MIA is M-I-A in Game 4: Kawhi Ain’t Done Yet and Warning: Sexy Numbers

What a wonderfully cathartic NBA Finals this has been so far. It’s not that I don’t appreciate that the Heat have been great. It’s not that I don’t recognize the astonishing performances of LeBron over the years. And, yes, I’m sick of Heat fans for all of the obvious reasons. Here’s why it’s been cathartic (good for the soul):

1) The Spurs play a brand of basketball that forces strange noises out of me (in a good way)

2) Kawhi Leonard is undeniable.

3) Boris Diaw is the most unsuspecting pivotal player in an NBA Finals in a long time.

4) I love the way Popovich loves his players and communicates candidly on-mic about how proud he is of their performances, as well as let’s them have it when they miss an assignment (Green especially). Even if he’s an irascible old curmudgeon who toys with the media, Popovich needs to be giving in-game coaching interviews well into his 80s. Part of me wonders how vociferous Pop would be with each player if there were no cameras. He’s way more self-conscious than most realize, and he doesn’t enjoy having to talk to anyone but his players and presumably R.C. Buford and his assistants.

5) The Heat dethroned the Celtics and four straight appearances in the Finals is enough.

A Few Passing Thoughts

The power of the moving ball, aka “ball movement as revelation.”

Total Passes (Assists + Secondary Assists)

Gm 1: Spurs 337 (30+5), Heat 266 (16+1)

Gm 2: Spurs 337 (26+9), Heat 250 (16+4)

Gm 3: Spurs 362 (21+5), Heat 256 (17+4)*

Gm 4: Spurs 381 (25+14), Heat 271 (13+2)**

*interestingly, Game 3 was the game in which the Spurs hit 19 of their first 21 shots. Some were contested, but wide open looks early in the shot clock mean that you don’t even need to make the extra pass.

**Diaw had 9 assists and 3 secondary assists. Ginobili had 5 secondary assists (probably passes to Diaw).

Game 4: M-I-A in MIA

In Game 4, the Heat couldn’t do much of anything offensively in the first half, and then LeBron took over their offense (successfully) while Wade and company continued to struggle. The Heat in the third quarter: Lebron 7-7, the rest of the Heat 1-9. Though it’s hard to know exactly how much Wade’s knee is bothering him, at this point, it may be effecting the Heat’s defense as much as it is his ability to finish at the Heat. Wade’s signature perimeter defense isn’t the same without the explosiveness. The Heat are not getting steals, so they’re not getting transition baskets. In addition, the struggles of Mario Chalmers and Wade affect Bosh and Allen in that the spacing isn’t there. Let’s also give massive credit to the defense of both Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. Wow.

Unless Wade can find the fountain of youth, the Heat have zero chance of extending this series. With two days off, it’s possible he finds a groove again. But the possibility of Wade finding it and sustaining it for three games, would still leave the Heat with a defense that can’t slow down the best offensive team in 25 years.

 

A Tribute to the Spurs Offense:

Passing. Spurs. Cutting. Spurs. Sharing. Spurs. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Passing. Cutting. Kawhi. Sharing. Pass. Cut. Share. Spurs. Passing. Spurs. Cutting. Spurs. Sharing. Spurs. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Diaw. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Pass. Cut. Share. Spurs. Kawhi. Passing. Spurs. Cutting. Spurs. Sharing. Spurs. Passing. Parker. Cutting. Sharing. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Pass. Cut. Share. Spurs. Passing. Spurs. Cutting. Spurs. Sharing. Spurs. Timmy. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Pass. Cut. Share. Spurs. Passing. Spurs. Cutting. Spurs. Pop. Sharing. Spurs. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Pass. Cut. Mills. Share. Spurs. Passing. Spurs. Tiago. Cutting. Spurs. Sharing. Spurs. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Pass. Cut. Green. Share. Spurs. Passing. Spurs. Cutting. Spurs. Sharing. Spurs. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Pass. Cut. Manu. Share. Spurs. Passing. Green. Spurs. Cutting. Spurs. Sharing. Spurs. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Pass. Cut. Share. Spurs. Passing. Spurs. Cutting. Spurs. Buford. Sharing. Spurs. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Pass. Duncan. Cut. Share. Spurs. Passing. Spurs. Cutting. Spurs. Sharing. Spurs. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Pass. Cut. Share. Spurs. Baynes. Passing. Spurs. Cutting. Spurs. Sharing. Spurs. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Pass. Cut. Share. Spurs. Passing. Spurs. Cutting. Spurs. Sharing. Spurs. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Pass. Cut. Share. Spurs. Passing. Spurs. Cutting. Spurs. Sharing. Spurs. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Pass. Cut. Share. Spurs. Belinelli. Passing. Spurs. Cutting. Spurs. Sharing. Manu. Spurs. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Pass. Cut. Share. Spurs. Passing. Spurs. Cutting. Spurs. Sharing. Spurs. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Diaw. Pass. Cut. Share. Spurs. Passing. Spurs. Cutting. Parker. Spurs. Sharing. Spurs. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Pass. Cut. Share. Green. Spurs. Passing. Spurs. Cutting. Spurs. Sharing. Spurs. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Passing. Cutting. Duncan. Sharing. Pass. Cut. Share. Spurs. Passing. Spurs. Cutting. Spurs. Sharing. Spurs. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Kawhi. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Pass. Cut. Manu. Share. Spurs. Passing. Spurs. Cutting. Spurs. Sharing. Spurs. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Pass. Cut. Share. Pop. Spurs. Passing. Spurs. Cutting. Spurs. Sharing. Spurs. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Pass. Cut. Share. Spurs. Passing. Spurs. Cutting. Spurs. Sharing. Spurs. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Passing. Cutting. Sharing. Pass. Cut. Share. Spurs. Ring.

