Quote: (05-06-2013 10:32 AM)Jules D. McMillan Wrote:
I feel like changing my pick in the Knicks/Pacers series. The Pacers aren't the Celtics, you won't see them running out of energy and having 23-pt second halfs in games. If the Knicks don't make three pointers, they're toast. This is the problem with building a team around three point shooting alone. When you face a tough, physical defensive team and the threes are dropping, you have nothing else to fall on. The Knicks are overrated.
Quote: (05-05-2013 03:59 PM)at350zguyy Wrote:
Quote: (05-05-2013 02:16 PM)Jules D. McMillan Wrote:
Bosh isn't tougher than the Bulls big guys, but he sure as hell is crafty. He gets Gibson to bite on the shot fake a lot. Study some film on that individual matchup and you'll see.
I love the way Birdman plays. Similar style game to Noah, but way more athletic. He's tough as nails, and definitely a lot tougher than Carlos Boozer on the defensive end.
I saw what Bosh did to Gibson throughout the 2011 playoff series. But Bosh's matchup won't be against Gibson, it would be against Noah and he doesn't bite on shot fakes. Noah is also one of the most versatile bigs in the game on defense because he's able to guard both the perimeter and interior.
Birdman is a bench player, which means he won't go against Boozer, he'll likely go against Gibson and he's no softie on the boards.
Watch for the crossmatches. When Noah is out of the game, Gibson is assigned to Bosh. Birdman will come in and there will be a good chunk of time that he sees while Boozer is on the floor.
Regardless of what individual matchups happen, the biggest thing for the Heat is to make sure they make a concerted effort to rebound, especially on the defensive glass.
The one I'm most curious about now is that if Deng is still out, will we see Belinelli on Wade and Butler on James? I don't think Thibs will trust Marco guarding James 1 on 1, so it's likely that he slides over to guard Wade.