You have to like the Indiana Pacers chances at beating Miami and making the finals

[highwhey]

Hopefully he gets a better wardrobe designer for the next one. Last time he went on National TV looking like he just came back from an Al Borland fan convention

[ripthekik]

The Pacers should be the favorites in this series. They should have HCA with the better team. It's a new season every year so being defending champs is irrelevant to the series with them. Miami has been struggling outside LeBron and Bosh, and the Pacers are stacked. Miami is only stacked on paper, but Allen has been in slumps and can't play defense, Battier has been bad, Lewis is old, Haslem is useless now, Beasely has been inconsistent, Oden's health is a question mark, point guard play is inconsistent, ect.

This may be the year we finally lose in the East, but we'll see. It all depends on the health of Wade and Oden, and how the shooters play. Bosh can't get abused again, and LeBron will probably have to do be the star that he is. Miami is on its final leg with this current team. If they keep the big 3, it should be a different team next year.

Right. It doesn't matter what you say. 2 times defending champions are still the defending champions for a reason. The champoinship is theirs to lose.

Pacers are still the underdogs. Heat are still as stacked as ever. 2 all stars this year, Ray, Beasley, etc.

[Marlo_Stanfield]

Right. It doesn't matter what you say. 2 times defending champions are still the defending champions for a reason. The champoinship is theirs to lose.

Pacers are still the underdogs. Heat are still as stacked as ever. 2 all stars this year, Ray, Beasley, etc.

[Lebron23]

I think Miami beat them in 6/7 games. Bosh needs to show up against the Pacers in the playoffs. Even a past his prime wade is still the better 2nd scoring option of the Heat.

[J Shuttlesworth]

I think Miami beat them in 6/7 games. Bosh needs to show up against the Pacers in the playoffs. Even a past his prime wade is still the better 2nd scoring option of the Heat.

Bosh is playing quite well this year. In the playoffs, we might be seeing him as second option depending on Wade

[Sharmer]

Same team that took Miami to 7 games just added:

* Scola
* Bynum

Plus the return of Granger and the ever improving Stephenson. I just don't see any way for Miami to beat the Indiana.

LeBron needs to think about his future:

* His team doesn't have the height to beat the Pacers
* Wade is done
* Rest of the team is getting old (Allen, Haslem, Lewis, Battier, etc.)

Time for LeBron to start thinking about next year and the rest of his career...

Their absolutely stacked with bigs, but I think Miami will run them off their legs.

[SpaceJammeR]

will be really tough for miami to win against them. pacers are just too stacked.

[Sharmer]

will be really tough for miami to win against them. pacers are just too stacked.

speed beats height, it has over the last few years.

[hahaitme]

Oden and B-Easy might help with some boards, and if Bosh keeps up his shooting too, I see Heat having a very good chance at winning.
Guess it also depends on Wade being healthy too..

[Lord Bean]

Miami's gonna have a tough time in the playoffs. Does anyone honestly see them getting past Toronto this year?

[Done_And_Done]

I'm actually done with this Bynum false hope shenanigan, he just have NO heart at all. And if he doesn't start over Hibbert, I expect some sort of tantrum from the boy.

No.

Just no...

[TMT]

It's going to depend on which team forces the other to play their own game. If Miami's small ball (Bron at 4, Bosh at 5) is effective enough that Indiana has to take their bigs off the floor then they will have a great shot. On the contrary, if Miami finds that they are being contended too much by Indiana's size and are forced to play Birdman and Oden more minutes I think Indy will have the edge.

This is going to be one hell of a chess match.

[redboy]

i wonder how miami will play if the pacers walk the ball up the court each trip and play a slow, east coast style of ball where they score like 80

[TMT]

i wonder how miami will play if the pacers walk the ball up the court each trip and play a slow, east coast style of ball where they score like 80

That's what they have to do. Play in the half court as much as possible and make Miami do the same. Doing that along with not turning the ball over much will allow them to set the tone in the series from the start.

Scott Brooks had a golden quote from this last OKC vs. Miami matchup, "Let's keep forcing them to score in the half court against us. I don't think they can do it". He was absolutely right.

[redboy]

That's what they have to do. Play in the half court as much as possible and make Miami do the same. Doing that along with not turning the ball over much will allow them to set the tone in the series from the start.

Scott Brooks had a golden quote from this last OKC vs. Miami matchup, "Let's keep forcing them to score in the half court against us. I don't think they can do it". He was absolutely right.

it would be so much easier if they have a real point guard that could control the tempo. right now, i don't know if george hill has the ability to deal with pressure and to slow the pace down. an intelligent pass first point guard that can hit the occasional 3 ball would do wonders for this team. in a half-court setting where lebron has george on him every play and hibbert at the rim with his verticality rule, lebron isn't able to easily create his offense. considering how much an advantage indiana has inside, they just need a pg that can force feed the ball to west/scola/bynum/hibbert every play