 

Miscellaneous

From @ChrisMannixSI:

Spurs p.r. man Tom James: “Kawhi, you want to go to the podium?”

Leonard: “No.”

TJ: “Kawhi, PLEASE go to the podium!”

6 Questions for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals

The Indiana Pacers have done exactly what 99% of the sports media were hoping they could do since last June. They have pushed the Miami Heat into a 6th game in the Eastern Conference Finals. How they did it was probably more intriguing than the fact that they did it. Writers have been examining their supposed corpses as if the scribes were M.E.s and the series were taking place in a morgue. After Game 2’s Pacer meltdown and three convincing Heat wins, few were convinced this series still had a pulse. And yet, Paul George found the rhythm and rode a wave of “green-light” confidence and LeBron James foul-trouble throughout the second half. George, who may now be playing with a clearer head a week after the concussion he suffered in Game 2, simply refused to be denied.

Now the series heads back to Miami for Game 6.

The biggest question: Which Roy Hibbert will we see? If he gets involved early, the Pacers have a real chance to force a Game 7. If not, their offense may grind down to a crawl.

Other than Hibbert’s post-up game, here are some of the most interesting questions heading into Game 6:

1. Will Heat center Chris Anderson play? If he does, this makes the Heat interior defense much stronger, but also allows Roy Hibbert and David West to match-up on defense, rather than keeping an eye on Chris Bosh or Rashard Lewis, both perimeter threats.
2. Can Paul George stay aggressive when the Heat close out harder on him (with LeBron or Wade) and he has to penetrate or pass? Following that thought, will George attack the rim even if the calls aren’t going his way?
3. Will Norris Cole continue to see the bulk of the important minutes over Mario Chalmers? Cole’s on-the-ball defense has been critical in diffusing Stephenson’s pick-and-roll attack. Chalmers has hit several clutch shots over the last few years, which may earn him those 4th quarter minutes.
4. Will Stephenson continue to blow in LeBron’s ear? For all the gossip-drama, Sir Lancelot has succeeded in being a distraction for LeBron as much as anyone outside of 2007-2012 Kevin Garnett, or Kawhi Leonard can succeed in disrupting LeBron. He has taken pressure off of Paul George by checking James. Stephenson and Hibbert absolutely must set the tone for the Pacers with their physicality.
5. Can George Hill’s defensive abilities lead to some easy Pacers transition points? Hill has had moments of defensive brilliance against Miami over the last two years. Both Georges need to cause havoc on the Heat ball movement for Indiana to get out in the open court.
6. Will Wade’s knee cause concern for the Heat? Though some feel this may be overblown, this is the point in the series where Wade’s lingering knee issues could become a weakness. Without LeBron on the court, Wade had to work harder throughout Game 5.

 

Eastern Conference Game 4: LeBron is Awesome and Refs Swallow Whistles

Miami-Indiana

Home court advantage is a given. In the playoffs, it’s closer to a birth right. It always makes a difference. When a team wins a few championships, that advantage becomes even more recognizable. Referees can’t help but treat entire teams and specific players differently based on their defensive reputations. Good defensive teams often have home court advantage in the playoffs. The calls are often close to 50-50, and the plays are rarely indisputable. I understand this. I understand how much the Boston Celtics have benefited from these facts over the decades. Yes, it can be tiresome to hear about how the referees impacted a game. Still…

Anyone who watched Game 4 of the Heat-Pacers as a relatively neutral observer might have noticed something: the referees were not consistent. On my completely subjective referee scale of 1-10 (“1” being the way refs treat a rookie center and “10” being the way refs treat Kobe/Durant/Wade/LeBron), the Heat were treated to a score of 9, while the Pacers were given something like a 2. This is not to say the Pacers would have definitively won Game 4 if the game were called with greater neutrality, but it is to say that the game would have been tight. In any home playoff game for a defending champ, you’ll probably see a 7. You hope it’s not as bad as an 8, and you certainly hope to avoid the 9. A 10? That would be the way the refs treated Dwyane Wade in the 2006 NBA Finals, when he attempted 14 or more free-throws in 4 of the 6 games, topping out at 25 attempts in Game 5.

