Top Story
All NBA Edition!
The Miami Heat scorched the one-man show known as the New York Knicks in round 1 & the Indiana Pacers took out the no-man show in Orlando, knocking out the Dwight Howard-less Magic. Both teams did so in just 5 games, the Pacers finishing the job before the Heat. So what does this mean for round 2? Round 1 featured a pretty easy fluff match for the Pacers, seeing as the Magic are a shell of their former self. Then again, it is a young team, one that gave the number 1 seed Chicago Bulls fits last year. They're learning & have improved since then, there isn't a chance they'll be taking the Heat lightly.
What about the Heat? This was a team that pretty much dominated the Knicks in the first round, which was a pretty easy match-up considering they only had to stop Carmelo Anthony & they knew they were set. New York didn't help things by having ball-chucker J.R. Smith playing point for most of game 5.
The Heat/Pacers round 2 series may not have the glitz & glamour of other playoff series, but it may be the best one yet. In a 1st round filled with duds, the NBA playoffs are eagerly anticipating a series with some heart & excitement. This one may be just what they are looking for. The Heat took care of Indiana in the regular season, winning 3 of 4 games, so take that as you will.
The reason why I like Indiana so much in this series is because their strengths are Miami's weaknesses. The Pacers are anchored by their all-star center, 7'2 Roy Hibbert, who has a chance to absolutely dominate this series. This could be his coming out party if he plays his cards right. The Pacers also have a legitimate point guard in Darren Collison who, unlike the Heat's Mario Chalmers, can control a game & run an offense. He has been coming off the bench as of late, giving George Hill the spotlight, but he played very well in the final 2 games of the 1st series with the Magic, scoring 30 points with 15 assists to close out the last games of the series. The depth of the Pacers is nothing to sneeze at either. I just mentioned the depth at point guard with Collison & Hill, but it doesn't end there. The frontcourt was bolstered this past offseason when they added former all-star forward David West. He's no focal point on this team, not while Hibbert, Danny Granger, & Paul George are around, but he doesn't have to be. With Miami's less than fleet footed frontcourt of Joel Anthony & Ronny Turiaf, all West has to do is set up at the top of the key & hit some mid-range jumpers. This clears the paint for a guy like Paul George, Indiana's young budding star, to drive to the hoop like he does best. Like Collison, Tyler Hansbrough was starting for this team last year, but thanks to offseason additions, they just fill out a very formidable bench. Leandro Barbosa was added at the trade deadline, but injuries have affected his game so far in the playoffs. Maybe these couple days off will improve his health, it would be a huge boost for Indiana to have a scoring option like him coming off the bench & playing well.
Some people may think I was overly focused on the Pacers here, but let's be honest, we all know about the Heat. It's the 2 & a half man show. LeBron is the best basketball player on the planet & Dwyane Wade is in the top 5. Chris Bosh is probably the greatest 3rd option of all-time, even if he plays soft. Other than that, save for an occasionally productive Mario Chalmers, this team doesn't have much else. That's fine, because LeBron & company have been proving they can handle the load. I just live in a world where I can see the Pacers pushing them to the brink, scaring them, making them think that they just might lose. The series begins Sunday & I'll be watching. I expect this game to go 6 or 7 games, provided Indiana plays up to the level I have come to expect from them. Ultimately, I believe the Heat will get the series win, just because the East is so weak, but it will be the first & only true test until they get to the Finals.
