Miami Heat, Pacers Look to Renew Rivalry
By David Ramil
You only have to look at the fact that Wednesday’s game is the first nationally-televised affair for the Miami Heat to realize how important this matchup was supposed to have been.
Instead, when Miami (5-2) faces the Indiana Pacers (2-6), it will be a sharp contrast to the bloody battles of the past four years. The Heat have rebounded as well as can be expected from the loss of LeBron James but the Pacers have been decimated by injury and, on top of it, are coping with the departure of talented ear-blower/slasher Lance Stephenson (now with the Hornets). But there’s still some tension there, as evidenced by this quote from Chris Bosh in a recent interview with Sun Sentinel:
"“It’s still there. I think it’s still there. These two organizations have been fighting for a long time to try to get to the top. They still have their core group of guys together, even though a bunch of ’em are out right now.”"
This might appear like lip service from Bosh, instead of merely trashing an upcoming opponent publicly, but it’s not a total exaggeration. The Pacers are led by the obvious choice, Roy Hibbert, who is still capable of producing (occasionally) and can take advantage of Miami’s lack of interior defense.
In a recent Indiana win over Utah, Hibbert scored 29 points. While he doesn’t typically put up those kind of numbers, he’s had big games against the Heat in the past; look for Udonis Haslem to get increased minutes guarding Hibbert. U.D. has been more effective than expected, scoring at a high percentage and doing all he can defensively in the two games he’s played. He was able to salvage last season based on is ability to limit Hibbert so this should be a key matchup to watch.
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The rest of Indiana’s starting unit is harder to predict. Chris Copeland symbolized hope for Pacers fans in the past, as he was a potential offensive boost off the bench that rarely played. Now, as a starter, we know why. He’s taken advantage of the starting role to lead the team at 15.4 points per game but his shooting – a lowly 38 percent – makes for some head-scratching offensive possessions. Luis Scola has never lived up to the hype in Indiana but is still scrapping for loose boards, all elbows and stringy hair. Second-year player Solomon Hill is a small-forward type (at 6’7″) but is slotted at off-guard; he has an overall game but doesn’t get a lot of touches, even on this roster. Donald Sloan leads the team in assists from the point guard position but his backup, A.J. Price, had a big game against the Jazz and might be looking to keep it going.
This team, on paper, looks like an inferior opponent but Miami can’t afford to take that attitude with any team. The bad blood is still a factor but players like Hill, Sloan and Price are looking at this opportunity – to play on ESPN at the game’s highest level – to improve their financial situation and career. That approach is always dangerous and Miami’s Erik Spoelstra has to make his team aware of this.
If the Heat establish an early lead, the game could be an opportunity to fine-tune the things that have worked so well. Ball rotation and cutting to the hoop led to quality wins this weekend and must be this team’s identity moving forward. Spoelstra will also have to juggle minutes more carefully than ever before. With Dwyane Wade seemingly re-energized, it’s crucial to maintain his health for the long season. And how will Luol Deng respond after a 30-point showing in Dallas? They went to him early and often and it paid off; odds are they’ll do the same tonight. Spoelstra will also be balancing the return of Chris Andersen from injury, as well as the improved productivity of Shawne Williams and return of Haslem and Josh McRoberts from injury. Rotating players out of the frontcourt could keep Bosh from playing over 36 minutes a game (as he currently does).
While this game lacks the intensity of years past, there are still questions about how each team will approach tonight to keep this interesting.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 at the AmericanAirlines Arena. Check back with All U Can Heat for a recap, post-game grades and analysis.