How the Bombing Miami Heat Can Get Their Swagger Back

The Miami Heat were supposed to be different this year. They were supposed to be coming out and rolling up the competition. That's been anything but the case and it's not just the last two games they've lost either. 

Let's review their last seven games. Against the Charlotte Bobcats they needed a last-second shot by Dwyane Wade and the benefit of a missed travel call to win. Against the Minnesota Timberwolves they again needed a last-second shot to win as well. 

Then there was the blowout win against the Bobcats by 30 points, which was followed up by a loss to the Atlanta Hawks. That was followed up with a solid drubbing of the Indiana Pacers, Miami's best win of the season. 

Then came the triple overtime win against the Hawks without LeBron James or Dwyane Wade. It started to look like the strength of the back-to-back drubbings and then the inspirational performance by the Heat without their two best players had gotten them back on track.

The 11-point win over the New Jersey Nets reinforced that notion. 

But then the Heat dropped their next two games against the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers. 

Rather than being dominant, which at times they've been, the Heat are looking at other times ordinary. 

The are 8-3, but at the same time they aren't that far from 5-6. 

The confidence isn't there. The swagger isn't there. Last year they came into games expecting to roll. This year they seem to be in the fourth quarter hoping to win. 

In last night's game the big three combined to go 3-15 from the field in the fourth quarter and overtime. Don't put this all on James; all three were not performing. 

What's worse is the team seemed to be imploding at the end of the overtime period, intent on arguing calls more than playing the game. Eric Spoelstra, rather than calming them down was the most incited of them all. 

The Heat have only one game in the next four days. That's an extraordinary amount of time to gather themselves in this condensed schedule. 

Sure the Heat can work on some things and work out some kinks in their offense, defense and some ideas on how to better attack a zone, but where they need some help the most is between the ears. 

Taking some time to get their heads right and their swagger back, be that from a players-only meeting or a players-only party to release the pressure is probably the most important thing the team can do right now. 

This isn't a major cause for concern—at least not yet. But if they don't get their swagger back soon, it could be.