I know it's premature and it's also rhetorical, in the sense that no team has a shot at slowing him. But in most cases, the Spurs are well equipped to at least adequately defend the oppositions stars. He's the most glaring exception to that I can think of and not just because he's the best player in the league.
Leonard is really their only legit James defender, but even he won't be able to guard him in the post and even if he could, he can't be expected to guard him for roughly 45 mpg and stay out of foul trouble. They clearly need a second guy; unfortunately, they just don't have it. Diaw is too slow (yes, he did a nice job in the first meeting, but James and the Heat in general were clearly coasting once they found out who wasn't playing and didn't bother to start playing until they were in serious danger of losing) to guard him off the dribble and Green isn't big or strong enough. The only other possibilities are Ginobili, who's also not big or strong enough or McGrady, who for obvious reasons probably won't play a meaningful second unless something has gone horribly wrong. He's also a sub par defender that, for all intents and purposes, hasn't really played a game in a few months and that was in China.
This is not the Lakers or Grizzlies, where the Spurs can get away with fronting the post and mostly disregarding their outside shooters. This team is too intelligent to not figure that out and has way too many good shooters, who are due for progression to the mean. They might just have to essentially concede something like 35 per game to him, stay home on their myriad shooters and hope that they can do a solid job on everyone else.
Double him in the post. The Heats spacing on offence is horrible, there will be a lot of opportunity to send a double team at him.
You have to double, or he'll get a layup every time.
Other than that, just try to make him take jump shots and hope he misses. If Lebron and Wade get in to the lane, they're unbeatable. If they shoot jumpers, we'd have a chance.
Heat in 5
Jack was supposed to be our secondary defender.
TMAC tbh
As I mentioned in another thread, I'd put Green on him for a variety of reasons, main one being that he has the most knowledge on Lebron's moveset stemming from his days as a Cav in his rookie year where he surely had experience defending him during practices. Also, it would put less pressure on Kawhi's knees having to defend a past-his prime Wade. So, you shut down Wade have TD d up Bosh and you're left with Lebron having to carry the team on his back against a deep Spurs team that has more size than them. Let that glory-hog get his bull dunks and style points, but shut down the rest of the team. Of course, it's easier said than done but it's not as impossible a feat as many are saying it is here.
I think Pop's strategy is to make Lebron a scorer rather than a playmaker. The Heat are really dangerous when the rest of their role players are getting involved on offense. I'm pretty sure Lebron will drop 40 or more with that strategy, but he's going to get huge numbers anyway. Green can guard an injured Wade, and we have multiple guys to throw at Bosh who right now just sits in the corner to to launch corner-threesIt'll be interesting if Spo will match up with a big lineup, use James on Parker, or try to play small against the Spurs. As much as we're concerned about the Heat, the question now is who in that team can contain Duncan? If Howard, Marc/Pau, and Z-Bo can't handle Duncan, what makes them think that Andersen and Haslem
There is nothing the Spurs can do. Also battier, Allen, bosh all murder the Spurs. Seeing as how the spurs will give you the midrange Miami will kill us from there.
Heat in 5, but lets enjoy our first finals in 6 years. That really is something.
Their spacing is not only not horrible, it's right there with the Spurs as the best in the league.
He might get a layup every time, but he's going to get roughly 30 ppg no matter what the Spurs do. If they can at least severely limit their wide open threes, as well as layups/dunks to their bigs, I'll take conceding an extra few ppg to James.
The days of "just hope he takes jumpers and misses" are over. He's officially become a good jump shooter this season and he's also intelligent enough now to not fall in love with it.
I'd call you all pessimists except that I'm pessimistic myself.
I say just let LeBron get his and try to shut down everyone else.
Of course, let's close out the Grizzlies first, m'kay?
I'll prolly get shat on for suggesting this, but they should try Splitter. Guy is quick enough on his feet to stick with him reasonably and has the length to bother him in the post. Start out with Kawhi and see how he does and throw Diaw at him as well. If he starts trying to play in the post, Splitter is the best choice to allow TD to protect the rim and shut down Bosh/Birdman.
You think this looks like good spacing?
No reason for the Pacers not to double on this possession. Send West to double, Augustin can defend Battier and Cole in this situation
He's become a good jumpshooter, but you'd rather give him layups every possession? He will get 60ppg if you let him back down Kawhi in the post every possession, he's too big and strong.
