Playoff Game #4: Heat @ Bobcats Mon April 28th 7:00PM EST

[catch20two]

SCOUTING THE BOBCATS (43-39 overall; 0-3 series)

Playing through injury is nothing new to this season for the Cats. The season began with Al Jefferson limited with an ankle sprain that kept him out of nine of the team’s first 11 games. Kemba Walker also had a stint on the bench with an ankle sprain that forced him to miss the first games of his basketball career, not to mention Gerald Henderson with a calf strain. The early part of the season also saw Michael Kidd-Gilchrist miss time with a dislocated finger and Jeffery Taylor go down for the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon. With each of these unfortunate injuries coupled with Jefferson’s current plantar fascia strain, as well as Walker’s knee injury that kept him on the bench to close out Game 3, this Cats team needs to regroup and heal up in time for Monday’s Game 4 to be able to play at least once more in Miami.



SCOUTING THE HEAT (54-28 overall; 3-0 series)

The Heat are in search of their fourth-consecutive trip to the NBA Finals and third-consecutive championship. Currently in their way are the Bobcats in Round 1. The Bobcats have played hard, gritty basketball against the champs, but haven’t ben able to best LeBron James and the rest of the Heat as of yet in this series. The Heat have always been good on the road in the playoffs have won at least one game on the road in 13 consecutive playoff series, the longest current streak in the NBA and have totaled 17 road playoff wins since 2011, the most in the NBA. One more victory will push them into Round 2 of the Eastern Conference Playoffs and one step closer to a third-consecutive NBA title.

[JDR720]

Random GL charm for McJesus

Spoiler:

[ball teacher]

The Heat are shooting a high fg% aganst us. For once, this entire season, can we play Biz and Jefferson together? Just for a stretch. I think we can get inside rim protection to help Jefferson. I think we can run more with Biz on the floor. What do we have to lose?

a stretch with the lineup that looks like this

Kemba
Hendo
MKG
Biz
Jefferson

has defense, and rebounding advantages. With this lineup we can focus on Jefferson in the post. Kemba is option #2, Hendo or MKG#3 and 4. But we can run all day with these guys

Ridnour
Neal
CDR
Mcbob
Zeller

can provide some scoring, and Mcbob can help steady the offense. I still want Mcbob to start, but I'd bring Biz and CDR off the bench early. CDR can come in for Hendo if MKG isnt in foul trouble and then we could even have

Kemba
CDR
MKG
BIZ
Jefferson

CDR with this lineup can be the outside shooter, MKG can slash and post up, Jefferson be the main threat of course and Kemba can do his thing.
Biz is the only inside defender we have, play the guy with Jefferson at least once. He doesnt need to see the rock unless he's wide open.

[countryboi]

well lets get this over with so i can wrap my mind around the long off season.

[fatlever]

it will be interesting to see

1) how the team responds to being down 3-0. will they come out like a hurt animal backed against the wall, or will the cave at the first sign of adversity, like they did saturday.

2) how will the crowd respond? by most accounts, the home fans were a bit pathetic after that 1st quarter. how many fans have already sold their game 4 tix to a heat fan they know?

players who need to step up

1) henderson - it simply has not been good enough. poor shooting, missed fts, not being aggressive, bad turnovers.

2) zeller - the rookie has been abysmal. if he is benched in game 4, it will be deserved. he is luckly we have few options behind him.

coaching adjustments

1) push the tempo to try and catch the heat before they can set up the double-teams on jefferson and kemba. take advantage of any fast break chances - MKIA has repeatedly mentioned the spurs in the finals as an example to copy

2) short leash for those who have been underperforming - hendo, neal and zeller. they have done nothing to warrant extended minutes so far. if any of them show signs of struggling, they should be benched ASAP. neal and zeller dont even deserve to play, but its doubtful we can win without them.

3) play kemba for 48 minutes. there is absolutely no reason to rest him. there is no game 5 if we dont win. and even if we are down big in the 2nd half keep fighting til the end. there is no scenario where ridnour will be a better option.

