Are the Miami Heat prepared to win? Are they mentally ready
to take on the Spurs and repeat as champions? This is their third finals
appearance in three years, and they have enough experience on the roster now to
be the clear favorite in this year’s finals series. LeBron is not slowing down
any time soon, putting up some superstar playoff numbers: 26.2 PPG, 7.3 RPG,
6.4 APG, and 1.6 SPG while shooting 51%. If the Heat win, there is no doubt in
hell about who will win finals MVP. The King wants to add another ring to his
collection. LeBron will put the team on his back and put up some indisputable
numbers throughout this series because the rest of his guys haven’t been
playing like “All-Stars.”
Dwayne Wade, an NBA finals MVP and 2-time champion, has been
putting up numbers lower than JR Smith’s regular season averages. I know! The
guy is shooting 48% from the field, which of course is great, but at the same
time, he is only making 14 points a night, and hasn’t been getting to the line
as much as he normally does (with a mere 4 free throw attempts per game). His
defense on Lance Stephenson was great, but Lance is not a threat, especially in
comparison to Danny Green or Tony Parker.
And what about Chris Bosh? 32 minutes a game, and the guy
has only 12 PPG to show for it, and rebounds no more than 6 or 7 a night. I
understand he also shoots an admirable 46% from the field, but the Heat’s big
three is looking like a huge 1 with 2 barely functional legs. Bosh was a
non-factor in the Eastern Conference finals, and allowed Hibbert to walk all
over him. He needed guys like Haslem and Chris “Birdman” Andersen to step up
and make big plays for him because all Bosh was good for was a fade away
baseline jumper (something Boris Diaw and Tiago Splitter will be all over come
game time). Andersen is a beast and will definitely stir up the crowd, as well
as shift the momentum in Miami’s favor. But, if I know the Spurs and Timmy D,
they will do whatever they can to get under Birdman’s skin and rile him up
enough to force turnovers and mismatches.
The Miami Heat bench has been playing aggressive basketball
throughout the playoffs, and I expect them to bring that same intensity with
them tonight. Shane Battier did not play in game 7, but if Spoelstra gives him
another opportunity to play, his ability as a stretch 4 and as a defensive
specialist will allow him to overwork the slower, bigger Spurs frontcourt.
Udonis Haslem has made some key plays, as has Andersen, each coming up big when
handed the ball down low by LeBron, Wade, or Chalmers. Andersen has shot 83% in
the playoffs and Haslem has shot 61%.
An underrated point guard who I give zero credit, Norris
Cole, has also been an X-factor for the Heat bench. The second year point guard
has shot 58% from downtown this postseason and scores 7 PPG in 20 minutes of
game time. Whenever LeBron dishes is out to Cole for a three, I immediately
think he’ll miss, only because he’s young and doesn’t play up to the pressure
of the playoffs. I have been wrong every time because Norris Cole shoots one or
two long rangers a game and at least one goes in. I blame LeBron for Norris Cole’s unexpected
growth in the NBA, and I believe his aggressive up-tempo style of play will
continue throughout his career.
The Miami Heat need to step up, because the Spurs are a
better team than the Pacers, and are strongest where the Heat are weak. But,
like all fans of this league, I never underestimate Pat Riley. He’ll get
exactly what he wants out of this extremely talented group, and he’ll make sure
that the Miami Heat take care of business.
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