NBA Playoffs 2013: Strengths And Weaknesses Of The Final Four

Marc Gasol and the Grizzlies have multiple strengths and weaknesses that will effect their series with the Spurs. (Photo/Flick.com)

We’re in the home stretch now, as just four trams remain in the 2013 NBA playoffs. Let’s take a look at all four remaining squads and pinpoint the strengths and weaknesses of each of them.

Miami Heat

Strengths:

–LeBron James

Why mince words? Having the best player in the universe on your team is a pretty clear advantage. There’s no player he can’t guard, and he can power his way to the basket possession after possession. When he’s on his game, there’s really nothing opponents can do to stop, or even contain him.

–Solid 3-Point Shooting

The heat have multiple players who can hit from beyond the arc. Obviously, Ray Allen–the greatest 3-point shooter ever–is a big help here, but they also have Shane Battier, Mike Miller, Rashard Lewis, Mario Chalmers and even LeBron raised his average from beyond the arc to .406 this year.

-They Always Have At Least One Superstar On The Court

Yes, you can debate whether Chris Bosh qualifies as a superstar, but with James, Bosh and Dwyane Wade, the Heat are able to have at the very least a top-20 player on the court at all times. This means opponents can never take a rest, even when LeBron is on the bench.

Weaknesses

-Lack of quality big men

Since the Big Three era began in 2010, the Heat have tried dozens of players at center and haven’t found any consistency. Finally, they just gave up moved Bosh from the 4 to the 5. They have gotten strong play out of Chris Andersen, but that doesn’t change the fact the Pacers may be able to take over in the post with David West and Roy Hibbert.

-Losing the point guard battle.

These are starting point guards for the remaining four teams in the postseason: George Hill, Tony Parker, Mike Conley, Mario Chalmers. Chalmers is easily the worst of those players. Admittedly, the Heat are capable of basically LeBron at the point, but still, a steadier hand at the 1 would make them a little more comfortable.

Indiana Pacers

Strengths

-A ridiculously tough defense

Whether or not the Pacers have the best defense in the NBA basically depends on whether you think they’re better on that end than Memphis (we’ll get to them in a second). In any event, though, the Pacers are an extremely difficult team to score on thanks to the intimidating post presence of Roy Hibbert and the menacing perimeter play of Paul George and Lance Stephenson.

-A distinct size advantage

In the simplest terms, the Pacers are big. They have one of the tallest players in the game in Hibbert, who along with West, makes a fearsome front ourt. If Hibbert is able to shut down the much smaller Chris Bosh in the conference finals, that could be a huge advantage for the Pacers.

Weaknesses

-Lack of depth

The Pacers have one of the tougher starting lineups in the game, but after that, the pickings are slim. D.J. Augustin didn’t live up the expectations when he arrived from the Charlotte Bobcats, while Gerald Green‘s strong showing in New Jersey last year is starting to really look like a fluke. Tyler Hansbrough has his moments, but beyond that, the Pacers’ unit has been woefully ineffective.

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-The lack of a true superstar

Look, I know Paul George is really good, and he’s going to have a great career, but he’s still the fourth-best player in the Heat-Pacers series and I’d be uneasy about having him take the last shot. In the last five minutes, the Heat will James, Wade, Bosh, while the Pacers will have Paul George and David West. Not sure if that’s an ideal arsenal.

San Antonio Spurs

Strengths

-They’ve been here before

The Spurs have made the playoffs every year since 1997-98. Their core of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili has been there and done that most of the time. There’s no possibility that the Spurs will shrink from the moment, because they’re so used to it. The untested Grizzlies, on the other hand, could have serious nerves facing a challenge like this for the first time.

-So much 3-point shooting

Other than Tim Duncan, there’s basically no one on this team who can’t hit a 3. Danny Green, Gary Neal, Matt Bonner, Kawhi Leonard, Parker and Ginobili (and probably a few other guys I’m forgetting). The Spurs are going to get open 3s, if only because it’s impossible to guard all of their shooters at once.

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Generated 5/22/2013.

Weaknesses

-The longevity question

When Duncan is on the court, he’s not really any less dominant than he was at his peak. The problem, he’s not on the court as much as used to be. He gets tired a bit faster these days. As for Ginobili, he’s shown some wear-and-tear these days, too, shooting poorly in the playoffs so far and not looking quite as electric as in years past.

Memphis Grizzlies

Strengths

-The best frontcourt tandem in the league

Okay, so Zach Randolph had a rough time in Game 1, he’s still been amazing for the majority of these playoffs. Pairing him with Marc Gasol, the most dynamic center in the game, makes for an unstoppable duo of big men, unsurpassed by anyone in the NBA. Whether or not they bat the Spurs will depend almost entirely on whether San Antonio can continue to contain Marc and Z-Bo.

-Multiple amazing defenders

Of the players making up this year’s first and second NBA All-Defensive teams, 30 percent of them play for the Grizzlies. Tony Allen was named to the first team while Conley and Gasol were on the second. This isn’t where the defensive prowess ends, either. Tayshaun Prince was a great defender for years with the Detroit Pistons and he still has a bit left in the tank. And if you don’t think Randolph is a great defender, why not go see what Blake Griffin has to say? He was manhandled by Z-Bo throughout the Grizzlies-Clippers series.

Weaknesses

-They don’t shoot very well

This is the problem that the Grizzlies have fought of valiantly in the first two rounds, but against the high-flying Spurs, it’s become a serious issue. There are very few perimeter shooters on this team, with Jerryd Bayless and Quincy Pondexter being the only ones with a great deal of talent in that area. Ordinarily, I’d throw in Conley as well, but he’s grown cold in the postseason, doing most of his damage on lay-ups.

-They don’t get enough offensive rebounds

Making the first problem all the more difficult is the fact that this team really struggles to pull down the boards, especially on the offensive end. So many of the Grizzlies’ bricked jumpers become one-shot possessions because no one able to bring in the rebound. Against a quality shooting team like the Spurs, the Grizzlies are going to need second-chance points. If either Randolph or Gasol doesn’t step it up in this area, the Grizzlies may be out of it very soon.