Advantage: #Twitter

Do you think it was a good idea for social media to make fun of LeBron James for cramping (i.e. #LeBroning) during the end of game 1 of the Finals? Or what about sport beverage conglomerate Gatorade poking fun at LeBron?

Didn't they see what happened to Lance Stevenson and the Pacers when they tried to taunt/blow in LeBron's ear??? Don't they know that these sorts of antics don't end well for them or their favorite team?

Coach Frank Vogel, what do you think about trying to incite/get under LeBron's skin?

"I don't think it's ever good....to tug on superman's cape.....I don't think that's ever good....I just don't think it's good to tug on the cape."

So, what happens when you "tug on the cape?"
You get this face:

And then you get these results:

35 points on ~64% shooting, to go along with 10 rebounds.

Oh, and a Miami win to even the series.

When are opponents and fans of opponents going to learn - you play with fire you burn.

Stop testing this dude!

Heat Check 

Speaking of responding favorably to pressure, how about the fact that Miami has now won 13 striaight games following a loss in the playoffs?

Heat Cake

Speaking of surviving the heat and blossoming through it, how about coach Mark Jackson with the quote of the Finals thus far:

"Went in flour, came out cake. Something about the Heat makes you great."

And 1

Superstars can win you a game, especially on the road.

But they often need some support to win a series.

Thankfully for the Heat, Chris Bosh came through with the hardest (in terms of nasty) play of the series:

And 3

And then he stepped outside and did this:

And handle

And then he finished the game off in style:

Yes, that is Chris Bosh, in the course of the game dunking on Spurs defenders, hitting a clutch three late in the fourth to give Miami the lead. And then breaking down the defense off the dribble to find Wade for the game clinching basket. Kind of versatile, no?

18 points for the game 2 on the road, but by the way, he has averaged `21 points a game over the last 5.

Flop cake 

Speaking of last 5, 

D. Wade was just fined 5K for doing this last game:

Maybe not so good that Wade has only averaged ~16 point per game in the last 5.

Elbow room

This looked real though: 

Physical point

Is Mario Chalmers dirty?

He did do this to Dirk Nowitzki.

Perhaps the Bad Boys of the late 80's/early 90's wouldn't think so.

No point

Maybe it doesn't matter what Chalmers does anyway.

The heat went without a point guard on the floor during the home stretch of game 2. 

Instead, they used a lineup of:

LeBron

Wade

Bosh

Rashard Lewis 

Ray Allen.

Seems like everyone on that list can handle the ball anyway.

The turning point

How about with ~6:30 in the 4th when Chalmers was called for that flagrant foul, which awarded San Antonio two foul shots and the ball. Tony Parker missed his two free throws, then Duncan was fouled and missed two free throws as well. The Spurs missed out on a chance to go up 6 with half a quarter to play. Instead, on the next possession, LeBron hit a three to put the Heat up one.

Wow, it's rare that you see a 7 point swing in basketball.

Interesting point

LeBron James switched on to guarding Tony Parker late in the 4th quarter. The result?

Parker, who scored 18 points through three quarters, finished the game with 21.

James has a tendency to take opposing point guards out of the game (3 years ago with Derrick Rose, last year with Tony Parker as well). 

So, in light of this trend, Jeff van Gundy wondered aloud, "If LeBron is guarding Parker, why don't the Spurs have Ginobili run the point and come off on the ball screens?"

There may be something to that. 

Ginobili is averaging 17.5 points a game and is averaging as many assists a game as Parker away, both with 7.5 a game through the first two.

Besides, how essential is traditional point guard play in these late game situations anyway?

The Spurs run their offense through all five guys and the Heat run their offense through LeBron.

And maybe having LeBron chase Parker off multiple screens away from the ball would be more beneficial for the Spurs.

Random thought

Do other NBA players watch the NBA Finals?

Do they root for anyone?

Who is Kevin Durant rooting for?

What about Russell Westbrook and Paul George?

Curse of accomplishments

Speaking of random, did you know that in game 1 LeBron joined Kobe and Jordan as the only players in NBA playoff history to score at least 4,000 points with at least 1,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists?

And guess what? they lost that game!

Did you know that in game 2, Tim Duncan tied Magic Johnson for the most double doubles in NBA playoff history??? 

And guess what? They lost that game!

Please, leave the historical stats for after the Finals!

Adjustments

For Miami:

1) Keep chasing the Spurs off the three.

The Spurs still had 12 last game, but that was one less (3 points) than the 13 the Spurs made in game won. FYI, Miami won by two points.....one three point can make a big difference.

It kind of feels wired to say this, but Miami may want to make Tim Duncan beat them. Or at least the Spurs as a whole by shooting twos.

Conversely, 

2) Exploit Duncan on defense. Who is he going to guard when Bosh and Lewis are on the court? As we saw towards the end of the Indiana series and game two of the Finals, Bosh is really effective coming off down screens and using his dribble against opposing team's bigs. Why not continue to do so this game? Even if Diaw guards Bosh, can Duncan guard Lewis on the perimeter?

3) How about switching everything on defense? The Spurs are able to break you down coming off of screens and then reverse the ball to open three point shooters. This happens by weak side defenders needing to leave their man to help on ball handlers coming off a screen getting into the paint. With Lewis and Bosh as your bigs - why not just switch? They can defend on the perimeter. And even if they get beat off the dribble - at least it's for only two points.

For San Antonio:

1) Maybe it's time they get Kawhi Leonard involved. I'm not sure if they feature him on offense, but having him play to a similar level as he did last year in the Finals might be critical. How about running him off some down screens to get him active?

2) What about trying a zone defense as a different look? This way they can focus multiple defenders on LeBron and not allow him to have an isolation at the top of the key or in the post. Dallas did this effectively in 2011.

