Finals Between The Families: Heat-Lakers, Game 1, How to Watch and what to look for

How hard will LeBron come out in Game 1? How will the Miami zone work? Can the Lakers replicate offensive rebound success?

The NBA Finals have arrived and while a Lakers-Celtics matchup would be the most classic matchup in terms of the entire history of the league, a matchup between the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers ultimately offers so many more interesting angles to discuss. And an opportunity to close the loop in the most symmetrical way possible, for a season that has involved more detours than any in the history of the NBA.

For LeBron James, this season has been a continuation of the marathon of his entire life. Of course, LeBron has led the Lakers to the NBA Finals for the first time in 10 years. But he’s been proving that he’s ready to become his own elite franchise ever since he took his talents away from South Beach. So what will it be like now that the Heat are trying to beat him in the NBA Finals? How will it play out between two families, forever intertwined in basketball lore, in a battle for the glory of the NBA’s most grueling championship?

How To Watch

Time: 6 p.m. Pacific/9 p.m. Eastern

Channel: ABC

Spread via BetMGM: Lakers -4.5

A bit of history

Both franchises have been armadas passing in the night and Pat Riley has led the greatest glories of both. From teaming up Shaquille O’Neal with Dwyane Wade, or the Heatles becoming the first dynasty of the decade in the 2010s, Riley is entering territory reserved for Red Auerbach, the architect of the Celtics Dynasty, for what he has done with the Heat. That’s without even considering the greatness he was a major part of with the Showtime Lakers of the 1980s. While LeBron chases Jordan while also trying to honor the memory of Kobe Bryant, whose tragic death still is a shadow over this season, James is also in a position to further enhance his playing legacy. That LeBron James and Pat Riley are the two to make the connection between the eras and franchises seems only right, given the combination of greatness and longevity both share, and the bad blood as well.

It seems only more fitting now that LeBron wears a Lakers uniform going against the Heat, for whom he always a guest of honor but never a pillar of the home, while going against Pat Riley who famously helped turn the Lakers into ‘Showtime’ but eventually was forced to leave town. It’s not only the fact that LeBron James and Rich Paul decided to chart their own path after the Miami Heat reached an unprecedented 4th straight NBA Finals, nor how hard the Heat took it after LeBron left them after so many years of sustained success.

How will the Lakers handle the Miami Zone?

A lot has been made about the zone the Miami Heat occasionally threw out there in their win over the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. While the Lakers haven’t been a great 3-point shooting team, they have been a great offensive rebounding team in the bubble. The Celtics posted an offensive rebound percentage of nearly 24% in the Eastern Conference Finals, whereas the Lakers have had an offensive rebound percentage of 25.6%. While the Heat are scrappy and play hard, the offensive glass has been one of their few weaknesses.

The other aspect of the zone is that the Lakers, while they aren’t a feared team from the outside, will have opportunities to get good shots. If you’re trying to figure out what it looks like when the Heat are in a zone, look for where Adebayo is if the center is setting a screen. If he’s hanging way back and the ball-handler is getting guarded by two guys, that’s usually a sign Miami is not in a man-to-man look, as you can see below.

The other option, if the Heat are doubling the man with the ball, who would usually be LeBron James instead of Kemba Walker, is kicking it to the elbow where ball movement can create an open look. Instead of Brad Wanamaker and Marcus Smart, this play could be made by any combination Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Danny Green, Alex Caruso, Rajon Rondo, or Kyle Kuzma, if the Heat help as they do below. If their zone is too overzealous, the Lakers will have open 3-pointers, but that also could be what the Heat want.

The other option, of course, is attacking the space in the middle of the zone around the free-throw line area. Daniel Theis had success in Game 5 of the East Finals working from there, which bodes well for Anthony Davis. Davis is obviously better than Theis but he has also been shooting 57% from the field on long 2-pointers in the playoffs. If there’s anyone in the league who the Heat shouldn’t feel good about giving up that shot to in these playoffs, it has to be Anthony Davis.

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