Causes For Concern Heading Into Game 2

[Outlier]

LeBron's suffocating D on Parker in the 4th. What if they do this more often?

No one else capable of keeping up with LeBron other than Kawhi. What if Kawhi gets into foul trouble and LeBron chooses to exploit his matchup with Green more?



Pretty much it for now. :toast

[Fabbs]

What if LeBron tells Wade to shut his whiny selfish mouth and has a monster game?

As if a triple double wasn't good enough. :rolleyes

[Captivus]

Amazing, a team loses and the solution is: Ask more from the guy that had a triple double.

[Old School 44]

Sorry, must have missed it. I didn't see any "suffocating D" from LeBron on Tony in the fourth.

[Darius McCrary]

He did defend Parker very well. Let's be honest, he blanketed him on nearly 3 straight clutch time possessions. Tony just hit God-like shots when he took them.

[Raven]

Sorry, must have missed it. I didn't see any "suffocating D" from LeBron on Tony in the fourth.

my thoughts exactly.

[Spurminator]

Amazing, a team loses and the solution is: Ask more from the guy that had a triple double.

Lebron certainly doesn't bear sole responsibility for the loss, but he was far too passive on offense regardless of the defensive scheme against him. The Heat need him to look for his shot more.

[Outlier]

Sorry, must have missed it. I didn't see any "suffocating D" from LeBron on Tony in the fourth.

Uhh surely you can't be serious?

[41times]

It doesn't matter what LeFraud does. It never has. 1 guy is NOT going to beat the Spurs
Play great defense on all the other guys and you will be just fine.

The pressure is squarely on the CHeat tonight. This is almost a must win for them. The Spurs should just play loose tonight
and hopefully get their outside shooting touch back.

[jmanu20]

Tony had 10 points in the 4th....that's not suffocating defense. And Spoelstra would be dumb to consistently put Lebron on TP, TP would just keep finding shooters or Duncan would get a 30/20 next game.

[Outlier]

It doesn't matter what LeFraud does. It never has. 1 guy is NOT going to beat the Spurs
Play great defense on all the other guys and you will be just fine.

The pressure is squarely on the CHeat tonight. This is almost a must win for them. The Spurs should just play loose tonight
and hopefully get their outside shooting touch back.

If LeFraud guards Tony like he did last night, our whole offense will stink and depend on Tony getting off lucky shots like the last one he made last night.

[coyotes_geek]

I'm 100% okay with Miami asking Lebron to chase Tony Parker around on top of the burden Lebron already has of being the entire Miami offense.

[romain.star]

If LeFraud guards Tony like he did last night, our whole offense will stink and depend on Tony getting off lucky shots like the last one he made last night.

If Lebron guards Parker the whole game (highly doubtful), Kawhi and Green better be ready to hit those 3s

[EVAY]

IF LBJ tries to guard Tony for an entire game like he did last night in the fourth, LBJ will be dead on his feet by the fourth quarter. Even LBJ said last night that he was gassed by the fourth. Tony moves so much on offense without the ball that anyone who guards has to follow him all over the place. No, Miami's best bet against us is not putting LBJ onTony much earlier on D, it is making LBJ attack the rim all night, forcing refs to give him calls, and making so many free throws that we can't catch up because our bigs have fouled out and Miami can run a layup drill for the rest of the game.

Tony was very patient last night, and ran the game plan that Pop put in place. The result during the game was that some posters were saying he had "disappeared", or hadn't showed up to play. He and Pop saw what the Heat were doing and they reacted accordingly.

We are not going to win every game in this series. You don't imagine that do you? If not, then we all accept that there will be games when the Heat beat us

[TVI]

I'm 100% okay with Miami asking Lebron to chase Tony Parker around on top of the burden Lebron already has of being the entire Miami offense.
This x 100. If LeDecision spends the entire game chasing Tony around screens he'll be dead exhausted by the fourth quarter. I hope Spoelstra decides to do just that.

[100%duncan]

Bron will tire out if he plays TP more and more.

And, no one in this entire world can stop Lebron James.

[BillMc]

If Lebron guards Parker the whole game (highly doubtful), Kawhi and Green better be ready to hit those 3s

This. Also LeBron will have to run through screens and use a lot of energy keeping up with Tony. This will tire LeBron leading to more passive activity on offense. I think it would be bad for Spo to put LeBron on Tony for any extended time.