3) And why not just straight up double LeBron and force the ball out of his hands?

This may be equally as weird to say as with Duncan, but maybe the Spurs force Wade to beat them. At least that way the Heat are going away from their strength.

But after all this, let me ask you an honest question:

Are these teams past the point of making adjustments?

I mean, they've played each other 13 times in the last two years and the record in 7-6 in favor of the Heat. These two teams are so evenly matched that really I don't know what there is to adjust to anymore. They know what each other's strengths and weaknesses are at this point.

Just minutes ago, coach Pop said in the game 3 pre-game media session that at this point the games are more about who can execute their stuff. And Wade just said minutes ago in the Heat locker room that both games this series came down to a few plays at the end - in other words, which team was able to take advantage of the opportunities to make shots/plays down the stretch.

Execution of plays and opportunities?

Sounds familiar.

So who will impose their will tonight and make the necessary plays in the last few minutes of the game?

Probably the team that wins the game!!!

Advantage: Hot Air

Didn't someone say recently, with regards to basketball:
"There are no what ifs in basketball."
"Things happen. Crazy things happen."

I guess you can classify the AC breaking down in game one of the NBA Finals, producing "extreme" conditions" of heat and in turn forcing LeBron James out of the game with cramps under the "crazy things happen" in basketball umbrella.

But there is no use in debating whether or not Miami would have won the game if LeBron stayed in. Instead, it's interesting to discuss what it revealed about both teams.....

How valuable is LeBron?
Cleveland in many ways has served as the perfect control for this sort of question.
The last two years with LeBron they had the best record in the NBA.
The last 4 years without him they have won the number one overall pick in the lottery.
It doesn't get more stark in contrast than that.

We wouldn't expect Miami to display such an extreme in phenotypes +/- LeBron, considering they have Wade and Bosh, right? But dig this:

When LeBron first left the game with ~7:30 to go in the 4th quarter, Miami was up 2 points....
They lost the game by 15.
That's essentially a 17-0 by the Spurs.
With LeBron out of the game a defensive battle that Miami was close to pulling out almost instantaneously transformed into a offensive onslaught blowout by the Spurs.

What's crazy is how much it hurt Miami defensively. The Spurs scored 26 points in a little over half a quarter. Danny Green, who was without a field goal for the first 42 minutes of the game, made three threes and scored 11 points in the final 6 minutes.

Over Miami's run the past 4 years we've seen multiple times just how essential LeBron is.
Whether it's the 2011 Finals, last year Finals games 1-3, or the final 7:30 in game one the other day.
Compare that with Miami being able to stay afloat and win the last couple of years with injuries and lack of production affecting both Wade and Bosh at times.

Yes, the supporting cast is essential.
But it's clear, without LeBron, things fall apart......fast.


Pulling an Ibaka
Speaking of fast, how about the recovery time of Tony Parker?
He went from serious ankle injury forcing him out of the clinching WCF game to questionable health for the Finals to scoring 19 points, on 53% shooting, with 8 assists in game one....within less than a week.

Perhaps making injuries seem worse than they are is the new trend these playoffs.
Let's see what LeBron looks like tonight.


Die by the three
In last year's NBA Finals, the Spurs shot the lights out from three in the first 5 games.
Case in point, through the first 5 games alone Danny Green set a record for most threes in an entire NBA Finals by making 25 three pointers (remember there was talk of him being Finals MVP?).
Also, Gary Neal wasn't so bad either - making 12 threes through the first 5 games.
That's 37 threes = 111 points = ~22 point a game....which made up almost 25% of the spurs offense through the first 5 games!!!

Guess how many three pointers Danny Green and Gary Neal made in games 6 & 7 last year, combined.

4

That's 12 points total = 6 points a game..... which was ~6% of the Spurs offense.

That's a big difference, and an adjustment (that I actually asked Coach Spoelstra about) that had a major affect on the championship.

Now go back to game 1 the other night.
The Spurs made 13 three pointers = 39 points = ~35% of their offense!
But, interestingly (though maybe not surprising):
First 41 minutes: 7 three pointers made
Last 7 minutes: 6 three pointers made

This seems like something worth following......


Live, by allowing points in the paint
In addition to shooting the lights out at the end of the 4th quarter in the game 1, the Spurs also put in work in the paint - scoring 49 points. Tim Duncan had 21 (all in the paint) and Splitter had 14.
A defense never really wants to yield high percentage shots around the rim.

But.....

The Spurs scored only 6 points in the paint during their 7 minute run to blow the game open at the end of the 4th. Which means, that their points in the paint helped them stay in the game, not actually win it.

Again, consider last year's Finals.
Tim Duncan averaged 19 points a game (& 12 rebounds).
But in San Antonio's losses Duncan averaged ~21 points while in San Antonio's wins he averaged ~16 points. Wait, so you're saying the Spurs actually fair better when Duncan scores less? Seems counter-intuitive. But actually, think about it from the Heat's perspective, they have been able to survive getting beaten the crap out of by Roy Hibbert and David West for the past three years.

But maybe they don't so well when you spread them thin and take away their on ball pressure defense/athleticism?

So, you're saying when the Spurs run and gun it's to their advantage?
And when it's a slower grind it out game it's to Miami's advantage?

I mean, I think the Heat like to run in transition.
So, to clarify:
If it's a fast full court game, maybe Miami likes that.
But if it's a fast half court game - with a lot of passing, San Antonio likes that.

In other words: the Spurs win by offense, the Heat win by defense.
It's an interesting evolution for these teams.

