How will the San Antonio Spurs guard LeBron James? Exactly one year ago, as the 2013 NBA Finals were about to tip off in Miami, the above inquiry was the question. After all, what is the most effective way to defend such a powerful, explosive, unselfish all-around threat? If you paid attention to the epic series as it unfolded last season, you are well aware of the San Antonio Spurs’ strategy: Make LeBron James into an indecisive player by sagging off of him. Force
We waited all season for an Eastern Conference finals between the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers. Yet when the time came for the two talented teams to finally meet in late May, only Miami showed up. Indiana finds itself down three games to one, and more blame is being passed around than a Benghazi hearing on Capitol Hill. A lot of that blame is being placed on the referees, an easy target since Miami took twice as many free throws
Over the weekend, Memphis Grizzlies owner Robert Pera and coach Dave Joerger apparently worked out their differences. Despite Joerger’s visit to Minnesota and Pera’s willingness to let him do so, the two communicated in a way they have not in the past, and the coach went as far as saying that the two are basically “married” at this point. So for the time being, it appears everything is back to normal for the Grizzlies with the exception of Jason Levien’s absence.
Miami relatively cruised through its first six playoff games, with only one of their wins coming by fewer than 11 points. After trailing by two at halftime in Saturday night’s Game 3 against the Brooklyn Nets, the Heat finally took a punch it could not counter. “They got virtually everything,” Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of the Brooklyn Nets’ second half offensive surge. “Everybody knows the threes they hit towards the end of the third quarter but they were getting
Next time I write a blog for Sheridan Hoops, barring unforeseen circumstances, it’ll be the first day of the playoffs. This is what the whole season has been building towards, and it’s always a fun time. Every year has one of those “where were you when” moments. In 2012, I was mowing the lawn when Derrick Rose tore his ACL when he should have been on the bench, and I was debating whether or not to stay for the last
No team has done what the Nets have done. And going into the playoffs, what they’ve done should not be dismissed. On Tuesday, the Brooklyn Nets became the first team ever to post a 4-0 season series sweep over LeBron James since he entered the league more than a decade ago. After being crowned by the Nets, James took out his frustration on TNT’s Craig Sager during a postgame interview when asked if Brooklyn was Miami’s biggest challenge in the East. “Get out
Only three coaches in NBA history have done what Erik Spoelstra is attempting to do in Miami. One is dead. One is approaching 100 while in assisted living in Minnesota. The third is off the grid somewhere, presumably in Montana. The Heat are trying to become only the fourth franchise in NBA history to win three consecutive titles. The Lakers were the last to turn the trick, winning three in a row from 2000-2002. They were coached by Phil Jackson, who also
How you gonna beat the Miami Heat? For the last three seasons, that was the most important question for the other 29 NBA teams — and it remains the case this season, too. But the Knicks and Nets did it on successive nights, which shows it is not impossible. [Read more…]