[fatlever]

look on the bright side, we could be the charlotte hornets as early as tuesday [sigh]

[fatlever]

we will need a swaggy p level of irrational confidence to win this game. so for good luck charms i present swaggy p's girlfriend, iggy azalea and her big booty.

Spoiler:

[Liver_Pooty]

Our crowd was pathetic the last night. Was kind of disappointed in them.

[Eoghan]

coaching adjustments

1) push the tempo to try and catch the heat before they can set up the double-teams on jefferson and kemba. take advantage of any fast break chances - MKIA has repeatedly mentioned the spurs in the finals as an example to copy

MKIA has come correct and quantified what I've been saying this whole series. Have to explore fast break opps and make them defend in transition, waste no time getting into our halfcourt set if no easy buckets are there. The cHeat are too old to run with us all game. It doesn't give us much of a chance but it's a puncher's chance.

[JDR720]

the very least playing faster will do is make the game more entertaining

[mrknowitall215]

coaching adjustments

1) push the tempo to try and catch the heat before they can set up the double-teams on jefferson and kemba. take advantage of any fast break chances - MKIA has repeatedly mentioned the spurs in the finals as an example to copy

MKIA has come correct and quantified what I've been saying this whole series. Have to explore fast break opps and make them defend in transition, waste no time getting into our halfcourt set if no easy buckets are there. The cHeat are too old to run with us all game. It doesn't give us much of a chance but it's a puncher's chance.

More than a puncher's chance, it's the only chance, because it's the only way to get Kemba to be effective offensively against their defense. Charlotte's halfcourt offense doesn't stand a chance to score consistently once Miami set up their defense. All of the Bobcats' runs were when they subsequently dictated a faster pace to create offense

[Marvel]

lol What happened to the GTs? Should be on page 5 at least by now.

[Chuck Everett]

lol What happened to the GTs? Should be on page 5 at least by now.

Reality set in that the Bobcats are going to be swept, unfortunately. Team just doesn't match up with the Heat. Only team to not win a playoff game this year will definitely sting.

[taco_daddy]

Only team to not win a playoff game this year will definitely sting.

Don't feel too bad. Chicago is the top seed in our playoff series and we've only won one game and aren't likely to win another one. We've gotten embarrassed twice on our own home court and are likely to be finished off on Tuesday, on our home court. So if you'd like I'd buy you a drink and we can drown our sorrows together.

[bobcatdynasty]

Idk about u guys but this season has Been too good and I'm not ready for it to end 9:30 let's win this game and push it back to Miami

[bobcatdynasty]

Lol was just threatened to be suspended from heat board for getting into a discussion with a heat fan in the Bay Area, he clearly is a bandwagon he likes all sf teams other than in NBA I mean it's so obvious

[Fred Williamson]

I don't mind if we lose because I don't want to see Al limping all over the court anymore.

That said, I expect a 20+ points performance from Hendo

[Shuttlesworth34]

Lol was just threatened to be suspended from heat board for getting into a discussion with a heat fan in the Bay Area, he clearly is a bandwagon he likes all sf teams other than in NBA I mean it's so obvious

What did you expect to happen? You went came over to our board and started calling people bandwagon fans and trolling. Like the rules of the forums state, treat a team board like if it was a team bar. If something you say is likely to start a fight at an opposing teams bar, it's going to get you banned.

[Diop]

Lol was just threatened to be suspended from heat board for getting into a discussion with a heat fan in the Bay Area, he clearly is a bandwagon he likes all sf teams other than in NBA I mean it's so obvious

What did you expect to happen? You went came over to our board and started calling people bandwagon fans and trolling. Like the rules of the forums state, treat a team board like if it was a team bar. If something you say is likely to start a fight at an opposing teams bar, it's going to get you banned.

this. you will notice our mods had to do the same during the last game thread.

[Eoghan]

Let's go Cats (for the last time?)