Why Chris Bosh-Roy Hibbert Matchup Is Definitive X-Factor in Pacers-Heat Series
Everyone knew that the interplay between Chris Bosh and Roy Hibbert would go a long way toward determining the winner of the Eastern Conference finals series between the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers, but nobody expected that narrative to play out as obviously as it did in Game 1 on May 22.
LeBron James converted two driving layups within the final 10 seconds of overtime, the second of which gave the Heat a shocking win at the buzzer. And as everyone immediately noted, Hibbert wasn’t on the floor to defend the rim on either of James’ point-blank finishes.
Pacers coach Frank Vogel admitted that his decision to leave Hibbert on the bench in those critical situations had everything to do with Bosh. Per ESPN’s Tom Haberstroh:
Vogel explained his controversial decision to go with a switching lineup with 2.2 seconds remaining in the game with the Heat down one, citing the Heat’s versatility and the potential for Chris Bosh making a long jumper to win the game.
There’s a certain logic to that thinking. But it also seems to overlook the notion that a Bosh jumper is dangerous, while a James layup is fatal.
Vogel has been catching hell from every angle for his decision to sit his best rim-protector when he needed him most. The numbers bore out how much of a layup deterrent Hibbert was in Game 1, as James attempted only three field goals inside of five feet in the 38 minutes in which Indiana’s big man was patrolling the paint.
In the nine minutes Hibbert rested, though, James fired up six shots from within that same distance.
There’s no getting around it: Hibbert would have had an effect on that final play.
But we’re not here to talk about what Vogel (who has done a masterful job all season long) should have done. We’re looking at the matchup between Bosh and Hibbert as it pertains to the future of this series. It’s just worth noting that Vogel‘s fear of Bosh—however misprioritized—was a key reason for the Heat’s series-opening win.
Speaking broadly, the conventional wisdom that says the Bosh-Hibbert matchup is critical goes roughly as follows:
Bosh spaces the floor with his unparalleled mid-range accuracy. No player in the league—regardless of position—shot it better from 16-23 feet than Bosh, who converted those shots at a 53 percent clip. Therefore, he’s got the ability to pull Hibbert away from the paint on defense.
Indiana’s entire defensive scheme is built around directing traffic toward Hibbert in the lane. But if he’s not there because he’s honoring Bosh’s deadly jumper, the well-oiled machine that is Indy’s D could conceivably grind to a halt.
At the same time, Hibbert‘s size and rebounding skill makes him a difficult cover for Bosh.
It’s all pretty basic, really; If Bosh hits jumpers, the Heat have an advantage. But if Hibbert dominates on the inside and Bosh doesn’t get hot, it’s the Pacers that have an edge.
For what it’s worth, Bosh himself mentioned that his matchup would be determinative of the series’ outcome. According to Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald, Bosh said before the series began:
I’m going to have to have a big match up with Roy. I feel he is the X factor for them. I’m the X factor for this team. This is going to be, I think, the matchup that really turns the series.
What’s interesting is that even though everyone agrees that the center matchup is, in theory, a major one, nothing from the regular season contests between these two teams portrays that.
Bosh outplayed Hibbert in the three meetings between the Heat and Pacers this year, averaging 17 points per game on 58 percent shooting. Hibbert struggled with foul trouble and only managed 9.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game on 38 percent shooting. What’s more, Bosh actually blocked more shots per game (1.7) than Hibbert (0.7) in the series.
And yet the Pacers took two out of three from the Heat in the regular season. Weird, right?
Even though the small sample of regular-season games doesn’t necessarily corroborate the conventional wisdom on the significance of the Hibbert-Bosh matchup, we learned in Game 1 that it really is one of the series’ biggest keys.
Going forward, it’ll be fascinating to watch how both teams adjust.
According to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star, Vogel has said he’ll “probably” have Hibbert in the game if a situation like the one that led to James’ game-winning layup arises again.
If that happens, though, we’re kind of right back where we started: with Bosh presenting a unique perimeter option that Hibbert might struggle to contain.
In Game 1, the two big men both played to something approximating a draw. Bosh had 17 points on just 11 shots and registered a pair of blocks. Hibbert defended the rim, scored 19 points and blocked a pair of shots himself. But the matchup swung in favor of Bosh and the Heat in the final seconds.
As it turns out, the matchup between Hibbert and Bosh really has proved to be as important as advertised. But as James’ game-winner showed, its greatest significance lies not in the one-on-one battle between the two centers, but in the way their very different skill sets affect the strategy of both teams as a whole.
