was another close battle between the two teams. It didn't happen as the Spurs got off to a blazing hot start with 41 points in the first quarter and 71 points in the first half. It was something legends were made of, and no matter what happens for the rest of the series, San Antonio will be remembered for their blazing first half performance. Kawhi Leonard had a career-defining performance along with Boris Diaw's incredible non-box score telling run and Miami's need to make a change with Mario Chalmers.
San Antonio's hot start highlighted by Leonard having 18 points in the first half which was his total for the first two games of the NBA Finals. He had a great deal of confidence in his shot especially from beyond the arc. Leonard developed an average 3-point shot after being an abysmal distance shooter in college. He shot around 37 percent for the first three years of his career and is currently shooting around 40 percent for the 2014 playoffs. Leonard hit three big 3-pointers being a major factor in the Spurs having 41 points in the first quarter, the same total as the Chicago Bulls at halftime in their Game 5 loss against Washington. Leonard being an offensive factor for San Antonio makes this team truly dangerous. Does this game make us think differently about what Kawhi could be in the future? Many people believe Leonard will be a star in this league given time and more work on his offensive game. It really did felt like we saw Leonard's career make a shift. There are the random nights whether it be in the NBA Finals or a random Wednesday night where a player gets 25 points or more, and we think nothing of it although this time, it seemed like Leonard made a turn. It might not be as large as others think this morning, but Leonard knows with confidence he can get shots up in a variety of ways on the basketball court. A confidence player on the court is a scary thing, and if Leonard makes a baby leap in these Finals, everyone is in big trouble.
One of the MVP's of the Spurs team thus far through three games is Boris Diaw. The numbers do not show up on the stat sheet as Diaw has 18 total points, but big Boris has a combined PER of +101 in the first three games. If you look up 'glue guy' in the NBA dictionary, Diaw is probably pictured somewhere. He is the quintessential glue guy for this Spurs team right now. He is playing a high level of basketball doing all sorts of little things on the court plus adding double-digits rebounds in two of the first three games of the NBA Finals thus far. The fact Diaw can challenge LeBron James on the defensive end is always incredible to watch. Diaw is a major benefactor as to why San Antonio is up 2-1 in this series.
As for Miami, their defense was a concern before the Finals even started, but now, people are hitting the panic button after the Heat giving up 71 points in the first half and 111 for the game. It is not ideal for the Heat, but when a team shoots 60 percent, it is not as much an indication on the opposing team's defense rather a hot shooting team. San Antonio couldn't miss shooting nearly 90 percent in the first 15 minutes of the game plus add they made nine threes, it was just one of those nights. There shouldn't be an assumption that Miami's defensive is suddenly weak. Miami's defensive effort will be much better on Thursday evening.
Their bigger concern should be Mario Chalmers. He is not a good player right now. The fact he is a starting point guard in the NBA Finals is offensive. He was a much better player last season, and clearly, he is mired in some sort of slump. Chalmers had an opportunity to knock down a big three from the corner to blow the roof of the American Airlines Center, and he clanked it in tremendous fashion. Chalmers has a combined 10 points for the first three games of the NBA Finals. That's putrid. He doesn't need to score eleven points per game, but he really needs to be more a factor on the offensive end. Norris Cole seems like a better option at this point for Miami. It will be interesting to see if Chalmers' time goes down in the coming games.
If you think about this, this series could be 3-0. San Antonio had control of Game 2 until they clanked four straight free throws in the fourth quarter along with other misfortunes. Additionally, Miami doesn't want to get blown out on their home court therefore the expectation is a spirited response from the defending champs.
Charlie.