Taking Offense
Maybe I should reconsider my statement claiming the Heat move the ball and share the ball as well as the Spurs. 30 assists for the Spurs in game one compared to 16 for Miami.

Yeah....

Perhaps a couple confounding factors for both teams having similar assist percentages (as well as total number of assists) are LeBron and Miami's points off turnovers.
Maybe, on average, total numbers for assists and passing are similar. But there is a difference between accumulating assists from LeBron orchestrating and transition buckets versus all 5 players touching and moving the ball in a half court set.

Doing the Diaw
Did you see Boris move the ball last game?
Of his 6 assists, here's one where he's doing his best Magic impersonation:

He also had a Nash assist in there as well.
With 10 rebounds as well, Diaw was a +30 on the court.
But he didn't even lead the Spurs in assists!
No, that was......

Ginobili!!!
16 points, 11 assists, and 5 rebounds (+22 on the court).
Not to mention 9 points in the first quarter.
Seems like he was able to shake off whatever ailments, and bad memories, he had from last year.

It was just a dream
Ginobili was great.
But Wade also held his own for a good part of the game as well (particularly early on).
Did you see that Olajuwon dream shake he displayed in the first quarter?

Two questions:

1) Wasn't LeBron the one that worked out with Hakeem?

2) Why do Spurs centers continue to get doped by that move?

He's (still) got game
Just when you thought Ray Allen was relegated to being a Finals (and in turn history) altering three point specialist, he pulls out a throw back:

My goodness, the stiff arm might have been the best part of the play!
Nothing like getting thrown out of the way by a 38 year bball player. Yes, that's officially a grown man move. And Danny Green, I see you getting some too!

By the way, Ray Allen used to do that on the regular.


Green game
Speaking of Danny Green, that record for most threes in a Finals that he broke last year? It was previously owned by Ray Allen. Therefore, considering Green's penchant for usurping Allen, it's probably not surprising that after Jesus Shuttleworth's dunk, this happened:

Any chance this was Ray Allen's facial expression again?

It certainly was mine (in a good way).....because that is something Danny Green DOES NOT do on the regular!

Feeling the Heat? 
Are the Heat in trouble?
Well, maybe not if you consider that during the previous 3 Finals of the big three era, they lost game one each time they won the championship (and conversely, lost the chip when they actually won game one).

Not to mention, they have won their last 12 games following a loss in the playoffs.

Maybe that's why LeBron and Co. have seemed incredibly relaxed these past couple of days.
I guess practice makes perfect:

It's kind of amazing these guys can joke and still have fun in the Heat of the battle.
Makes sense considering this group has seemingly faced everything......

.....Well, except a 0-2 in the playoffs.

Adjustments

Russell's assessment 
Bill Russell, winner of 11 NBA championships (8 in a row) wrote an interesting piece about how he'll be watching these NBA Finals and what he'll be looking for. Check it out.
A couple of things that stood out to me:

"Intelligent adjustments. Ultimately, this NBA championship will come down to intelligent adjustments."

And

"The team that is most successful in exploiting the other team will win. Make the other team make adjustments and the team that has to make the most adjustments always falls behind."

Those two statements kind of seem at odds.
But, I guess the essence is that championship teams are the ones that impose their will, and when needed (but maybe not too often) they successfully make the proper game to game as well as in game changes.

Basically, to win, a team needs to dictate how the game will be played, forcing the other team to follow and change what they are comfortable doing. But when they change to make you change what you are doing, make sure you can intelligently change what you're doing......

You got all that?

So

Adjustments for Miami:
1) Make sure the AC works
2) Don't give up the three! You can live with the Spurs scoring in the paint.
3) Need more from the bench (besides Allen)
Maybe more minutes overall.
But certainly more threes (and defense on Green?) from Battier.
More rebounds from Bird.
And more points (and defense on Parker) from Chalmers/Cole

***
Not sure this is an adjustment, so much as an observation: Have LeBron attack the rim.
Interestingly, the Spurs went away from their dare LeBron to shoot defense from last year by not giving him a pocket when guarding him. Consequently, LeBron can drive by his defender at will - kind of like he did against Boris Diaw on his last play....even with cramps. It also was effective at getting Leonard in foul trouble.


Adjustments for San Antonio:
Not really much except
1) Take better care of the ball! Can't commit 23 TOs against Miami and win too often.
2) Get the three going early - especially Danny Green. Maybe set some down screens for him if LeBron or Battier is guarding him.



Well, let's see what Crazy thing will happen tonight!

Finally, Back Again

Have we returned so soon?
Weren't we just here?
It feels like the 4th time in 4 years
Or maybe the 6th time in 15 years.....

Oh, you meant the rematch......of course!
What else did we expect (even after the most competitive first round in NBA history)?
More importantly, what more could we ask for?

From all the emotions associated with revenge/redemption to all the grander implications this Finals will have on legacy....where do we even begin to start?
How about....

What's different from last year?
Forget the regular season, according to ESPN.com,
Last year San Antonio was 5th best in the league during the playoffs defensively, allowing over 93 points a game. This year, during the Playoffs, the Spurs rank 8th at almost 99 points per game.

Miami was 3rd last year at ~91 points per game allowed and this year are second, allowing 92 points per game.

Last year, San Antonio was 3rd in the league during the postseason, scoring ~100 points a game.
This year, they rank 3rd at ~107 point per game.

Miami, was 7th last year at 97 point a game, and 8th this year at 99 points a game.

In other words, one team stayed essentially the same while another is scoring and allowing more points per game at an equal rate (negating each other)......an 8 point positive differential for the Spurs and a 7 point positive differential for the Heat this year, compared to a 7 point positive differential for the Spurs and a 6.4 point positive differential for the Heat last year. And guess what??? They rank #1 & 2 in this regard during the playoffs....the past two years!

