NBA Playoffs 2012: Heat's Lack of Depth Will Cost Them vs. Pacers

As pundits and experts across the NBA dissect the Miami Heat's 78-75 loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, much will be made of LeBron James' two missed free throws with 54.3 seconds left and Dwyane Wade's missed layup with 18 seconds remaining.

However, the biggest problem facing the Miami Heat as they prepare for Game 3 isn't a couple of missed free throws, or a layup that rolled off the rim. The Heat's biggest issue is one they've faced all season, and the loss of forward Chris Bosh to an abdominal injury only amplified it.

For all intents and purposes, the Miami Heat consist of three players (James, Wade and Bosh) and nine "other guys."

Granted, some of these players are recognizable names, such as Shane Battier, Mike Miller and Juwan Howard. On the other hand, the combined ages of these players is 104, and in this bizarro-world strike-shortened 2011-2012 season, they—like many of the Heat reserves—have played like they were 104 years old...each.

The "contributions" of the Heat reserves were plainly on display in Tuesday night's loss. The team shot a combined 35 percent from the floor, was outrebounded by the Pacers 50-40, and with the exception of James (28) and Wade (24), no Miami player scored more than five points.

It doesn't help that Miami has made all of one three-point shot in two games (1 of 22) or that top bench scorer Mike Miller appears to be battling an injury of his own, severely limiting his effectiveness and causing some to question whether he should be on the floor at all.

All this attrition simply adds more weight to the loads that Wade and James must carry, both physically and mentally. That wouldn't seem to be a huge issue for Wade, who seems to welcome that sort of pressure.

On the other hand, James' late-game meltdowns have been discussed ad nauseum, and James is already bemoaning how "taxing" being asked to fill in at power forward for Bosh is, according to ESPN via The Miami Herald:

"

"It's a lot more taxing being in there with bigger guys," James said, according to the Miami Herald.

He said that defense "is the biggest difference. When you're on the perimeter, there's more space. The interior is more cramped and physical."

"

It's not going to get any easier for James. The Indiana Pacers are a big team, with four players standing at 6'8" or taller, and a deep team, with eight players averaging more than 15 minutes per game.

That length and depth will allow the Pacers to bang away at the Heat in waves, keeping fresher players on the floor while trying to wear out the Heat's only two apparent offensive threats.

The Pacers may well feel after Game 2 that they've found a "blueprint" for staying in this series, and it isn't going to get any easier for the Heat from here on out.

Unless the team can either get Bosh back on the floor or get a reserve to step up and actually knock down some shots, then once again it appears that the star-studded Heat could be staring at an offseason of uncomfortable questions about why they fell short yet again in their quest for an NBA championship.