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Technical on Chris ‘Birdman’ Andersen Gets Pacers-Heat Feud off to Quick Start
Chris Andersen didn’t wait long to christen the Eastern Conference finals series between the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers with its first technical foul. Late in the first quarter of Game 1, the Birdman got tangled up with Tyler Hansbrough on the baseline, prompting a quick whistle and the series’ first tech.
The contact came as Andersen swooped to the hoop (because swooping is his main mode of travel) to try to tip a ball in as Shane Battier and Hansbrough wrestled underneath. Most of the contact on the play was actually between Andersen and Battier, but Hansbrough took exception.
After a slight extension of Andersen’s left arm toward Hansbrough, the whistle sounded, signaling that the officials weren’t going to permit much in terms of extracurricular activity.
Andersen had already scored two points and had a major impact on defense, so perhaps Hansbrough was trying to get him to lose his cool in an effort to get him out of the game.
Of course, the Pacers’ hyperactive forward isn’t really known for doing a whole lot of thinking on the floor. He’s usually too busy creating contact, drawing fouls and generally looking like he’s on the verge of snapping himself. So any sort of altercation between the two would have been entertaining, but probably a little scary as well.
At least we have more wombat fights to look forward to over the next few games.
Tensions were running high even before the technical foul, though, as Shane Battier went all “Karl Malone” on Roy Hibbert, delivering a solid knee to the center’s man region as he drove the lane.
Shortly after the initial tie-up between Andersen and Hansbrough, David West connected with Andersen’s nose on a totally inadvertent elbow. The pair were battling on the boards and the Birdman’s beak was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
That led to some first-aid that included a couple of cotton plugs jammed up Andersen’s nose. What he did next may be difficult to erase from your mind.
This is a series that’ll certainly feature plenty of physicality. Indiana has a gritty reputation and something of a chip on its shoulder after losing in six games to the Heat in last year’s conference semifinals.
At the same time, the Heat are probably a little on edge themselves. After keeping their cool (for the most part) in a testy series with the Chicago Bulls, they’re probably playing with a few frayed nerves.
We know the referees are keeping things under control so far, as LeBron James actually picked up a pair of first-quarter fouls, a true rarity for the King.
Bodies are flying and a larger altercation seems inevitable at some point. Stay tuned for updates.
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Was Chris Paul allowed to fire Vinny Del Negro?
Vinny Del Negro led the Los Angeles Clippers to a strong season by anyone’s standards, let alone what the franchise has traditionally become accustomed to.
Still, it was all but a foregone conclusion that their coach Vinny Del Negro was a dead man walking by the end of the season.
The rumors of superstar players such as Blake Griffin and Chris Paul disliking Paul had grown to hot.
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NBA Playoffs 2013: Why Chris Bosh Is the X-Factor in Heat vs. Pacers
Chris Bosh will make his presence known when the Eastern Conference Finals start Wednesday.
The member of the Miami Heat’s “Big Three” has taken on the most criticism by far from the media and fans, who claim he is soft around the rim. But after Bosh went down with an abdominal injury in Game 1 of the Heat’s Eastern Conference semi-final matchup with the Pacers in last year’s playoffs, people wondered if Miami could compete without their third star.
It took superhuman efforts by both LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to move the Heat into the Eastern Conference Finals, but this year Bosh is back and primed to contribute to Miami’s championship run.
Yes, LeBron James is the face of this team; he is the best player in the world, after all. But while he’s going to continue putting up numbers, Bosh will be the deciding factor on what the reigning NBA champions can do offensively.
The Indiana Pacers run a more traditional defense with two big men down low. While David West is the more skilled perimeter shooter, Roy Hibbert operates from the low block and isn’t afraid to muck it up trying to crash the boards.
Hibbert is a huge threat around the rim, just ask Carmelo Anthony. He leads all NBA centers this postseason in offensive rebounds (55) and offensive rebounds per game (4.6) and is first among remaining centers in blocks per game (2.5).
Now Bosh doesn’t need to score more points in order for his team to win. His biggest contribution will come more from the perimeter and being able to drag Hibbert away from the rim.
The Pacers need Hibbert down low on defense to create shot blocking opportunities and alter opposing shot attempts. With the Heat’s style of slash-and-kick, there will be numerous chances for Hibbert to swat away shots. James, Wade, Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole can all use picks to drive to the basket, and without Bosh, Hibbert will be waiting for them.
