Conference Finals Predictions thread- (1) Miami Heat vs (3) Indiana Pacers

[All Net]

Make your predictions and analysis here...

Schedule to follow

[1987_Lakers]

ECF match-up I expected. Indiana is gonna give Miami a very tough time, they are gonna abuse them on the boards & limit their offensive production (look for Indiana to take away that 3 ball). But in the end Miami is too talented and Indiana's offense looks so awkward at times. Indiana beat New York because the Knicks played too much 1 v 1 and they shot too many jumpers, Miami's ball movement is very good and their 2 best players love to attack the basket.

Miami in 6.

[inclinerator]

miami in 5

[jimmy77x]

heat in 5

[Patrick Chewing]

Heat in 5. However, if the Pacers played physical against Lebron, the Heat can be had. Lebron has it easy every time he takes it to the lane. IMO, he's not challenged at all out there.

[illmaticone]

Heat in 6.

[Shepseskaf]

Heat in 5

[Bibby4Three]

It's gonna take a ridiculous effort in order for the Pacers to win...Heat Sweep.

[Trollsmasher]

Heat in 5 at most

[Dagouch]

Depends on how the Refs are going to call the games?

If they let they play Heat in 6. If not Heat In Five.

Would they Let Paul George guard Lebron?

[Tmuston Beltics]

Heat in 5

[Askmeificare]

Miami in 5

[Gotterdammerung]

The Bulls toughed up the Heat in 5 physical games (well, 4, one was a 37 point blowout). Plus they aren't a one trick pony like the NY Knicks who needed to hit their threes to compete, much less win.

Heat in 6

[TheFan]

Indiana won the season series 2 - 1.

GAME 1 BOXSCORE (http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201301080IND.html)

GAME 2 BOXSCORE (http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201302010IND.html)

GAME 3 BOXSCORE (http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201303100MIA.html)

Anything could happen... if the ref allow Indiana to play like they played the Knicks, it will be a close series, the pacers could even win.

I will go with the safe bet, Miami in 6.

[Wavves]

Miami in 6, will be cheering for the Pacers doe.

[DaSeba5]

We're actually luck to play the Bulls in the 2nd round. They won't be surprised by Indy's physical play like they were in game 1 against Chicago. If the series starts out 2-0, it's very possible Miami wins in 5. Indy may be undefeated at home, but Miami is also undefeated on the road. They've proven they can win in Indiana in the playoffs. If Indy steals one of the first two games, this will be a 6 or 7 game series. It's possible every home team wins their game, but I doubt it. Someone has to lose at home, and hopefully it's not Miami.

[Byobob]

I'd say Miami in 6. Miami could lose the first game dusting the cobwebs off.
Though IF the role players step up and Allen can find his rhythm, then they will win comfortably.

Having said that, I can see Miami winning games 1, 2, 4, and 6.

Lebron will have a not-so-good game 1 performance but role players will step up. Wade and Bosh will each have a couple of monster games. Jesus will find his rhythm in this series because Indy will clog the paint a lil bit more to close out Wade and Bron giving him space for open 3s.

One thing that bothers me is IF Indy managed to clog the paint against Miami and Miami's role players couldn't find their rhythm, its going to be a long series for the Heat and Indy might accomplish the unthinkable.

[Sarcastic]

Heat in 5. Maybe 4.

No way the Pacers get calls from the refs this series.

[AT9]

I'd love to see the Pacers knock off the Heat, but I'm thinking it will be Heat in 5 or 6.

[Kiddlovesnets]

I like the Pacers, but the Heat is unstoppable now. Heat in 5, Pacers may as well steal game 1 like Bulls did due to Heat over-resting. The series will be much closer in scores though, you wont see 20-30pts beatdowns very often.

[CJ Mustard]

Pacers in 6. Wade has been ****ing terrible all Playoffs and the Pacers win the PG, PF, and C match ups. Lebron will have to carry the Heat to the Finals by himself and I don't see it happening against Indiana's defense.

