Miami's Pressure Defense Working So Far

On Wednesday's night of head-bursting box scores, the nine steals earned by Mario Chalmers got only a spot of mainstream attention. Only one player turned out nine picks in a game in '07-08 -- Chris Paul, who had 10 extra minutes of work to rob the Mavericks last February. But the Chalmers thievery explosion against Philadelphia isn't necessarily a complete lie: in Miami's other three games, Chalmers has six more steals. And it's all a part of Heat coach Erik Spoelstra's master plan.

Spoelstra has developed an attacking, active defense for the extremely athletic Heat, putting the team through a long, grueling Monday practice devoted entirely to perfecting improving it. It's worked terrifically in two of Miami's game: the Heat forced 25 Philadelphia turnovers on Wednesday, and 25 against Sacramento last Friday. Overall, Miami is second in the league in defensive turnover rate, up from ninth in '07-08. Spoelstra definitely has the roster for the plot. Dwyane Wade has played the passing lanes well his whole career, and Shawn Marion has quick, quick hands.

But it also might be a ploy of necessity: Miami has two true centers, so to speak: Mark Blount and Joel Anthony. For understandable reasons, those guys are combining for fewer than 15 minutes a game. Udonis Haslem is a star defender ... at the power forward. Protecting his neck against the bigger teams of the league is a smart move made possible by the stabby hands of Chalmers, Marion and Wade on the perimeter.