[spurspokesman]

Some of you dudes sound like closet heat fans tbh. Or trolls smh

[romain.star]

This. Also LeBron will have to run through screens and use a lot of energy keeping up with Tony. This will tire LeBron leading to more passive activity on offense. I think it would be bad for Spo to put LeBron on Tony for any extended time.

Lebron's tank >> Parker's

Lebron is such a freak of nature that I believe he can guard Parker for extended periods while remaining his usual self on offense

[BillMc]

IF LBJ tries to guard Tony for an entire game like he did last night in the fourth, LBJ will be dead on his feet by the fourth quarter. Even LBJ said last night that he was gassed by the fourth. Tony moves so much on offense without the ball that anyone who guards has to follow him all over the place. No, Miami's best bet against us is not putting LBJ onTony much earlier on D, it is making LBJ attack the rim all night, forcing refs to give him calls, and making so many free throws that we can't catch up because our bigs have fouled out and Miami can run a layup drill for the rest of the game.

Tony was very patient last night, and ran the game plan that Pop put in place. The result during the game was that some posters were saying he had "disappeared", or hadn't showed up to play. He and Pop saw what the Heat were doing and they reacted accordingly.

We are not going to win every game in this series. You don't imagine that do you? If not, then we all accept that there will be games when the Heat beat us

Well said.

[wut]

I thought Miami played good enough defense to win the game, Miami missed big shots, while Spurs hit some timely ones. We were forced to double Lebron on the dribble leaving open their shooters, and while at times they hit shots, they didn't get hot. The Spurs on the opposite side of this weren't able to really break Miami's defense and were forced to take tough shots, and hit them when it mattered. Without adjustment for figuring out how Parker can break their defense down (or Miami just getting tired and not being able to keep up), Spurs will be in trouble. Lebron can't really be more aggressive with the way Spurs were playing defense...it's the Spurs' gameplan to limit his ability to drive. We're really just playing the odds that Miami's shooters won't shoot 50% on open looks. We need to make adjustments to get open shots or things will go sour.

[tesseractive]

Some of you dudes sound like closet heat fans tbh. Or trolls smh
The Spurs will win Game 2 by 150, and LeBron isn't good enough to even make our squad? Is that what a Spurs fan is supposed to sound like?

[Poolboy5623]

Lebron's tank >> Parker's

Lebron is such a freak of nature that I believe he can guard Parker for extended periods while remaining his usual self on offense

So why did LeBron get so fatigued, last night, when he only guarded him for a half of a quarter?..

[smaka]

Sorry, must have missed it. I didn't see any "suffocating D" from LeBron on Tony in the fourth.

[SA210]

Causes for concern

1) Feeling too comfortable with one win

2) Leaving shooters wide open, again

3) Pop's horrible rotations (Bonner/Neal)

[tenbeersbold]

LMFAO,do you guys even watch the Spurs during the season?!?

Parker has been on a MISSION(besides his March ankle injury period)

Dude has been on fire all season,those shots weren't lucky,he's the BEST finisher at the rim in the NBA

The Heat peaked too early,Spurs are clicking at the right time,plenty of rest during the regular season will help ;)

We blew a bunch of chippies/got out-rebounded and the new guys got a little rattled under the Finals glare

Big deal,poundin' that rock got the W!!!!!!

We take IMHO a must win game 2 and this is over in 5 @ SA

Lebron looked scurred out there,he knows whats up....

[romain.star]

So why did LeBron get so fatigued, last night, when he only guarded him for a half of a quarter?..

Yeah well this "so fatigued" Lebron still managed to have a monster triple double...

So we'll see in the up-coming games but I believe that guarding Parker for long stretches won't hurt his overall offensive impact as much as expected by some here (that being said, I hope I'm dead wrong here)

[romain.star]

Causes for concern

1) Feeling too comfortable with one win

2) Leaving shooters wide open, again

3) Pop's horrible rotations (Bonner/Neal)

1/ Won't happen, last year WCF meltdown is in eveyone minds right now
2/ Not a problem if the Spurs shooters hit their own wide open shots
3/ In Pop I trust

[Poolboy5623]

Yeah well this "so fatigued" Lebron still managed to have a monster triple double...

