Blueprint for Every NBA Title Contender to Beat Miami Heat
As we move closer to the start of the 2012-13 season, every NBA team has their sights set on the reigning NBA Champions, the Miami Heat.
A number of those teams won't come close to competing with the Heat next year, but teams like the Lakers, Thunder, Nets and Knicks are all capable of competing with the Heat and ultimately taking them down.
Every NBA title contender has a blueprint to beating the Heat, and focusing on that is the only way of keeping the Heat from a repeat in 2013.
Ahead is a blueprint for every NBA title contender to beat the Miami Heat next season.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Bench Production
1 of 7The Oklahoma City Thunder were a couple wins away from taking the Miami Heat down last season. What kept them away from doing that was a lack of production from their bench.
Aside from James Harden, the Thunder had little-to-no bench production last season and that is something they have to change if they want to be a better team next season.
The Heat got stronger this offseason by adding Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, and the Thunder stayed about the same. Their only addition was Perry Jones III in the 2012 NBA draft. If Jones can develop into a legitimate threat off the bench, the Thunder will have a chance to knock out the Heat.
If Jones doesn't pan out, and the Thunder are left with only James Harden coming off the bench, they will certainly struggle again against a stronger and deeper Heat team during the 2012-13 season. Bench production is the only way the Thunder will be able to beat the Heat in a seven-game series.
The only other way the Thunder can beat the Heat is if Serge Ibaka turns into a true threat on the offensive side of the ball. I don't see that happening for another year or two, and that's why bench production will be key for the Thunder next year.
Brooklyn Nets: Spread the Floor
2 of 7The Brooklyn Nets have transformed from a lottery team to being a legitimate NBA title contender, even though their new roster hasn't played a single game together.
Deron Williams, Gerald Wallace, Joe Johnson, Kris Humphries and Brook Lopez form one of the most talented starting lineups in the game. They have offensive production at all positions on the court, and they also have legitimate defensive playmakers in Wallace and Williams on the perimeter.
The Nets' biggest strength though, and the only way they can beat the Heat, is by spreading the floor and utilizing all their talent. The Heat have a star-studded roster, but they are at their weakest when their defense is stretched and that is what the Nets must do.
By spreading the floor, the Nets can control the pace of the game, which is extremely important when it comes to taking down the Heat.
If Deron Williams can control the Nets offense, and keep his teammates involved, they can wear down the Heat's defense and control the game. If the Nets instead focus on isolation offense, taking down the Heat will be a much more difficult task.
San Antonio Spurs: Beat the Heat at Their Own Game—Transition Offense
3 of 7The San Antonio Spurs had the second most potent offense last season, with an average of 103.7 points per game. That offense is what fueled their success, and their lack of offense is what knocked them out of the 2012 playoffs.
The Spurs aren't the youngest team in the NBA, and they aren't the most physical, either. Strong-arming teams on the defensive side of the ball isn't an option for the Spurs. Overpowering teams with offense is how Gregg Popovich and company win games, and that's no different when they are facing the Heat.
Taking down the Heat is a difficult task, especially when your main focus is simply trying to outscore them. Luckily, the Spurs are a fundamentally sound team with one of the best coaches in the NBA who's capable of getting them to play at an extremely efficient level.
When Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili are running in transition, the Spurs are an extremely hard team to beat. Add Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Jackson to the mix, and it's clear to see why the Spurs' transition offense can be so dangerous.
If the Spurs let the Heat get into transition, they can't compete with them. The only way for the Spurs to overpower the Heat is to beat them at their own game.
New York Knicks: Actually Play Like a Team
4 of 7Whether you love or hate the additions of Marcus Camby and Jason Kidd, there is no doubting the fact that the Knicks actually have a very talented team.
The Knicks have something the Heat consistently struggle with and that is depth and size in the paint. Even though Camby, Kurt Thomas and Tyson Chandler are older players, their size in the paint will disrupt the Heat's offensive flow.
The Heat's biggest weakness is in the paint, and if the Knicks want to beat them, their offensive set must utilize the size they have in the paint.
Too often the Knicks find themselves playing isolation offense with Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire, and that must change if the Knicks want to compete in the East.
'Melo needs to allow Jason Kidd to control the offense and do what he does best, which is keep his teammates involved. The Dallas Mavericks beat the Heat back in 2011 because they played like a team, and with Kidd at the point, the Knicks can do just that this season.
L.A. Clippers: Fast-Paced Offense
5 of 7It looks like there are going to be two teams coming out of L.A. looking to compete with the Miami Heat.
While the Lakers have a better shot of dethroning the Heat, the Clippers aren't that ill-equipped as long as they focus on maintaining their fast-paced offense.
If Chris Paul and Blake Griffin can stay healthy for the entire 82-game season, the Clippers will be one of the top three teams in the West, and they will also be a team with legitimate title shot when the playoffs roll around.
With Chauncey Billups, Grant Hill, Jamal Crawford and Lamar Odom, the Clippers have all the offensive firepower they need to try to outscore the Heat, which is the only way they can compete with them.
While the Clippers have size in the paint with DeAndre Jordan, their biggest strength is their scoring on the perimeter. Focusing on maintaining their fast-paced offense, and allowing their perimeter players to control the offense is key to competing with the Heat.
The Clippers' defense won't slow the Heat down, but their explosive offense can overwhelm them, and that is what they must focus on when they face LeBron and Co.
Boston Celtics: Let Rajon Rondo Control the Pace
6 of 7The Boston Celtics had an impressive offseason, re-signing Kevin Garnett and Brandon Bass, and acquiring the talents of Jeff Green, Courtney Lee and Jason Terry.
While those players will be a key part of the Celtics' success next season, their real leader has to be Rajon Rondo. Rondo has the skills to be an elite player in the NBA, and it's time for the Celtics to let him run the show.
Last season in the playoffs, the Celtics were at their best against the Heat when Rondo was controlling the offense and creating offense for himself and the teammates around him. Rondo is one of the greatest facilitators in the game and the Celtics need to let him do what he does best.
Rondo forces help-side defense nine times out of 10, and that is crucial when it comes to beating the Heat. The Celtics need to get the Heat out of rotation on defense and if they can do that, they can beat the Heat.
Giving Rondo freedom will in turn create higher-percentage opportunities for his teammates, like Garnett, Lee and Terry, and that is absolutely the only way the Celtics will knock out the Heat.
L.A. Lakers: Bang in the Paint, Courtesy of Steve Nash
7 of 7The L.A. Lakers have the best chance of beating the Heat, and the main reason for that is because they have the most dominant frontcourt in the game with Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard.
Howard and Gasol are a fearsome duo, but unless Kobe Bryant relinquishes control of the team to Steve Nash, who is more than capable of incorporating everyone into the offense, the Lakers won't take any steps forward.
Getting the ball in the paint isn't valuable unless Nash is the one who gets that process going. With Nash and Howard running a potent pick-and-roll, the Lakers offense will be all but unstoppable. It will create high-percentage shots for Kobe and it will also allow Gasol to find open space on the court, which is what he does best.
The Lakers offense will be at its best when Nash is running the show because he understands the game on a different level than most other players in the NBA. Nash's basketball I.Q. will lead to wins for the Lakers because he understands when to get the ball into the paint and when to facilitate to teammates on the perimeter.
Kobe must take a step back if he wants to compete with LeBron and the Heat, because he must let Nash get the ball to Howard so he can expose the Heat's weakness in the paint. The Lakers can beat the Heat. The only question is if Kobe will let them.
