Bron goes left almost all the time for jump hooks or drives. This would be a fine counter-move if you had to play him to go to his strong hand, which is a good idea if you’re talking about a 6-7, 265-pound beast who jumps out of the building.
Since Bron rarely goes to his strong hand, the Spurs are getting away with playing him with one mere mortal, if a promising one, in Kawhi Leonard.
2. Bron and Coach Erik Spoelstra have decided attacking outside-in is still the way to go. Hey, it worked in Game 2, didn’t it? That just leaves Games 3-4-5 and maybe 6 and 7, to prove who’s right and wrong.
My objection to their game plan isn’t very esoteric; it’s the old live-by-the-J-die-by-the-J bromide. If it’s not the same now with good teams taking lots of threes, it’s still a matter of who gets the most baskets inside, which should result in better looks for their outside shooters. Bron is attacking but not really threatening the basket, rarely getting to the hoop or even trying.
Game 2 against Indiana was the last time he got anything done in the post, dropping three left-handed jump hooks, one after another, and putting the Pacers in the classic dilemma of trying to help on him while staying connected to the Heat’s shooters.
What always happens happened: The Pacers were caught going back and forth and were slashed to ribbons.
In the next game, however, Bron missed two or three in the post, abandoned it and hasn’t been back often since. A playmaking Bron, as in Game 2 of the Finals, isn’t an aggressive one. Without that swagger, Bron is a long way short of all he can be.
The poised Spoelstra has shown his worth, enduring his own mauling as coach of the planet’s most hated team but is now letting Bron play on eggshells. Of course, Spoelstra thinks playing small and spreading the defense out – in theory, anyway – is the way of the future, the NBA counterpart to Chip Kelly’s spread offense in football.
A big Miami lineup now has Chris Bosh and Udonis Haslem with three guards (assuming Bron’s a guard). A small lineup has one “big” – Bosh or Chris Andersen, neither of whom are Hibbert — and four guards, with Bron guarding the opposing power forward.
Riding the wave of the future doesn’t mean going small so you can send Bron or Dwyane Wade into 
the post and socking the ball into them. So Miami plays “5-out” with everyone on attacking from the perimeter, the hard way to get to the hoop.
The advantage Bron and Wade hold over their defenders usually makes this work. But in their present condition against another big, lane-protecting defense, the Heat’s margin has dwindled. Actually, it remains to be seen if there’s any margin left.
3. Bron is hurt? It never occurred to me before Coach Nick of @BBallBreakdown noted he looks like he is favoring his right knee. It’s not that we’ll never find out, but it may be a while. Bron only recently acknowledged that his right elbow hampered him in the 2010 conference semifinals loss to the Celtics, for which he was pilloried.
Neither Bron nor Wade has looked the same since Chicago ended Miami’s 27-game winning streak on March 27. Forget the bruising series against the rough, tough Bulls and Pacers. Bron averaged but 24.5 points in their first-round sweep of the Bucks.
Wade sat out Game 4 against the Bucks to rest his sore right knee, signaling the distress that has made him a shadow of himself in the playoffs. He is averaging 14 points and shooting 44 percent, down from 21 points and a career-high 52 percent during the season.
Now to see how the offense of the future does in Texas. Or we’ll be back to speculating on just how much future this Heat team has left.
Hall of Fame writer Mark Heisler is a regular contributor to SheridanHoops and LakersNation. His power rankings appear every Wednesday during the regular season, and his columns and video reports appear regularly here. Follow him on Twitter.
I don’t like bosh or haslem and with them in the starting 5 with a hurt Dwayne Wade and LaBron James I see the spurs finishing things up at 4-1 maybe 4-2 I don’t see it going 7 and I don’t see LaBron getting another RING yet!!! He’s in a contract ending year to be a free agent next year plenty of teams would take him ill give you 5 team that would make the playoffs and possibly the final with his accusation (1) Boston Celtics (2) LA clippers. (3) LA LAKERS (4) Chicago BULLS AND FINALLY #(5) Memphis GRIZZLES. All 5 team are contenders and with LaBron playing like LaBron he could have 3 rings out of the next 4 years and if I was the owner or gm say of my home town Celtics I’d offer him a nice 4 year 100 million dollar contract because win lose or draw he’ll fill the seats and as a Celtic with raja rondo and Paul pierce and 1 more year for Kevin Garnett the big 3 becomes the big 5 plus who ever else starts with them is going to have an amazing year I’d get mike miller with LaBron from Miami for his 3 Pts capabilities
It seems Mark Heisler wants Lebron to ballhog his way against multiple defenders rather than pass to open shooters like Kobe of his Lakers. It’s a good thing lebron has stopped listening to writers who either has an agenda or do not know the game at all.
The problem with comparing LeBron to Jordan is we’re only comparing him to Jordan at his best. I can remember during the post era Jordan, Keith Askins held MJ to mortal numbers during several playoff games and John Starks of all people once dunked on MJ while holding him to games of under 20 points.
The timidity LBJ has shown in this Finals and in 2011 is peculiar, but playing intense defense through 100 games could have like you said broken his body down. Playing in the post and driving in for contact is more exhausting than jump shooting or passing to an open teammate. As a Heat Fan I can only hope LBJ is holding back those parts of his game until Miami desperately needs it.