| Operation: Contain Vince Authored by Andrew Friedman - May 8, 2006 - 6:40 pm
We know the numbers. Miami’s sweep of New Jersey in last season’s playoffs (4-0) and Carter’s field goal percentage in those playoffs (36) are history. Now, Miami’s reality is their regular season record versus the Nets (1-3, with the lone win coming on a questionable last-second call), Carter’s field goal percentage (55.7) and Carter’s points per game (38.5).
We know the style. The Bulls used it, packed full of fast-paced, perimeter-oriented play with lethal outside shooting.
We also know the team. For the second consecutive season, Miami will face off against Vince Carter and the New Jersey Nets in the playoffs.
The differences this time around are that the Nets are healthy and the Heat has no official defense against their top weapon (Carter). Last season Miami called upon Eddie Jones to hold Carter in check, and it worked. This season, Miami lacks such a defensive stopper forcing Miami to use a more team defense-oriented approach. Miami will likely assign several different players to guard Carter: Wade, Payton, Posey, Shandon Anderson and Derek Anderson.
New Jersey’s strengths are Miami’s weaknesses. The Nets thrive off of their fast-paced perimeter game. Miami struggles to keep up with such an approach, hence the Heat’s defensive woes in the first round against the Bulls. The Nets have frontcourt players who can give Miami’s anchors at center trouble with their outside shooting (See: Nenad Krstic and Cliff Robinson) and defense that involves plenty of flopping (See: Jason Collins). The Bulls lacked such an array of frontcourt players, which ultimately led to their demise.
The Nets also feature a highly talented perimeter game with Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson, who are both healthier than last season and are ready to attack Miami’s weak perimeter defense. The key to Miami’s success this series could very well be Jason Williams. If Williams can step up his defensive efforts on Kidd, much like Damon Jones did last season, as well as serve as a consistent offensive option behind Wade and O’Neal with his penetrating and shooting, then Miami will have a much better chance of coming out on top.
Many experts, even local ones, are predicting the lesser-seeded Nets to upset the Heat. The ball is in Miami’s court to prove the critics wrong, as well as to prove Pat Riley right, that an inside game with a dominant O’Neal is a thing of the present and the players surrounding him are winners. |
