Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh: Missing in action

Missing: Dwyane Wade, starting SG for the Miami Heat, 2006 finals MVP.

Missing: Chris Bosh, starting PF/C for the Miami Heat.

As the Miami Heat head back to the American Airlines Arena for Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals (0600 hrs IST, Tuesday), two people will have a lot of introspection to do. Yes, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, the slightly injured (knee and ankle, respectively) non-performing and soft hitting duo that have reduced the Heat’s big-hitting Big Three to a Big One. Credit where it is due, the Pacers have been tight on the two, reducing their impact and not letting Miami establish their ‘Identity’ on the game, as head coach Eric Spoelstra keeps telling them to.

The Heat’s identity is a plain and simple one – dribble penetration to the rim by Wade or James, and then a kick out to the role players – Shane Battier, Ray Allen or Udois Haslem (in the game 6 win at the AAA) if the ball handler can’t finish at the rim. That’s Plan B though. Plan A: Swarm the opponent with your defence, grab a rebound or force a live-ball turnover and let Wade and James truck down the open court and finish with a sweet rack attack. The Pacers have been able to successfully take the Heat’s identity apart. Roy Hibbert as a rim protector and a help on defence means that points in the paint on half court possessions don’t often end with dunks. A strong perimeter defence with big men like David West staying out of the paint and close enough to his man (often Battier) to close in and challenge an outside shot, (or better still, tip a pass as in the fourth quarter of game 4 and force a turnover) means that the Heat’s Plan B often fails to work. The fact that Allen and Battier have been 9 for 39 (23%) from 3 point land doesn’t help either, in this regard. The fact that they only managed to take 39 shots combined, in 6 games, is worse.

Plan A? Miami has fallen victim to Indiana’s version of their own Plan A more often than they themselves have been able to hit out and execute.

So what can the Heat do to win game 7 and go to the finals for the third year in a row?

1) Get LeBron to back down in the post and let him run Paul George over like he did in game 5.

2) Hope that Allen and Battier can hit their 3’s. Mike Miller being fit and ready to go (however that may be, tied up with twine and duct tape, if need be) won’t hurt either.

3) Hope Bosh fouls – LeBron shouldn’t have been the one in game 4 to foul out. Bosh should’ve. Bosh needs to make his presence felt down low defensively, and commit the necessary fouls and not leave it to someone as important as James to do the dirty work.

4) Grab rebounds: The Heat have given away too many offensive boards and way too many second chance points for comfort. We know they’re a small team, but everyone needs to box out and rebound.

5) Take the game inside: Game 5’s first half was a clear indication as to how much difference scoring inside the paint and the restricted area can make. Miami need to drive and dish to the big (Bird) man, finish at the rack with lay-ups, duns or floaters. This is easier said than done, considering how good the Pacers’ defence is.

6) Keep their cool: The two technical fouls on LeBron and Heat assistant coach David Fizdale late in Game 6 didn’t help. Chris ‘Birdman’ Andersen’s flagrant in game 5 didn’t, either.

Now all that remains is to wait and watch what happens in game 7. Hold on to your seats, it’s going to be a good one (duh!). The game will be fought and won in the paint.

All said and done, Pop and the Spurs have had a good break to sit and rest and study their Eastern Conference opponents’ tapes and prepare. They’re probably going to win the finals in less than 6 games. Beating the Heat and LeBron. Tony Parker, Finals MVP.