What do the Spurs do with James?

Parker has done nothing short of superb these playoffs I agree. And while in theory it may sound silly to think Norris Cole of all people will be the one that slows Parker down but I believe it. You're right, it's a small sample size but also factoring in that the Spurs love to give up the midrange and the Heat can destroy you from there, I am certainly anxious heading into this series.

If the Spurs don't get a split, this series could be over fast. I think there are better chances of the Heat stealing a road game than the Spurs.

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Originally Posted by Budkin

:lol This is so beyond "being realistic" it's laughable. Of course the Spurs stand a fucking chance. The Heat have been beating up JV teams all season. Lets see them play a real team with all its players and a badass coach. Of course they will be the favorites but to think they would just steamroll us is fucking bullshit.

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Seriously. Cuz the Heat have just steamrolled over the Pacers in the series :rolleyes. Granted that the Heat like to goof around the first few games and then get serious but the Spurs will be their biggest challenge in the post season by far.

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Originally Posted by Amuseddaysleeper

You're right, it's a small sample size but also factoring in that the Spurs love to give up the midrange and the Heat can destroy you from there, I am certainly anxious heading into this series.

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I would actually say that if the Heat are going to beat the Spurs, it wouldn't be because of their reliance on mid range shots. Check these stats by the Heat, Grizzlies & Warriors on % accuracy of mid range shots for the year 2012-13 -

Heat - http://bkref.com/tiny/JTZne

Grizzlies - http://bkref.com/tiny/lvnnm

Warriors - http://bkref.com/tiny/5kGYA

The Heat are just about as good as the Warriors overall in shooting mid rangers (starters + role players) and the Grizzlies are not very far in that either (taking Gasol's prowess in retrospect especially).

If they are going to shoot close to 40% on a majority of mid rangers (and about 40% on a minority of three pointers) and about 60% on an even lesser number of close to rim shots for an overall of about 45% Effective FG%; I think the Spurs are taking the series.

IMO, the key for the Spurs against the Heat would be to limit the 3 pointers, and the Heat's big two's drives (and the likes of Andersom from getting easy buckets). That will be the most difficult task for both Splitter & Duncan. If they manage to do this, they will fare well.

Nice post.

I agree about limiting Miami's drives to the basket. I'd rather the Heat try to beat us from outside than inside.

I don´t know. But i think the Spurs usually defeat bad coached teams.
Unless the refs take over on crucial moments we could finish off the heat in 5.

Lebron's only weakness is between his ears.

The Spurs need to frustrate him (somehow) and since the Heat has no system, if the leader loses his poise, so will the troops.

If Wade is well enough to assume the mantle, the Spurs probably don't have much chance. But if he isn't, there is at least a possibility that the Heat crumbles around Lebron like Cavs teams past. The Heat are like a bully now, and you don't punch a bully, you frustrate them.

If the Mavs could do it . . .

Can't wait to see this potential matchup!
Pop started preparing early in the season
for this possibility. I bet he will have a bunch
of strategies for defending the Heat and Lebron.

Just hoping for a win tonight and no injuries.

All the people here were concerning how we will face against Memphis 1 week ago. I remember the things I've read.

- They have 3 players in all-defense teams,
- Conley is one of the best Parker defender in the league.
- Tony Allen and Tayshaun Prince can destroy Manu, Green and Leonard in defense.
- Z-Bo is an offensive rebound beast.
- Gasol is too good for Splitter in both defense and offense.
etc.

Now we're up 3-0 and thinking what we can do against Miami.

Guys! Our team is strong. Really strong. Some of you're underestimating us and don't figure out our strength.
We scored 100+ points against the best defensive team of the league. We scored 18 points in OT against them.
We kept the best offensive team in the league in 82 points in their arena on close-out game.

- We're one of the most balanced team in the league in both end with Miami.
- We can adjust to our opponent. Remember first 2 games against GSW and last 4.
- Our coach is much better than theirs.
- They've nobody to defend our Parker.
- We've better clutch players in close games.
- Our ball movement is in lightning speed sometimes and we've no trouble on finding open-look shooter.
- We're coming from a harder path. GSW and Memphis are better teams then injury-deplated Bulls and 5-men rotation Pacers.(Proivdes self confidence)

We're really good. I believe we've a chance to win it all. You'll all see.

We dont double Lebron till hes in the post. We clog the lanes and try our best to make them a jump shooting team. It will limit our foul trouble as well. We can certainly use tmac this series but pop isnt gonna do it. We limit turnovers and this series is within reach

I can't imagine this place if the Spurs lose in the Finals...

I'm not, nor was I ever, completely sold on the Heat as a dominant team. I think the Spurs can take them down in 6.

Pop has always allowed the bmoc of the other team to get his, while playing tough on the other four guys. James may average 40 points in the series, which will be fine as long as the other guys are getting no more than 40-50 pts. Man up on Lebron, and stay home on the shooters. Even when he dunks or posts up, you cannot double team as that opens the pass for a three. You need to look at him as a PF who can shoot the three. You might even see Blair get some run on James if they keep trying to post him up. Just be prepared to see him shoot about 10-20 foul shots per game.

