Before Game 1 of the Miami Heat’s second-round series, the opposing coach listed the defensive statistics that he cares about: “Defensive field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, rebound margin, points in the paint, fast break points allowed.”
Tom Thibodeau notably did not mention turnover rate or free throw rate, the two stats most responsible for his New York Knicks having the No. 19 defense in the NBA during the regular season (114.2 points per 100 possessions) despite holding opponents to 46.2% shooting, the third lowest mark in the league. The Heat went on to shoot a miserable 42.5% in the series, but eliminated New York in six games.
If this season’s Knicks were proof that you can make opponents shoot poorly and still have an unimpressive defense, then Miami proves that the opposite is also true. Defensively, the Heat were No. 9 during the regular season (112.8 points per 100 possessions) despite ranking 22nd in field goal percentage (48.2%), 22nd in 3-point percentage (36.7%) and 25th in effective field goal percentage (56.1%). This was possible because they forced turnovers (16.1%, No. 3 in the NBA), limited offensive rebounds (26.7%, No 4) and kept opponents off the free throw line (.253, No. 7).
Miami advanced to the conference finals and took a 3-0 lead against the Boston Celtics in part because it has morphed into a different (i.e. better at 3-point shooting) team for most of the playoffs and in part because of the identity it has had all along. When the Heat are at their best, they stress out opposing offenses by jumping passing lanes, switching, getting physical and playing zone. They find “relief points” by forcing turnovers, pushing the pace and crashing the glass. They make the game feel chaotic, but stay under control.
Just when Miami seemed to have thrown Boston into disarray, though, the script flipped. In Game 4, the Celtics kept their season alive by coming up with 27 points off turnovers and 18 fast break points and taking care of the ball themselves. In Game 5, Boston again scored 27 points off…
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