The Spurs are a far better matchup than the Heat has faced so far in the playoffs.
For one, the Spurs' P&R offense will make it tough for the Heat, who rely on strangling the ball handler and expecting the big man to fail. If Roy Hibbert with his limited offense can do so well, I expect Duncan & Splitter to do far better. In sum, the Heat are going to find it extremely difficult (relatively) to smother the Spurs' offense as opposed to the Pacers or any other Eastern Conference team.
As regards, the Spurs' defense, they will pack the paint with Duncan & Splitter and expect James to beat them from the perimeter. Leonard, Ginobili will have to play a good role there. I dont' expect the Spurs to double team James, just pressure him when he dribbles onto the paint.
What worries me is whether Parker & Ginobili will withstand the Heat's outwordly wing defense. If they do it well, combining with Duncan & Splitter on the P&Rs and make the Heat pay for their lack of size, they will compete well with the Heat. If on the other hand, Parker & Ginobili make uncharacteristic mistakes and can't manage the P&Rs, they will simply be eaten up by the Heat's transition game, which will be un-defendable.
I think the Spurs win this either in 6 or 7. I trust Duncan & Splitter to maximise the size advantages and Pop to outcoach Spoelstra.
Pretty much this unfortunately.
Turnover city if they face Miami. You saw some of that early last game against Memphis when they applied pressure, Miami is even better at causing turnovers.
Parker will be gassed by the defensive perimeter pressure. the spurs only hope for a le is either for Indiana to somehow win or injuries to key Miami players.
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.
I understand that Spurs fans should be restrained in their enthusiasm considering the Heat have far more talent than mostly any other team in recent history.
But the Heat, with their strengths are also flawed as a team in many senses. And some of their flaws are particularly in places where the Spurs have strong strengths - big man P&R play, post defense. If the Indiana Pacers have done so well so far against the Heat - its been a tough 2-1 for them so far - the Spurs can do much better.
It would be irrational to simply argue that the Spurs are doomed to lose from the beginning.
On the contrary, I think it will be a very close fight and I trust the Spurs to come through.
Maybe, but let's actually play the games first, m'kay?
I thought it would be a laugher most of the season but the Bulls and Pacers have exposed flaws that Pop can exploit. Pop can easily out coach Spo so I'm sure he'll come up with something that will at least give us a fighting chance. Oh, and we still have the best PF to ever play the game. And he's playing like it was 10 years ago. Let LeBron get his and play great D on the rest. He can't win the games by himself.
So one random screenshot determines that? That's like saying a 40% 3-point shooter is not a good shooter after he goes 1-5 in a game.You think this looks like good spacing?
No reason for the Pacers not to double on this possession. Send West to double, Augustin can defend Battier and Cole in this situation.
Sure, on this particular possession, where their spacing is mucked up.
Like I said, he's not going to bail them out by shooting jumpers non stop. He's too intelligent a player now and they're too well coached to think the Spurs are going to out smart them.He's become a good jumpshooter, but you'd rather give him layups every possession? He will get 60ppg if you let him back down Kawhi in the post every possession, he's too big and strong.
Spursfanfromafar, good analysis. I agree that the Spurs are probably better equipped than anybody to deal with their trapping defense. Duncan, in particular, is perfect for that, since he's both adept at shooting the mid range jumper and making split second decisions off the dribble. Splitter is also pretty good at the latter and Diaw can do both.
Not sure why y'all sweating this... SpursDynasty told me Green is better than Lebron... they should be worried, IMO
Does anyone remember Lebron's stats in his 4 games against us in the '07 Finals? I know that has no bearing on the personnel we have now but I'm curious.
My initial point was "let's actually get past Memphis first".
I get that the Heat are of course the favourites, but this kind of stuff is crazy. This isn't far removed from the team that lost to the Mavericks in 6 a couple of years ago. How did the Mavericks beat the Heat? With the pass. The Spurs share the ball better than any team in the league. We have a chance of winning the series, no question.
Battier and Allen are a combined 30-102 on 3s in the post season. Theres every possibility they will heat up, but then again there's every possibility they wont. To write off the series before we've even finished the WCF in foolish.
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