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I was shocked the Heat even made the finals in their first season together and they put up a good fight against a deep veteran Dallas team.
I know many hate Lebron and want to try to gloat over this but setting aside our personal feelings (and yes I think he is a huge d-bag) we'd have to be fools not to acknowledge that the Heat with more time to gel and some improvements in bench depth are going to be around deep in the playoffs for years to come.
Frankly, Lebron had the best night of anyone on the Heat and Dallas destroyed Miami with bench depth.
They got a bit of a pass in the East this year vs. an Old and demoralized (post Perkins) Celtics and then hit a VERY talented but inexperienced Bulls team.
I was surprised they even got to 6 games vs. the Mavs.
I can't view the link but the Heat's problems are:
1) Poor interior size\rebounding\defense. They had to sag off to rebound and defend the paint etc. There is a reason Dallas shot them to death from 3-pt. range. (This worked against the Bulls whom just didn't have the shooters Dallas did.)
2) Bench depth. Wears down the starters and when they go out the other team torches you.
3) Point guard. They have ONE player than can consistently handle the ball under pressure and that is Lebron....which is a major drain on his energy.
So, to fix the heat they can't get both a PG and a Center....so scour FA for either one and then try to pick up a veteran under the exception like a Peja etc. to give you 15-20min a night etc. This is what I'd do as GM.
To be honest I do think as flawed as they are, they 'could' have won if we saw the Lebron from the Bulls and Celtics series. But....shoulda, coulda, woulda. I'm VERY happy for Dirk.
I actually have to wonder how many titles this team may win, if any. I'm already hearing rumblings of Dwight Howard possibly going to Chicago, which when paired with Rose, would be lightning in a bottle. Especially if they can at least keep most of their core....
Ever since he came to the NBA, I've sort of assumed that LeBron was as atheltic and physically gifted as any player in the league (and maybe in history), but it dawned on me last night that James does not have particularly good HANG TIME.
I think this is a big reason his mid-range/pull-up jumper game is suspect, especially in 4th quarters. He cannot hang and get a good shot against tough defense the way Kobe, Derrick Rose, and many other players can. Afterall, he does weigh 250+, he can't defy gravity like lighter guys.
^ Can't say I have to the degree you've described it, but it's a fair view. Lebron has a very muscle heavy body, the odds of him having great hangtime isn't that great. Jordan had a very lithe,slim-muscular body which made him appear to float in air. Lebron is much, much heavier...
Why does Lebron need hang time? If he wasn't such a baby under pressure, he should drive to the basket and get a foul. Dude is one of the strongest guys in the league and is afraid to drive most of the time. He shots way too much 3's.
Lebron needs a life coach or something. Dude reeks of cocky swagger with 1990's Buffalo Bills talent.
They got a bit of a pass in the East this year vs. an Old and demoralized (post Perkins) Celtics and then hit a VERY talented but inexperienced Bulls team.
I was surprised they even got to 6 games vs. the Mavs.
I can't view the link but the Heat's problems are:
1) Poor interior size\rebounding\defense. They had to sag off to rebound and defend the paint etc. There is a reason Dallas shot them to death from 3-pt. range. (This worked against the Bulls whom just didn't have the shooters Dallas did.)
2) Bench depth. Wears down the starters and when they go out the other team torches you.
3) Point guard. They have ONE player than can consistently handle the ball under pressure and that is Lebron....which is a major drain on his energy.
So, to fix the heat they can't get both a PG and a Center....so scour FA for either one and then try to pick up a veteran under the exception like a Peja etc. to give you 15-20min a night etc. This is what I'd do as GM.
I didn't completely see it that way. One of the biggest reasons they lost the last two games, imo, was the fact they could not adjust to Dallas' zone defense. Dallas also did an excellent job of limiting baskets in transition. I don't remember the Heat running the floor too much; Dallas made them play a half court offense and forced them to shoot a lot of jumpers. Miami never adjusted.
I think Dallas gets a lot of open looks because they execute the pick and roll so well. I don't think it was so much because the Heat were sagging. I mean, how many times did the ball go into Chandler on the pick and roll? Miami did not adjust to it at all. Once the ball goes into the middle of the paint, and the defense collapses, then it just takes a pass to Dirk, Stevenson or Terry on the wing.
Obviously, free throw shooting was another big issue. You can't leave 16 points at the line in a Championship game.
Spoelstra could have subbed in Bibby and Jones more often just for some half court traps. They didn't ratchet up the defensive pressure at all. I also don't understand why he didn't play Anthony more considering how well he defended Dirk the first two or three games.
Lastly, Lebron James choked. He was involved in the two most despicable plays of the game: (1) posting up 5'9 Barrea and committing an offensive foul and (2) refusing to shoot a 3-pointer, which lead to the ball being passed around from James to Chalmers to Wade to Haslem for an awfully terrible shot. He just doesn't have it.
Oh, and Dallas clearly wanted it more. I felt that the Heat quit playing with about 5 minutes on the clock.
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LeBron's athleticism let him down?