The Heat love to play small ball on both sides of the court. They don’t have a conventional center; they use Bosh at the five while James moves down to the power forward. That way the Heat can get more athleticism on the court and can use that to create turnovers and run up and down in transition with ease.
With Bosh out there, it gives the Heat another shooter along the perimeter instead of a big center that takes up space in the middle. Bosh is more of a finesse forward that loves a mid-range jumper, like Kevin Garnett is with the Celtics.
Bosh has been a constant shooting threat in the 2013 playoffs. Even though he’s scoring 13.2 points per game, he is making the most of his chances when the ball is in his hands. Bosh is third among remaining forwards in field goal percentage (51.6), only behind Kawhi Leonard of the Spurs and LeBron.
Bosh isn’t just a hot shooter, he’s also made himself dangerous from beyond the arc. He leads all forwards this postseason in three-point accuracy, making a remarkable 46.7 percent of his shots from downtown, according to CBSSports.com.
With Bosh being such a hot shooter lately, Hibbert has to make sure he keeps his eye on him during this series. He is going to be wandering out near the three-point line, far away from where Hibbert likes to be. The 7′ 2″ center isn’t quick enough to get back and help on defense if one of the Heat slashers make a move toward the basket.
Bosh’s ability to shoot drags the opposition’s big man away from the paint, giving the Heat better scoring chances at the rim and more rebounding opportunities. If Hibbert does stay inside to help the defense, then the ball can be kicked to Bosh on the wing, leaving him wide open for a jump shot.
Chris Bosh may not have been able to play last year against the Pacers in the playoffs, but this time he comes back better than ever. Indiana has to account for Bosh on the wing, but that leaves the NBA’s MVP room to charge the rim with authority.
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Chris Bosh ready to make difference against Pacers
MIAMI Chris Bosh didnt wait long to get pumped over facing the Indiana Pacers in a playoff rematch from last year.
As soon as Indiana won, the Miami Heat big man said Monday. Last time, it was more difficult because (our first) series got pushed out so long (to five games), we didnt know who we were going to play.
This time, Indiana took care of business (against New York) when they were supposed to, and we knew who we were playing right away. As soon as we saw Indiana playing us, we said, All right, the enemy has a face.
The Heat and Pacers will begin this years Eastern Conference finals at the American Airlines Arena on Wednesday night.
Miami rallied from a 2-1 deficit to beat Indiana in six games during last years conference semifinals. Bosh missed most of that series after suffering an abdominal strain in Game 1.
Boshs presence this time should be a key factor in Miamis offense. His ability to step out and be a perimeter threat could force Indiana’s 7-foot-2 center Roy Hibbert to leave the pai
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Chris Paul Must Remain with L.A. Clippers to Cement Superstar Legacy
Chris Paul is going to have the freedom to choose whichever team has the means to sign him as an unrestricted free agent this summer, but he would be wise to remain with the Los Angeles Clippers.
The superstar point guard has just begun forging his legacy with his current club and would only be setting himself—and his chances of winning a championship—back by uprooting and playing for another organization.
While the Clips experienced severe disappointment in the form of a first-round playoff exit after six grueling games against the Memphis Grizzlies, it’s simply not time for CP3 to abandon ship.
One of the main reasons why L.A. has struggled so much is due to its inexperienced and overmatched coach, Vinny Del Negro.
The talented players on the Clips’ roster—including Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Jamal Crawford and others—simply deserve better. Because Del Negro’s contract is set to expire this offseason, he could conceivably be easily be replaced by a more capable candidate.
The latest buzz, as per ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Marc Stein, indicates that VDN may return for another rodeo, but it would behoove Paul—for not only himself, but also his teammates’ sake—to recommend the franchise go in another direction.
Fortunately, the 28-year-old has plenty of say within the organization at this juncture. ESPN Los Angeles’ Arash Markazi is reporting that the Clippers brass will ultimately make the decision, but Paul and Griffin will be consulted before the final verdict is in.
If CP3 can persuade owner Donald Sterling to bring in a more playoff-hardened head coach to help guide this young squad on a deep run, his Clips will be in great shape as early as next season.
With big names like Phil Jackson and Jerry Sloan potentially available, it would be downright insane for this team—which is right on the cusp of contending for the Western Conference crown—to remain loyal to Del Negro.
Paul has only been in L.A. for two years and made a pair of solid forays into the postseason during that time period. He’s completely revitalized one of the worst clubs in basketball and brought the Clippers some modicum of respectability.
Now he has to remain with the organization to see them through to a title, which could be right around the corner—assuming there is a coaching change this offseason.
