NBA Playoffs 2013 - Page 233

Jibba

United States22883 Posts

June 05 2013 05:10 GMT

#4641

On June 05 2013 14:04 saltygrapes wrote:

I'm guessing Miami in 6...

I agree with that.

The Spurs might be more well rounded than the Pacers, but I think the Heat are going to be able to play their style of basketball very easily. I'm expecting a ton of 3 pointers but it'll favor the Heat.

DystopiaX

United States16236 Posts

June 05 2013 05:21 GMT

#4642

On June 05 2013 14:04 saltygrapes wrote:
This looks eerily similar to last year. Everybody last year thought that the Thunder would dominate Miami, having rolled into the finals with 4 straight wins over the unbeatable offensive juggernaut Spurs while Miami stumbled into the Finals with a 7 game battlefest with Boston and injuries to Wade and Bosh.

It turned out that Miami really dominated that series (though people will argue that I am sure), holding the lead for nearly the whole series except Game 4, a game they won anyway.

I just can't doubt Miami, even against a team and organization as great as the Spurs. When their backs are against the wall, Miami literally looks like it has a Turbo button that no other team has where they just suffocate you and attack the paint relentlessly in ways that nobody can stop. I think San Antonio will present some problems that the Pacers could not: elite ball movement, great three-point shooting from 3-4 players on the court at all times, and Tony Parker. However, Splitter and Duncan are not Hibbert and David West (or even Tyson Chandler from 2011). Lebron and Wade will have better success attacking the paint, and Bosh won't be matched up against physical and bruising bigs that impose their will on you on both ends.

Just knowing how Miami responds to things, I really think their ultimate challenge was Indiana due to matchups. Being free of Roy Hibbert I feel like those guys are going to attack the rim relentlessly all series, like their kids have been held from them for a week or something. I think Miami will have a lot success offensively, especially Wade and Bosh. The question is whether they can defend the Spurs or not and contain Tony Parker.

I'm guessing Miami in 6...

Really? Last year I remember everyone thinking it was the Heat's year.

zeratul_jf

United States808 Posts

June 05 2013 06:09 GMT

#4643

On June 05 2013 14:21 DystopiaX wrote:

Show nested quote +

Really? Last year I remember everyone thinking it was the Heat's year.

I dont know where you were but everyone around me thought the thunder were gonna crush the heat and that the heat would choke again.

DannyJ

United States5110 Posts

June 05 2013 06:30 GMT

#4644

If I recall correctly a majority of people in the media and around the country were indeed leaning towards the Thunder to win the series. I'm pretty sure only a small percent thought they would "crush" the Heat though.

saltygrapes

181 Posts

June 05 2013 06:31 GMT

#4645

On June 05 2013 14:21 DystopiaX wrote:

Really? Last year I remember everyone thinking it was the Heat's year.

Could depend on where you're from, but majority thought the Thunder were going to win but it be a long series. Everyone thought SA was unbeatable when they went up 2-0 on OKC, then OKC rolled off 4 straight while Miami was having all sorts of problems.

Before the 2012 Finals, 60% (12/20) of the ESPN.com NBA staff picked the Thunder, and nobody picked Miami in 5.

This year, 72% (13/18) of the ESPN.com NBA staff picked Miami, with the majority saying it'll go the distance, while everyone who voted for SA (5/18) said SA in 6. An interesting distribution.

I think there's a clear divide between people who think that Miami will have just enough of that "special stuff" to eek out 4 wins and that no one can actually beat them in a 7 game series right now; the others think Miami is too hurt and playing too inconsistently to beat these hungry Spurs.

I just think they're better than SA anyway. While SA poses their own new set of problems, specifically with Parker, Miami will be able to play their game. Westbrook and Durant still lost to this team in 5 and while Wade isn't as healthy this year, Miami's supporting cast is better. Wade and James are going to absolutely cherish not having Roy Hibbert there. Having just played Indiana and learned through 7 games what it's like for their team to struggle in the paint, they're going to be relentless now. And I think in game 7 they realized that when they turn it on, they can be unstoppable so I expect a more consistent effort in the Finals.

VayneAuthority

United States8983 Posts

June 05 2013 06:31 GMT

#4646

I mean if they can give Wade those really good drugs long enough to keep him playing like he did in game 7 then Miami takes this easily. If that was a one time thing to win game 7 then well its a much more even series, probably even spurs favored.

Wade is the xfactor here, without his penetration to compliment lebrons they don't get as much 3 pointers and cant keep up with the spurs O.

cLutZ

United States19573 Posts

June 05 2013 06:45 GMT

#4647

The difference in this series, IMO, is that Parker can be shut down by athletic defenders, and so can the SA Spurs system. Lebron James and the Heat system THEORETICALLY could be shut down by athletic defenders, but since LBJ is the most athletic player in NBA history, that is not possible right now.

Golgotha

Korea (South)8418 Posts

June 05 2013 06:45 GMT

#4648

GO HEAT! Beating the Spurs will be easier than beating the Pacers. Helluva a lot easier. Ginobli and Parker are tiny.