So you're telling not much has changed.........

So, what's really different?
How about health?
Last year Wade limped into the Finals, and essentially had a good game....every other game (he did manage to muster up 32 points in game 4 and 23 points in game 7).
This year, after Miami essentially sat him for a third of the season, he's coming in looking fairly spry.
Check the numbers:
Last year during the playoffs: 16 points on 46% shooting
This year: almost 19 points on 52% shooting

Difference!!!!

How about Tony Parker?
Last year Tony averaged ~21 points and 7 assists during the playoffs (and presumably, those numbers went down after the Finals).
This year? Tony is averaging 17 points and 5 assists a game (leading the Spurs).
But more importantly, what affects will the ankle injury that forced him out of the WCF game 6 have on his play in the Finals? I think it's fair to say Parker having a hamstring injury last year in the Finals affected his and the Spurs performance.

Difference!!!!

To be fair, if Wade was a shell of himself last year, so was Ginobili.
Last year: 11.5 points (40% shooting) & 5 assists.
This year: 14.3 points (42% shooting) & 4 assists.

Did we have to wait a year just to see a true to form Wade vs. Ginobili matchup?

******

By the way, last year Duncan averaged 18 points & 10 rebounds.
This year, 17 & 9.

Bosh last year: 12 points & 7 rebounds.
This year 15 & 6.

******

Off the bench
Everyone is quick to mention that the Spurs have a much better and deeper bench.

But how about this as food for thought, provided by the Sports Rabbi no less:
The Spurs have 9 players that play 10 minutes or more per game.
The Heat have 11 players that play 10 minutes or more per game.

Think about it.



Getting offensive
And I know, I know.
The Spurs offense is a sight to behold for basketball purists.  It is equal opportunity that places an emphasis on ball movement (as opposed to Miami's top heavy scoring).

I get it.

But, what if I told you that the Spurs assist percentage in the postseason this year is 53% (21 assists per game).....and that Miami's assist percentage is.....53.5% (19 a game). Which means.... despite population notion to the contrary, Miami's offense is just as team oriented, or at least shares the ball, just as well as the Spurs.


The what if factor
What if Kawhi Leonard OR Ginobili made one extra free throw?!?
What if Duncan was in the game for the final Miami possession of game 6 last year?!?
What if the Spurs secured that rebound after the LeBron James miss?!?

Then maybe this wouldn't have happened:

The Spurs were less than 10 seconds away from winning the championship! They should have won!

Let me turns things around for you.
What if Tony parker didn't do this:

(The good old crazy off the backboard/off the knee jump shot).

What if, out of nowhere, Danny Green didn't set the record for most three pointers made in a NBA Finals (in only 5 games)?

What if LeBron didn't average less than 17 points a game for the first three games of the Finals last year????

Then, there might not even have been a game 6 to begin with.
(I mean, what if LeBron didn't average 19 points a game.....in the 2011 Finals?).

There are no what ifs in basketball.
Things happen. Crazy things happen.

In series with more or less equal talent, there is only execution of plays, adjustments, and opportunities.


Beware: team of destiny
Speaking of crazy things happening,
Remember the last time a team from Texas, with an all-time great big man & point guard, that excelled on ball movement and shooting threes played Miami in the Finals seeking redemption?

......how did that work out again???

I guess will also counts for something.

Adjusting to adjustments
After not being able to score in double figures against Indiana, Chris Bosh averaged over 20 the last three games.

By making moves like this (at the 14 second mark):

Holy schnikies!!!
That's a 4/5 coming off a down screen and making a jumper off the between the legs bounce!

Will we see more of this if Tiago Splitter or Duncan is matched up on Bosh?
But then will this be taken away if Diaw is switched on to him?
But then what happens when the Heat play Rashard Lewis and Bosh at the same time?
Who does Duncan guard?
Do the Spurs then go small with Leonard at the 4???

....maybe I'm getting ahead of myself.

Individual defense vs. team offense
There are perhaps two players in the NBA that LeBron can't guard:
Kevin Durant & (at times) Paul George.

The Spurs don't have those two players and therefore, LeBron can guard anyone on their roster.
But, perhaps this doesn't matter when no one on your team scores 20 or more points a game anyway.
How can you locate and stop the biggest opposing threat when 5 players (almost 6) average 10 points or more a game?

Think about when the heat looked their worst these playoffs: game one of the ECF, when Indiana had 6 players score in double figures. Isn't that what the Spurs do on a regular basis?

The rubber match
Forever we wanted but didn't get Kobe vs. LeBron
We can only hope we get more Durant vs. LeBron
So is it okay if for now (and potentially ever) we have to settle for Duncan vs. LeBron....

......A third time in 8 Finals.
Maybe not quite Bird vs. Magic 3 times in 4 Finals.....but perhaps close.

And maybe even better (or perhaps more bizarre) than pitting contemporaries of equal power against each other, this is a battle of teams seemingly from different eras.
Perhaps this is the closest thing we have to a real life version of a computer simulated match-up between champions from different decades.

Kind of cool and kind of weird at the same time.
But really, how are the Spurs still even here?!?!


Better than Kobe
Speaking of rivalries, think about this:
If Duncan wins, he'll have 5 chips - as much a Kobe.
Would the length of time during Duncan's run be more impressive (Kobe, chips from '00-'10.....Duncan, chips from '99-'14?)? And therefore would winning this year make us reevaluate who is the best from the Shaq/Duncan/Kobe era? Especially if Duncan wins a 4th Finals MVP (Shaq has 3, Kobe has 2). How is this guy still even relevant at 38 years of age?!?

