MoreFeasts
Member
I thought that the zone was effective against Miami earlier in the playoffs. Maybe I am mis-remembering.
NBA Finals: Spurs vs. Heat
- Thread starter Beantown
- Start date
Former Member
Banned
In game 7, the gimmick backfired.
scootsy
Well-Known Member
Lebron's agent deserved to be fired and never hired again for the Decision. But I think Lebron has done everything he could right to recover from that. He's the greatest player I have ever watched...
I think spoelstra deserves more credit than just "he coaches the best players"
I think spoelstra deserves more credit than just "he coaches the best players"
Former Member
Banned
I feel the series came down to Manu. The Spurs needed a second creator on the offensive end. Manu responded by looking like the old guy at the rec center when all his old man tricks are not working.
scootsy
Well-Known Member
There are no zone defenses in the nba.
The Thriller
Well-Known Member
Probably because *gasp* Spolstra isn't the dumbass everyone on here thinks he is. The Heat made adjustments too. Mainly, Udonis was benched for the latter half of the series in favor of shooters.
It's hard to be up in Lebron's grill when Bosh is on an elbow (drawing Duncan out), Wade is on the weakside, and 2 shooters are on the strong side (or 1 is waiting in the corner while the other sets a pick for Lebron).
Ultimately, the Heat had a ton of talent and Spolstra found the right strategy.
That Chalmers/Lebron P&R with Ray Allen/Battier/Miller waiting for the 3 pointer with Bosh on the elbow is sick. If you play off Lebron, you run the risk of him burning you. You cheat off a shooter and you get killed by a 3. You cheat off Bosh and he can shoot. Cheat off Wade and he cuts inside/has easy post position. You play everything straight up and Lebron blows past your defense and is at the cup. And even if you play everything awesome... The weak side with Wade is usually open for tips/rebounds because Duncan is out chasing Bosh/helping on Lebron.
It's just a damn good team. Hence... Why when they signed all those 3 pt shooters this offseason everyone in the NBA just rolled their eyes and said, "F this."
The Thriller
Well-Known Member
The problem wasn't the Spurs defense.
It was their offense.
That outside shooting was pathetic.
Green/Manu/Neal really let them down.
Essentially, the Spurs became a Duncan/Parker/Leonard team. It was like they were playing 3 on 5 offensively.
It was their offense.
That outside shooting was pathetic.
Green/Manu/Neal really let them down.
Essentially, the Spurs became a Duncan/Parker/Leonard team. It was like they were playing 3 on 5 offensively.
MoreFeasts
Member
so then why is a zone not a better option for that lineup, since it is so tough to defend man on man?
scootsy
Well-Known Member
And with Parker playing terribly as well, they had no real chance.
The Thriller
Well-Known Member
I think so.
And plus, the Heat changed their starting lineup. Mike Miller would have gone off for 50 if he ever saw a zone. And the way Battier was playing, he would have too.
scootsy
Well-Known Member
No team in the nba plays zone defense, the rules prohibit all zone defenses except 1-2-2 and 3-2, neither of which are effective in the SLIGHTEST against nba caliber players. Closest thing you see to zone in the nba is a defense where defenders switch on every screen (ala spol's genius decision that helped the win game 6)
MoreFeasts
Member
How many open looks did Green Neal get tonight?
scootsy
Well-Known Member
Excellent analysis. Everyone says they play hero ball, but they actually run the offense perfectly designed for their skill sets. Spoelstra has done a fantastic job organizing it and using the right pieces at the right time.
Getting Traded
Banned
Thriller, you're seriously underestimating the Spurs. Yes, they are getting old, but heck, they swept the Grizzlies who are a very good team. They actually should've won this series but they let is slip away last game. And they were right there tonight despite that LeBron went off.
MoreFeasts
Member
Seriously, it went down to the wire... and the Heat were lucky that they even made it to the 7th game.
So now I've got to listen to a year of people talking about how unbeatable they are...
So now I've got to listen to a year of people talking about how unbeatable they are...
The Thriller
Well-Known Member
They had enough to make a difference.
The thing is, the zone carries another risk...
In the NBA, you can't camp in the key. If you play in the zone and you cheat for too long in the paint off a shooter and onto Lebron, they're going to call you for defensive 3 seconds. This happened early in the series when the Spurs cheated off Haslem to clog the lane for Dwade/Lebron.
Once the Heat changed their lineup, that made cheating on Lebron/Wade even harder.
That's why the 3 point shooters got it going... Why Lebron had an easier time getting to the rim... And why Dwade suddenly became a post presence. He could cut from the weakside, flash into the paint, and be given the ball with awesome position.
Frankly, the Heat tried this strategy against the Pacers. The problem was, Hibbert and West were too unstoppable offensively. West buried Battier/Miller whenever they tried to defend him. And West (somehow) was able to stay with Battier/Miller.
The Spurs could have tried that with Blair... But that is all... As no one else could have defended Battier/Miller and hurt them when they tried to defend. Bonner and Splitter cannot score.
In all honesty, the first few championships with the Twin Towers but without the dominate PG and 3 pt shooting would have been the better matchup. Duncan and The Admiral would have slowed the game up and made it ugly (like the Pacers did) and pounded the Heat inside. So much of this game is about matchups. A healthy OKC team blows past SA. Yet, there's no way OKC would have lasted more than 5 games against the Heat.
Matchups matchups matchups!
Hence... Why Kanter is the X-factor IMO.
He's the game changer... He's the Z-Bo, Duncan, Hibbert that we can run our offense through. If he can stay healthy this next year... And really produce on a consistent basis... Just... 17 and 10... We'll be off to a great start rebuilding.
For Favors, folks, reality check. He can improve... But he'll never be a guy that you can run your offense through.
Kanter is the guy we need to build around unless we luck out next year and get a top 3 pick. And even then, Kanter should still be a huge focus. Looking ahead, Kanter is our #1 or #2 option on offense for the next 2-4 years.
Spurs' age showed itself. Duncan was gassed in games 6 and 7. Manu was mediocre at best throughout the series with one explosion. Only Parker had a good series out of their big three. Their next best player in Leonard can't create for himself and their role players were either off or shut down. Some drastic moves will be done this offseason as Duncan clearly can play 20-30 minutes for 2 more years but they badly need a good big and someone like Burks or Stevenson.
The Thriller
Well-Known Member
I think the Spurs are great...
However...
They need another big man to help Duncan out... And they need that 3rd wheel/2nd guard. Manu clearly isn't it anymore.
Duncan still has some juice left. But he needs help. He's now "The Admiral" and needs a new "Duncan."
Manu needs to go away, Green abolished to a Steve Kerr role, and a new SG needs to come in. Just a guy like Alec Burks would do the Spurs wonders.
If I were the Spurs... I'd be looking closely at KG, Aldrich, Amare, and Big Al. I'm guessing that all 3 of those bigs are being shopped/looking for a change right now.
MoreFeasts
Member
I take you back to Pops pregame interview.
What does your team do to win tonight?
"I have no idea."
The pushing every possession just led to too many turnovers.
not just Gino, but Parker too.
worst game I ever saw Parker play.
I've seen Splitter have very good games before this series.
What does your team do to win tonight?
"I have no idea."
The pushing every possession just led to too many turnovers.
not just Gino, but Parker too.
worst game I ever saw Parker play.
I've seen Splitter have very good games before this series.
MoreFeasts
Member
Enough of this. No hard feelings to the Heat fans. The Spurs can call me if they want advice in the future.