NBA Playoffs 2011: Defense, Udonis Haslem Key to the Miami Heat

When I was younger, I can remember listening to the defensive coach on my high school football team scream at the defense. He used to go off on tangents with clichéd sayings like, “Offense gets all credit for putting points on the board, but defense is where games are truly decided,” or, “If they can’t score, they can’t win,” and my personal favorite, “Defense wins championships!” 

I used to think that the defensive coach was a great motivator, but I did not think he knew what he was talking about, because the offensive was where it was at. I was young, so as is the case with most young people, I was stupid and naïve. As I have gotten older, I have come to realize that defense and hustle plays on that side of the ball can turn the tide of any game, and yes, win championships.

Defense is going to decide who represents the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.

Last night, the Miami Heat pulled out a victory against the Chicago Bulls to knot the series up 1-1. So far in the series, defense has played a huge role in deciding the victor in both contests.

Last night, Miami was able to hold Chicago to 34 percent shooting, they out rebounded them 45-41, they managed one more steal than the Bulls (7-6) and they also had more hustle plays, especially in the clutch.

Having Udonis Haslem in the Heat lineup was huge boost as well. Haslem provided 13 points and five rebounds including two big dunks as well as bringing a ton of energy to the floor.

On the flip side of things, Chicago had a rough night shooting wise, but they were still in the game until the final few minutes of the game when James scored nine points to put the Heat ahead for good.

The Bulls shot 34 percent from the field compared to the Heat’s 47 percent, but again, it was still a close game. The Heat should be concerned about that fact. The Bulls had a poor shooting performance, based on that alone, the game should not have been as close as it was, but somehow Chicago hung around.

In order for Miami to succeed in this series, they need to continue to hound Derrick Rose every time he touches the ball and prevent him from getting uncontested drives to basket. They also need to capitalize on as many turnover opportunities as possible.

In order for that to happen, Chris Bosh needs to be more involved in the offense. If he can get going early, along with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, then they can spread the floor and force Chicago’s defense to pick their poison.  

Miami’s biggest asset this year has been their defense creating offense on the opposite end of the floor. If they hope to advance past the Bulls into the Finals, they are going to need a lot more of last night’s effort on a consistent basis.

Game 3 is not until Sunday night, which is going to give both teams time to work on their game plans. If Miami hopes to contend for that Larry O’Brien trophy when this series is over and done with, then they had better take heed to those clichéd lines that my old defensive coach used to spew out, because there is no way that they are getting by Chicago without a sound defensive strategy.

With Haslem coming off the bench and providing a much needed spark, I think Miami’s chances have just gotten a little bit better, only because Haslem came off the bench with the mindset that he wanted to put a body on someone when he was on defense. A mindset like that becomes contagious, and when a whole team is thinking like that, that’s what wins championships.