The total free-throw count for Game 4 of the 2014 ECF was telling. Miami shot 34 free-throws to Indiana’s 17. The foul count was telling: Indiana committed 27 fouls to Miami’s 17.

Chris Bosh went into Game 4 having shot a grand total of 21 free-throws over Miami’s 12 playoff games. He took 10 free-throws last night. The last time Bosh attempted 10 free-throws in a Heat playoff game: May 6, 2011. To be fair, Chris Anderson’s injury forced Heat coach Erik Spoelstra to play Bosh at the center position, where he matched up with Roy Hibbert, stretching Hibbert all the way out to the corner and then giving Bosh room to attack the rim. Still, to say Bosh got the benefit of the doubt would be an understatement. To his credit, Bosh was draining jumpers from the opening tip.

Aside from Bosh, there were a few calls on Hibbert and Stephenson that were highly questionable. There were several Paul George drives in which contact was made, but the 50-50 call went Miami’s way. None of it is shocking. Because most NBA fans want to see Miami in the Finals (the Pacers offense is rarely so fluid as it was in Game 1 and sometimes barely watchable), the talk of uneven officiating will be muted. There was one play that stood out to me:

Udonis Haslem was “guarding” David West. West was making a cut to the corner. Before he received the pass, Haslem’s arms were surrounding West’s torso, hugging his hip. West managed to disentangle himself, but his balance was so thrown off when he released the corner 17-footer, the ball fell two feet short of the rim. Air ball. On the slow-motion replay, the cameras caught the harrassment that came prior to West receiving the pass, but ESPN commentator Jeff Van Gundy (who has been known to abhor referees for blowing the whistle unless blood is evident) claimed that there wasn’t any contact. And he was right…there wasn’t any contact on the shot. There didn’t need to be. Haslem was guarding West the way centers bang in the paint. That kind of physicality isn’t usually allowed at 15-20 feet from the rim, but it was.  Why? Maybe that baseline ref just missed it. Or maybe it has to do with the fact that the game was played in Miami, and the player in question wasn’t Dwyane Wade or LeBron James.

Feel free to tell me I’m crazy and that Miami just played spectacular defense. Maybe they did. Maybe I just wanted the Pacers to keep the game closer and for Roy Hibbert to show up and Paul George and Lance Stephenson to get to the line. As much as I try to be neutral, I know I’m not.

LeBron Up, Hibbert Down

It’s not exactly news, but LeBron James is awesome and Roy Hibbert is unpredictable and foul-prone.  LeBron’s 32/10/5 came on only 21 shots. The fact that LeBron turned it over only two times despite having the ball in his hands pretty much every possession except for those in which Miami isolated Bosh is crazy. LeBron no longer takes many shots. He picks his spots more carefully than he used to, using his precision passing to bend the defense and find Norris Cole, Wade, and Allen. Only twice in Miami’s 13 playoff games, has James attempted 20 shots. Despite taking only 17.5 shots per game in the playoffs, James is averaging 28.8 points per game, to go with the low turnover rate (2.8 per game). This is called efficiency and it is what makes Miami so tough to beat.

How do you neutralize the Pacers? Get behemoth center Roy Hibbert in foul trouble.

Again, not exactly news, but when Roy Hibbert gets whistled for early fouls, the Pacers go from being a relatively balanced offense to a hope-for-the-best Lance Stephenson pick-and-roll team or isolation Paul George sets. Without Hibbert doing damage on the post, the Pacers stall. With Chris Anderson off the floor, Hibbert was forced to defend Bosh on the perimeter. This didn’t work out well. Theoretically, Hibbert could do damage on the post against the much smaller Bosh. Instead, the Pacers couldn’t get him the damn ball. Unlike the supremely athletic Blake Griffin, Hibbert’s lumbering 7’2″ frame makes it tough to create post position. We saw the Atlanta Hawks negate Hibbert’s potential impact by stretching the floor as much as its possible to be stretched, taking over 40 three-pointers in Game 7. We saw the Wizards get Hibbert in foul trouble in their wins (especially Games 1 and 5). We’ve also seen Hibbert score in double figures in 7 of the last 8 Pacers playoff games, unleashing 28 on the Wizards in Game 2 of their second round series, and 19 on the Heat in Game 1 of the Conference Finals. Without that version of Hibbert, the Pacers can’t get Miami in foul trouble, they can’t create space for West and George, and quite frankly, they can’t beat Miami.