I have a good topic of discussion for DM. You have hit on it indirectly with some breakdowns of the Heat and it is something that parallels what I have seen with the Cavs from following them.
You thought the Heat would struggle because of lack of length. Now, of course, that is their roster and nothing can be done about it. It seems as if they have been surprisingly competitive and the lack of length hasn’t hurt them that badly.
At the same time, MB even leading into the season has been talking about going with a small line up a lot this year to exploit match ups and to simply change things up. He has had line ups with both LBJ and Wally at the 4 and AV at the 5 and then three what would be considered smaller guards at the 1, 2, and 3.
This line up has done really, really well so far.
Is this coincidence? Is there a shift in paradigm in the NBA? Is this a response to lack of quality bigs in the association? Is this simply an evolution such as football that size is nice but speed and athleticism kills?
Again, the Cavs do it by choice and can go big so it isn’t exactly the same but I thought it interesting. No way in Hades would I have expected to see this from the Cavs three or four years ago. Sure, LBJ at the 4 but with some other length around him.
What say you?
Great question by D in Cincy who clearly has an absolute passion for length.
There is a significant lack of big-time power players in the NBA. As he loves to point out, Shaq is one of the last of a dying breed. Taller players now tend to have more well-rounded games: Yao, Chris Bosh, even Amare Stoudamire, who has shown an ability to make the 17 footer. Offensively, you can certainly survive without a physical post presence.
The problem is on the defensive end. While Boston didn't have a big-time post scorer last year, they had two large, long physical presences in the paint defensively in Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Garnett. In the Finals those two guys were able to take away a lot of what Gasol wanted to accomplish around the rim, and also deter drives to the basket. Furthermore, they allowed Boston to be successful on the boards.
Miami is a freak example of going small. They aren't going small with one big and four smalls - they are going small with four smalls. Udonis Haslem is an undersized power forward being used at center. Mike Beasley is undersized for a power forward, and Shawn Marion is small forward sized, with no small forward skill set. They have survived offensively because they have Dwyane Wade, and because they can space the floor with Beasley and Haslem - one of the two of them almost always has a post defender guarding him, and thus has an advantage because they can step out on the floor and make jumpers. However, defensively, there are games where they can't compete. In last night's game against Toronto, Chris Bosh could catch the ball wherever he wanted and explode to the rim. With no shot blocker, all Miami could do was foul him, or hope he missed the layup. They had similar problems against Portland. Miami is 5-5 through 10 games, but their schedule has been soft, and Wade has been ridiculous. Over the course of 82 games, they are going to get pounded by better teams because they have no way to protect the painted area defensively.
Cleveland is a different situation, as you astutely pointed out. First of all, literally, LeBron would probably be the tallest rotation player on Miami. And, he can certainly rebound and defend more than effectively at the four. And, Varejo and Ilgauskas are both big physical defensive presences in the middle. It isn't so much that this lineup is that small as it is a redeployment of their assets. LeBron is strong and should be able to defend any power forward; but, no power forward has the ability to step away from the basket and play him in space. Advantage Cavs - I love this lineup for them. Even Wally, in spot minutes at the 4, will be able to get open shots against power forward unused to defending people in space away from the basket. Yet, the Cavs still have Varejo and Ilgauskas to deter easy drives to the basket, as well as provide an offensive rebounding presence, which is an overlooked strength of Ilgauskas.
As a nod to Dos Minutos reader Plumber in New Jersey, the Nets are looking to accomplish the same thing by playing Yi at the power forward. He has shown some ability to make long jump shots - if he develops a similar ability to defend this position, he can become a huge asset for the Nets.
So, overall, D from Cincy, I agree with you wholeheartedly - going small is all the rage, but you still need to have someone on the court to defend the basket area.
Great question, feel free to write Dos Minutos any time.
