*This post is by current Ateneo Blue Eagle Von Pessumal.
Miami vs Indiana. Heat vs Pacers.
LeBron vs Paul George. This is probably the most anticipated match-up of the
entire NBA season. After losing in a tough series that lasted 7 games last postseason,
the Indiana Pacers are exactly where they want to be: having a clean slate with
the defending champions.
These teams flat-out hate each
other. With a passion, too. If you were able to catch some of their regular
season games, which they split 2-2, you can just tell from their body language
that they both meant business. Lance Stephenson and Dwyane Wade were going at
it, LeBron was getting fouled hard every time he drove strong towards the
basket, and every single player just
seemed to raise his own level of intensity. And keep in mind, those were just
regular season games; now imagine how magnified that competitiveness will be
once the Eastern Conference Finals begins.
 |
| Something tells me this will be one helluva series. (image from miaminewtimes.com/ESPN) |
Most would be in favor of the Heat
in this series simply because of their dominance against their previous
match-ups. I can’t really blame people for undermining Indiana’s prowess
because they were quite disappointing in the first two rounds of this year’s Playoffs.
Despite this, I believe Indiana is more than ready; they’re agitated. In Filipino,
gigil. At this point of the season,
it really doesn’t matter how the Pacers got to where they are right now. The
important part is, they got there. 0-0 against the back-to-back champions?
Sounds like a good deal to me.
Oh, and let’s not forget that unlike
last year, the Pacers now hold home court advantage against the Heat. Oooh, the
plot thickens.
Similar to what I’ve said in my
previous articles, the playoffs are all about match-ups. Both teams have some
intriguing individual player battles that will definitely be fun to watch. Here
are some of the notable match-ups to keep an eye on.
LeBron James vs Paul George
Of
course, they’re the best two-way players in the NBA today. Both these players
can do it all: score, pass and defend. They will most likely be going at each
other at both ends of the floor in this series. Sounds like a blast to me.
 |
| PG24 vs LBJ? #titanic (image by Ron Hoskins/Getty Images) |
Let’s take a look at their
individual numbers in the 2014 Playoffs so far:
PTS
|
REBS
|
ASTS
|
STLS
|
BLKS
|
TO
|
FG%
|
3p%
|
FT%
|
|
James
|
30
|
7.1
|
4.7
|
1.7
|
0.4
|
2.4
|
56.4%
|
36.6%
|
80.6%
|
George
|
21.9
|
8.7
|
3.8
|
2.3
|
0.5
|
2.5
|
43.1%
|
41.8%
|
83.3%
|
Paul George’s numbers are actually
very impressive. It’s just that, when you put it side-by-side with the King’s
numbers, it becomes easy to overlook. LeBron’s just on a whole different
stratosphere. I mean, he’s averaging 30 points on 56.4% from the field. Who
does that? The best player in the world, I guess.
If Indiana wants to advance the NBA
Finals, I believe Paul George should average at least 25 points per game in
this series. He definitely has the tools. At the end of the day, it all comes
down to his ability to make shots.
Thanks to some advance stats
courtesy of NBA.com/stats,
we can now see how well both players did against each other in their 4 games in
the regular season.
Offense
|
Defense
|
Time
|
FGM-FGA
|
3PM-3PA
|
Points
|
James
|
George
|
37:34
|
17-35
(49%)
|
3-8
(37.5%)
|
45
|
George
|
James
|
36:24
|
6-20
(30%)
|
1-7
(14%)
|
17
|
As you can see, LeBron did get the
better of this match-up in the regular season. He scored more points on a
higher percentage from the field, while at the same time, doing a great job
containing George’s offense output. Yet, again, this is the regular season. If
you’re Paul George, you’re throwing all of this out the window. It’s Playoff
time. Expect Paul George’s game to elevate in this series.
Chris Bosh vs Roy Hibbert
Interesting. Very interesting. Will
Miami still play Bosh at the Center position in this series? I think so, but I
don’t think he will be playing their full time. Roy Hibbert definitely has the
size advantage against Bosh. If Indiana wants to win this series, Roy Hibbert
has to at least average a double-double. His stellar play in last year’s battle
gave the Heat headaches. Excuse me, migraines. If Chris Bosh is set to guard
him in the post, Hibbert should be looking to score every single time.
On the other hand, Bosh will also cause some
problems not only for Hibbert, but for the entire Pacer defense as well. Ever
wonder why Bosh has expanded his range to the 3pt arc? Well, I believe it’s in preparation
for the Pacers. Hibbert is an intimidating presence in the paint. One way to
neutralize a shot blocker is to get him out of the paint. Bosh’s ability to
make long range jump shots puts Hibbert in a bit of a pickle. Does he help out
on penetrations, leaving Bosh for wide open shots, or does he stay on Bosh,
allowing LeBron and Wade to get buckets inside? Tough decision either way.
 |
| Which version of Roy Hibbert will show up? (image by Pat Lovell/USA Today) |
Here are their stats so far in this
year’s postseason:
PTS
|
REBS
|
ASTS
|
STLS
|
BLKS
|
TO
|
FG%
|
3p%
|
FT%
|
|
Bosh
|
14.6
|
5.6
|
1.0
|
0.8
|
1.7
|
0.7
|
51%
|
48.6%
|
73.7%
|
Hibbert
|
8.5
|
4.5
|
0.6
|
0.2
|
1.7
|
1.3
|
46.8%
|
0%
|
74.2%
|
Hibbert has to increase his output
for Indiana to even have a chance to beat the Heat. If the Miami Heat pull off
an Atlanta Hawks against the Pacers, (putting 5 shooters on the floor) it will
be interesting to see how the Pacers adapt. My personal opinion: if the Heat
play small ball, Hibbert HAS to make them pay by dominating the paint, both on
offense and defense. That way, it’s Miami that will have to do the adjusting.
