Miami Heat: What 4th Quarter Comebacks and Closeouts Prove About the Miami Heat

The Achilles' heel for the Miami Heat last year was their inability to closeout big games, as evidenced by their play during the regular season, and their inability to make comebacks capped off by game-wining shots, as evidenced by their play in the NBA Finals.

Good news Heat fans, it looks like the Heatles have figured out how to put an end to what plagued them throughout the majority of the 2010-11 NBA season, as evidenced by their play so far this year.

Two of the Heat's first four wins have been come-from-behind victories, both featuring game-winning shots from Dwyane Wade in the final few seconds of the game.

Against the Charlotte Bobcats, Wade drove to the basket on Bobcat's guard Gerald Henderson, hitting a five-foot jumper over him with 2.9 seconds left.  Against the Timberwolves last night, LeBron James hit Wade with an alley-oop from out of bounds with 4.6 seconds on the clock, which proved to be the game-winner.

So what do those late game heroics tell us about the Heat?  First of all they show us that both Wade and LeBron James have successfully accepted their "roles" when it comes to offensive production down in the clutch.

LeBron, who some people like to call a choke-artist, has embraced his new "facilitator" role when it comes to last-second offense.  People need to remember that throwing a 30-foot pass from out of bounds to a cutting Wade with the game on the line is no easy task.

LeBron is more comfortable creating opportunities and hitting open teammates than he is with taking the game winning shot.  I'm sure there will be times in the 2011-12 NBA season when LeBron's number will be called to hit a game-winner, but for now he's comfortable creating those game-winning opportunities.

Wade, on the other hand, has fit into his new role of "Mr. Clutch" very nicely, effectively hitting every game-winner that has been asked of him so far this season  Why is Wade the go-to man offensively?  I think it is in large part due to the quickness that exists in his game, especially against the mismatches he can create against defenders who aren't as strong as Wade.  

In addition to finally being able to hit clutch shots to win games, the Miami Heat have also shown that they now understand the concept of "closing out games."

In their first two wins of the season against the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics, the Heat got out to big leads only to have them fade as the clock inched closer to zero.  The Heat of last year would have succumbed to the pressure of closing those games out and ultimately lost, but the Heat of this year has a different way of doing things, actually closing out games.

The Miami Heat have finally found an ability to close games, and it starts with an increased focus on the defensive side of the ball.  Whether it is a timely James block, a Norris Cole steal or a Wade intercepted pass, the Heat have found ways to lock down offenses during late-game stretches this season, resulting in a new-found ability to close out games. 

The Heat can't continue to win games all season with a reliance on last-second game-winners and late-game heroics, they must find a way to dominate teams for all four quarters.

Can you imagine how good the Miami Heat will be once they start bringing their "A-game" for all four quarters of games?

Once the Heatles start playing complete, four-quarter games, they will not only be unstoppable, they will also undoubtedly be NBA champions.