So we'll see in the up-coming games but I believe that guarding Parker for long stretches won't hurt his overall offensive impact as much as expected by some here (that being said, I hope I'm dead wrong here)

Hmmm...monster triple double in a loss....that's not "monster" to me, sorry..

[Mugen]

I thought Pop threw in a nice wrinkle when Bron switched to TP. Having Kawhi be the screener instead of Duncan forced the switch a couple of times. Kawhi's man doesn't have the length to help as opposed to someone like Bosh helping on that. Didn't have too much success but I'll take a switch where Mike Miller or Ray Allen ends up on Tony tbh.

[Poolboy5623]

LeBron needs to score more than 18 pts...that's 4.5 pts/qtr. Not gonna get it done.

[moisaenz]

Spurs can win game 2, there is enough rest between both games, although heat are coming with a vengeance. I still think Manu needs to try to score a bit more. The biggest concern is how pop is going to defend that line up with Miller and Allen on the floor, and LeBron playing point forward.

[rascal]

Game 2 will be the toughest game in the series for the Spurs. Expect a blowout loss in game 2.

[romain.star]

Hmmm...monster triple double in a loss....that's not "monster" to me, sorry..

The loss is not on him (cough Chris Bosh cough)

[TVI]

Lebron's tank >> Parker's

Lebron is such a freak of nature that I believe he can guard Parker for extended periods while remaining his usual self on offense
Disagree. LeBron gets tired at the end when he doesn't pace himself. Parker is much more used to running around all game. LeBron has burst mode speed, but Tony has better stamina.

[romain.star]

Game 2 will be the toughest game in the series for the Spurs. Expect a blowout loss in game 2.

The toughest game is always the up-coming one

[moisaenz]

Lebron's tank >> Parker's

Lebron is such a freak of nature that I believe he can guard Parker for extended periods while remaining his usual self on offense

Seriously a guy Lebron's size is going to have more stamina than a guy Parker's size? Besides all the things that Lebron has to do besides guarding parker and scoring? If he guards parker more than a quarter Spurs could win the battle of the boards... Lebron not crashing the boards is a big advantage for our wings specially leonard.

[EVAY]

Game 2 will be the toughest game in the series for the Spurs. Expect a blowout loss in game 2.

I hope you're wrong but I sure wouldn't be surprised to see exactly what you predict. In fact, I kinda expect it, too. Then I think both teams will settle down and it will be a very close series of games.

[024]

Lebron did a pretty good job but the Spurs responded in the best way possible. Lebron is very capable of locking down Parker, the evidence was in the few broken plays in the fourth. Even though Parker couldn't take on Lebron 1v1 or 2v2, he scored in transition, Green hit a 3, Duncan drew a foul, and Parker hit a wild shot at the end. I think Parker also scored off a jumper in a set pick and roll, which was encouraging. Lebron disrupted Parker's offense in the end and the Spurs have to find other ways to score. 50% of the time he might get a decent shot off, the other 50%, just hope someone hits a prayer shot or draws a foul.

[dbestpro]

Lebron on TP full time is fools gold. He'll lose his jumper come the fourth quarter due to exhaustion. Also, his rebounding opportunities would be severely limited by guarding TP. It's okay at certain moments of the game, but would hurt the Heat if they tried to implement throughout the game.

[Richie]

A great point someone mentioned is that if Lebron is out on the perimeter defending Parker, he won't be able to rebound. Without his rebounding, the Heat could get blown out

[Richie]

Yeah well this "so fatigued" Lebron still managed to have a monster triple double...

So we'll see in the up-coming games but I believe that guarding Parker for long stretches won't hurt his overall offensive impact as much as expected by some here (that being said, I hope I'm dead wrong here)

He became fatigued getting his triple double. He only had 6 points in the 4th and made bad decisions, a lot of that has to be down to fatigue

[romain.star]

Disagree. LeBron gets tired at the end when he doesn't pace himself. Parker is much more used to running around all game. LeBron has burst mode speed, but Tony has better stamina.

I guess we will have the opportunity to check that out very quickly...

That being said, IMO, if the Lebron-on-Parker option is used for long stretches, it will have a bigger impact on the Frenchman offense than it will have on Lebron own offense

[xmas1997]

I don't think the Heat have lost two in a row yet this year!

