tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912756.post4032947514368727299..comments2023-06-09T11:52:06.321-04:00Comments on Hoopinion: Series Preview: Hawks vs. HeatBret LaGreehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12000566742639583055noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912756.post-62182558637083645362009-04-16T19:06:00.000-04:002009-04-16T19:06:00.000-04:00One other key dynamic you left out is Al Horford. ...One other key dynamic you left out is Al Horford. That game in which Atlanta was dominated in Miami saw Zaza start and play 21 minutes (meaning, we saw 27 minutes of Solo/Josh Smith/Marvin Williams playing center). It's not as though he was dominant in the first match-up, although he was the only Hawks outside of Mo Evans to post an eFG% of at least 50, and he grabbed his usual 10 boards.<br /><br />In that third game, when the Heat team was constructed as it currently is, he might as well have been Dwight Howard. 21/22 with 2 blocks-he more than made up for Mike Bibby doing absolutely nothing.<br /><br />In terms of match-ups, it's probably best for Miami to use a lot of Udonis Haslem on him. Haslem has a much better rebound rate than O'Neal, and it's crucial for them to keep Horford off the boards. If I'm Mike Woodson, I'm not letting the Heat use Jermaine for one minute with Al Horford on the floor, as that is probably the biggest match-up advantage the Hawks have.Bronnthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11706422637764110117noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912756.post-2829166854883371482009-04-16T18:42:00.000-04:002009-04-16T18:42:00.000-04:00From a Miami fan perspective I was already looking...From a Miami fan perspective I was already looking at the numbers and the teams are surprisingly evenly matched. <br />Cook can swing a game either way but being hot or cold.<br />I think Beasley really turned it on in the last couple of weeks of the season and that may skew things a little. He is the only guy besides Wade who can get to the line.<br />The best Heat frontcourt in this series will be Haslem at the 5 and Beasley at the 4 and probably James Jones, Cook and Wade (or Chalmers for Cook).<br />You won't see much, if any, of Quinn.<br />I am scared of Josh Smith and I think much of this series will depend on how much time he spends in the paint. If Miami can use Beasley to draw him out of the paint, that will be a big advantage. I hope he makes his first couple of 3s and he decides to stay there the whole series.<br />Dan G.Oro3030https://www.blogger.com/profile/10323670977162975200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912756.post-17192581750693281582009-04-16T16:56:00.000-04:002009-04-16T16:56:00.000-04:00This will be an interesting series. Its the classi...This will be an interesting series. Its the classic case of who's stronger? A good team or a good player?<br /><br />In theory, the team should win. But this is the NBA, and we've already seen Wade win a much bigger series on his own. (Well, alone in the sense the refs aren't on the floor actually shooting and passing to him, but they undoubtedly helped in those Finals games.)jrauchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03064708627368143691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8912756.post-84928416141905871572009-04-16T14:42:00.000-04:002009-04-16T14:42:00.000-04:00Good breakdown, and I don't disagree with any of t...Good breakdown, and I don't disagree with any of the reasons/keys, though some resonate more than others. Numbers 2 and 3 are of biggest concern to me. The refs are undoubtedly going to be out of breath from blowing the whistle for Wade, even at Philips. Chalmers can hurt us, but only to the extent he realizes he can hurt us. <br /><br />However, I look at each teams roster and body of work this season and it's hard to see the Heat beating us in a 7 game series. The gap between Wade and Joe is more than compensated in the superiority of our 3, 4, and 5 positions. Here's my baseless handicapping: Hawks -190 to win the seriesPreston Heardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11910823620707231273noreply@blogger.com