With LeBron James flanked by three shooters and punk viking Chris Andersen, the Miami Heat might be too hot for San Antonio to handle. That much was evident in Game 6, when a headband-be-damned LeBron willed himself against the Spurs and forced a Game 7. San Antonio has no easy answer for a lineup that is sans Bosh, and especially one that does without Wade. Erik Spoelstra is too savvy to not know this, but can he bear sitting one of the Big Two at this stage?
The state of Dwyane Wade’s knees is not a good one. If they were a sovereign state, it would be the one world powers pick on for exploitation of valuable resources. With chronic arthritis plaguing him, he at least has the sweet prospect of knowing that they only need to carry him one more game. One more run against the uphill battle known as Father Time and then he can look forward to a long summer of R&R.
But the Heat star was dealt a bad hand as he bumped his left knee after colliding with Ginobili. He has since said that knee is “stiff” and “swollen.” Not game-threatening, Wade has also made clear that the injury won’t stop him from participating in Game 7. You never want to wish bad health or injury on a player, but the Miami Heat team have operated better without him. They can do with a sidelined No. 3.
When James is on the floor solo – as in, without Wade, not entirely by his lonesome – the Heat have scored 131.7 points per 100 possessions. Now compare that to 100.8 per 100 possessions, which is what the Heat have logged this series when the Big Two share the hardwood. (Stats per NBA.com). Those 30 points per possession difference might have cost them a few games against the resilient Spurs already.
Spoelstra and Wade have mounds of history together, and Wade has bailed the team out a few times this finals, so it’s easy to understand why Spo is determined to count on his shooting guard in Game 7. But relying on past laurels almost cost the Heat Game 6, and might end up costing them a consecutive championship.
With Wade in the game on extended minutes, LeBron eases back, becoming more of a perimeter quarterback and less of a tank outfitted with laser-precision passing. A LeBron-Wade duo allows San Antonio to cram the paint like a mosh pit and test their willingness to shoot jumpers. When working, this has allowed the Spurs to exploit Miami’s greatest weapon: star power.
History is on Miami’s side, but a Wade-centric gameplan suits San Antonio and bolsters their chances of making up for Game 6’s historic and dumbfounding breakdown.
