Game 2: Reckoning Day

5/6/11

Game 2: Reckoning Day

Last summer when the Miami Heat formed their “super dream team” I instantly thought that they were significantly better than last year. Miami had instantly become a fifty plus win team, a top four team in the Eastern conference, a highlight factory on a nightly basis, but never supposed to be a championship caliber team so soon. I maligned them as the “wrong big three” in two separate blog posts and in countless off the Internet conversations. I spoke of their lack of an inside presence, lack of team depth, and how LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were uncomplimentary superstars:

          My exact words were: "The Heat are an upper echelon team in the Eastern Conference because of the sheer talent of James, Wade, and Bosh, along with the fact that these players are surrounded by good shooters. James Jones, Eddie House, and (when he returns) Mike Miller are all great three-point shooters. LeBron and Wade are very similar players, but when you surround them with shooters to spread the floor they become more dangerous. When the defense is spread out to cover perimeter shooting there is more open room on the court for LBJ and D-Wade to drive to the basket". (Heat Have Wrong Big Three)

In game 1 we saw the danger of the potent three point shooters of Miami. We saw the Boston Celtics pull their defense in towards the basket to hinder the slashing Wade and James, only to get scorched by shooters (left wide open). James Jones lit up the scoreboard with a barrage of three pointers and 25 total points. This allowed Wade and LeBron to relentlessly hammer the paint, score the basketball, and spend virtually the entire game at the free throw line. In Game 2 LeBron and Dwyane punished the Celtics with their high-octane transition offense and potent inside attack. 

Miami's athleticism overpowered Boston on both sides of the floor and the more aggressive team dominated. Miami's 9 blocks compared to Boston's 2, Miami's 36 free throws to Boston's 22, and the 44 to 38 rebounding advantage all told this gruesome tale of Celtic defeat. Boston has no chance in this kind of up-tempo game and could only hope to win the way they did in the regular season. Dictate the pace of the game and force Miami to play in the half court. Never let them get out in transition and always be the more aggressive team. Play a game in which you bully them around by making LBJ and D-Wade work on the defensive end, and press them at their weak points; interior defense and point guard.

          Step 1: Make Miami’s Best Defend: When you do not force LeBron or Dwyane to work hard on the defensive end, they are free to expend all of their energy on offense, where they will destroy you. This is what Miami has done to nullify Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. As Paul and Ray are spending all of their energy on the defensive end, they are too fatigued to be aggressive on offense. Pierce especially needs to be the aggressor towards the basket and finally put some pressure on Miami’s dynamic duo. Also, Jeff Green and Delonte West need to continue with their timely shooting from Game 2, but most importantly need to provide defensive support at the small forward and shooting guard slots. Starters’ and bench players alike need to put some weight on the defensive shoulder’s of Flash and King James.

          Step 2: Dominate the Point: Rajon Rondo played great in Game 2 and will need to continue his assault on the weak Miami point guards. Rondo needs to ignite the fast break only after his team makes a defensive stop. Opening up the track meet with Miami will only hurt the C’s unless used wisely. Rondo needs to dominate at the PG position and when the Heat throws a bigger man on him, he must find the open teammate for an easy score. He can also greatly contribute to the execution of Step 1 with his uncanny quickness to the hoop; expect greatness from Rondo in this game.

Step 3: Lean on a weak interior: Perhaps this goes hand and hand with step 1, but attacking the basket will solve each step. Miami does not have a real center of any kind and this must be exposed. If Shaquille O'neal plays in this game Step 3 will be a walk in the park; as he can finish inside and abuse the 6’9 Joel Anthonys’ of the world. With our without Shaq Boston needs easy baskets, fouls called against the Heat, and to establish a physical and aggressive tone in the paint. To bring down a wall lean on its weakest point with all of your might; the Miami interior can be brought down.

Now the Celtics face a reckoning day with the Heat, a day that I thought would never come to be. The time has come for a reckoning with the fact that Miami is ready for a championship. That LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have clicked at the right time and have elevated the play of a depthless team. A time to realize D-Wade and especially LBJ are out for blood. In recent years Boston has become the ultimate slayer of one-man superstar teams. They dispatched the one man shows of Wade last year, and LeBron twice in three years. However, they have never faced a foe with two superstars of this caliber.

Saturday night's Game 3 is an absolute must win for the Green, as without a victory Boston will be down in an insurmountable hole. In NBA history there are been 98 teams down three games to one in a best of seven series, none of come back to win. Several players on the Celtics have echoed the "Do or Die" nature of this pivotal Game 3. If Boston can defend home court and win the next two games (re-tying the series) I see them being able to take this series in Game 7, but it all starts with this Reckoning Day.

Sources:

www.espn.com

Images:

www.si.com

www.espn.com