How would you beat the Heat strategy wise?

[Mavs<Spurs]

How would you beat the Heat strategy wise if you are coaching the Spurs?

AND NO SMALL BALL!!


Do you double Shaq? Do you play zone? Wade???


Miami has some very blatant weaknesses. Yet, Dallas could not capitalize on them. This was mainly due to the greatness of Wade.

Weaknesses:
1: Heat turn the ball over a lot
2: Heat can't shoot from 3 (except Posey)
3: Heat can't or don't defend the screen and roll well


Strengths:
1: Wade
2: Shaq- if he isn't doubled, he will put up 20+ pts a night
3: Haslem and Posey- good defenders, good rebounders
4: Zo, Shaq, Posey and Wade can shot block- defense is pretty good


I would zone. I would still double Shaq a lot. Hope that Bowen could slow down Wade a little bit. Keep the ball out of his hands as much as possible.
Force him to play d. Try to capitalize on their turnovers and turn them into transition points. Try to get into the lane and get Shaq in foul trouble.

What would you do?

[MadDog73]

You attack Wade early. Try to get him in foul trouble, try to tire him out.

Thing is, Riley's a good coach and will adjust. The Heat will not be an easy team to beat, especially if they replace Walker and Payton with some younger, more athletic players. We'll see, but Spurs have bigger things to worry about than how they match up with the Heat...

[Mavs<Spurs]

You attack Wade early. Try to get him in foul trouble, try to tire him out.

Thing is, Riley's a good coach and will adjust. The Heat will not be an easy team to beat, especially if they replace Walker and Payton with soem younger, more athletic players. We'll see, but Spurs have bigger things to worry about than how they match up with the Heat...


I agree they have other priorities. What do you see as the things we have to worry about?

[Mavs<Spurs]

You attack Wade early. Try to get him in foul trouble, try to tire him out.

Thing is, Riley's a good coach and will adjust. The Heat will not be an easy team to beat, especially if they replace Walker and Payton with some younger, more athletic players. We'll see, but Spurs have bigger things to worry about than how they match up with the Heat...


I agree with you that Riley is a good coach and will adjust.

It looks like we both agree about forcing Wade to play defense and try to tire him out. He might go zone against us to let Wade rest more on defense.

Dallas did it effectively against us.

[Mavs<Spurs]

What do you say, bulletedge?

[bulletedge]

I would attack Wade and try to get him in foul trouble. Also, I would play a lot of zone until they proved they could hit the outside shot. One of the biggest factors in their win last night was that Haslem hit several mid-range jumpers late in the game.

I also wouldn't be afraid to try a little bit of box-and-one on Wade. Nothing frustrates a player more quickly than the box-and-one.

Shaq simply isn't the factor he used to be due to age if nothing else. And next year, he will be a year older. He can no longer consistently win games for Miami.

But the key is to shut Wade down at all costs.

[Mavs<Spurs]

I would attack Wade and try to get him in foul trouble. Also, I would play a lot of zone until they proved they could hit the outside shot. One of the biggest factors in their win last night was that Haslem hit several mid-range jumpers late in the game.

I also wouldn't be afraid to try a little bit of box-and-one on Wade. Nothing frustrates a player more quickly than the box-and-one.

Shaq simply isn't the factor he used to be due to age if nothing else. And next year, he will be a year older. He can no longer consistently win games for Miami.

But the key is to shut Wade down at all costs.

I agree. Walker and Williams will throw up a lot of 3's and they don't shoot it well percentage wise.

I have seen Haslem hit a lot of 15 foot jumpshots from the side and around the free throw line.

Posey can shoot the 3, especially from the corner.

I like box and 1 as a strategy against Wade. If he tries to go 1 on 3 or 1 on 4 like he did on the last play of game 5, he shouldn't be able to get away with it. Nobody is that good, not even Wade.

Single coverage on Shaq and just beat him to the spot and try to draw offensive fouls on him?

[bulletedge]

Manu- Yep, I agree on Shaq. Single coverage until/unless he gets hot around the basket. Then...back to Hack-A-Shaq to cool him off. And, yes, gotta' flop against him and try to draw some offensive fouls.

[texlawman]

Have a variety of looks to throw at Wade with long athletic defenders. Make him a passer.

Stop doubling Shaq and play him straight up. He's not the player he was three years ago. Take away the Miami perimeter game.

Force Miami to play more transition and less base defense.

Send two tickets to Dan Crawford for a tropical vacation during the finals.

[mabber]

How would you beat the Heat strategy wise if you are coaching the Spurs?

AND NO SMALL BALL!!


Do you double Shaq? Do you play zone? Wade???


Miami has some very blatant weaknesses. Yet, Dallas could not capitalize on them. This was mainly due to the greatness of Wade.

Weaknesses:
1: Heat turn the ball over a lot
2: Heat can't shoot from 3 (except Posey)
3: Heat can't or don't defend the screen and roll well


Strengths:
1: Wade
2: Shaq- if he isn't doubled, he will put up 20+ pts a night
3: Haslem and Posey- good defenders, good rebounders
4: Zo, Shaq, Posey and Wade can shot block- defense is pretty good


I would zone. I would still double Shaq a lot. Hope that Bowen could slow down Wade a little bit. Keep the ball out of his hands as much as possible.
Force him to play d. Try to capitalize on their turnovers and turn them into transition points. Try to get into the lane and get Shaq in foul trouble.

What would you do?

