Jun 5, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; San Antonio Spurs power forward Tim Duncan (right) passes to point guard Tony Parker (left) during practice for game one of the 2013 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
With 2013 NBA Finals scheduled for tip-off on Thursday, King James Gospel writers got together for a roundtable. One topic that was discussed was the following.
What is the biggest adjustment for each team heading into the Finals?
Here is what our writers thought.
David Walker: It’s difficult to say before the games begin but there are some obvious ones. When Kawhi is on the bench, who guards LeBron on the Spurs? In the regular season it was Boris Diaw, and he’ll still see a little bit of time on him, but that matchup is playing with fire. How is Miami going to deal with Tony Parker in the pick-and-roll? Parker wrecked Memphis with his dribble penetration and Miami doesn’t nearly have the shot blocking or size near the rim to utilize as a last resort that the Grizzles had. Trapping him leads to more problems and the chess match between the two coaches has just begun.
Robert Krivitsky: For Miami, it is figuring out how to defend the Spurs pick and roll sets. As the roll man, Tim Duncan can be lethal, knocking down jump shots and finding open teammates. Tiago Splitter is exceptional at diving to the basket after setting screens. The Heat must find a way to adequately defend this action.
Gavin MacPherson: For the Spurs the biggest adjustment will be having players defending the pick and roll in ways that they are not accustomed to, meaning guys who are usually defending the ball may be defending the screener and vice versa. The Heat throw a lot of different pick and roll looks at teams and their small-small pick and rolls are pretty devastating because LeBron can set screens like a big man. The play is always very effective at breaking down the defense and part of the reason the Pacers were so successful against the Heat was their ability to limit its effectiveness a little bit after the first two games.
For the Heat the biggest adjustment will be figuring out what to do against Duncan and Splitter in pick and roll scenarios. Flashing a big man to the high post has been a weakness of the Heat pick and roll defense since Spoelstra took over and that high post is an area Duncan loves to operate in. He’s adept at both hitting the jumper and making dump down passes under the rim or hitting three-point shooters if you rotate to take that jumper away. It’s long been his bread and butter play and it hasn’t diminished with age so the Heat are going to have to figure out a way to deal with it.
Ross Gottschalk: The biggest adjustment for the Spurs in this series will be how they protect the paint. Chiefly, finding a way to keep LeBron from attacking the basket and creating opportunities for other shooters. That’s when Miami is playing their best.
For the Heat, how are they going to guard Tony Parker? The high pick and roll presents a problem for Miami in this series. How often will the Heat put LeBron James on Parker?
Leslie Kam: Well, the Heat will definitely be more free to attack the basket, now that Roy Hibbert is out of the frame. Although the Heat and Spurs have met twice in the regular season, neither teams have really seen much of each other. With both teams sitting their starters in each of the contests, they don’t really have any idea what is in store for them. The Spurs primary concern is to, of course slow down LeBron James. And if they are at all successful, as long as the Spurs defend the three like they did in the regular season (rank 4th in opponent 3 point attempts per game and 5th in opponent 3 points made per game), Tim will be well on his way for his 5th title. Miami will have to be careful when defending Tony Parker, who is currently playing out of his mind. Their hard hedging, pick and roll style coverage will pose many problems. Tony is way too smart to be coaxed into multiple turnovers, and if he sees any light of day, someone else on the Spurs will get a wide open corner three.
Adam Lowenstein: The San Antonio Spurs will have to be ready for the Miami Heat’s athleticism. After dominating the Memphis Grizzlies and having some time to rest, the Spurs need to gear up for the Heat’s ravaging attacking on both offense and defense. While Miami will have the athletic advantage, Erik Spoelstra’s team will have to step up its effort on the defensive end. The Indiana Pacers were not at all strong on offense in 2012-13, but the Spurs own the second-best offensive efficiency this postseason (No. 1, of course, the Heat). The Heat cannot rest on defense, or it could be a huge advantage for the jump shooters in black and grey.
Lindsey Flemon: The biggest adjustment for the San Antonio Spurs defensively is going to be guarding the perimeter against the Miami Heat. LeBron James can’t be stopped when he has his mind on scoring however, he cannot beat you alone although he will give it a militaristic effort. San Antonio will have to let LeBron penetrate in the post to a degree however, the perimeter must be guarded against James’ inside-out plays. He cannot be allowed to penetrate and the kick the ball out to a teammate for a three pointer because the defense has collapsed on him. San Antonio will also have to block-out on the LeBron penetrations to shut down the Dwyane Wade cutting to the basket for layups or dunks. San Antonio needs to let James get his points but deny his supporting cast players.
The Miami Heat will have to adjust to the excellent coaching (in my humble opinion) of a Hall of Fame coach, Gregg Popovich, then they have to adjust to the penetration of Tony Parker. San Antonio can hurt you from many areas that I think the Miami Heat are vulnerable. The Heat have better explosive type players, but the San Antonio Spurs have fundamentally sound players at every position that will give good consistent minutes in every game. Kawhi Leonard may be the player that is overlooked with all the attention on the court focused on guarding Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker. Leonard will probably be guarded by LeBron, which the Heat will have to adjust to in order to keep James in the game fresh and an offensive threat. San Antonio also plays excellent defense with long players like Duncan, the team’s leading offensive and defensive rebounder, and with Kawhi the second team leader that the Heat cannot fail to recognize. Finally we have Manu. Miami will have to adjust to his movement without the ball and must keep a man on him to contest every shot. He alone will break your heart with momentum type shots that turn the game around.
Stay tuned to KJG as we continue to bring you NBA Finals coverage.