[TylerOO]

Heat in 3.5

[1987_Lakers]

Pacers in 6. Wade has been ****ing terrible all Playoffs and the Pacers win the PG, PF, and C match ups. Lebron will have to carry the Heat to the Finals by himself and I don't see it happening against Indiana's defense.

Indiana had those advantages last year and look what happened.

[TylerOO]

Some people must be forgetting Heat didn't have Bosh last year :roll:

[FLDFSU]

I love it.

Just a few days ago we are debating that the Heat have the most stacked team in NBA history.

Now, the Heat will have trouble against the Pacers (a team that has reached the conference finals in 9 years) and could possibly lose.

:facepalm

And now we got posters claiming that Lebron would have to carry the Heat.

Wait, what about that supposedly stacked Miami roster?

Not so stacked after all huh?

[seanclayton]

Pacers ain't gonna get away with fouls against Hollywood Heat.

[360crazy]

Pacers in 6. Wade has been ****ing terrible all Playoffs and the Pacers win the PG, PF, and C match ups. Lebron will have to carry the Heat to the Finals by himself and I don't see it happening against Indiana's defense.


So david West is a better pf than Bosh? :facepalm

[Young X]

Heat in 6

[DaSeba5]

Pacers in 6. Wade has been ****ing terrible all Playoffs and the Pacers win the PG, PF, and C match ups. Lebron will have to carry the Heat to the Finals by himself and I don't see it happening against Indiana's defense.

Just like last year. Check LeBron's stats. This time we have a healthy Bosh, an actually healthier Wade, Birdman, and Ray Allen.

[FLDFSU]

Just like last year. Check LeBron's stats. This time we have a healthy Bosh, an actually healthier Wade, Birdman, and Ray Allen.

And the Pacers don't have Danny Granger.

[kaiteng]

Heat sweeps.

[SewerUrchin]

The things I'm curious to see are:

1) How much will Wade's injury keep him away from the interior?
2) Will the Birdman/Cole bench minutes have the same effectiveness against Indy's size?
3) Will the Heat 3-point shooting (Battier and Allen) remain as cold as they were against the Bulls?

If Wade can't penetrate, Birdman's hustle is neutralized, and the Heat can't score from range, the Pacers have an excellent chance of surprising everyone.

[Kingwillball]

Pacers in 6. Wade has been ****ing terrible all Playoffs and the Pacers win the PG, PF, and C match ups. Lebron will have to carry the Heat to the Finals by himself and I don't see it happening against Indiana's defense.

Um yeah dont think so Bosh has edge in his matchup and Cole/Chalmers is a push against Hill.

[DuMa]

Haslem will be useless i think. even if he did play center against the Pacers last year and helped them in crucial wins, but he was the only decent big they had because Bosh was out. This time around They have Bosh and Birdman. I dont really think Haslem is gonna outplay Bosh nor Bird while the Heat run small with Battier.

[305Baller]

Pacers showed a lot of toughness in that series with New York. Miami will have it's hands full, better prepare. I don't think Wade has 30 point games in him this post season. Miami's bench better bring the arsenal.

[TMT]

Pacers shock the world by beating the Miami Heat in 6 games and advancing to the NBA Finals!

:party: :party: :djparty :party: :party:

[albas89]

Heat in 5.

[Trollsmasher]

Haslem will be useless i think. even if he did play center against the Pacers last year and helped them in crucial wins, but he was the only decent big they had because Bosh was out. This time around They have Bosh and Birdman. I dont really think Haslem is gonna outplay Bosh nor Bird while the Heat run small with Battier.
Haslem is going to be out there for some elbows to Stephenson and Hansborough.

[toxicxr6]

Indiana is the only east team that can beat Miami... Idk but to me Miami hasn't looked as good as they should this post season..they had to play hard to beat the bulls most games.. Indiana is a far superior team to the bulls..

Something tells me this is gonna be a massive shock.. I can just feel it.. Miami the massive favourites...

