Cleveland South: Watching the Miami Heat play, I can't help but think LeBron has to be experiencing deja vu. Watching him play right now, is similar to watching him when he was in Cleveland. The guys around him will do pretty good, get some good looks in the first half. Come the fourth quarter, they are standing around waiting on him to do something, and it backfires. He definitely has a couple of great pieces around him, but with Chris Bosh being less than 100%, and Dwyane Wade playing like he knows he has a pass win or lose, LeBron seems to be a one man wolfpack. It is to the point that he'll have to score 45 for the Heat to be in the game. He honestly can't do much more, and I hope that after this series people are honest about that, and don't try to throw another Heat failure all on LeBron's back.
Robert Horry Back: Is that Chris Bosh or Robert Horry coming off the bench for the Heat? It is a well-known fact that Bosh is a jump shooter. He has made a career of knocking down pick and pop shots from mid-range. However, after going 3-4 from the three point line against the Celtics in Game 7, he seems to think he's Big Shot Bob. The Heat are already devoid of consistent shooters for LeBron to kick it to when he drives, and kicking to Bosh in the mid-range was a great thing. With him venturing further and further out, he is making himself a non-factor. Spolestra needs to remind Chris Bosh, that he's Chris Bosh, and not Robert Horry, so he can get back to his sweet spots and knock down shots if the Heat want a chance in this series.
Pass Me Not: Bottom line, Dwyane Wade has been less than spectacular during this Playoff run. In a previous blog, I gave him credit for the few big games he's had, but other than that, he's looked bad. I'm sure when the season is over we'll hear about a nagging injury that is slowing him down. However, his pass has to expire. The Heat last won a championship in 2006. Wade has been flying clear of criticism due to that. That has to stop. In order for the Heat to win, they need monster games from LeBron and Wade. Wade isn't holding up his end. Here's hoping that fans and media members begin to be honest in our assessment of Wade's play.
Too Many Weapons: Any objective basketball fan knows that the Oklahoma City Thunder are the more complete team of the two in the Finals. They have a starting five with guys that can all contribute in some way. There isn't much of a drop off when they go to their bench either. People are asking what the Heat can do to combat that during the rest of this series. There isn't much they can do, unless David Stern gives them a special pardon to change the roster around the Big 3.
He's only 23?: When the commentators mentioned Kevin Durant's age during the game, my lady looked up from her homework and asked that question. When I told her yeah, she shook her head, said "that's not fair", and went back to her homework. This is coming from a casual fan that has seen Durant play a few times. I can only imagine what the NBA coaches, players, and front offices are saying. Barring any significant injuries, I believe Durant can lead the league in scoring for the next 5-7 years easily. His offensive game is beyond superlatives, and he isn't close to his prime yet. It is a joy to watch him play, and I hope that he is spared any major injury so we can enjoy his game for years to come.
Be Careful Russ: Russell Westbrook is one of the better point guards in the NBA. He had a great stat line last night with 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 11 assists. However, there were moments where he reverted to I have to get a shot for myself mode. I don't mind his drives to the basket. A lot of those were good, and timely plays. My problem is when he takes a jumpshot, and Kevin Durant doesn't touch the ball on that trip down the floor. That had me yelling at the TV for him to get the ball to Durant. You have the best scorer in the world on your team, he can't go multiple trips in a row without at least a touch. This dynamic works for the Thunder, but it is something that could get them in trouble down the line. Freezing your big gun when he's hot is a dangerous thing. Good aggressiveness in the flow of the offense is good, but once you start forcing, it becomes a problem. Here's hoping Westbrook continues to produce well, but not at the expense of his team.
That is all I have for Game 1. I'm looking forward to seeing if the Heat can make adjustments in Game 2. In a game where James Harden only scored 5, and barely played in the second half, they still lost by 11. Harden won't play that bad, or that few minutes the rest of the series, that among other reasons lead me to believe the Heat are in big trouble. I hope you enjoyed the read, and please make sure to follow me on twitter @jimmylwilsonjr.
I'm Jimmy L. Wilson, Jr. and I approve this message
He's only 23?: When the commentators mentioned Kevin Durant's age during the game, my lady looked up from her homework and asked that question. When I told her yeah, she shook her head, said "that's not fair", and went back to her homework. This is coming from a casual fan that has seen Durant play a few times. I can only imagine what the NBA coaches, players, and front offices are saying. Barring any significant injuries, I believe Durant can lead the league in scoring for the next 5-7 years easily. His offensive game is beyond superlatives, and he isn't close to his prime yet. It is a joy to watch him play, and I hope that he is spared any major injury so we can enjoy his game for years to come.
Be Careful Russ: Russell Westbrook is one of the better point guards in the NBA. He had a great stat line last night with 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 11 assists. However, there were moments where he reverted to I have to get a shot for myself mode. I don't mind his drives to the basket. A lot of those were good, and timely plays. My problem is when he takes a jumpshot, and Kevin Durant doesn't touch the ball on that trip down the floor. That had me yelling at the TV for him to get the ball to Durant. You have the best scorer in the world on your team, he can't go multiple trips in a row without at least a touch. This dynamic works for the Thunder, but it is something that could get them in trouble down the line. Freezing your big gun when he's hot is a dangerous thing. Good aggressiveness in the flow of the offense is good, but once you start forcing, it becomes a problem. Here's hoping Westbrook continues to produce well, but not at the expense of his team.
That is all I have for Game 1. I'm looking forward to seeing if the Heat can make adjustments in Game 2. In a game where James Harden only scored 5, and barely played in the second half, they still lost by 11. Harden won't play that bad, or that few minutes the rest of the series, that among other reasons lead me to believe the Heat are in big trouble. I hope you enjoyed the read, and please make sure to follow me on twitter @jimmylwilsonjr.
I'm Jimmy L. Wilson, Jr. and I approve this message
Couldn't agree more with the assessment that watching Lebron on the Heat right now isn't all that different than when he was in Cleveland. Sure the next two best players after him are far superior than the next two were in Cleveland. However, 3-12 on the Heat are far inferior for no other reason than they all pretty much do one of two things; shot threes or set picks. Cleveland's 3-12 weren't as familiar names to casual NBA fans but as a unit they provided more on the floor. Spoelstra is prone to making some pretty questionable decisions (followed by even poorer explanations), but he gets a limited pass based on the fact that his roster limits the number of in game adjustments he can make.
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