We are two games down in the NBA finals and only one thing is clear: this series is going to be tough.
Regardless of whether you are Tim Duncan, LeBron James or the tenth man on the roster, nothing is coming easy for San Antonio or Miami.
James has struggled on the scoring end, averaging only 17.5 points in the first two games against the Spurs.
There has been some talk regarding whether James should be in scoring or facilitating mode.
The scoring / facilitating distinction is most commonly used when referring to Kobe Bryant, who does actually seem to be a different player depending on whether he wants to score or help his teammates.
These two aspects of Bryant’s game seem to coexist uneasily and the focus on one aspect always seems to come at the expense of the other.
It is the old Michael Jordan versus Magic Johnson debate: should a player focus on their own scoring perhaps to the detriment of their team or should they try to get everyone involved and be a great teammate?
The debate may be relevant to Bryant but I do not think it applies to James.
James by his very nature is a mixture of Jordan and Magic. He has the ability to score but at the same time set up his teammates for easy baskets. Frequently his forays to the basket open up the court for three-pointers from the likes of Ray Allen, Mike Miller and Shane Battier.
To singularly focus on just scoring or facilitating would be a disservice to himself and his team.
When watching James play you get the feeling that he is trying to obtain the highest percentage shot, with no set idea about how many shots certain players should take.
It is surely preferable to a single-minded view to obtaining a specific outcome.
Nevertheless, James has not been particularly aggressive in the finals so far.
Much of the credit belongs to the Spurs who have done an excellent job reducing the number of quality looks James has faced.
However, to some extent James’ reluctance to shoot more often may reflect comments made by Dwyane Wade late in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers.
“We have to do a good job of getting opportunities for me and Chris [Bosh] to succeed,” Wade said. “It’s something we’re going to have to look at as a team.”
James attempted an average of 16.5 shots in the first two games of the series, only one shot down on his average throughout the playoffs. What has changed is that the shots have been more difficult, resulting in a shooting percentage of just 42 percent from the floor.
In addition, James has only scored five points from free throws, which points as much to a lack of aggression as excellent Spurs defence.
But as the game wore on James became increasingly aggressive, prompting the extended Heat run early in the fourth quarter which included James’ monster block on an overly ambitious Tiago Splitter.
The Spurs single-minded focus on defending James had one critical flaw: it left a number of Heat shooters wide-open. In the end it was James’ passing game that killed the Spurs.
For game three, the Spurs need to get more out of their ‘big 3′. Tim Duncan is currently shooting an anaemic 34 percent from the floor and in game two did not have the defensive impact that we have come to expect.
Manu Ginobili is shooting just 35 percent from the floor and during game two appeared, at times, to be a liability while on the court.
For Miami, Dwyane Wade has been ordinary throughout the playoffs.
At times he looks like his old self but then he goes missing for an entire quarter or settles for low percentage shots.
When Wade is playing well it forces the entire defence to be a little more honest, reducing the number of double teams for both Wade and James. Bosh, by comparison, had a solid game two after a terrible first game.
The only players who seem to be playing their best basketball at the moment are the Heat’s role players led by Ray Allen, Mike Miller and Chris Andersen.
As we head to San Antonio for the next three games the series is on a knife’s edge. A number of star players have been down, with James particularly noticeable given his consistency over the past couple of seasons.
I see both James and Duncan returning to near their best over the rest of the series.
The big concern for the Spurs is the form of Ginobili who is simply not the player he was even last year.
For Miami, the concern is that their three-point shooters will cool off, forcing the undersized Heat to attack the rim if they want to win.
Regardless of what happens we are set for a series that will help define the legacies for a number of players.
The series contains five of the most celebrated players of the modern era and just how highly regarded they will be remembered may be determined in the next couple of weeks.
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