WITNESS THIS!
-VS-
Game Time Start: 7:00 PM EST
Where: The Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
Officials: D. Crawford, T. Brothers, J. Goble, D. Collins
Media Notes: Indiana Notes, Miami Notes
Television:
Local Radio: WIBC 93.1 FM
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Pacers None to report Heat Chris Bosh - Lower Abdominal Strain (out indefinitely) |
Jared Wade: Taking Away the Three and Marginalizing Miami’s Role Players The Heat’s second best player has shot like trash in this series. After shooting 8-for-22 last night, as noted by Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, Dwayne Wade is now 4-for-19 (21%) on jump shots in two games against Indiana. While Frank Vogel has credited this to how well Paul George has been playing defense (which is mostly true), this isn’t just a second-round issue for Wade. Including the Knicks series, he is now 12-for-49 (25%) on jumpers during the playoffs. That is horrible and if he continues to shoot at that rate outside the paint, the Miami Heat have no chance to beat the Pacers. They really don’t. Most onlookers would expect Wade to turn it around, however. And even if he can’t get out of his jump-shooting slump, he is such a dynamic and versatile scorer that he will find ways to put points on the board. He is still among the most lethal penetrators in league history, a Maserrati on the break and a fixture at the free-throw line. His individual talent to score remains the second-biggest concern for the Pacers (following, ya know, the talents of that other guy.) Conversely, it really isn’t Wade that the Heat should be concerned about. What they need to fix is the lack of production from their one-dimensional supporting cast. Because the rest of the team is shooting just as poorly as Wade. In 160 combined minutes during Game 2, the other eight players who entered the game other than James and Wade scored just 23 points on 9-for-34 FGs (26.5%). In Game 1, over 140 combined minutes, Miami players not named LeBron, Wade or Bosh scored 21 points on 7-for-21 (33%) shooting. And being even that useful required a 4-for-4, 9-point performance from Joel Antony, a career 2.7 point per game scorer. Part of the Plan For the Pacers, this is all going according to strategy. Frank Vogel was on 1070 The Fan radion in Indiana this morning and discussed how his team is focusing on taking away Miami’s role players. “[We're] very focused on what those guys’ strengths are,” said Vogel. “All their role players are capable of much greater production than they put forth last night. But they are sort of limited in what can do. They’re either drivers or shooters or dunkers at the basket. But they’re not versatile, they’re not multi-weapon type of guys. So if you just dial in to taking away their one strength, they’re guys that can be limited.” The number-one way to minimize the Heat’s bench is to take away their ability to shoot open three-point looks. There are very few ways any of them can hurt you other than by making triples. And it is something they do very well. Throughout the regular season...CONTINUE READING AT 8p9s |
3-on-3 preview: Heat-Pacers, Game 3 In another installment of the Heat Index's 3-on-3 series, our writers give their takes on the storylines before the Heat visit the Pacers for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. 1. Fact or Fiction: Dwyane Wade should have been suspended. Tom Haberstroh: Fiction. Although, I've gone both ways on this one. Darren Collison decelerated slightly for the pass, so I'm not sure it was all Wade's fault for the sheer velocity of impact. But I can't shake the feeling that this wasn't a fully objective ruling. I keep asking myself the following three "What Ifs": What if Collison and Wade switched places? What if Chris Bosh wasn't out indefinitely? What if the Heat were up 2-0 instead of split in the series? We'll never know. Michael Wallace: Fiction. I thought a Flagrant 1 was adequate punishment to fit the crime. As it turned out, that extra possession Indiana got as a result of Wade's message- sending cheap shot ended up costing the Heat in a 3-point loss. I will say this: Had Wade or LeBron been hit from behind like that, my guess is the call would have been more harsh under the same circumstances. Brian Windhorst: Fiction. It was a cheap shot hit and was properly called a flagrant foul. It would've been interesting had it been called a flagrant-2 foul and they had to review it and decide whether Wade should've stayed in the game. Joey Crawford was all over the play, made the call and the league stood by him. It was proper. 2. Fact or Fiction: Heat need Haslem to step up more than Miller Haberstroh: Fact. Haslem has played worse than just about anybody left in the playoffs and the Heat don't have anyone who can score underneath. If they can just get Haslem to provide 10 points with some mid-range jumpers and put-backs, it would open up so much in LeBron James and Wade's games, especially in the pick-and-roll. Wallace: Fact. Only because Shane Battier, Mario Chalmers or James Jones are capable of giving Miami the shooting Mike Miller is supposed to provide. With Chris Bosh out, Miami doesn't have any other bigs who as effective as Haslem could be in the pick- and-roll game with Wade and LeBron. Who else is going to grab 10 rebounds if needed? Haslem must first give Erik Spoelstra a reason to play him more than the 12 minutes he got in Game 2. Windhorst: Fact. Well, the Heat need somebody to step up, anyone. But Haslem would be a bigger boost because if he was able to get his jumper going he would be a threat in the pick-and-roll game. With Bosh gone, the Heat's favorite play has been gutted because the Pacers do not respect whoever is in the play unless it is Wade and LeBron. 