Guts telling me Indiana in 6.. Idk just got a bad feeling in this series

[unbreakable]

This time we have a healthy Bosh, an actually healthier Wade,


:wtf: :wtf: :wtf:

[DaSeba5]

:wtf: :wtf: :wtf:

Yah believe it or not, Wade was more hurt last year. He literally played on one leg.

[Kurosawa0]

Indy will be a challenge for them, but i'm saying Miami in 6.

[che guevara]

Yah believe it or not, Wade was more hurt last year. He literally played on one leg.
Wade might be "healthier" this year, but he was playing far better in the playoffs last year. Wade's been awful so far this postseason, far worse than he was in any 8 game stretch during last year's playoffs. Wade averaged 26/6/3 on 47% in last year's Pacers series, and that includes his awful 5 point game 3. Do you actually think there's any chance he does that this year? I mean, he's only scored 20+ in one game so far this postseason.

Luckily for the Heat, they have Bosh this year so they won't need Wade to do that again, but it will still be a damn tough series for them. They'll almost certainly need Lebron to produce more than he has so far in these playoffs.

And by the way, I don't buy for a second that Wade's health is better this year than last year. That knee is much worse than Miami's letting on.

[305Baller]

Wade might be "healthier" this year, but he was playing far better in the playoffs last year. Wade's been awful so far this postseason, far worse than he was in any 8 game stretch during last year's playoffs. Wade averaged 26/6/3 on 47% in last year's Pacers series, and that includes his awful 5 point game 3. Do you actually think there's any chance he does that this year? I mean, he's only scored 20+ in one game so far this postseason.

Luckily for the Heat, they have Bosh this year so they won't need Wade to do that again, but it will still be a damn tough series for them. They'll almost certainly need Lebron to produce more than he has so far in these playoffs.

The Heat also have Cole and Allen....

[tikay0]

Pacers gonna beat the Heat.

[bdreason]

My heart says Indiana in 6. My head says Miami in 5.

[InspiredLebowski]

**** it. Pacers in 6.

[Rik Smits' Hair]

Indiana in 6 :rockon:

[Lebron23]

Miami in 5.

Heat vs. Grizzlies in the NBA Finals.

[DaSeba5]

Wade might be "healthier" this year, but he was playing far better in the playoffs last year. Wade's been awful so far this postseason, far worse than he was in any 8 game stretch during last year's playoffs. Wade averaged 26/6/3 on 47% in last year's Pacers series, and that includes his awful 5 point game 3. Do you actually think there's any chance he does that this year? I mean, he's only scored 20+ in one game so far this postseason.

Luckily for the Heat, they have Bosh this year so they won't need Wade to do that again, but it will still be a damn tough series for them. They'll almost certainly need Lebron to produce more than he has so far in these playoffs.

And by the way, I don't buy for a second that Wade's health is better this year than last year. That knee is much worse than Miami's letting on.

He took it easy in the Bucks series, and he always struggles against Chicago. He just needs to do enough. You are forgetting how stacked this team is. Cole and Allen have made up for Wade's struggles. Wade also struggled last year, and in game 3 looked completely dead and people told me the same thing. Then he went off on the Pacers thanks a big part to LeBron feeding him the ball. Once he got his confidence and rhythm back, they disposed of Indiana quickly.

[PJR]

This series isn't going to be that competitive. No matter how bad Heat haters want it to be. I honestly think Chicago, even in their depleted form, posed as a bigger threat.

Miami in 5.

[UtahJazzFan88]

My heart wants me to say that Indiana can take this Heat team to 7 games. But my head says that it will be a very close 5 game series. So final answer: Heat in 5.

[kuniva_dAMiGhTy]

This series isn't going to be that competitive. No matter how bad Heat haters want it to be. I honestly think Chicago, even in their depleted form, posed as a bigger threat.

Miami in 5.

You're on crack.

Heat in 6, maybe 7 depending how effective Wade is.

[305Baller]

In the end the Heat defense will be too much for Indiana.

Heat in 7.

[tpols]

This series isn't going to be that competitive. No matter how bad Heat haters want it to be. I honestly think Chicago, even in their depleted form, posed as a bigger threat.

Miami in 5.
That's just.. Very dumb.