[romain.star]

Seriously a guy Lebron's size is going to have more stamina than a guy Parker's size? Besides all the things that Lebron has to do besides guarding parker and scoring? If he guards parker more than a quarter Spurs could win the battle of the boards... Lebron not crashing the boards is a big advantage for our wings specially leonard.

You've got a point here but nobody's saying Lebron will be on Parker full-time. I guess it's up to Spoelstra to find the fair balance

[TJastal]

Causes for concern

1) Feeling too comfortable with one win

2) Leaving shooters wide open, again

3) Pop's horrible rotations (Bonner/Neal)

I'd rate all 3 of these higher than worrying about a gassed Lebron trying to navigate through 2-3x screens and still blanketing Tony. He wasn't able to do it last night and he wouldn't even be able to do it if he came in fresh with zero minutes played in the game. He is simply too massive to keep up with a tiny waterbug like Parker not to mention navigate through the obstacle course of screens he will encounter.

If that's Spoelstra's ace in the hole I feel pretty good about the spurs winning their 5th.

[Mr. Body]

LeBron can't guard Parker the entire game - he'll get worn out. But the Spurs should definitely expect more of it. Maybe have Ginobili handle some end-game possessions. But it was very effective.

[TJastal]

LeBron can't guard Parker the entire game - he'll get worn out. But the Spurs should definitely expect more of it. Maybe have Ginobili handle some end-game possessions. But it was very effective.

I guess I saw a different game then. All I saw was Lebron switching on the first half assed P&R that came his way. Like he was saying "Fuck this shit!.. somebody else take this guy I'm not!" :lol

[moisaenz]

I don't think the Heat have lost two in a row yet this year!

Well nobody thought the spurs would sweep the grizzlies either but they did. Everybody knows the Pacers Heat series should not have gone to 7 and it did. So anything can happen, Miami sooner or later will lose two games in a row. Why not against an experienced and well coached team like the Spurs? Besides the spurs have to win two games in a row at some point I do not think the spurs can get the trophy without doing so.

[romain.star]

He became fatigued getting his triple double. He only had 6 points in the 4th and made bad decisions, a lot of that has to be down to fatigue

He guarded Parker only for short stretches if I remember correctly so the fatigue was not "Guarding-Parker" related (it seemed the whole Heat team was tired in the 4th)

His scoring was not great last night, not just in the 4th (his 6 points in the 4th have to be related to his 12 points during the first 3 quarters)

[TJastal]

Well nobody thought the spurs would sweep the grizzlies either but they did. Everybody knows the Pacers Heat series should not have gone to 7 and it did. So anything can happen, Miami sooner or later will lose two games in a row. Why not against an experienced and well coached team like the Spurs? Besides the spurs have to win two games in a row at some point I do not think the spurs can get the trophy without doing so.

I hate to break this down so simply but I really do think this will be accurately depicted in game 2.....

Bonner / Neal combined minutes = 30+ again = spurs lose big.
Bonner / Neal combined minutes between 25 and 30 = spurs lose a close game.
Bonner / Neal combined minutes between 20 and 25 = spurs win a close game.
Bonner / Neal combined minutes between 15 and 20 = spurs win big.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Someone on the Spurs said in the postgame that they expected James on Tony come the fourth. They we're actually surprised it wasn't for a longer stretch. If they were expecting it they have to have some plans to respond to it. Guess we will see game two.

[TampaDude]

I just hope the Spurs don't have a letdown in Game 2.

Miami will be playing with desperate energy, because they CANNOT lose Game 2 and expect to win the Championship.

If the Spurs DO win Game 2, then a sweep becomes very likely, or at most, 5 games to win it all.

That said, I fully expect LeBron to go off on Sunday and Miami to win Game 2 comfortably.

We'll see what happens...

[Richie]

He guarded Parker only for short stretches if I remember correctly so the fatigue was not "Guarding-Parker" related (it seemed the whole Heat team was tired in the 4th)

His scoring was not great last night, not just in the 4th (his 6 points in the 4th have to be related to his 12 points during the first 3 quarters)

You're right, the fatigue wasn't related to guarding Parker. My point was that it seemed you were dismissing the idea that Lebron looked fatigued because he had such a monster statistical game, my argument that it was him having to get 18 boards and 10 assists that made him fatigued, and that was all guarding relatively limited offensive players like Kawhi and Diaw in comparison to Parker.

