Protect the Rim

In N.B.A. Basketball by Brock Bourgase

miami-indiana-last-shot-copy

Not only did the outcome (a buzzer beater to win the game) suggest that Indiana should have defended Miami’s last shot differently but the process behind the Pacers defense was also flawed. Michael Jordan may have said that he would force LeBron James to the left (however, I think that he would have cut him off before the rim). The zone shooing percentage of the Heat players suggested that the Pacers should have used 7’ Roy Hibbert, helped from anyone but Ray Allen or double-teamed the ball to force LeBron to pull-up or pass. Indiana could not have been surprised when he got to the rim and finished in under two seconds.