Heat in 7.

[pmj]

Pacers in 6. Wade has been ****ing terrible all Playoffs and the Pacers win the PG, PF, and C match ups. Lebron will have to carry the Heat to the Finals by himself and I don't see it happening against Indiana's defense.

Hill is better than Chalmers, but not by much and he's not the type of PG that causes Miami issues. We have issues with penetrators.

Hibbert/west/hansborough is not much better than Bosh/Haslem/Birdman IF Miami keeps the boards close, which they have done when it mattered.

Obviously sg and sf is a win.

Vogel impresses me though, he seems like the only coach that tries to take away Miamis shooters which IMO is the best way to keep games close.

Miami in 5 though.

[che guevara]

He took it easy in the Bucks series, and he always struggles against Chicago. He just needs to do enough. You are forgetting how stacked this team is. Cole and Allen have made up for Wade's struggles. Wade also struggled last year, and in game 3 looked completely dead and people told me the same thing. Then he went off on the Pacers thanks a big part to LeBron feeding him the ball. Once he got his confidence and rhythm back, they disposed of Indiana quickly.
No, people were not saying the same thing. Wade scored 29 and 24 in the first two Pacer games, and then had one bad game. This is an 8 game stretch where he's looked bad.

He also wasn't "taking it easy", his mobility has looked terrible, and he's missed a lot of easy shots around the basket. He's injured. But yeah, Miami has more than enough to beat the Pacers with a 50% Wade.

[InspiredLebowski]

Hill is better than Chalmers, but not by muchInsideHoops man.

[PJR]

7 games my dick.

Five.

Heat vs Spurs NBA Finals. Lock it up.

[SIRI1]

Heat in 6.

Miami hasnt lost 4 times in over 3 months. Dont see the Pacers beating them 4 times in a week and a half.

[pmj]

InsideHoops man.

Sorry bro but Hill is just really unimpressive to me, and I'm not a Chalmers fan at all. Even mediocre penetrating Pgs like Felton abuse Chalmers. I'd worry more if you still had Collison, but Hill never seems to attack in the games I've watched and seems content to act like Chalmers... Shooting decent and not much actual PG skills.

[BigTicket]

Bosh will have to man up big time in this series. He needs to hit enough jumpshots to force Hibbert to leave the paint to guard him, while at the same time holding his own on the defensive end and on the boards. It'll be tough, be I think he can do it.

And Lebron will need to produce more than he has so far in these playoffs.

My prediction is that Miami will lose one of the two opening games at home, but bounce back to win the series in 6.

[OmniStrife]

Heat in 6

[tazb]

Miami in 6.

[rmt]

With the teams remaining, I actually think Bosh is the key. Lebron, will be Lebron, of course. But Heat can take the championship without Wade if Bosh plays well and the role players step up. MIA in 6.

[blacknapalm]

miami in 6. indy is just bound to give one game away when their offense becomes anemic. i still think indy is a strong bench scorer away from being a real contender.

indy will beat them up inside a bit but miami has the perimeter defense to overcome that. cole is a good defensive PG that will bother hill and most other rotations.

[CarlosBoozer]

Heat in 6, games should be close till the 4th..

[Nero Tulip]

Is Miami the most overrated team in NBA history? They're better than Indiana but you're kidding yourself if you think it'll be easy.

[K Xerxes]

Heat in 6 or 7 if LeBron continues to play like he has in these playoffs. Heat in 5 if LeBron amps up his production to around 30-10-5.

[Nash]

I hope they put Stevenson on Lebron so Lebron can torch that kid after last year. Nothing wrong with a bit more motivated Lebron.

[nashwade]

Heat vs Spurs need to happen so Miami in 6

[FLDFSU]

Indiana is the only east team that can beat Miami... Idk but to me Miami hasn't looked as good as they should this post season..they had to play hard to beat the bulls most games.. Indiana is a far superior team to the bulls..

Something tells me this is gonna be a massive shock.. I can just feel it.. Miami the massive favourites...