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Originally Posted by dbestpro

Pop has always allowed the bmoc of the other team to get his, while playing tough on the other four guys. James may average 40 points in the series, which will be fine as long as the other guys are getting no more than 40-50 pts. Man up on Lebron, and stay home on the shooters. Even when he dunks or posts up, you cannot double team as that opens the pass for a three. You need to look at him as a PF who can shoot the three. You might even see Blair get some run on James if they keep trying to post him up. Just be prepared to see him shoot about 10-20 foul shots per game.

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:lmao

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Originally Posted by DMC

Guarantee you Pop has no strategy for James right now. He won't until the Spurs win the WCF. The Heat have too many weapons. You put your best on James and Wade kills you. You switch up and Bosh kills you. You manage to avoid those and Allen kills you from outside.

Their only weakness is that they lack size inside. Pop will want to slow it down with them, but that's no secret tactic and no one else has been able to. They score off turnovers, they shoot the 3, they shoot a high percentage, they get offensive boards, they share the ball, they move the ball well, they defend well, they even shoot FTs well.

It will be quite a feat to win a single game against them. Taking them to 7 would be monumental. Beating them would be borderline impossible. They have to play subpar and the Spurs have to play out of their minds to even stand a chance.

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How does Chicago and Indiana have a win against them already if it's such a feat to win one?

Heat looked panic-inducing unbeatable last night. But if they opened up playing Games 1 & 2 the same way they did vs. IND, they'd drop both by solid margins vs. having a close win/close defeat vs. IND. Playing things traditionally, Spurs match up really well with MIA. The things that CHI & IND have done that have made the Heat look mortal at times are things that the Spurs do REALLY well.

The concern last night is that Miami's bigs were hitting jump shots, forcing the defending bigs out of the paint, opening up for Lebron and Wade on the post & drive. Once Bosh & Haslem hit a few jumpers, suddenly every single shot Miami got was an easy one at the rim. Now, that's a formula that scares me as it should - on paper - work against the Spurs just as well. Hell, that works against pretty much anybody. But take note that Bosh shot 28% from 3 during regular season and Haslem had an eFG% of 37% (AWFUL) on jump shots this year. And neither is a great defensive matchup for Duncan/Splitter. On top of that Birdman is also playing well above himself thus far in the postseason - he an energy guy off the bench that does some nice things but also undisciplined, NOT this master of efficiency that he has portrayed through 3 rounds.

I also think Kawhi as a post defender would be tougher on Lebron than anybody IND is throwing at him (although I'd rather have George guarding him out on perimeter). Playing more zone similar to what Dallas showed 2 years ago is an intriguing thought on paper. Of course, I'd like to have a healthy Chandler (best help defender in the league at that time) anchoring it.

Ultimately, the goal is to cut off Miami's role shooters & force Lebron/Wade to beat you with jumpers. That's a lot easier said than done and they can beat you even if you do accomplish that - but that's the strategy. Oh, & you have to score on the other end at the same time. Luckily, that's an easier proposition as this year's Miami defense has dropped off a bit compared to the previous 2 years.

Not going to stop him or really be able to contain him defensively. Only chance we have of competing with Miami is if our Big Three plays like they did in their vintage days for most of the series.

I think Miami takes it in 5.

Just play.

D.I.A.W.

Lebron James isn't that good. Last I remember, we swept him in the Finals the last time. I've said this before, Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green are better players than Lebron. Lebron is only good when he makes jump shots. He's a jump shooter, always has been. Nothing different about the way he plays and the way Nick Van Exel played.

Miami like to front the post but the Spurs should have a million plays to counter and get Timmy good post position. Anytime anyone but Bosh is on Timmy, he needs to go to work.

I like the Splitter on Battier matchup too, although he will need to dominate on the boards.

More than anything, it is the ability of our big men to pass the ball that will be able to slice apart the Heat. I think we can score enough to beat them, we just need to get stops

Is would be the one series where if I was pop I'd consider using McGrady. Spurs cannot afford to have Leonard or Green in foul trouble. No easy baskets for Lebron. Foul him hard and give him no cheesy and ones.

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Originally Posted by SpursDynasty

Lebron James isn't that good. Last I remember, we swept him in the Finals the last time. I've said this before, Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green are better players than Lebron. Lebron is only good when he makes jump shots. He's a jump shooter, always has been. Nothing different about the way he plays and the way Nick Van Exel played.

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I agree your best bet is keeping Lebron as a jumpshooter. But his post game adds a new wrinkle.

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Originally Posted by Brunodf

:lmao

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It's not that absurd. James doesn't really have that much of a height advantage over Blair, and if there's one thing DeJuan can do well is stand there and not let someone push him around in the post. But Blair has little chance to defend him on the perimeter, so I wouldn't be for him guarding James at all.

Although Blair did a pretty good job on Melo earlier this season.

It's also about the whistle. The best way to take out James and Wade is to get them in foul trouble. We've seen it happen in the playoffs already. If Wade matches up with Leonard (which could be the case if Lebron plays Parker and Chalmers plays Green), then Kawhi has to be assertive. Wade can't guard him in the post.

Also, Duncan needs to be assertive against the Heat's front line. Miami needs to never consider playing small.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz7cX_akV7U

I want to enjoy the Spurs making it to the finals before I face the reality of what stands between them and an undefeated finals record. I also want them to make it to the finals so I can enjoy it.