7 Reasons Why Miami Heat Should Be Considered 2011-12 NBA Championship Favorites

Most people who pick the Miami Heat in the 2011-2012 season do it because they think the Heat must rise in temperature, so to speak.

That is, they believe that the team with the “Big Three” of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh is simply too talented to fail on the second go-round in the playoffs, no matter how grueling it gets.

These people are erroneous in their evaluation.

If they succeed, it will be as a consequence of the Heat realizing what talent alone cannot do.

As brazen as LeBron, D-Wade and Bosh were initially, it's as unassuming as they are this year.

A sudden and acute failed experience will do that to you.

The Heat, under head coach Erik Spoelstra, are a group showing tamed arrogance. Their tempered conceit might just garner them the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Further, Miami Heat management has mandated to every player, that in the new design scheme of orbital, spaced, “no-huddle” offense, players should be expected to use all of their basketball talents all of the time.

The Heat have shown that they can beat principal Eastern Conference rivals Philadelphia and Chicago as needed.

Here are seven—perhaps lucky seven—other reasons why Miami could be title holders at season's end.

Chris Bosh's Maturity

Chris Bosh's maturity and leadership within the team design is a face-changer for the Heat.

Bosh is being asked to do more, and he has embraced the role.

As the team's offensive facilitator in the half court, Bosh is a positive, tall voyeur.

He can hit cutters or feed the corners. He can also shoot over the defense or go inside, taking advantage of shorter power forwards—or whomever the other team chooses to guard him with.

Yes, Chris Bosh, Olympian and All-Star, has this much game.

Bosh's exhibited B-ball IQ and expanded game this year is making it much more relaxed for D-Wade, LeBron James and everyone else on the Heat squad.

The Demise of the Boston Celtics

They are older, can't get any wiser and are less endowed with talent than they used to be in prior years.

Paul Pierce will probably always be himself—a player any team wants—but Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen can't keep up the pace any longer.

Rajon Rondo's basketball load affects him physically far too often.

The Celts have been weak upfront since the departure of Kendrick Perkins.

Their bench is depleted. If Brandon Bass is your lead guy, that's an OK, mediocre bench, not a good one. The Marquis Daniels, Avery Bradleys, Keyon Doolings and Michael Pietruses add to the mediocrity.

Additionally, Jermaine O'Neal is a bench player starting for them at center.

Head honcho Danny Ainge talks openly of trading Pierce, Garnett or Allen. He knows the Celtics need to get younger and better.

The Strange Case of Dirk Nowitzki

This superstar, a four-time all-NBA first team go-getter, had to be sat for several games this year because he was metaphorically...well, literally, out of breath. Seems after the first couple of weeks, Dirk was a bit done.

To wit: Aside from jeered Joe Mauer in baseball, who ever heard of a star player, still in a certain prime, having to hit the pine in such a bizarre fashion?

As John Lennon would say, strange days indeed.

But give the Mavs credit; they had the nerve to sit Nowitzki and tell you why.

Hopefully, old Dirk will rediscover his old self. He hasn't yet, averaging 17 points, which is six below his lifetime bullet point. And he's working so hard to get his hoops. Stay tuned.

As for the Mavericks in general, when you lose Jose Barea, Deshawn Stevenson, Tyson Chandler and Caron Butler and replace them with an aging Vince Carter, Delonte West and a very reluctant and sulking Lamar Odom, you're much worse, not—as Mark Cuban would have all believe—more talented.

Hence the Dallas record of 14-11 currently.

It's going to get harder, Jason Terry heroics or no.

The Oklahoma City Thunder Are in Need of Another Year

And perhaps another piece or two to their solid puzzle.

Kevin Durant and his comrades could be the Miami Heat's toughest competition come June (or whenever the playoffs end nowadays), but it has been shown that when push comes to shove, there are three or four NBA teams superior to the Thunder.

Besides Miami, the other two or three teams beyond the Thunder this year may be anonymous as of now. However, it's up to the Thunder to prove they have the grit in the playoff grind to disprove the doubters.

Russell Westbrook has a new contract, finalized during the season to keep all focused on the objective: NBA gold. But will his sometimes wayward ways cause disruption if things take a turn for the worse during a playoff series?

And as good as Kevin Durant is, he has not profiled as Kobe Bryant during the after regular season money games. He needs to dominate then.

The Thunder are a possibility, but improbable. Illogical as it seems, they may attempt a trade before the deadline.

LeBron James' New Dexterity

LeBron James is all over this slideshow. I understand.

However, it works.

King James remains the world's best basketball player.

Still, as everyone knows, the king has no rings.

Will LeBron declare eight is enough years without a crown and snatch NBA sovereignty from the midst? He appears to be on target to do just this.

The “Chosen One” can do even more things this year effectively. He'll shoot turnaround jumpers, he'll pull up for 12-and 15-footers, he'll use a one-handed push shot and in general, he shows more purpose, polish and pizazz in the paint area.

James fully realized this NBA stanza that if he continues to be a crash-to-the basket buzzsaw, he'll burn the same way. It was change or die. LeBron changed, and he's having fun playing hoops again.

No NBA player does as much on a basketball court as the “L-Train” does. He playmakes from end to end; he's always been complete.

If he can overcome his fourth-quarter hiccups, he'll heal the Miami Heat world.

The Los Angeles Clippers are Untested

Given that they've gone through no playoff wars as a unit, the Clippers manifest too much belief in their destiny.

But on the other hand, why shouldn't they? They get so much publicity for a squad that has done so little.

I was going to write "look for Chauncey Billups to break down," but he's now gone for the year. So expected was this outcome. He broke down with the Knicks last year, and physically, he's in his career twilight.

Why a so-called contender would count on Billups anymore is a mystery. Well, now the Clippers know.

Speaking of puzzling things, why DeAndre Jordan is so praised is perplexing. He averages less than double figures, he can frequent foul trouble and his game is unrefined.

Athleticism isn't all it's cracked up to be sometimes, especially when defenses become playoff concentrated and offenses get more detailed.

Blake Griffin is a wonder, but he's not used to the big time yet. Look for him to get frustrated during the playoff reckoning.

The Clippers have added Kenyon Martin, but he no longer is the force he once was. Martin's forte was always toughness inside, as in his glory days with New Jersey. That ability to intimidate has eviscerated.

The Clippers have a good coach in Vinny Del Negro, they have a great player in Chris Paul and they will make noise, but they are the fourth or fifth best team in the West.

Erik Spoelstra's Mindset

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is an exacting maestro.

He knows what wants the Heat to do each night, and that is improve, three superstars or not.

The newly-implemented orbital, uptempo, Miami offensive blueprint implemented by Spoelstra will keep defenses off of Heat players' skins.

The Heat are well aware that in the playoffs, weaker teams will zone the devil out of them. But unlike last year, they have many reasons to be fearless of this eventually.

Rookie Norris Cole pushes the ball. Chris Bosh can shoot the three on the break. D-Wade is freer to slash and improvise, and LeBron has his new moves. Moreover, the Heat's team spacing is so much better.

In pressure, game-end situations this year, Miami is not all encumbered, dissenting and wishy-washy deciding. They choose who will shoot and live with the aftermath proudly.

Spoelstra does not let Miami linger after rare defeats. He teaches instead. And because of his authoritative persona, the players listen.

Hey, despite criticism to the contrary, Spoelstra has got plays, coming out of timeouts, coming into a game, coming every which way from the clipboard.

Much of the reason the Heat may win is because of the granite focus of their coach.