Question: who is under the most pressure going into game 7 of the absorbing NBA Eastern Conference Finals, Pat Riley, Eric Spoelstra or LeBron James? The best answer is probably all of the above in equal measure.
As the chief architects of what had been anticipated by many to be a long running Heat dynasty, the GM, the coach, and the star player are now not only charged with saving the defence of their title, but also the potential legacy of this ‘Big 3’ era.
Being the proud and ultra competitive man Pat Riley is, there is little doubt he would be constantly weighing up options for the Heat.
As a coach he won four titles, but he also lost his fair share of finals so he understands as well as anyone it takes time to build a reputation.
But that time was thrown out the window when James fast tracked this predicted dynasty when he and the other members so infamously spruiked the Big 3 era Heat would win eight titles ‘with ease’ in 2010.
Granted, this 8-title era is still in play. But make no bones about it, if the Heat cannot get though game 7 against the Pacers the Big 3 legacy is not just in jeopardy, it is on life support.
When a team like the Heat is assembled in the manner to which it was, there is only one option in terms of results. It must win, and often.
The past three regular seasons have seen Miami dominant to a point of inevitability. They are the best team on paper and are thus expected to have the best results.
But over the past three post seasons they have discovered the playoffs to be an entirely different beast, having lost in the finals in 2011 and being a half a game away from elimination against the Celtics last season.
And this is not about LeBron James as an individual competitor. James has a long time yet to individually cement his place as a multiple title winner.
This is about James leading this Big 3. For James it is a personal quest for a perceived legacy he has personally predicted, one he must see to becoming a reality.
But throughout the Miami losses in this series it seemed as though the threat to that legacy was physically flashing before James’ eyes.
The commentators described how James mentioned he had to play ‘Cleveland ball’ to get his side through game 5. Reminiscent of his almost single-handed drive to the NBA finals with the Cavs in 2007.
(Ironically if LeBron is able to lead his Heat team to the Finals again he will come up against Greg Popovich’s Spurs, the very same force that so effectively dealt with that James led team of six years ago.)
It was also none too subtle a reference to his struggling teammates Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade, who combined for an uncharacteristic combined 4-19 shooting night.
Wade’s body has been banged up more than a crash test dummy and it would be no surprise if we are to find he is playing more injured than he usually is. And he is a Miami legend so you would think he would be there for as long as his body holds out.
Bosh is the one member of the Big 3 that must assert himself in game 7, and beyond if they get the chance.
His place on the Heat Big 3 roster is the one in most jeopardy and should they fail to overcome the Pacers or the Spurs this year, it may force Riley to pull the trigger on a Bosh trade.
Thus ending the Big 3 era and its legacy.
But lets not sugar coat the Pacers performance; they were good without being convincing. 18 turnovers and missed shots at the rim threatened to derail another effective game plan by coach Frank Vogel.
It would be no surprise if watching Pacer games were banned in cardiology units throughout Indianapolis. Such high turn over rates could lead to a viewers high blood pressure.
They are equal parts brilliantly entertaining and entertainingly infuriating, sometimes on the same possession.
And if the Heat has relied heavily on LeBron in this series, the same can be said for Hibbert and the Pacers. The other members of the Pacers own big 3 having struggled at times throughout the series.
Hibbert has been huge, both literally and figuratively.
He is an immovable force on the interior, averaging 22 points and nearly 11 boards in the series. Hibbert presents an impossible match up for the Heat and has been the one consistent Pacer performer throughout the series.
Paul George is the catalyst for much of what the Pacers do on both ends of the floor he has been missing in stretches for Indiana, and those stretches have inevitably come in the games they have lost.
But this series has also been a coming out party for George, his superstar status being confirmed in a strong game 6 performance.
The real problem for the Pacers is their struggling backcourt. As a friend quite eloquently put it, ‘my sphincter tightens every time Lance Stephenson has the ball’.
Stephenson is out of control more often than a P plate driver, which is not ideal for a Pacers team that has only recently given him his L’s.
If he and fellow guard George Hill had found some production in earlier games, the series may already be gone for Miami. (Hill and Stephenson were much better in game 6 with 16 points, 6 assists and 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 points respectively)
Hibbert and David West’s dominance inside the offensive and defensive paint combined with scoring by the Pacer guards could still prove deadly for the Heat, but Miami now have a game 7 at home; a place they guard with barbarian like tenacity.
With the effective bench man David Anderson to come back, and another opportunity for coach Eric Spoelstra to enhance his reputation for pre game planning, It will come as no surprise should they adjust and get through to the NBA finals for a 3rd straight season.
But there in lies the point, Miami are in a ‘lose/of course they win’ situation. We all expect the Heat to be dominant, any thing less is a surprise and cause for ,ore doubts.
A series loss now jeopardises all of what Riley et al had envisaged and would go a long way to reinforcing the notion that sporting dynasties are earned, not bought.
Game 7 of this series promises to be the most torrid yet, and will go a long way to defining the ‘Big 3’ legacy.
And all the while a refreshed and humming Greg Popovich coached Spurs lie in wait, a daunting reward for the team that emerges from this contest of attrition.
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