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Can the Clippers Get Dwight Howard And Chris Paul?
via 5thquartermag.com Recently, I have been wondering how the Clippers are going to improve their roster to appease Chris Paul. I think if they got Dwight Howard to join with him and Blake, then the Clippers big 3 would be on par with the Miami Heat. Yet is this possible? Eddie Sefko brought up that the Clippers are trying to do it, but how would they? Lets look at the salaries. Right now the Clippers salary for 2013/2014: Blake Griffin: $16,402,500 DeAndre Jordan: $10,986,550 Caron Butler: $8,000,000 Jamal Crawford: $5,225,000 Eric Bledsoe: $2,626,473 Grant Hill: $2,045,065 Willie Green: $1,399,507(Team Option) So the total salary is: $46,685,095 The salary cap for the 2013/2014 season is $58,044,000 so that means the Clippers will have $11,358,905 in Salary Cap. How much salary cap will the Clippers need to be able to sign both Dwight and CP3? According to HoopsRumors, the max Dwight can make is 20,513,178 and Chris Paul can make 18,668,431. I am not exactly sure how the bird exc…
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Baby Birdman Would Make Chris Anderson Very Proud
The only thing that is more entertaining than Chris “Birdman” Anderson is this baby birdman. The detail in this baby’s costume is absolutely spot on, all the way down to the tattoos and hair. Brilliant. [Alexander Balaez] Article found on: Next Impulse Sports
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New York Knicks: Why Isn’t Mike Woodson Playing Chris Copeland?
Why isn’t Mike Woodson playing Chris Copeland? Does the New York Knicks coach not see that his team, now down three games-to-one against the Indiana Pacers, is desperate for offense? Maybe the coach just doesn’t see the dreadlocked scoring machine that’s been sitting right in front of him all along.
I’m sorry, but I don’t have the answers; I don’t think anyone does, actually. The Knicks are absolutely desperate for offense with J.R. Smith struggling (shooting 33.6 percent from the field) and Carmelo Anthony getting bullied by Paul George.
And yet, Copeland just sits there in his warm-ups—well, until Woodson already concedes the game and empties his bench. When that happens, the 28-year-old rookie proves to everyone that his coach is making a huge mistake every minute that he sits him.
Before I get into the stats, I would like to acknowledge the fact that Copeland is horrendous defensively. He’s awful on that end of the floor—I understand that—but that’s not what this discussion is about. This is strictly about what he could bring to the team in the area that needs the most improvement: offense.
Alright, now let’s begin: with Copeland on the floor, the Knicks are simply a better team.
In the postseason, the team’s offensive rating (ORtg -an estimate of points produced or scored per 100 possessions), is +15.5 points while Copeland is on the court. New York’s assist percentage (AST- an estimate of the percentage of teammate field goals a player assisted while he was on the floor) is +8.5 percent (via Basketball Reference).
But that’s not all. While the team has shot 32 percent from the three-point line throughout the playoffs, Copeland has been one of the team’s most consistent long-range shooters. He has connected on 5-of-13 shots from downtown and has the third-highest three-point percentage (38.5) of anyone who is averaging more than one attempt per game.
Copeland actually lit up Indiana for 10.8 points per game during the regular season while shooting nearly 53 percent from the field. In the month of April, while the Knicks were ravaged by injuries at basically every position, Copeland poured in 15 points per game.
Is it becoming more obvious that Woodson is making a mistake?
If not, listen to this. As a starter, while averaging 27.2 minutes per game in 13 games this season, Copeland gave the Knicks 16.1 points per night. Coming off the bench, while averaging 11.8 minutes per game this season, the rookie contributed 6.4 points—that’s a difference of nearly 10 whole points.
Personally, I like Woodson and the job he’s done with the Knicks since taking over last season—he had his team defending and playing hard while making Anthony look like an MVP candidate. However, all along, he didn’t give Copeland the chance that he deserved.
It’s time to unleash the 28-year-old rookie whom the Knicks signed from Belgium in the offseason. If given serious minutes, Copeland could save his team—and the coach who has mistreated him all season—from a humiliating defeat at the hands of Indiana.
Or, Copeland could find himself sitting there for another whole game, check in during garbage time and knock down a few threes.
It’s up to Woodson—no one else can free the 6’8” scorer. But let this be clear: If Copeland doesn’t get significant playing time in the coming games, the Knicks will lose this series to the Pacers.
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Chris Bosh, Udonis Haslem burglaries under investigation
The Miami Beach police say there are similarities in the burglaries of the Heat big men.
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