2014 NBA Finals Preview: 3 areas of concern for Miami Heat
We had a look at possible areas where San Antonio Spurs,last year’s runner-up should concentrate on to not end up second again. Now ,we will focus on 3 areas that Miami Heat should improve upon to emerge victorious in the final.
1. Defense
Exhaustion!
Any team making it to the finals three times in a row will battle exhaustion, but for the Miami Heat, a team looking to complete a three-peat, this is their fourth straight NBA Finals appearance. The fatigue factor has very much set in this season, but the team has not faced any stiff competition yet to expose it.
For those of you who don’t agree, let the stats do the talking. In the previous three seasons when the Heat made it to the Finals they were ranked fifth, fourth and seventh respectively,but during this year’s title run, they have slipped to tied 12th, the lowest defensive ranking in the Big 3 era.
The defensive style we expect from the Heat is one that is swarming, attacking, trapping and often times choking, but exhausting as well. It is certainly not something you should carry into big matches. Thus, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Miami have shifted away from this type of defense this season.
On the flip side, the Spurs just recorded a 50+ win season for the 16th season in a row, but do not have a single player on their roster averaging more than 30 minutes this season.
It is a given that some of the crucial players of the Spurs will see an increase in minutes in the finals, but with their minutes’ average for the regular season, do they hold the advantage?
2. Everything related to size
Rebounding, shot-blocking and almost every aspect of the game related to the size of a team’s front line has been Heat’s weakness. However, Miami have made up for the size deficiency with their athleticism and versatility in the past.
It is a huge area of their team play that can be exploited by the Spurs.
In the two rounds of the playoffs, Miami are second last in rebounding percentage and are placed last when it comes to offense.
Although the Heat defeated the Pacers 4-2 in the Conference Series, they were still outrebounded in the majority of the games and on overall. If that sounds bad, consider this. The Spurs are not a team to waste points on second chances, handed to them by their opponents.
LeBron James is a highly under-rated shot-blocker, but when he is out of position, there is no Serge Ibaka like presence in the Heat locker room who can man him, and negatively impact the Spurs shot making.
When it comes to post-defense, Chris Anderson is easy meat for the Spurs to utilize off pick and rolls, while Chris Bosh simply lacks the strength to keep the Spurs big men Tim Duncan and Boris Diaw from getting to their sweet spot around the basket.
3. Bench play
There isn’t going to be any Championship parade in South Beach this mid-June if the Heat reserves can’t play good ball, while the starters take a breather.
The only bench players who have consistently made any impact on the game have been Chris Anderson and Ray Allen.
Greg Oden completes the Heat on the court, with his big man presence. Michael Beasley has been spending more time in his tracks on the bench than on the court, and when he’s got an opportunity on the court,he’s not been productive.
The entire Heat team is not going to have as many open long range looks as they did in the first three rounds of the Playoffs, given that they are facing an disciplined outfit in the form of Spurs.
San Antonio look determined on either end of the floor, having very few possessions of careless turnovers, leading to questions being asked as to how effective the play of Shane Battier and Norris Cole will be in the series.
Allen might still drop in a three now and then in the game, but the percentage is sure to decline, while the game for Anderson is not going to be a walk in the park against the opponent’s front-line.
Their bench play has been a highlight of their championships so far with Mike Miller’s performance in Game 5 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Allen’s clutch three in Game 6 against San Antonio last year.
The Heat substitutes should show an improvement in the finals, in order to help their team lift the trophy.