Likewise, what if LeBron wins?
Kobe without Shaq, went to three straight Finals and won the last two. LeBron has already done that.
Would going to 4 straight Finals and winning the last 3 push LeBron past Kobe?

Perhaps more importantly, what does a win for each do for their all-time great discussions?
And more food for thought, if Wade wins a 4th.....is he now considered as great as Duncan?
.....and what if Ginobili wins a 4th???? 4 chips and a gold medal in the span of a decade?


The History of rematches
Since the 70's (after the 8-peat of the Celtics), here are the list of NBA Finals rematches in back to back years:

'72 - Lakers beat Knicks
'73 - Knick beat Lakers

'82 - Lakers beat 76ers
'83 - 76ers beat Lakers

'84 - Celtics beat Lakers
'84 - Lakers beat Celtics

'88 - Lakers beat Pistons
'89 - Pistons beat Lakers

(By the way, isn't it amazing that the Lakers are in everyone of these situations?!?).

Look at that!
Teams that lose in the Finals, but then persist and stay determined to fight their way back and face the team that defeated them the year before manage to overcome and find redemption!!!!

What a great history of inspiration!

Oh wait.....unless you consider:

'97 - Bulls beat Jazz
'98 - Bulls beat Jazz

So, maybe the redemption thing doesn't work out when you're going up against he greatest player ever (even when you have one of the best point guards and power forwards ever.....and home court).

But I mean, that's Jordan.
Miami doesn't have anyone like that......right?

Coach Frank Vogel, what do you think?!?

The exaggerated demise
We've heard a lot about how bad the Heat have looked at times. And that this may be in fact the worst of their 4 Finals teams. Certainly their regualr season records bear fruit to those claims:

2010-2011: 58-24
2011-2012: 46-20*
2012-2013: 66-16 (27 game winning streak)
2013-2014: 54-28

* = lockout shortened season, but their winning % was still higher than this years.

Okay. Maybe.
But, who cares?

How about this as a trend:
1990-1991: 61-21
1991-1992: 67-15
1992-1993: 57-25

Didn't seem like the regular season downward spiral of the Bulls in the early 90's affected their first three peat.

And in case you're interested:
1995-1996: 72-10
1996-1997: 69-13
1997-1998: 62-20

Yes, 62 wins is still pretty good in the last year of Jordan's second three peat. But it still fits the trend of diminishing regular season records during a three peat.

Not to mention the fact that Miami is 12-3 in this year's playoffs and weren't pushed to a game 7 (as opposed to the last two years in the ECF). Say what you want about the East and the Pacers, but Indiana still had the number 1 defense in the league, and home court advantage.

The extended excellence
There is something to be said about longevity.
How about during Duncan's time in the league, the Spurs have never won less than 50 games in a season (except for lockout shortened seasons - in which their winning percentage equated with 50 win seasons) and were never less than a 2 seed in the west.

Sounds like a definition of greatness to me.



Pick and Pop
Actually, do any of these teams still run this play?
Perhaps the Parker/Ginobili and Duncan/Diaw permutation
And maybe the LeBron/Bosh version.

But what about the non-canonical set-up?
If you recall, last year during game 2 of the Finals Spoelstra used a LeBron screen on Mario Chalmers to essentially turn that game around in a Miami win.

And then for the last play (the LeBron shot) of game 7, Spoelstra flipped it and had Chalmers set a screen on LeBron. More times than not, I don't think setting an on ball screen for LeBron is a good idea - as it will most likely result in a double team/trap with a big that forces the ball out of his hands. But having Chalmers set the screen forced a temporary Parker on LeBron defensive switch, which enabled a pull-up mid-range jumper off the screen to seal the chip.

Of course, these last two plays aren't really pick and pop. But they are variations on a theme....creative ones used with successful results.

Pop and Spo
Speaking of creativity and adjustments, isn't that what coaching is all about (in addition to managing egos)?

Certainly, it's extremely important.
But is there a decided advantage in coaching between the Spurs and Heat?
Last year, Pop and Spo played a chess match (which was comical at times). But ultimately, with ~3 minutes to go in the NBA Finals, Spo won that match.

How do you continue to make adjustments after 15 years, when your team is a well oiled offensive machine? Does everyone on the Spurs pretty much already know what to do out there?
Which team actually has to make more adjustments this series?

Pop champagne
I mean, why not.
These teams both have expensive tastes in drinks.
Only right that one will be drenched in it after making history these Finals.


The non-prediction
Okay, so what have we learned?
Stats mean nothing.
Regular season records mean nothing.
What ifs mean nothing.
Potential legacies mean nothing.

Both teams have been on this stage before and both teams have won multiple championships.

What really has changed?
I would say the Spurs having home court this time around - with a potential game 7 being played on their floor makes a difference. I don't think the Heat win a game 7 on the road......

But we saw how well that worked out for Indiana.
It just means that Miami will have to find another way to win.

So take a guess how they do that and what this series comes down to?
Thats right!!!!
LeBron James!

The reality is EVERY Finals LeBron plays in now until the end of his career is about him.
Whether right or wrong, realistic or not, this is just the way it is. Ever year from here on out is about history and legacy.

A chance to three peat and do something only three other franchises in NBA history have done?
I don't think that's lost on Miami or, in particular, LeBron.

I think people lose sight of the fact that in last year's Finals, LeBron averaged less than 17 points per game in the first three games of the series (Miami went 1-2) and at times seemed like he didn't want to shoot the ball - as the Spurs dared him to do so. He then averaged almost 32 points a game over the last 4 (Miami went 3-1). Something tells me that he won't wait as long this time around. And that he'll be able to able to make whatever adjustment is necessary facing San Antonio's defense.

