Miami Heat Round Table: Digesting Heat vs Hornets

2. Best coaching move of the series. Go:

Sanning: It all came down to trust, and boy did Erik Spoelstra put trust in his bench. After struggling in games three, four and five, rookies Josh Richardson and Justise Winslow flashed their regular season form, playing stellar defense and making timely buckets. Did I mention Josh McRoberts and Gerald Green played quality minutes as well?

Tachauer: Having faith in the young guys. Rookies Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson may not have had experience on their side, but head coach Erik Spoelstra didn’t care. They certainly proved their worth during the regular season, so he put his full trust in them and it definitely paid off. Both contributed in huge ways, not only with clutch shots and steady defense, but with motivating the team too.

Keaton: The best coaching move of the series was playing the rookies big minutes. Not only because it provided them with nice experience in the playoffs, but because they injected the team with three things it needed: athleticism, defense, and shooting.

Haynes: Spo deciding to run Charlotte off the 3-point line. Since the all-star break, Charlotte was one of the best and most prolific 3-point shooting teams in the league. Forcing Charlotte to attack the paint took away their shooters, limiting the impact of Marvin Williams, Nic Batum, and Courtney Lee. It forced Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lin to beat us. Eventually, Walker and Lin tired, allowing the Heat to take the series.

Kassim: Josh McRoberts has been Spo’s little secret and he was able to release him this past series against the Hornets. McRoberts, though it may not show in the box score, had a very solid series against his former team. He does a much better job of spacing the floor for the Heat then say a lineup with Amar’e Stoudemire. The genius of Spo may show again this series, as McRoberts may not see that much action against the Raptors.

Goldberg: Even with the Heat coming out on top, the best coaching moves is credited to Hornets coach Steve Clifford who, after two games, flipped his starting lineup to bring Jefferson into the game. Yes, Jefferson presents some size to guard Miami’s driving offense, but he’s also a monster post threat. Making Whiteside defend him kept him from focusing on the Walker and Jeremy Lin drives that torched the Heat in Charlotte’s three wins.

Next: Best performance of the series