[GSH]

LeBron's suffocating D on Parker in the 4th. What if they do this more often?

No one else capable of keeping up with LeBron other than Kawhi. What if Kawhi gets into foul trouble and LeBron chooses to exploit his matchup with Green more?



Pretty much it for now. :toast


The Heat know that their best weapon against the Spurs is taking Tony Parker out of the equation. They tried that last night. But this isn't the same Tony Parker we saw in Round 2 against the Warriors. He was slowed by that calf injury, and it had people questioning if he was still quick enough. (SMH) But you could see him getting better through the Memphis series, and after that nine days off everyone saw the real Tony last night. Anyone can have an off night, including Tony. But if you think LeBron is going to spend a whole game chasing him off those baseline screens, and bouncing off of picks trying to cover the PnR, you're mistaken. Besides getting worn out, if LeBron is chasing Tony, he won't be pulling down 18 rebounds in a game like he did last night. And that was key to the Heat's chances in Game 1.

To me, the biggest things SA has to worry about in any given game are:
1. Foul Trouble - a quick 2 fouls on Tim or Kawhi, in the first quarter, and one of them could be on the bench for a big part of a first half. That could give Miami a chance to build a lead. And they are a LOT better front-runners than they are at grinding.
2. Tony has an off night and/or the Heat have one of those nights where everything is falling. Any team can be invincible on a given night, when the shots are falling.
3. The refs allowing that arm-slap bullshit on defense, that gets the Heat so many steals. They already use the Derek Fisher body-bump defense constantly. And when you're leaning on a ball-handler, and constantly pushing him away from the basket (even a small amount), it makes the offense take place a little farther from the basket. And distance = FG% - the farther the average distance from the basket, the lower the percentage. The other thing that happens with that body bump is that legs get "inadvertently" tangled, and guys lose the handle on the ball. Throw in that arm-slap business, and you get turnovers. Lots of turnovers. And when Miami gets turnovers, they turn them into points.

[ElNono]

Miami was switching everything there at the end. I recall Tony abusing the switches to end up with Chalmers and Mike Miller in front of him. When that happens, Lebron will come over and help when Tony starts his move. Whoever ends up open has to make them pay.

[313]

Causes for concern

1) Feeling too comfortable with one win

2) Leaving shooters wide open, again

3) Pop's horrible rotations (Bonner/Neal)

A lot of it is by design to stop LeBron, but at the same time, a lot of them are unnecessary "showing of a double team, when theyre not really doing anything but leaving their man open smh (IE Gary Neal)

[romain.star]

You're right, the fatigue wasn't related to guarding Parker. My point was that it seemed you were dismissing the idea that Lebron looked fatigued because he had such a monster statistical game, my argument that it was him having to get 18 boards and 10 assists that made him fatigued, and that was all guarding relatively limited offensive players like Kawhi and Diaw in comparison to Parker.

Well, if a healthy-in-his-prime Lebron gets tired out with a 18 pts/18 boards/10 assists stat line while guarding Kawhi/Diaw for most of the game, it's all good news for the Spurs.

[moisaenz]

Well, if a healthy-in-his-prime Lebron gets tired out with a 18 pts/18 boards/10 assists stat line while guarding Kawhi/Diaw for most of the game, it's all good news for the Spurs.

Kawhi was somewhat agressive making Lebron play some defense on him, if he had stayed out of foul trouble early who knows what would have happened?

[41times]

This x 100. If LeDecision spends the entire game chasing Tony around screens he'll be dead exhausted by the fourth quarter. I hope Spoelstra decides to do just that.

This!

You can't ask him to do more but that's all SpoiledStra knows to do. He's already getting outcoached and its only 1 game.

[pikkiwoki]

Lebron himself admitted that he was gassed from his 3rd quarter effort and asked Spo for a breather to start the 4th.

Skip to 3:53:

http://www.nba.com/heat/video/2013/06/07/20130606PSTJAMESmov-2501855

[GSH]

Lebron himself admitted that he was gassed from his 3rd quarter effort and asked Spo for a breather to start the 4th.

