ESPN said it best when they transplanted the Roy Hibbert situation late in Game 1 to a baseball. The Miguel Cabrera hit a deep fly ball to center and Cleveland Indian centerfielder, Michael Bourn, had the ball bounce out of his glove and into the stands for the home run. Announcers claimed, Had Hibbert been playing, he would have made the catch avoiding the home run.
Had Hibbert been playing in the final seconds of Game 1 as the Indiana Pacers were attempting to steal home court advantage from the Miami Heat, then the game would have finished in Frank Vogel's favor and nobody would have been questioning his poor decision late in the game.
LeBron James finished as the hero. It was supposed to be Paul George's heroic moment in the playoffs. No Danny Granger and still, the Pacers are able to defeat the giant Heat at home. George made two huge plays, but in the end, Game 1 was remembered for the James blow-by rather than George's game-tying three or three free throws that gave the Pacers the lead late in overtime.
Frank Vogel screwed up and what's worse is that James drove to the lane twice and the Pacers' coach refused to make the proper adjustments. Of course, people everywhere had things to say, from ESPN's broadcasters to people on Twitter. Here's a mix of different reactions, none of which support Vogel's decision.
So Tim Tebow's evil twin had something to say and though no coach would ever utter those words, it does seem like this was Vogel's gameplan. First, George Hill doesn't get help as he's supposed to defend James 1-on-1 then nobody slides over to help George as LeBron drove to the lane in the closing seconds of the game.
Well why not have another cross-sport reference. Calvin Johnson could be considered the wide receiver version of James. He's a physical specimen and even on a bad day can reek havoc. For those not familar with quarterback Matthew Stafford, well, he's as much a threat running the ball as Chris Andersen is hitting a game-winning three-pointer.
Of course, once the damage is done, people regret their original idea. Maybe on paper or in Vogel's imagination, sitting Hibbert was a great idea. However, the Heat had trouble finishing easily at the basket all game long because Hibbert was clogging the paint. Vogel must have not been watching the same game everybody else saw, but at least he knows next time, in a pressure situation, it will be best to play his big man.