I think y'all would have beaten the Heat. Duncan would make Shaq have to play defense in the post and Ginobli/Parker duo would be able to get to the hoop better than the Mav players. I don't think there's much you can do about Wade at this point...he's friggin awesome. Overall though, I think the Spurs would have matched up better with the Heat than the Mavs. Plus, the Spurs have finals experience. Mavs lack of that experience obviously effected the outcome of the series.

[Mavs<Spurs]

I think y'all would have beaten the Heat. Duncan would make Shaq have to play defense in the post and Ginobli/Parker duo would be able to get to the hoop better than the Mav players. I don't think there's much you can do about Wade at this point...he's friggin awesome. Overall though, I think the Spurs would have matched up better with the Heat than the Mavs. Plus, the Spurs have finals experience. Mavs lack of that experience obviously effected the outcome of the series.


I agree about matchup being important. It was key to your success against us and our struggles against Kings. I think that we do match up better against Heat. Also, I agree that as great a defender as Bowen is, Wade is lethal now. Holding him under 40 is success!

I know you all beat us, but Tim Duncan played really well in the series. Haslem and Posey are too small to guard Tim when he plays like that (41 points 15 boards, 6 assists, 3 blocks in game 7). We have shooters and drivers too. And we don't play small ball well. Playin large is something different. And that's what we would do.

You all made progress, got to the Finals. IMO, West has more really good teams than East. Cavs, because of James, are up there as are the Heat because of Wade. If Pistons go back to defense and retain Ben, they are also a top tier team.
But, West has Spurs, Mavs, Suns, Rockets (if Yao and TMac are healthy) and Kings.
West is deeper.

You all had your chances with the Heat and you had advantages you exploited in the first 3 games and could have exploited later on.
I guess it is whoever takes most advantage of their advantages.

[Leetonidas]

Rasho is our secret weapon against Shaq.

[MadDog73]

I agree they have other priorities. What do you see as the things we have to worry about?


Getting decent replacements for Rasho and Nazr for one, and a decent back up Point, (or seriously start playing Beno).

Spurs need to adjust to new "no contact" basketball. Manu and Parker should thrive, as should Tim...

Also, shot blocking is about the only defense you can play now, so Tim and our replacement big man should be good at that.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

The Spurs twin tower concept would have won the series against the Mavs.

[Bob Lanier]

PG Chauncey Billups
SG Allen Iverson
SF LeBron James
PF Dirk Nowitzki
C Pau Gasol

None of them play any defense at all, but they flop a ton and get to the line a lot. I'm sure this team could sell enough jerseys to get the Bennett Salvatores and Dan Crawfords of the league on their side.

[strangeweather]

The Spurs twin tower concept would have won the series against the Mavs.
Agreed.

Actually, Miami might have busted out a twin-tower look with Shaq and Zo, which they never would have done against the Mavs.

[Mavs<Spurs]

The Spurs twin tower concept would have won the series against the Mavs.


Then we play zone.


And we take advantage of our height/size on the offensive side as much as they take advantage of their quickness advantage when they are on offense.



If we had a decent center, then the advantage we would have on offense would more than make up for the liability of slowness that we would have on defense.

Priorities: replace Rasho/Nazr (maybe Krstic!!!), athleticism and length at the swingman 2/3 position and a good back up (preferably Speedy Claxton!!!)
Oldies are no longer goodies.

That is all.

[mabber]

PG Chauncey Billups
SG Allen Iverson
SF LeBron James
PF Dirk Nowitzki
C Pau Gasol

None of them play any defense at all, but they flop a ton and get to the line a lot. I'm sure this team could sell enough jerseys to get the Bennett Salvatores and Dan Crawfords of the league on their side.

Yeah, Dirk doesn't play much defense but I don't recall ever seeing him flop. All he ever does is swipe at the ball from the side.

[Mavs<Spurs]

Yeah, Dirk doesn't play much defense but I don't recall ever seeing him flop. All he ever does is swipe at the ball from the side.


Agree.

I especially don't care for AI's game. I don't care for volume shooters (Toine).


At least Dirk goes to the basket now and rebounds much better. But if he leaves the paint because of the hurt that Shaq and Zo put on him and returns to being a 7 foot perimeter jumpshooter, all his improvements (which is why the Mavs won game 7 against us after all) will be down the drain.

[bulletedge]

Dirk only flops on offense. He saves his energy on the defensive end with his matador impersonation.

[rayray2k8]

I think y'all would have beaten the Heat. Duncan would make Shaq have to play defense in the post and Ginobli/Parker duo would be able to get to the hoop better than the Mav players. I don't think there's much you can do about Wade at this point...he's friggin awesome. Overall though, I think the Spurs would have matched up better with the Heat than the Mavs. Plus, the Spurs have finals experience. Mavs lack of that experience obviously effected the outcome of the series.
We know.... :depressed
Thanks for blowing it for us. :flipoff

[Rip-Hamilton32]

this is how i'd play..put the ball in the basket

[bulletedge]

this is how i'd play..put the ball in the basket

I agree.

Completely.

It probably would've worked for the Pistons, too.

[Bob Lanier]

Yeah, Dirk doesn't play much defense but I don't recall ever seeing him flop. All he ever does is swipe at the ball from the side.
I wasn't talking about flopping on defense, just flailing around and getting to the foul line, which all of those players do well. It's a granted that none of them (except maybe Gasol, if only as a shotblocker) play defense.

[Mavs_man_41]

Double team shaq, maybe play a little zone, and most of all make someone else besides wade and shaq beat u.