NBA Finals 2012: Role Players Who Must Step Up for Heat and Thunder
Here we are, finally. We have reached the 2012 NBA Finals.
The Finals feature the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder this season, complete with plenty of star power.
The Heat sport MVP LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The Thunder boast scoring champion Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Sixth Man of the Year James Harden.
But it's not just about the Big Three of each team—the role players will be key in determining who ultimately comes out on top.
Here's a look at the role players who must step up for their respective teams in the 2012 NBA Finals.
Miami Heat
Mario Chalmers
Mario Chalmers has proven to be a solid role player for the Heat this season. His one-on-one defense, combined with his outside shooting, has taken some pressure off LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
Chalmers shot nearly 40 percent from long range this season. In 18 playoffs games, he's averaging 11.6 points while shooting 44 percent from the floor and 36 percent from downtown. His play against the Thunder will be key.
Shane Battier
Shane Battier has played some good defense this series, but he simply hasn't gotten it going from the field. He's shooting 31 percent from the floor in the playoffs and just 32 percent from downtown.
Battier needs to hit open three-pointers to give James and Wade more room to maneuver in the paint.
Mike Miller
Mike Miller has shot better than Battier during the playoffs, knocking down 37 percent of his three-pointers.
The Heat need to give Miller more minutes. His outside shooting ability stretches the defense enough for things to happen in the interior.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Serge Ibaka
Serge Ibaka has been efficient from the floor, and he's a primary defender in the low post for the Thunder, averaging 3.3 blocks in the postseason.
But Ibaka has curiously not been as effective on the glass, averaging 5.9 boards in the playoffs despite averaging 7.5 rebounds in the regular season. He's already proven his worth in the starting lineup, but an uptick in rebounding would do the Thunder well.
Thabo Sefolosha
Thabo Sefolosha has not only been the Thunder's best on-the-ball defender this season, he's shooting 44 percent from the field and 36 percent from downtown in the playoffs.
Sefolosha will likely be matched up against James or Wade, and he's going to have to bring the same intensity as he did against Tony Parker in the Western Conference finals to limit the dynamic duo. He's more important in this series than you think.
Derek Fisher
Derek Fisher has averaged the fifth-most shot attempts for the Thunder during the postseason. And while he's shot just 41 percent from the floor, he's shot 38 percent from beyond the arc.
If Fisher can continue converting his three-point opportunities, the Heat will have to give him more attention, which opens things up for Durant, Westbrook and Harden driving to the hoop.
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