Game 1 of the NBA Finals did not fail to meet expectations. Even though the box score suggests that the Miami Heat should have won the game, it was the San Antonio Spurs that pulled out a 92-88 victory on the road. But the NBA is about adjustments, and head coach Eric Spoelstra is one of the best coaches in the associated at making adjustments from game-to-game.Here’s what Miami needs to do tonight to tie up the series.
The key number in Game 1 was “4”. The Spurs only turned the ball over only four times on Tuesday night, which was the fewest amount of turnovers the team have had in a postseason game since Tim Duncan was drafted.
This limited Miami’s fast break opportunities, and we all know how dangerous LeBron James and Dwyane Wade can be in the open court. With Wade and Chris Bosh struggling from the field, Miami is going to need those easy fast break opportunities to keep up with San Antonio on the scoreboard.
Miami took 25 three-pointers in Game 1, including four by Bosh. I know that Bosh can make a three-pointer here and there, but that isn’t his game. Bosh is best at that mid-range jump shot, and it is also much easier for him to attack the rim when he’s 17-feet from the basket and not 24-feet. Look for Bosh to get back to what he does best tonight.
LeBron is in a no-win situation here.
When he takes a lot of shots and scores 35 points, Miami loses and critics rip him apart for not getting his teammates involved. When he becomes the facilitator like he did in Game 1, people bash him for not being aggressive enough.
LeBron has to find a way to balance being a scorer and a facilitator, especially during crunch time. He’s the best basketball player on the planet, so I’m pretty sure he’ll figure something out.
On the defensive end of the court, Miami doesn’t need to make too many adjustments. They actually played a pretty good defensive game on Tuesday night. The Heat have to continue switching up their pick-and-roll defense, whether it’s switching the screen, hedging it or trapping Tony Parker when he comes off the screen. Parker is too good to play the same defense every time, so Miami needs to continue to switch it up.
Udonis Haslem should get more minutes tonight than he did in Game 1. Duncan showed that he could score at will in the post, and Haslem is a much better match-up with Duncan than Bosh is, even though Haslem is a little shorter.
Miami played a pretty good basketball in Game 1, and lost to another very good team. They don’t need to change everything; all they need to do is tweak a few things. Look for LeBron to have another huge game, and Chris Bosh to play well also.
The Heat seem to play their best when their backs are up against the wall, so I’m expecting a Heat victory tonight.
