2013-14 NBA Preview: 10 Teams Best Suited To Play Small Ball
By John Kim
1. Miami Heat
The Heat showed it in the NBA Finals – their small ball lineup was extremely effective. Sliding LeBron James over to the power forward position and Chris Bosh to center gave the Heat the spacing to shoot the three-point shot at a high level and in turn, free up James to post-up or attack the basket.
Though James is not naturally a power forward, he is the most physically imbued player in the league. His combination of strength, speed and leaping ability is unparalleled amongst his peers so much so that it’s difficult to find a player at any position that can effectively defend James.
Moving James to the power forward position begins a chain of events that benefit the entire team. Bosh can move to center which provides him with favorable matchups. His length and ability to shoot the ball is uncomfortable for traditional centers to deal with. Shooters like Ray Allen and Shane Battier are freed up to do what they do best.
With Bosh pulling his defender out of the paint, Dwyane Wade benefits as well. Wade attacks the basket relentlessly and having more space to operate gives him a better chance at drawing contact and finishing.
The Miami Heat are the defending NBA champions and will be tough to beat regardless of the lineup they play, but their quick and physical small ball lineup will leave lots of teams scratching their heads, wondering if there is any way to dethrone them.