This is no knock on the Spurs.
These teams are evenly matched and the series could go either way.
But, growing up a Knicks fan in the 90's, I learned the hard way what the best player in the world is capable of doing......

All I'm saying is, when getting into to these types of situations, You usually want the guy that is the best in the game and in his prime on your team.....


But, I guess that's why they play the games......especially the last 10 seconds of them.

Lance Speaks!

Forget the fact the game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals is tonight, with survival on the line for the Pacers and a fourth straight trip to the NBA Finals on the line for the Heat.

Forget that Paul George is coming off one of his better games as a pro - scoring 21 point in the 4th quarter of game 5. And that LeBron, conversely, is coming off his worst playoff performance (ever), scoring 7 points in 24 minutes of play.

Forget Hibbert vs. Bosh.
Ray Allen being defended by David West......
Yada yada yada.

You must be thinking about the necessary adjustments to be made for tonights game.....right???
WRONG!

Of course, you're still thinking about this:

By the way, LeBron's facial expression is the best part of that whole exchange.

And his reaction to it after the game was pretty good too:

Ah yes, the old blowing in your opponents ear (in front of millions of viewers) routine!

Guaranteed to throw the best player in the world off their game!

(If only John Starks knew about this in the '90s).

May I personally say, thank you "Born Ready" for providing us with the most entertaining moment of the playoffs thus far (I mean, who knows what he'll do in game 6 tonight, right?).

So, do you think now would be a good time to unveil my interview with Lance when the Pacers came to town a little while back? Would you be interested hearing his thoughts on playing ball in New York, the street ball summer leagues, and how it helped prepare him for the NBA???

Okay:

You'll notice a bit of laughter during Lance's answer to my first question: "growing up, who did you watch play and is there anyone's game that you tried to emulate?" The laughter comes from none other than Rasual Butler himself, the man whom Lance claimed to watch growing up and tried to emulate......

If case you're wondering, Rasual has played for 6 NBA teams in 11 seasons and holds career averages of 7.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.8 assists a game.

Well, while we still don't know who Lance grew up watching and practicing like, we at least know that  Lance doesn't act like a knucklehead only to LeBron......he also acts like a knucklehead to biomedical scientist/NBA writers!!! Wow, what are the odds that I hold something in common with LeBron???

I feel so lucky to be in such great company!

But in all seriousness, after that initial response, the interview did become somewhat interesting and informative. In particular:

What about New York basketball culture, summers leagues...which is the best summer league?

Rucker Park, Gersh, Kingdome....so many parks.

Growing up and playing in the street ball gets you that edge, that toughness.

The crowd being there - they can say whatever they want. They're on the court, they try to get in your head. You have to be real tough to go through that and still play hard.

That's what I know, that's the type of way I like to play. I like to talk to the crowd and it just gets me motivated.

How has that helped prepare you for the NBA?

It definitely helped prepare me.

Playing with the older guys and learning the game at a younger age. Being big and strong enough to do that....playing with the older guys at Rucker Park.....it helped me learn the game more. 

In the summer, when you're trying to get better, what's a typical workout for you like?

Never really practice ball handling. I think everybody from New York has a handle.

The hardest thing to do was learn how to shoot, when I'm open.  I'm used to just catching the ball and going. I wasn't a set shooter. Learning how to shoot being set is the toughest.

I probably take 500 shots. I don't count, I just shoot and try to get a lot of shots till I get in a rhythm and feel I can make it every time.

Words of advice for young basketball players?

Just stay humble, work hard. Go to school, learn the game.
Stay motivated, try to word hard every night and try to be the last one on the court.

You can think whatever you want about Lance Stevenson's antics in game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, but the reality is that Lance is 24 years old and is still not only learning to play/think the game, but also learning how to be a professional. That's not to justify what he did, but it kind of makes sense considering his background and the type of environment he grew up playing in. I've played in Rucker park. While I've never had my ear blown into on the court.....I have had people in the crowd talk trash to me, and even an opposing player pull my jersey over my head in an attempt to embarrass me (by a  dude named "White Chocolate".....and in turn I threw the ball off him on the next play).

There is definitely an edginess and toughness.....and holy sh*#! factor playing NY basketball.

And I guess, if that's what you grow up with, it becomes engrained in you. And if you learn how to survive that style of play, you then learn how to feed off of it. 

Lance even said himself: "That's what I know, that's the type of way I like to play. I like to talk to the crowd and it just gets me motivated."

I know, you're asking yourself: What type a player needs to talk trash to get motivated???
Especially when playing against the best in the playoffs?

Well, can you guess who said this:

"70% of me talking on the court, is personally to get me motivated and going. The other 30% of the time, it was to see if I could get in the opponents head."

That's Reggie Miller. 

The hall of famer that talked so much trash, he got John Starks to head butt him in a playoff game. He made Spike Lee the most famous Knicks fan. And even got Michael Jordan to lose his cool.

(By the way, this is great).

So trash talking, and doing things to get under an opponents skin are tactics that have been around a long time, and employed by some of the best in the game.

And consider this:
What would you do if your team was outplayed on the court for three straight games and currently faced elimination? What would you do if "basketball" adjustments proved futile? Would you not do anything in your capacity - including resorting to non-basketball taunting - to try and turn the series around?

Right or wrong, or whether this ultimately helps Indiana win the series is almost irrelevant at this point. What Lance has done has already worked because it's all we're talking about (rather than how much better Miami has been this series, how much Spoelstra has out coached Vogel, or the fact that Miami can become only the third franchise in NBA history to go to four straight Finals). And he's managed to turn this into a Lance-LeBron one on one matchup (at least in our minds).

That's NYC street ball at it's finest.

