The Genius of Pop: Demanding Pace in game 1

[$pursDynasty]

Game one started out, Dwayne Wade and everyone else not named LeBron looked good. Luckily the Spurs didn't turn the ball over and kept it close but the Heat were looking good. Sideline reporters were saying the Coach Pop was demanding pace. However all the talking heads doing color and the halftime guys were reporting that Pop was playing right into the Heat's hands by playing at the pace that the Heat preferred. At the time I was happy to be so close in the game but it seemed that there was some validity in their points, UNTIL in the second half the pace slowed down but also it appeared that all that pace that while it was what the Heat preferred had them dead tired by the time the 4th quarter came around. A move no one on commentary saw coming but it appears that Pop did. Now LeBron and others are trying to use fatigue as an excuse, Pop used energy expended in the first half, since they had an excess of it after a long layoff, to get the Heat to burn thru what precious little they had early in the matchup. Will the Spurs try this again? Go with pace early on. Or will they play a slower pace which is more in their wheel house but will allow the Heat to rest as well. It is a complex choice, play at their pace but may tire them out, or play at yours which may allow the Heat to have more gas in the tank in the 4th. I am glad we have Pop to make that decision but I am interested in seeing which way he goes.

[SA210]

Let's see if Pop can make the team stay on shooters this time around, and not overplay Bonner/Neal. If Pop can somehow do that maybe we can blow them out.

[wildbill2u]

Although a few of our starters played 30+ minutes, the bench (Neal, Manu, Bonner, Cojo) got some minutes too and kept the pace going. LeBron had to ask his coach to give him a breather at the start of the 4th and Miami played like the walking dead in the 4th with their lowest point total of the season. Great strategy by Pop to run them ragged.

Both teams will presumably have equal energy after the 1st game.