Dwyane Wade vs Lance Stephenson
Okay,
I’m calling a vote. Wade vs Stephenson. 5 minutes in the Octagon. Who’s with
me? Kidding aside, I believe this is going to be extremely enjoyable to watch.
Wade is a true competitor. The future Hall of Famer knows what it takes to win.
Lance, on the other hand, is an up-and-coming star. He has tremendous potential,
and he can take over games in other aspects aside from scoring.
Look for Wade to post-up Stephenson.
Wade is one of the best post-up shooting guards in the game today and will
definitely try to take Lance to school. Wade is also a clutch performer who is
not afraid to take and make big shots. I’m really interested to see how
Stephenson will respond to this. For Stephenson, look for him to constantly
attack Wade in transition. Lance does have much fresher legs than Wade in this
stage of their careers, but then again, a step-slow D-wade is still a step
faster than most players in the NBA.
Here are their numbers so far these
Playoffs:
PTS
|
REBS
|
ASTS
|
STLS
|
BLKS
|
TO
|
FG%
|
3p%
|
FT%
|
|
Wade
|
17.9
|
3.6
|
4.0
|
1.3
|
0.4
|
2.2
|
50%
|
20%
|
77.3%
|
Stepenson
|
13.5
|
7.4
|
3.8
|
0.2
|
1.7
|
1.3
|
43.9%
|
37.5%
|
74.2%
|
I believe their numbers will remain
essentially the same throughout this series. I’m looking at Wade getting the
better of this match-up. D-Wade just won’t allow himself to be outplayed just
like that. Tough match-up for Stephenson.
Indiana Pacers X-factor: David West
Some
words to describe David West’s game: old school, throwback, tough, gritty,
clutch, and winner.
David West is one of my personal
favorite big men. Chris Paul used to say he was the 15-foot assassin. And
rightfully so, since he’s money from there. He has a nice face-up game to go
with his remarkable ability to find the open man. He’s their leader out there.
Whoever is out there to guard him better be ready. He shot 53% (18-34) for 48
points in the 4 regular season games against Bosh, Battier, or Lewis.
Let’s take a look through his
numbers so far:
PTS
|
REBS
|
ASTS
|
STLS
|
BLKS
|
TO
|
FG%
|
3P%
|
FT%
|
|
West
|
14.6
|
6.5
|
4.4
|
0.8
|
1.0
|
0.5
|
46.5
|
28.6%
|
68.2%
|
Not bad. He’s going to have to assert
himself more offensively, though. The Heat simply have no match for him, unless
the Heat put LeBron on him. But that will force somebody else to have to guard
Paul George, which I don’t think Miami would want.
Miami Heat X-factor: Ray Allen
Jesus! The former “He Got Game”
movie star is always going to be a problem for any team. Contrary to popular
belief, the 3-point king is more than just a 3-point shooter. In fact, he’s a
very well-rounded basketball player. His outstanding shooting just always seems
to overshadow his all-around ability. Defensively, he’s not bad either. Despite
his age, the future Hall of Famer seems to be a reliable defender when it is
needed of him.
 |
| Well this is clever! |
Here’s a quick look at his
post-season number so far:
PTS
|
REBS
|
ASTS
|
STLS
|
BLKS
|
TO
|
FG%
|
3P%
|
FT%
|
|
Allen
|
8.7
|
3.9
|
1.7
|
0.4
|
0.1
|
1.1
|
41.7%
|
33.3%
|
94.1%
|
His number aren’t great, but one of
the main reasons why Allen is Miami’s X factor is because of his ability to
make BIG-TIME shots. Just think about how many clutch shots Ray Allen has made
in his career. Yeah, I know. A lot.
Overview
Coaching
wise, I believe they’re pretty even. Frank Vogel and Erik Spolestra are both excellent
coaches to say the least. It is also noteworthy to mention that they are both
being handled by two of the greatest figures in basketball in Larry Bird and
Pat Riley. I believe we won’t be seeing a starter play less than 35 minutes in
this series for both teams, so don’t expect huge performances from their
benches.
The defensive aspect of the game is
going to be very vital. Whoever controls the defensive end by grabbing rebounds
will play huge role in the series. As Pat Riley once said, “No rebounds, no
rings.”
At the end of the day, I believe it
might just all boil down to this: Which team has LeBron James? Any guesses?
Yes, you are correct. The Miami Heat have LeBron James.
There are stars, then are there are
superstars. Then there’s LeBron James. He just doesn’t play games, he controls
them. He can pick apart any kind of defense with his uncanny ability to get to
basket, or with his pinpoint passing ability. Don’t sleep on his jumpshot
either. Defensively, he can practically guard anybody out there, so he has that
under his belt, too.
Sorry Pacer fans, I don’t think
Indiana can get past this round. If I were to give a number on it?
Miami in 6.
I
would like deeply thank my former High School moderater, Enzo Flojo, for giving
me the opportunity to publish my work. Writing has always been one of my
passions in life.
0 Comment