Was absolutely phenomenal. I thought the Spurs wold win this series, but through 2 games it feels like when the Heat clamp down the Spurs have a lot of trouble scoring, eerily similar to the last 5 quarters of the Finals last year... also, Lebron is the 2nd best baller of all time, at worst.
The coaching/system of the Heat deserves a lot of credit, obviously the team is heavily dependent on Lebron but the bottom line is... they do have Lebron.. their spacing on offense/movement on defense is superb as a team.
Neither team has been able to gain separation in the first 2 games, tbh..Spurs made a ton of unforced errors in clutch time..
Unreal stat, although it's a small sample size:
Miami is +8.2 points per/100 when Lebron is on the floor, so far through 2 games
They are -53 points per/100 when he sits
Lebron's defense is absolutely disgusting...it is unbelievable
When he's on Parker or Manu, it's as if that player is taken out of the game..when he's switched onto Duncan, it's not even an automatic 2 for Duncan..
Which is why it's puzzling that there are people that still compare him to non-impact defensive players like Bird and Kobe..
The only perimeter player that could replace Lebron on this team is maybe Jordan, but I'm not sure if he would be unselfish enough to run their offense, and his style would clash with Wade's..stylistically, Jordan is probably the only other player that can play both ends of the floor at that level..
That is bad science ... Malik
Nope..obviously you have to factor teammates/lineups/opponents in +/- stats(rather than using them raw), but it shouldn't matter in this case, as Lebron has had the highest adjusted +/- metrics numbers for years, his value and his team's reliance on him has already been proven..That is bad science ... Malik
Just compare Kobe at age 29 to Lebron at age 29...
Kobe was on a championship team that year but the defense of that team was built on the length of the frontline, he was hardly ever having the kind of defensive impact that Lebron was. Kobe could not take any player out of the game... like Lebron did with Rose in 2011, Durant in 2012, Parker in 2013 Finals, George v Pacers, etc.
And on offense, he can only dream to have the efficiency of Lebron, the passing of Lebron, the freight train ability to score in the paint of Lebron..
The advanced stats really don't lie on this one, nor does the eyeball test.
the sample size is too small so far though
Also, if Lebron was as good today as he was in 2011 they'd be working on a 4-peat..there's no way the Mavs scheme alone was responsible for his 2011 performance... he's found another gear mentally/added to his skillset since then.
It wasn't just Lebron, to be fair, but I agree..
Spoelstra has admitted that they literally didn't work on offense in their first season together, and focused primarily on the defensive end..they basically ran the same type of ISO-oriented offense that OKC runs today..
Obviously Lebron has improved as a player, particularly in the post and as a shooter(as well as mentally, as he was soft in the 2011 Finals), but there's no way an ISO team is beating a team like the 2011 Mavs or today's Spurs IMO..
ISO-oriented offenses no longer win in today's league, ever since the Mavs won the le IMO..teams are finally diverting from coaches that don't run systems..only 5 teams ran more than 10% of their offense through ISO, this season, and 2 of those coaches have already been fired during the off-season(Jackson, Woodson)..
Its not like he's out there guarding great offensive players. Last one he tried to guard torched his ass in the finals.
Carlisle is a HOF coach and knew what he was doing. There is a reason why he is argued as the best coach in the league. He had the perfect team to beat Miami. Cuban did Miami a real solid by blowing it up soon after, tbh.
Ya, I remember you and I saying the only team in the West that could have defeated Miami was Dallas..
Carlisle's zone schemes matched up perfectly with the Heat's lack of shooting and ISO ball..Carlisle is one of the best coaches I have ever seen at exploiting mismatches and at adjusting to his team's defensive personnel..
I know you aren't a fan of Spoelstra, but I really think he has become a good coach, tbh..he has built a system around Lebron that compliments him perfectly, as opposed to Mike Brown's terrible offensive approach in Cleveland(along with the lack of talent, obviously)..
Part of that is Lebron's improvement in the post, as that allows the Heat to play two stretch-bigs in Bosh/Lewis/Battier(which helps against a team like the Spurs, since their elite defensive frontcourt can no longer camp in the paint, in this scenario)..
What will pop do if james keeps sticking tony?
Ball movement is required. None of the hero ball will work. Ya'll don't have a Kobe that you can go to when the game gets tight. When the Spurs move the ball, they have success. When they don't, cHeat kicks their ass. It's not rocket science.
They'd lose every game by 30 if they had a Kirby to go to, Pablo
Say what you want about Kobe, but the Lakers had the luxury of scrapping the triangle and have Kobe go to work was invaluable. Especially when it was just Shaq and Kobe - and Shaq was flaccid in the 4th quarters.They'd lose every game by 30 if they had a Kirby to go to, Pablo
The cHeat have 3 players they could go to any given night - including the best player in the world. Plus they have elite perimeter defense. Spurs = f
Spoelstra has actually improved. Only 3-4 coaches are better. I just wanted to see this team dominate the playoffs for once like the 2001 Lakers did. I'm over it now, but this team should have had that 1 dominant playoff run.
The heat cannot keep up this defensive intensity for 7 games. If they do, then they deserve all the credit in the world.
The spurs ball movement are like a boxers punches to the body. They have a ulative effect over time. But they have to keep moving the ball. Once it stops Miami is able to catch their breath.
If by "invaluable," you mean "shooting 23% in the clutch," then sure
Wade and Bosh are useless down the stretch without Kang holding their hand.... see: Game 1The cHeat have 3 players they could go to any given night - including the best player in the world. Plus they have elite perimeter defense. Spurs = f
Lebron's defense is sick. The way he flew around the floor and disrupted every passing lane, while still being able to recover on his man, it really is unbelievable to watch. It was like watching a stronger Pippen in his absolute prime on defense (but with a little less man to man ability).
I am not sure if replacing Lebron with Jordan would make the Heat a better or equal team. I am not saying Lebron > Jordan, but this Heat team would probably benefit with a prime Lebron over a prime Jordan.
The Spurs passing has been tentative because of Lebron. Without Lebron, the Heat are a 2nd round sacrifice in the West.
Spurs need to get someone to hit the A/C in Miami.
Bro the cHeat got blown out by 15 in game one while they only won the game last night by 2 fluky points.
Kobe can't even stay healthy, stop bringing him up, if are talking retired players then go with Jordan.
And yet they could still be down 0-2 if not for missed free throws.
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