Guts telling me Indiana in 6.. Idk just got a bad feeling in this series

Yet Miami has lost one game this playoffs...IND has lost 4

[ReturnofJPR]

cHeat in 6

[aj1987]

I love it.

Just a few days ago we are debating that the Heat have the most stacked team in NBA history.

Now, the Heat will have trouble against the Pacers (a team that has reached the conference finals in 9 years) and could possibly lose.

:facepalm

And now we got posters claiming that Lebron would have to carry the Heat.

Wait, what about that supposedly stacked Miami roster?

Not so stacked after all huh?
Funny, how no one responded to this post.

The Heat lost 3 or 4 games in the last couple of months. Do people seriously think that the 49 win Pacers are going to beat the Heat 4 times in 10 days? Wade's health might be the only reason that this series might go to 6 games.
Heat in 4/5.

[PJR]

Yet Miami has lost one game this playoffs...IND has lost 4

Including twice...to the Hawks. :oldlol:

[Doranku]

I'd love to pick the Pacers to win this series or even for it to go 7, but Miami will win in 6 (at most).

[baccano]

If wade is still banged up in the knee, this could go to 7, miami wins.
With an healthy wade, heat in 5.

So... probably a mix: heat in 6.

[secund2nun]

Some people must be forgetting Heat didn't have Bosh last year :roll:

And still won in 6 :roll:

[LongLiveTheKing]

Miami in 5, if D-Wade is shaky(hurt) Miami in 6.

[Vertical-24]

Miami in 6. Miami in 5, if Wade shows up.

The Pacers and the Knicks were the two toughest matchups Miami could face in the East. Indiana will run the boards all game and I can see them stealing a game or two. Indiana is also a top 3 defensive team, and I think Miami will have a lot of trouble penetrating. As far as Miami goes, I think a lot of the series is going to actually depend on the 3-ball. Miami has some of the best ball-movement in the league and has the perfect balance of guys who can drive and guys who can kill you from the outside. Indiana will be forced to pick their poison.

I foresee LeBron having a similar shooting series as he did against Chicago. Make it hard for him to drive, push him left and force him to dish out. The thing was Chicago had Jimmy Butler to help run him around on single coverage, do you guys think George could do an equally efficient job? Perhaps funnel him into Hibbert?

[InspiredLebowski]

i still think indy is a strong bench scorer away from being a real contender.
That's probably true. And hopefully his name's Danny Granger next year. I look at it as house money at this point, next year with another year of improvement for all the young guys and hopefully a 100% Granger, now we're talkin big things.

[All Net]

Who will Hibbert guard? Bosh? that wouldn't end well...

[InspiredLebowski]

Who will Hibbert guard? Bosh? that wouldn't end well...The rim.

[All Net]

The rim.

Plenty of open jumpers then...

[Draz]

This isn't the same Pacer team from last year either. Just because the Heat won without Bosh last year doesn't mean they'll win with him this year. Teams evolve, you can't possibly be using that equation for any professional sports.

[FLDFSU]

This isn't the same Pacer team from last year either. Just because the Heat won without Bosh last year doesn't mean they'll win with him this year. Teams evolve, you can't possibly be using that equation for any professional sports.

Well, that and they don't have granger, and we have allen

[Draz]

Well, that and they don't have granger, and we have allen

That's the beauty of it though. I can't wait for the game to start.

[Sarcastic]

The rim.


Illegal.

[3LiftHeatCurse]

Heat in 5, assuming no injuries.

[SamuraiSWISH]

If Wade is still busted up, Bosh still underperforming (will be defended by superior players in West and Hibbert compared to Boozer) ... LeBron will surely have to do better than he did v.s. Jimmy Butler. 23 ppg on 43% is not going to cut it being guarded by Paul George and that quality Indiana defense.

[Leftimage]

If Wade is still busted up, Bosh still underperforming (will be defended by superior players in West and Hibbert compared to Boozer) ... LeBron will surely have to do better than he did v.s. Jimmy Butler. 23 ppg on 43% is not going to cut it being guarded by Paul George and that quality Indiana defense.

