Great Expectations

It should be recognized that in the second half of the season, "Miami", led by LeBron James scored cruising speed, and by giving a unique present for the unbeaten, surely figured with all find ourselves in the way of rivals in the playoffs. Rather, it was not until the Eastern Conference finals, in which Roy Hibbert brought the defending champion a lot of trouble. in a series of "Indiana" Southerners could not seize the initiative in the "paint", and on both halves of the court.
Not only do they predictably had problems under the boards, so also attacked with not the outstanding interest. Also, the "hit" made ​​fewer interceptions than normal, which did not allow the team to be dispersed. In addition, Hibbert and West tightly covered three-second zone, which allowed players to the perimeter, "Pacers" neutralize long-range artillery attack. Roy was a real antidote to the "Miami" by not allowing the favorite to dominate on the court. Groups that have at their disposal such players are few. Hibbert is not simply one of the tall guys in the league, his arsenal is rich enough that, coupled with athleticism and good health creates a volatile mix. "San Antonio" - one of those teams that can respond adequately to the current winner of the "regular season". Suffice it to mention Tim Duncan and Tiago Splitter , who, let's not forget this, just recently put in a puddle Gasol Jr. and Randolph - perhaps one of the best bundles of "large" in the league. They are hosted by both rings and have not met much resistance. other words, the "Spurs" can beat the opponent in the final with the same weapons as the "Indiana": thanks to the domination of the three-second zone. But here's the rub: Hibbert was so useful in the final the conference is not only due to the growth and dimensions. He managed to intimidate stars "Miami", especially LeBron. James did not want to attack from the post, leaving his team often had to throw in the last seconds of possession, mostly with medium and long distances. Hibbert so tightly stuck in my head James that he used against an opponent so-called floaters, which practically does not use in other situations. This roll can not be called the most effective or favorite in an attacking arsenal James, rather, it gather dust on the shelf long before the series with "Indiana". Against other opponents striker lacked his usual arsenal of shots to force passes and dunks. When James and Wade finally became more active and bolder play against Hibbert, which did not do until the seventh game of the series, center opponent picked up fouls and "Miami" won a landslide victory. In "San Antonio" are athletic guys to fight in the "paint" - that's a fact. In Duncan's talent defender laid by God, Splitter surprisingly strong and fast for his size. However, there is no reason to think that psychologically, the pair will be able to suppress the leaders of the "Hit" in the same way as it was done Hibbert. "Spurs' well protected near the ring, but Hibbert is perhaps better. According to the presented in March according to analysts, Roy let an opponent finish off their attacks from a three-second zone accurate hits only in 38% of cases.

The whole league was shocked to see this figure. Duncan and Splitter is currently ranking 15th and 23rd place, allowing opponents to score about 48% of attempts, which, in general, is a good result, but it is not comparable with the index Hibbert. other words, "Pacers" was one of the the best this year in the defense in the immediate vicinity of the ring, while the "Spurs" were nothing more than good in this component. When it comes to the need to contain James away from the ring, then even a good defense can not cope with this. Suppose that James will try again to gain the lion's share of points in the aisles. As a rule of "paint" it is gaining more than anyone else, but it was not visible on the site for six games with "Indiana". He recalled his former self only in the final meeting, and there is no reason to believe that LeBron will once again be a pale shadow of himself. When in November last year, "San Antonio" arrived in Miami without their leaders, James, without hesitation, rushed into the thick of events, including an attempt to beat the splitter, regular opportunities for photographers to create beautiful images. The Brazilian does not make timid in front of James, unlike Hibbert. Nevertheless front line "Spurs" can still be a decisive factor in the final confrontation. teams this season, met each other twice, and that can create a final extra motivated, so it is that the "Spurs" on the road playing without Duncan, Parker , Ginobili and Green . Obviously, the "Miami" has decided to give back an opponent of the same coin, going to an away game without James, Wade and Chalmers . turns out, the matches of the regular season have little to tell us about what will happen in the final. Is that interesting is the fact that the "San Antonio" in the absence of their leaders outplayed "Miami" on all counts. Texans skillfully attacked with the most effective points: a three-second zone and behind the arc. To a large extent, they have made ​​it possible by the competent practical jokes pick-and-rolls, which in the presence of Parker will work even better. In that game, quite helplessly looked under the ring, Chris Bosh, regularly vypolnyayushy role of centering. It is logical to assume that it must be defended against the splitter, and he will cope with its superior speed in Brazilian - the big question. When the "Hit" corrected the game, in order to slow down the splitter, "Spurs" immediately shifted the emphasis to Nando de Colo . He began to gain easy points in the "paint" instead of the splitter. Just think about how it can be effective when the same will be prodelyvat Duncan with Parker. Wards Spoelstry have not been able to find an opponent for the council - a full-court pressure was not working, and team play did not go well. Thus, it appears that the fight "big" can be a key factor in the final, although it will look very different than what I did, "Indiana", literally prinikshaya in mind James