**********

Speaking of perpetuating NYC basketball mythology, I love how Lance further propagates the stereotype of NYC basketball players:

"I think everybody from New York has a handle. The hardest thing to do was learn how to shoot."

Man, ain't that the knock on every NY kid coming up, especially NY point guards??? I guess that's just the breaks of being from the city. But for you non-NYers out there, it's not like we're born with a ball in our hands - a "handle" is something we develop. Part of it is due to the flashiness associated with street ball. But, if you really want to know the impetus for developing ball handling skills - go watch a game of "21" at Riverbank state part in Harlem. You literally have 20 kids on the same court and the only way to score is by dribling through all of them. Form fits function.
Now, if only there was some sort of selection factor for learning how to shoot.....

Having this skill set certainly has it's benefits (there have been serval times in which Lance has had LeBron on skates defensively).  But it also has it's draw backs. As a coach, one of the challenges is teaching kids how to use their ball handling/one-on-one strength within a team framework - in particular to get their teammates open as well as get themselves open mid-range jump shots. Another challenge is teaching kids to stay involved in the game when they don't have the ball. You heard Lance say he is used to "catching the ball and going," and that learning how to shoot when he's playing off the ball is the toughest thing. Yes. This is hard. In fact, there have been serval times in the series in which Lance has kind of drifted into a corner and do nothing when he's not involved in the play. Lance, you were Born Ready, so you have to stay ready (and active) even on the weak side. Think about what Shane Battier does. It's important for young players to know that they can affect the game in many ways and help their team win even when the ball is not in their hands. And part of being an effective player is being able to make a play even when a play isn't draw up for you. 

**********

What's great about the Lance-LeBron matchup is that you have a young street baller going at and using street ball tactics against literally the best player in the world. That's kind of crazy when you think about it. I'm sure Lance is a hero back home in Coney Island, Brooklyn.

Using ear blowing is an interesting approach to take.......especially when you can't beat your opponent with basketball. But I'm not sure how effective it will be against a guy who has evolved to drown out all the the noise and distraction from millions of viewers and hundreds of media members that follow and critic his every move (including all the vitriol that ensued after "The Decision").

Actually, what's equally as enjoyable as Lance's immaturity, is seeing LeBron being the adult and ultimate professional in this situation. Think about how far he has come. Kind of cool to see LeBron transformed into the older vet that has to deal with all these petulant kids.
(By the way, in the interview there were signs of potential growth for Lance - I really enjoyed his comments directed towards young basketball players. And it's cool to note that during the all-star break, he was back home in Brooklyn watching his high school team. Seems like there is an opportunity to be more than a basketball player. What will Lance be like when he is 30?).

But before we go, waiting with anticipation to see what Lance will do tonight, let's consider the last two times in this year's playoffs LeBron has reacted to comments made by an opposing player.
1) Paul Pierce, after a BK Nets game 3 win says: "I want the responsibility of guarding LeBron."
Result: LeBron scores 49 in a game 4 win.

2) Lance Stevenson, after a game 3 loss, says LeBron talking to him is a weakness.
Result: LeBron scores 29 points in 3 quarters (32 for the game), in a blowout game 4 win.

I'm just saying.
Lance said the benefit of playing at the Rucker at a young age was competing against older players, enabling him to become physically and mentally tough while learning the game.
Sounds like he is primed for another lesson tonight.....

Unless you think these tactics really can be effective......

But rest assured. No matter who wins or loses tonight, both in the actual game or in the mind game........ Just by getting to see it play out, in real time, with so much on the line.........we all win!
Thanks to Lance!

BROOKLYN.....YOUR MAIN MAN IS BALLING TONIGHT!!!!!!

Streaking With Kyle Korver

Dirk on Dirk

Spin moves for elbow jump shots:

Around the world with one-legged mid-range shots:

Typical summer for Dirk (early in career) & confidence behind fadeaway shots:

Point Guard Project - John Wall

Welcome to another addition of the Point guard Project!
As always, it's great to have you back.

As you know,
Past participants:
PGP1 - John Lucas
PGP2 - Luke Ridnour
PGP3 - Jrue Holiday
PGP4 - Ricky Rubio
PGP5 - Royal Ivey
PGP6 - Damian Lillard
PGP7 - Derek Fisher
PGP8 - Stephen Curry
PGP9 - Chauncey Billups
PGP10 - Derek Rose
PGP11 - Ty Lawson
PGP12 - Sam Cassell
PGP13 - Mike Conley

Today we are joined by John Wall.

The PGP questions:

1) Who did you watch play growing up? And whose game did you try to emulate?

2) What was your first memorable point guard match-up, when you first got into the league?

3) What is your definition for the job of a point guard?

4) How do you determine when to shoot vs. when to pass?

5) What is a typical workout for you like?

6) Do you have any words of advice for young aspiring point guards?


I should say: joined by newly minted all-star John Wall.
That's right, in his 4th year in the league averaging 20 points and 8.5 assists a game John is on his way to NOLA. And rightfully so - is there a better point guard in the East, right now? Even better than boasting those individual stats, how about the fact that Washington is currently sporting a record above .500 for the first time in over 4 years (no, seriously).

Okay, you might say "that's not hard to do, they are in the eastern conference!" You might have a point. But, how about the Wiz's last two wins, over OKC and Portland? Two of the top teams is the West? In those games, John put up 17 points & 15 assists (& 6 steals) and 22 & 5 assists, respectively.

At 6'4" and 195 ibs, John is only 23 years old. After being drafted #1 overall in 2010, he averaged 16 points and 8 assists his rookie year in the league..... and didn't win rookie of the year (thanks Blake Griffin injury rookie year make-up!).