The Heat only had two out of 5 matchups that were remotely close against the Bulls.... other three games were pretty much blowouts. If his team is more extensively challenged vs the Pacers then you will see bigger numbers.

[All Net]

The Heat only had two out of 5 matchups that were remotely close against the Bulls.... other three games were pretty much blowouts. If his team is more extensively challenged vs the Pacers then you will see bigger numbers.

For sure, Miami will only be better going forward.

[GrapeApe]

The Pacers need to win one of the first two in Miami to have chance. If Miami goes up 2-0 I don't think the series goes more than 5 games. Another thing to consider, to win the series the Pacers would have to either beat Miami twice in a row at some point (unlikely) OR win 3 times in Miami (less likely).

Of course the latter scenarios I mentioned are true of any team without HCA in a playoff series, but it just puts perspective on how difficult it will be to win a series against a team that has only lost 3 games in 3 months.

[ReturnofJPR]

I'd take Tyler Hansborough over Chris Andersen and Udonis Haslem any day and twice on Sunday. I'd take David West, this year in his contract year, look at the #s over Bosh. Plus, West is a PF who is tough & physical unlike Christina. Plus, West actually has a post up game and isn't purely a jump shooting big man. The trifecta is Roy Hibbert over any buster the cHEAT have down low.

It's going to be a great series!

[TheBigVeto]

Heat will win.

[Sakkreth]

Tough one, either Miami in 5 or Heat in 6.

[NumberSix]

Miami in 7

[Fudge]

Miami in 7. Gonna be a great series though. Everybody on that Pacers team has improved, or has taken their game to a new level. Maybe not in the regular season, but Hibbert's been tearing assholes up lately.

[305Baller]

Sun Sentinel:
It comes down to this: The Heat have added Ray Allen, Chris Andersen and Chris Bosh to the mix that faced the Pacers for the final five and a half games of last season's series that the Heat took in six. For their part, the Pacers essentially bring back the same roster, counting on upgraded play from a year ago from Paul George, Lance Stephenson, George Hill and even Roy Hibbert. Essentially, the Heat appear far stronger than when the teams met last season, while the Pacers appear only marginally stronger. Pick: Heat in six

[Trollsmasher]

LeBron will take a major sh*t on the Pacers. He may be a Finals loser and choker, but ECFs have always been his b*tch and his greatest games stem from this round.

[dh144498]

Pacers in 4.

[WayOfWade]

Wade's injury is one that gets better with time. There's limited time off however. Fingers crossed he comes back beasting.

[FLDFSU]

Sun Sentinel:
It comes down to this: The Heat have added Ray Allen, Chris Andersen and Chris Bosh to the mix that faced the Pacers for the final five and a half games of last season's series that the Heat took in six. For their part, the Pacers essentially bring back the same roster, counting on upgraded play from a year ago from Paul George, Lance Stephenson, George Hill and even Roy Hibbert. Essentially, the Heat appear far stronger than when the teams met last season, while the Pacers appear only marginally stronger. Pick: Heat in six

And the one thing everyone is forgetting. The Pacers don't have Granger.

[Gotterdammerung]

If the pacers slow the game down, pound the ball inside to their big men, and George doesn't let LBJ go off unchecked, and scores consistently, and George Hill provides a steady hand, they can pull off the upset.
:biggums:
Since the Heat has LBJ who is coming off a fourth MVP in 5 years, and a wealth of three point bombers that'll feast off the attention he draws, and their lack of size is made up with intelligence, energy and speed, they'll win.
:kobe:

The Pacers are built to beat the Heat with solid bigs, athletic wings to battle LBJ and a PG that can penetrate and hit jumpers. But they must be at their absolute best and the Heat must fall off their level of play with injury or foul trouble. E.g., pound Bosh with Hibbert and wear him down or saddle him with fouls or otherwise Bosh's mobility and shooting range will mitigate everything.

Wade's injuries may prevent him from reaching full strength, and may spell doom for Miami to truly reach dynastic status, though.
:durantunimpressed:

Heat in 6