KEY MATCH -UPS! Versus
Our perrenial MVp candidate Tony parker will be able to feast off Jameer's lackluster defense while minimizing the Jameerkat's already negligible offensive help for the Hawks. Meanwhile, if they bring Lin off the bench, all the better as Tony Parker has dominated that match up as well. In fact, the only time Lin has outscored Parker , Parker got a triple double with 20+ and 12 boards and assists.
Does everyone remember how Dwyane disappeared against the Pacers last year in the playoffs? Does everyone remember who shut him down? And this is Wade another year older and more banged up and this is Stephenson with another year under his belt and less offensive responsibility.
When you factor in head to heads for the other two important matchups, Pierce Parsons and Bosh Boozer, it's clear Miami is the favorites. Boozer abused Bosh his early years in Toronto but since then they've traded punches plus Boozer's lateral defense has slipped and since becoming a starter Parsons and Pierce have played each other fairly evenly with Pierce scoring slightly more but being absolutely unable to stop Parsons as Parson's shot 63% from the field and 40% from deep on Pierce.
Miami commends the Hawks on their division crown they won on a tie breaker... but Miami came to break them.