Skip to 3:53:

http://www.nba.com/heat/video/2013/06/07/20130606PSTJAMESmov-2501855


That's a good find. He may be the best player in the league, but contrary to what a lot of people believe, he's still human. He also weighs 260 lbs. It's not just a matter of being in shape, it's physics. It takes a lot more energy for him to run around than it does Parker. Tony is lightweight, AND he's the freaking Energizer Bunny. There's no way LeBron keeps up with Tony for a full game. And that's no slight to LeBron.

[timtonymanurich]

Could there have been a more overrated Triple-Double?

Good for LeBlowJob to do more than his whole team combined, but seems like Heat fans are trying to Rationalize their loss with some sort of moral victory.

Pitiful.

[GSH]

Lebron himself admitted that he was gassed from his 3rd quarter effort and asked Spo for a breather to start the 4th.

Skip to 3:53:

http://www.nba.com/heat/video/2013/06/07/20130606PSTJAMESmov-2501855


One more thing: LeBron said he "used up his entire tank" in that third quarter. He said he was doing everything - scoring, defensive rebounding, chasing down Kawhi's shots, etc. Well the teams tied that quarter, 20-20. If the Spurs can force LeBron to use up his entire tank in a quarter, and still tie? The Heat are in deep shit.

[DesignatedT]

LeBron's suffocating D on Parker in the 4th. What if they do this more often?


If he was tired last night he would be exhausted if they did this.

[SpurPadre]

The Spurs will win Game 2 by 150, and LeBron isn't good enough to even make our squad? Is that what a Spurs fan is supposed to sound like?

Of course not but I don't think one should automatically assume we're going to lose games in advance, either. Personally, I've never had the "Spurs in 7" or [blank] team in 7 mindset where you picture your team losing games. You just analyze games as they're played, talk about game-planning in between games but I leave it at that and not forsee losses. It's all about believing at this point for me and hope for the best...however corny that sounds.

[Interrohater]

Can we all wake up and realize that Lebron James is actually NOT a superhuman? Yes, he's an abnormal athlete, but he's not immune to the effects of fatigue and there are players that can do things better than he. Yes, he's the best player in the world, but he needs a team to beat a team.

I disagree that he shut down Parker in the 4th. There were times that he started on Parker, they ran a screen and he was now on someone else. How is that suffocating defense? Parker got into trouble on that one play because he tried to iso. Great shot, but lets also not forget that the Spurs won by 4. That was NOT a game winner. The game winner was the Spurs defense. As long as the Spurs can keep up that same defensive intensity, then we'll continue to have the upper hand.

[TJastal]

One more thing: LeBron said he "used up his entire tank" in that third quarter. He said he was doing everything - scoring, defensive rebounding, chasing down Kawhi's shots, etc. Well the teams tied that quarter, 20-20. If the Spurs can force LeBron to use up his entire tank in a quarter, and still tie? The Heat are in deep shit.

I agree, the heat are in serious deep shit. I had to chuckle at watching Lebron's frustration grow throughout last night's game. Lebron was being required to do just about everything to compensate and mask all the heat's weaknesses. He was being asked to rebound, protect the rim, assist other players, provide scoring, play post defense and also stifling perimeter defense on Parker, etc etc etc. If Spoelstra doesn't figure out a way to get more out of his roster this thing will be over quickly.

[N0 LyF3 ScRuB]

Really, we just need to make the open shot.

[hater]

Lebron will go Hulk mode in game 2

[superbigtime]

- concerned about Cojo not spelling TP enough and Tony getting tired.
- concerned about BS foul calls and ref bias to make sure heat don't get down 0-2.
- concerned about Pop playing Bonner instead of Diaw or even Blair when going small when it's clear Bonner is not knocking his shots.
- concerned about free throws and turnovers, after doing so well in those categories in game 1.

[Yuixafun]

Lebron also had 2 killer turnovers maybe three in the 4th that allowed the Spurs to mount momentum and eventually take the lead.

The cracks are showing.

[BatManu20]

Really, we just need to make the open shot.

This can't be stated enough. Role players have to start/keep knocking down their open looks, esp Leonard and Green.

[Yuixafun]

And also Lebron did have a triple double..

but he was in no way shape or form dominant.