3. Fact or Fiction: You expect the foul disparity to even out in Game 2. Haberstroh: Fact. I would say that a breakout game of the Heat's supporting cast is just around the corner, but I look at Haslem and Miller limping up and down the floor and I can't help but wonder if there's something more that's plaguing this team. The Pacers are healthy, hungry and home for the next two games. This is a toss-up, to me. Wallace: Fiction. I'd go 55/45 still in favor of the Heat. Miami still has the league MVP in James and a top-5 player in Wade on the roster. Two more baskets from anyone else on the roster the other night would've put the Heat ahead 2-0 right now. You could also look at it another way and say that if the refs didn't hold back Indy in Game 1, the Pacers could also be up 2-0. So in essence, that does mean this thing is essentially anyone's series to win. Windhorst: Fiction. The Heat have the two-best players and overall more experience. They still have the edge but it is much closer, there's a much smaller margin for error with Bosh out. |
Zach Harper: Nice win, Indiana. Please get in the paint. I’d like to congratulate the Indiana Pacers on stealing a road playoff game against one of the best home teams in the NBA. It wasn’t pretty by any means and it seemed like both teams were giving the game away throughout the final couple minutes. However, a win is a win in the playoffs and even the poor play by Indiana down the stretch doesn’t change the fact that the series is now evened up at one game apiece. That’s pretty huge for the Pacers to be heading back to Indiana after stealing home court advantage. Here’s the thing though: The Pacers are in some serious trouble. The Heat looked completely disjointed on offense while trying to adjust to life without Chris Bosh. Sure they scored 53 points in the second half of Game 1, but last night was a fantastic combination of really good, aggressive defense by the Pacers and utter confusion and a stalemate execution by Miami. I think the Pacers defense will be fine against the Miami Heat. Paul George seems to have figured out that his length can make up for any physical advantage Dwyane Wade might have over him. Until Dwyane adjusts and figures out that he needs to do his damage away from the ball and heading toward the basket coming off of screens, George should be able to bother him and hope Wade isn’t just making really hard jumpers. Granger’s effort on LeBron in the second half was great because he seemed to know exactly how to get him to dribble toward the help and take away his driving lanes. We’ve seen a lot in LeBron’s career recently that if he doesn’t have any daylight to dribble into the paint, he seems to get confused on what he should do. He gets complacent with his offensive attack and just relies on bad pull-up jumpers. In the first half of Game 2, he got into the paint and used that floater he’s been perfecting. When the Pacers took away the paint in the second half, he had to rely on a lot of effort plays (offensive rebounds, quick post-ups for position) to get points inside. The thing I worry about with the Pacers is their offense. It’s extremely basic and it’s going away from everything they’re good at. Want to know why Danny Granger has been so bad in the first two games? Aside from LeBron James suffocating him like an insecure and overbearing boyfriend that is dating out of his league, the Pacers fail to recognize whenever Granger might actually have an advantage. On this play in particular, the Pacers have a chance to post Granger on the right block with Mike Miller guarding him. If George makes the pass right away, Turiaf probably dives toward the post to help and it gives Hibbert and his unending length a clear area right at the basket. It looks like LeBron is anticipating a lob pass here but a quick fake reversal pass to David West at his sweet spot probably makes LeBron retreat. Instead George just seems completely lost with the basketball. When Paul George misses the entry pass right away, it allows Ronny Turiaf to help over from Hibbert and that takes away the pass altogether. The problem I have with this play is it seems like it was designed as misdirection on the post- up to run Granger off of a screen to get him a jumper from 20 feet. When Granger comes off the screen, LeBron is there in help defense to knock the pass away (he jumps the screen perfectly) and get the Heat a transition score the other way. It’s really impossible to see why George Hill thought it was a good idea to make this pass. LeBron is right there waiting to switch on the screen. This steal leads to many people being shocked that Norris Cole can dunk a basketball and me wanting to pull my hair out. They had a post up with Granger on a guy who can’t check him and instead of making the easy post-entry pass or adjusting their play...CONTINUE READING AT HOOPSPEAK |
Pacers Mike Wells @MikeWellsNBA Jared Wade @8pts9secs Tim Donahue @TimDonahue8p9s Tom Lewis @indycornrows Ian Levy @HickoryHigh |
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