The Miami Heat have taken control over the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. In fact, LeBron James and Co. have had a much easier trip than initially expected up to now. As the series move on, it is interesting to examine the top three players’ matchups of this series. Let’s break down.
Dwyane Wade – Lance Stephenson
This matchup doesn’t just include the two players fighting against each other on the court. Lance Stephenson has fired his bolts against the entire Miami Heat team throughout the series. In fact, Stephenson has been aggressively making public statements about Miami since last year.
When it comes to the matchup between the two starting shooting guards, this is a key battle. With Roy Hibbert neutralized and with Paul George not at his best, Lance Stephenson had to step up. And he did. However, Dwyane Wade overshadowed his matchup thanks to his incredible performances. Although Wade has had some issues with his knees all season long, at the moment he is playing like the true superstar we all know he is. Wade is the clear winner in this matchup.
LeBron James – Paul George
During the 2013 Eastern Conference Finals, when the Indiana Pacers were trying to dethrone the Miami Heat, Paul George managed to steal the show. He dominated in his matchup against LeBron James, locking him down on defense and he also produced tons of offense. At the end it was King James who smiled, but we all expected George to take revenge this year. Apparently, Paul George and the Indiana Pacers haven’t managed to dominate in this year’s matchup.
LeBron James is by far the winner of the matchup at the small forward position. James is the No.1 reason the defending champs are continuing to cruise towards their third championship in a row. He is doing everything to help his team win the game and he is doing everything with perfection. George on the other hand is not nearly as good as he was last year, especially on the offensive end.
Chris Bosh – Roy Hibbert
Roy Hibbert finished with zero points in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals and he has failed to be a big factor for the Indiana Pacers up to now in the series. The Pacers had to exploit their size and bulk advantage inside. In fact, this was one of the keys for them to find success in this series. Nevertheless, Hibbert has not managed to make the difference, like he did a year before.
Of course, Chris Bosh has not been that much better than his matchup. After three very quiet first games in the series Bosh exploded with 25 points including three made three-pointers in Game 4. This matchup can be characterized as a tie, as neither center has managed to make his impact widely felt with consistency. Both players are capable of turning the balance of the game on their respective team’s favor. But that will happen only if they reach the top of their performance.
Ron Leyba is the content manager of Fantasy Basketball Money Leagues – premier source of fantasy basketball updates, rankings and rumors. For more of his fantasy basketball updates, follow Fantasy Basketball Money Leagues Google+ account.