MIAMI – For the past several weeks, LeBron James has finished up his daily routine at practice by shooting free throws with Ray Allen. Every practice, same thing. But on Tuesday, things were different.
MIAMI -- Erik Spoelstra is already in adjustment mode. The Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers don't play Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals until Wednesday, but the Heat's coach is tweaking at least the narrative entering the best-of-seven series to advance to the NBA Finals.
In the 2011-12 playoffs, the Indiana Pacers were the team that forced the Heat to implement Erik Spoelstra’s title-winning vision. If Chris Bosh’s injury was the fuse, the size of the Pacers provided the gunpowder to make it all happen.
MIAMI -- As a four-time league MVP and the catalyst for the NBA's defending champions, LeBron James isn't accustomed to having his rhythm disrupted these days. Good defenders rarely bother him. Great schemes do little to knock him off his game.
MIAMI -- Erik Spoelstra laughed at the question. The coach was asked at Heat practice on Friday if he feels pity for the video coordinators these days. After all, they have to prepare not one, but two, full scouting reports, one for the New York Knicks and one for the Indiana Pacers, because the Heat still don't know who they're playing in the Eastern Conference Finals.
You wouldn’t know it by the chatter, but the Miami Heat are up 3-1 against the Chicago Bulls with a home game Wednesday night. The Heat could wrap up the series in a few hours, but that’s not the focus of the conversation these days.
CHICAGO -- There will never be a question about how much Dwyane Wade has given the Miami Heat in his career. He carried them to one title, bit his lip when several years of his prime were sacrificed on rebuilding, sold the team to LeBron James and Chris Bosh so they’d join him then relinquished his beloved and earned alpha status so James could carry the team to another title.
Is it time for the Heat to be concerned about Dwyane Wade yet? It seems like a fair question in a vacuum, but of course, we don't operate in a vacuum. Actually, we’ve been here before. And Wade has made us look like morons for doubting him.
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