John played at Kentucky for 1 year, leading them (with Demarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe) to the elite 8. Plus, for his first NBA game intro, he did this:

Mr. Wall, welcome to the PGP:



Summary of answers:

1) Grew up watching Allen Iverson. Allen Iverson was his person.  Saw Isiah Thomas and those guys be good. Steve Nash, Chris Paul, Derrick. Those are the guys when he was in high school and college. Magic and all those guys.

2) First memorable point guard match-up: Steve Nash - he went like 10 for 10, shooting one legged shots. Was contesting him and running around - playing the best D he could. And was still staying with him - (Nash) was just making tough shots. Had to chase him all the way under the basket. Had to watch his pocket passes cause he came off pick and rolls. Learned how to come off pick and roles and do a better job guarding him.
Was like "whoo!"
(Nash) Showed how a point guard can dictate the game. Showed how a point guard can do it without really scoring. Didn't take many shots but was 10 for 10 when he took them.

3) Definition for the job of a point guard: Be a leader. Lead your team. Get your team involved. Some point guards are scoring points, but he is more of a pass first point. If it's a night he has to score he is blessed to have the ability to do so. Really likes to get teammates involved (early), because when going into the 4th quarter and teams start to double and triple team him, teammates need to be in a rhythm (when he passes it to them). They can't be taking their first shots in the 4th.

4) Pass vs Shoot: Being aggressive. He's an aggressive type of player. His teammates know for their team to be their best, he has to be aggressive. Sometimes it's being aggressive and getting in the paint and finding people. Sometimes it's being aggressive and scoring. When he scores it makes it tough for the defense (because) they help off a shooter. If the defense wants to help, he's willing to give it to a shooter and have them knock down shots.

5) Typical workout: It depends. Spot up shots from mid-range. Catch and shoot. Catch and shoot threes. 10 (shots) each spot. 5 spots, sometimes 7 spots (total). Then do all of those same things coming off the dribble, like in the game. A lot of pick and rolls. Seeing how team's trap him and getting out of traps. Isolation situations. He's working on ball handling when doing those drills, because he has to do it at game speed. Very fatiguing and tough.

6) For aspiring point guards: Just work. That's the thing he did. Any young point guard coming into the league that's fast and athletic, not really known as knock down shooters. And it's something we all have developed, Derrick Rose, Westbrook, himself. Adding it to their game and making them tougher with all of the stuff they are able to do already.





I must say, out of all of the PGP interviews that I have done, this is was one of the best.
I mean, to talk to an all-star and number 1 overall pick and to have all of his answers be so informative.
Where do I start?

How about his first memorable match-up with Steve Nash? How funny is it that after listing six point guards non-chalantly that he grew up watching - without hesitation and in all seriousness Nash was the guy he remembers going up against his rookie year? Let me paint the picture of that match-up for you: raw, youthful talent and athleticism against the essence of skill and finely honed craftiness. Hearing John speak, you realize that skill and craft won out.

Hearing that story and having John convey how much he learned was a real treat. How one of the most athletic guys at his position learned from Nash (two-time MVP mind you) to use & include teammates to gain position on the court, how to control the game without even shooting, and how to be super efficient. You must realize, everyone in the league is super talented. But knowing how to do the three things above, especially as a point guard, can really separate you from the pack.

Of course, efficiency is something John is currently working on and is still trying to improve. For his career, he shoots 43% from the field and 28% from three. Compare that with Steve Nash's career numbers of 49% and 43%, respectively. Okay, you're right. That's not really a fair comparison.
So, here are Derrick Rose's career numbers: 46% & 31%, respectively.
And here are Russell Westbrook's:  43% & 30%, respectively (almost exactly the same).
One thing that is interesting is that even though John Wall has essentially the same skill set as Rose and WestBrook - John considers himself as a pass first point guard.

Maybe different types of points are just prone to shoot differently. But, let me say, a lot of what goes into efficient shooting is taking higher percentage shots, and knowing how to get them. Sounds straight forward no? But that's something you have to learn. Think about it, John has the ability to probably create and take any shot he wants. That is a great attribute to have and it certainly comes in handy in certain situations. But it's not something you want to do all the time (is it?). Learning how to utilize your teammates, both to keep them involved and get yourself easier shots, helps your efficacy. It also keeps you under control, and gives you rhythm and confidence.

Kind of cool (and beneficial) that John currently has Sam Cassell as a coach and is working with him to develop his shot, both in the mid range and pick and roll type situations (see video below). Remember Sam's PGP interview? That was a good one too. And it was interesting to hear Sam speak about mastering the mid-range and using his teammates to get shots - because he couldn't create on his own. Something tells me that sort of mid-set will be very helpful for John's game.

Finally, I love John's response for when to pass vs shoot: BE AGGRESSIVE.
......That's it!

Sometimes, as a scientist I like to overanalyze things and complicate them. But what if these things really are more simplistic? Simplicity can be profound. And simplicity certainly can be effective.
And guess what, this is almost exactly what Steve Nash said when I had a chance to interview him! 
Remember that one? When Steve said about when to pass vs shoot: "Always put pressure on the defense," and "be prepared to make the defense pay - shoot when they drop off, pass when they step up."
Sounds pretty aggressive to me.
And sounds pretty simple too!
How ironic is it that the guy John remembers most when he first got to the league, essentially gave the same answer for when to pass vs shoot?

I guess now we've come full circle.


But before we go, how about a couple of videos of John Wall doing some pre-game drills???
Peep the speed and technique for the ball handling!

And some mid-range shots off the dribble with Sam:

What more can I say?
Want to be an all-star with crazy skills?
Just work!


Much thanks to John Wall for his time!
I hope you enjoyed this edition of the Point Guard Project!
Stay tuned for more!