Also... Duncan and Tiago got surprised a couple times when they suddenly found Lebron on them, if they just take it up right away they are jamming it in his face. They had position they just hesitated like, they were too open.

The whole game I was fearing Lebron going into "Super Saiyan mode" but he was 007 Bron.

Him and Wade had words more than couple times too. And they prolly pretty tired with Bosh's shitty play, how many times is that guy gonna apologize.

I am encouraged more than anything after that game.

[polandprzem]

On Sunday his tank will be refiled with HGH

I wonder how much more selfish he is gonna be in the next game

[BatManu20]

The Spurs need to keep the ball moving and keep Tony coming off of screens in late game situations. I really don't like that they just dribble the clock down and then it's just iso Parker. That almost always results in a bad shot. We got lucky with that crazy shot but that won't usually work. Hopefully they keep it moving.

[TampaDude]

I'm expecting Game 6 of the 2012 ECF LeBron, tbh...we'll see...

[Drachen]

I thought Miami played good enough defense to win the game, Miami missed big shots, while Spurs hit some timely ones. We were forced to double Lebron on the dribble leaving open their shooters, and while at times they hit shots, they didn't get hot. The Spurs on the opposite side of this weren't able to really break Miami's defense and were forced to take tough shots, and hit them when it mattered. Without adjustment for figuring out how Parker can break their defense down (or Miami just getting tired and not being able to keep up), Spurs will be in trouble. Lebron can't really be more aggressive with the way Spurs were playing defense...it's the Spurs' gameplan to limit his ability to drive. We're really just playing the odds that Miami's shooters won't shoot 50% on open looks. We need to make adjustments to get open shots or things will go sour.

Are you kidding me? If our guys hit even 30 percent of the open threes they were given we win by 12

[Brunodf]

1- Pop playing Bonner/Neal/TP-Manu-Green-Kawhi-TD in crunch time.

2- Our defensive game plan of "half" doubling Lebron/Wade in the post.

[TD 21]

LeBron's suffocating D on Parker in the 4th. What if they do this more often?

No one else capable of keeping up with LeBron other than Kawhi. What if Kawhi gets into foul trouble and LeBron chooses to exploit his matchup with Green more?



Pretty much it for now. :toast

If they go with James on Parker for longer stretches, the Spurs will make it a point to run him ragged, even more so than they usually do with Parker's man. I don't care how inhuman he seems, for a 6-8 2(whatever he is; 50, 60, 70?) to constantly be running through and around screens, chasing a water bug type and having to carry the offense and be his team's primary rebounder, plus play 42+ mpg, that's going to take it's toll.

If they close with Miller with the big three and Allen again, Pop needs to "hide" Parker on Miller, though. They can't afford to have him burning energy by chasing Allen, like they did the last 3+ minutes. Ginobili should guard Allen.

As far as having no secondary James defender, there is no answer for this. Green looks like a better bet than Diaw to me, but neither has any chance individually.

[GSH]

To me, the biggest things SA has to worry about in any given game are:
1. Foul Trouble - a quick 2 fouls on Tim or Kawhi, in the first quarter, and one of them could be on the bench for a big part of a first half. That could give Miami a chance to build a lead. And they are a LOT better front-runners than they are at grinding.
2. Tony has an off night and/or the Heat have one of those nights where everything is falling. Any team can be invincible on a given night, when the shots are falling.
3. The refs allowing that arm-slap bullshit on defense, that gets the Heat so many steals. They already use the Derek Fisher body-bump defense constantly. And when you're leaning on a ball-handler, and constantly pushing him away from the basket (even a small amount), it makes the offense take place a little farther from the basket. And distance = FG% - the farther the average distance from the basket, the lower the percentage. The other thing that happens with that body bump is that legs get "inadvertently" tangled, and guys lose the handle on the ball. Throw in that arm-slap business, and you get turnovers. Lots of turnovers. And when Miami gets turnovers, they turn them into points.


These are still the three worries I have for tonight. No. 3 was a big deal in Game 2. The Heat got the turnovers, and forced our offense further out on the floor. The two teams only shot 24 FT's combined in Game 2. If the zebras call the game the same way tonight, it's going to be a tough win. Sometimes it's good to "ugly a game up". But you can't do that if the refs have totally swallowed their whistles.