NEW YORK – There was a fascinating moment after the Miami Heat had taken a triumphant 3-0 series lead Thursday night against the New York Knicks in their opening-round playoff series.
Having just dispatched the Knicks 87-70, a reporter pointed out to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra that his bench had scored a measly five points. Wasn’t this, the questioner pressed, a source of worry going forward?
Spoelstra, as he’s been prone to do this season when even remotely asked about his rotation or supporting cast, seemed to bristle. His mood darkened and his answers invited no further discussion on the matter.
“That’s why we don’t get into it,” he said curtly. “All it is is noise to us. It is. We feel very comfortable and confident with our rotation. We know what those guys give us. And they’re winners. Shane Battier is a winner, he makes winning plays. And you can’t judge him by a statistic.”
First of all, a little context: Spoesltra has struggled to figure out a consistent rotation since the Big Three became members of the Heat last season, and so he’s particularly sensitive to questions about it.
But his answer – and whether he is correct or not – could be critical in determining whether the Miami Heat win a championship this season.
Are these guys, the players beyond the Big Three, winners?
The answer might very well be yes.
True, in Game 3 the Heat’s bench mustered just five points. But in Game 1, backed by eight points from Battier and nine from Mike Miller, the bench chipped in 26 of the team’s 100 points. In Game 2, it was 25 of 104 points – including 11 from both Battier and Miller.
Beyond that, Battier has played fantastic defense on Carmelo Anthony. And with he and Miller hitting threes and stretching the floor for the team’s stars, the question of whether the Heat can win with just three players may be moot. There are suddenly contributions being made by other guys – big shots, key defensive stops, and an overall sense LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh aren’t in this thing alone.
It’s equally true that, in the end, this Heat season will come down to LeBron and whether he can play at the level he’s displayed this season or whether he’ll again freeze up once a pressure-packed moment comes along. But if other Heat players continue to drain huge shots, it may not matter. There’s a lot less pressure on the star when role players take some of it on their shoulders.
“Everyone did a great job and just continued to play our game,” Wade said. “Mario Chalmers hit some big shots as well. He just made the most of his opportunity with the threes in the fourth.”
Chalmers did indeed, knocking down three 3-point shots in the fourth quarter, a flurry that helped put the Knicks away and led to the point guard’s 19-point night. He also added seven rebounds and three steals.
All series long, Chalmers has been a quiet and surprisingly effective key to the Heat’s success. Game 1 saw him score 11 points and notch nine assists. In Game 2 he scored 13 points and had six assists.
This matters for two reasons. One, Chalmers, particularly last season, was capable of derailing his team by playing so poorly it was a wonder he was the same guy who lifted Kansas to a national championship in college. The second reason is the Heat have been in need of a point guard worthy of this team’s possibilities, to say nothing of an extra shot-maker who can take the load off the stars. He’s done both this series, and that’s helped make the Knicks more of an annoyance than a threat.
The old joke about Chalmers, told by players, coaches and media alike, is that he always got confused and assumed he was part of the Big Three. The old joke about the Heat’s bench is that those guys might as well stay on it and let LeBron, Bosh and Wade do all the work.
But if Chalmers can channel that confidence and keep justifying his healthy self-esteem – and the bench can contribute in ways Spoelstra believes are critical regardless of what the stats say – then the Big Three might finally have the help they need to win it all.
You can follow Bill Reiter on Twitter or email him at foxsportsreiter@gmail.com.
