 it's all role players to start out with. In the playoffs the whole team has been role players surrounded by James. Last night was just one of those games where the Spurs could do no wrong once they got it going. Game 1 was the one the Heat would've won had Lebron played well.

 

[huntingyou]

RE: NBA Finals: Heat vs. Spurs

watching Lebron bringing back "lebrick" into the another NBA Finals: priceless!!!