NBA Finals: Spurs vs. Heat

[MoreFeasts]

Green and Neal played great earlier in the series. He could have gone big.
Seems like some adjustments could have been made, but he had no answer other than to keep pushing the ball as much as possible, even though this was leading into way too many turnovers.
Did they ever try a zone? Doesn't Miami have trouble with a zone?

 

[Safetydan]

In defense of pop....

He had no one to go to at the SG position.

Green's brain was left in San Antonio still obsessed with breaking Ray Allen's record.

Manu should have retired 3 years ago.

Pops only had T-mac to go to for SG. And honestly... Could he have done any worse than Green or Manu?

The defensive gambles on Lebron really were dumb.

I don't know, The Spurs won games 1 and 3 holding Lebron well under his average. Lebron adjusted. I suppose Pop should have re-adjusted, but still, it was a relatively successful gambit.

 

[NUMBERICA]

The Heat team is ridiculously stacked and deep. They were the better team tonight, and the Spurs gimmick of giving LeBron wide open jumpers completely backfired.

Also, I believe that every "Heat fan" were also "Bulls fans"in the 90's.

I really wanted the Spurs to win this one.

If by "completely backfired" you mean "obviously slowed him down for 5.5 games and almost stole an NBA finals from the best player since MJ" then yes, I completely agree.

Sometimes guys make shots. If your choice is giving the most insane physical specimen and versatile talent the league has ever seen (it's not really even close) open shooters, an open lane to the basket because he blows by you, or shooting off-the-dribble 20+ footers, you give him the latter and hope it works. And it did for 5.5 games.

 

[Deleted member 365]

Green and Neal played great earlier in the series. He could have gone big.
Seems like some adjustments could have been made, but he had no answer other than to keep pushing the ball as much as possible, even though this was leading into way too many turnovers.
Did they ever try a zone? Doesn't Miami have trouble with a zone?

Mike Miller, Battier, and Ray Allen would laugh at a zone. Zone would have been disastrous.

Go big? With who? This ain't the Twin Towers. Splitter? Ugh. The less he played, the better. The Spurs "Big" Lineup would have had to include Blair. Which... I'm not sure if he would have had much success defensively.

The only thing the Spurs could have done over the last 2 games was to play Neal and Parker together... And/or unleash T-Mac.

The Spurs need the lottery in the worst way. For a franchise that has been wonderfully run... They are in desperate need to be in the lottery and refurbish that team...

 

[Former Member]

Other than "The Decision" I have no idea why anyone would hate Lebron. He's not a chucker. He's not selfish. He's not an offense only player. The dude is probably the most complete player in the history of the game.

The problem is, D-Wade is a dirty *** player. Battier is a pathetic flopper. Ray Allen is a pansie. Mike Miller is ugly as sin. Bosh is a wannabe. Chalm/Cole are riding coattails. And Birdman... Birdman.... **** you Birdman!

The problem is the entire Heat team and bandwagon fans.

In fact, Lebron and Haslem are about the only positives that team has to offer. And Spol. A former video guy turned coach. Nice to see a Joe Sixpack get a chance. Unlike Kidd, who no one knows if he can coach or not but gets jobs because he was a great player.

In all fairness, I still root against LeBron because of "the Decision." I felt he should have stayed loyal with Cleveland instead of embarrassing the entire city and organization on National TV. I cheered for LeBron before the decision, but now I cannot cheer for him.

How would we have felt if Stockton would have fled somewhere else in his prime?

BTW - ESPN's attempts to persuade me to cheer for LeBron (through articles and other forms of media coverage) only dissuade me into really cheering against him.

With all that said, he is possibly the best basketball player I have ever seen play the game.

 

[Safetydan]

Mike Miller, Battier, and Ray Allen would laugh at a zone. Zone would have been disastrous.

Go big? With who? This ain't the Twin Towers. Splitter? Ugh. The less he played, the better. The Spurs "Big" Lineup would have had to include Blair. Which... I'm not sure if he would have had much success defensively.

The only thing the Spurs could have done over the last 2 games was to play Neal and Parker together... And/or unleash T-Mac.

The Spurs need the lottery in the worst way. For a franchise that has been wonderfully run... They are in desperate need to be in the lottery and refurbish that team...

This. Few teams are as well equipped to shatter a zone defense than the Heat.

 

[MoreFeasts]

they weren't off the dribble shots,
they were wide open uncontested shots.
and they didn't do that all the previous games.

 

[Deleted member 365]

I don't know, The Spurs won games 1 and 3 holding Lebron well under his average. Lebron adjusted. I suppose Pop should have re-adjusted, but still, it was a relatively successful gambit.

I have no problem with the initial defensive strategy. But by the time Lebron made his 3rd it was obvious that he was going to be on tonight. I'm not sure what you can do... When Lebron is being the best player in the world, Wade is active, and Battier is going Reggie Miller out there, I don't know if there's a team alive that can beat them.

The counter would be to fight fire with fire. Maybe unleash T-Mac or Neal and hope that they can get it going

 

[MoreFeasts]

I thought that the zone was effective against Miami earlier in the playoffs. Maybe I am mis-remembering.

 

[Former Member]

If by "completely backfired" you mean "obviously slowed him down for 5.5 games and almost stole an NBA finals from the best player since MJ" then yes, I completely agree.

Sometimes guys make shots. If your choice is giving the most insane physical specimen and versatile talent the league has ever seen (it's not really even close) open shooters, an open lane to the basket because he blows by you, or shooting off-the-dribble 20+ footers, you give him the latter and hope it works. And it did for 5.5 games.

In game 7, the gimmick backfired.

 

[scootsy]

Lebron's agent deserved to be fired and never hired again for the Decision. But I think Lebron has done everything he could right to recover from that. He's the greatest player I have ever watched...


I think spoelstra deserves more credit than just "he coaches the best players"

 

[Former Member]

I feel the series came down to Manu. The Spurs needed a second creator on the offensive end. Manu responded by looking like the old guy at the rec center when all his old man tricks are not working.