DystopiaX

United States16236 Posts

June 05 2013 06:56 GMT

#4649

On June 05 2013 15:31 saltygrapes wrote:

Show nested quote +

I attributed a lot of the mainstream media's pulling for the Thunder to be partly motivated by residual hate from the Decision, etc., and people wanting Lebron to never get a ring. I saw a lot of people hating the Heat and not wanting them to win, but when asked a lot of people thought that they actually would.

Personally I thought it was their year because even back then the Thunder lacked offensive complexity and any athleticism on offense could be shut down by Lebron/Wade. Perkins was worthless then and is somehow even more worthless now. For some reason I remember just thinking that Lebron's win would be inevitable, he wanted it too much, his team was too stacked, it had been too long for the most talented player in the league to not win.

XaI)CyRiC

United States4471 Posts

June 05 2013 07:03 GMT

#4650

It's very hard to bet against a healthy Lebron, Wade and Bosh core surrounded by a solid supporting cast that fits them so well. However, if Wade or Bosh falter or are hobbled, or the role players are unable to step up when the Spurs inevitably force them to make plays, SA certainly has enough to beat them.

Itsmedudeman

United States19229 Posts

June 05 2013 07:18 GMT

#4651

Depends on if we're underestimating the Spur's offense or not. Miami puts on a lot of ball pressure, and against one of the top point guards in the league with a lot of experience will that work? The spur's offense is a well-oiled machine, and if they can find open guys when the heat rotate then the defense might not be a big factor. Then again, the heat have a really good offense as well and I doubt wade and bosh are gonna get shut down as hard as they did against the bulls and pacers. Whoever wins, I don't think it'll be because of a matchup issue, just whoever performs better.

Aerisky

United States12128 Posts

June 05 2013 07:39 GMT

#4652

Definitely at pretty much all the comments made~

I'm hoping for an epic series and that we can avoid any injuries or particularly dirty stuff ><

a176

Canada6688 Posts

June 05 2013 16:13 GMT

#4653

i think we're pretty much going to see a repeat of indiana miami series. except better. indiana is built like the spurs, so the matchups will be interesting.

but the difference being the spurs can actually execute plays.

Jibba

United States22883 Posts

June 05 2013 17:10 GMT

#4654

On June 06 2013 01:13 a176 wrote:
i think we're pretty much going to see a repeat of indiana miami series. except better. indiana is built like the spurs, so the matchups will be interesting.

but the difference being the spurs can actually execute plays.

Eh. Tony Parker and Ginobli are obviously a step above George Hill and Lance Stevenson, but Kawhi Leonard is a big step down from Paul George. Even if his defense is great, he's smaller than George and at further disadvantage against Lebron, imo. And Hibbert/West are better than Duncan/Splitter. I think Bosh and Battier are going to have a much, much easier series, as are the rest of the 3pt shooters. The Spurs are a smart defensive team, but they're not as fast or long from 1-5 as the Pacers, so they don't contest the perimeter the same.

The Spurs can't leave Duncan on the court as much as the Pacers could Hibbert and even though he gets a lot of blocks, he's not quite the help defender/shot alterer that Hibbert is. You don't see Duncan jumping to block every layup.

The Spurs do have a much better bench, but I have a feeling Bosh and Duncan will be more evenly matched than most people imagine and Parker/Ginobli will be overmatched by Wade/James. I don't mean that Duncan isn't still an amazing player, but he's not going to push Bosh around and take him out of the picture like Hibbert did. I think both Duncan and Bosh will be able to play how they like to play. This isn't young 260lbs Tim Duncan, it's older 230lbs Duncan.

Maybe people are quick to relate the Spurs to the Pacers because of Duncan/Splitter, but they're really not all that similar. The Spurs are actually closer to Miami than Indiana. They have great ball movement, lots of 3pt shooters and a big man who pulls people outside, but they're also bad rebounders.

The Spurs are definitely a small ball team, and they don't have anyone to fill the keystone role of David West. I think people are overlooking just how important West was to disrupting what the Heat try to do. He was too skilled on offense for single coverage from most of their big men so the Heat had Lebron on him, which drained a lot of his energy. On defense, he was their best rebounder and still quick enough against PnRs to cause disruptions (like those 2 TOs at the end of the game.) Obviously George and Hibbert were the stars, but I think West enabled them to go off. Splitter isn't going to do that.

It'll be exciting, but I don't think this is a clash of styles at all. I think it's two very similar styles, except one team has superhumans and the other doesn't.

a176

Canada6688 Posts

June 05 2013 18:48 GMT

#4655

i wasnt thinking about play style between spurs and indiana. just the matchups. which is why i said this series should be a lot better than indiana, because the spurs can execute their plays way better than indiana. the spurs system is probably the only other team in the league that can match miami on ball movement.

and i think you forgot all about danny green in that rotation. granted his defensive ability is next to nothing, but in terms of matchup, him guarding wade gives spurs some options between leonard/ginobli to put on james. kawhi had a huge game last time vs miami (yes, with no wade/james), but hes had a pretty good playoff run as well.

also i think you're underestimating splitter. i know what you mean by splitter getting tired easily, but ive seen the duncan-spliiter rotation and splitter plays a more laid back "west style" role and it was pretty effective, so maybe we'll see more of that. with duncan averaging something like 35 mpg in the playoffs i think they can manage the bigs effectively. anyways its not like miami "bigs" are going to give them a run anyways.