It's time for another segment of the Sixth Man. If you're new to the blog, this segment is a response to ESPN's 5-on-5 NBA commentary articles. Today, we're talking about the Miami Heat potentially closing out Indiana in tonight's game 6.
1. How do you expect the Pacers to respond in Game 6 after Larry Bird called them "soft" following Game 5?
In the grand scheme of things, I'm not sure Bird's comments matter. Lots of people seem to be referencing games 3 & 4 of the 1984 finals when Bird famously called his teammates sissies, but that was then and this is now. Responding after a game 3 loss is a lot different than responding in a game 6 loss with elimination on the line.
The Pacers are going home to Indy and have their backs against the walls- if they still need Larry Bird to fire them up, they're already doomed.
2. Fact or Fiction: We'll see two or more flagrant fouls in Game 6.
Fiction. The Heat can't afford to have any players ejected with their depleted-for-various-reasons depth, and the Pacers are surely concentrated less on tough-guy machismo. The refs will surely be calling anything that's remotely close to borderline flagrant, but I still think both teams keep it pretty clean.
3. Fact or Fiction: The Heat will really miss Udonis Haslem.
Fact. Absolute fact. It doesn't matter that Haslem has statistically been one of the worst performers in the entire playoffs this year, he's a forward on a team that's already sorely missing Chris Bosh. Haslem's (and rookie Dexter Pittman's) suspension leaves the Heat so desperate that they will actually need to activate players for their first career playoff games. Beyond that, Miami will need to rely on the particular talents of Joel Anthony, Ronny Turiaf, Juwan Howard, and Eddy Curry... also known as the inadequate, the too small, the arthritis-ridden, and the oh-good-grief.
4. Fact or Fiction: If Danny Granger is hobbled, the Pacers are done.
That's a fact. By my reckoning, Danny Granger's hobbling is pretty similar to Chris Bosh's injury. Danny Granger is a really important source of offense, so the Pacers will clearly miss that if he's 100%, but he's just as important for the general spacing of the team. Indiana wants to bang it around inside in the paint, but Granger's presence on the perimiter and even in the elbow forces defenses to respect the outside shooting of the Pacers. His ineffectiveness means that if Miami can lock Paul George down, they can spend the rest of their time focusing on the Paint.
Just as importantly, Granger can't really guard Lebron James at 150%, let alone 50-80%. Even on the road, an uninhibited Lebron James should scare the crap out of the home fans tonight.
Even if the Pacers win tonight, LBJ will be smelling the blood in the water if Granger is hobbled. He will close the series out in game 7. The Pacers will be done regardless- the only thing that will change is how many ECF games Dexter Pittman will need to sit, 1 or 2.
5. Fact or Fiction: Miami's Game 5 dominance will carry over.
Utter fiction. Even not if but WHEN Lebron James dominates both sides of the floor tonight, and even if Dwayne Wade has another huge game, the Heat's 5v2 quest just got even harder with the suspension of two more forwards. The Pacers are a physical team, which means forward is the position that the Heat need some depth and skill at. Without either, it's sure to be a low-scoring, ugly kind of game.
I predicted yesterday morning on twitter that the Heat would close the series out if Granger wasn't at 100%. That was, of course, before the two suspensions were announced. Still, with Lebron still in name-taking mode, I think this game will be a coin toss. Who will win? I can't say, though I'm leaning Pacers. Either way, don't expect a blowout.
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