NBA Basketball: 5 Things Miami Heat Must Do to Win It All

Not much is going wrong in South Beach right now. Or in the rest of the NBA arenas the Miami Heat play in, for that matter.

The Heat boast a 23-7 overall record, have won 12 of 14 and their last five wins have been by 15 or more points. Miami is just a half game out of the Eastern Conference lead.

They most recently dominated the Indiana Pacers Tuesday night, winning back-to-back-to-back road games by 10-plus points each. The Heat were the first team to do that in over 41 years.  

A front-runner for his third MVP crown, LeBron James is sparking the Heat by averaging 28.2 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. He shockingly leads the team in all three categories. 

Dwyane Wade isn't having the huge year that he displayed in 2010-11, but his chemistry with James is at an all-time high and he's a reliable option to break out when the team needs him to. They're showcasing exceptional offense, boasting the league's second-best scoring total with 103.4 points per contest.

What do the Heat need to do to keep up the pace and win LeBron's long-anticipated first ring? 

The Heat Must Sign a Big Before the Playoffs

After losing the Kenyon Martin sweepstakes, the Miami Heat shift their focus to veteran center Joel Przybilla, whom they've already offered a contract.

Miami's starting center Joel Anthony is always a reliable defender, but he only averages 3.2 points per game and is just 10th on the team in Player Efficiency Rating. It's hard to find a weak link on this year's Heat team, but Anthony would be the one if I was forced to point somebody out. 

Chris Bosh and Udonis Haslem hold it down on the post, but both of them prove to be power forwards and nothing close to centers.

The Heat need another option—if not an upgrade—for Anthony if they want to better their chances of succeeding against the likes of Joakim Noah or Dwight Howard that they could see in the playoffs. At 7'1", Przybilla possesses the size to guard the league's best centers. 

LeBron Must Continue Success in Chicago's United Center

Just like last year, it seems like an inevitability that the Heat and Bulls clash at some point in the playoffs, more than likely in the Eastern Conference Finals. 

Luckily for Miami, LeBron plays his best ball in Chicago's United Center. 

In arenas that he's played 10 or more games in, James averages 31.2 points in United Center, more than any other opposing arena. The Heat made it look awfully easy last year, taking the Bulls out in five games. But nobody in the Miami organization expects Chicago to go down that easily this season. 

The Heat Must Be the Ones to Shut Down Linsanity

Is it even possible to write a basketball-related article right now without mentioning Jeremy Lin?

As Lin captivates the world of basketball with his all-odds-defied story and record-breaking play, the Heat have to be looking forward to their matchup with the 'Linsane Asylum' that is the New York Knicks on Feb. 23 in Miami. 

Lin has yet to be held under 20 points in a starting role, and it's likely he could stroll into South Beach with that statistic still alive.

This aspect has little to do with the regular season game, though. The new-look Knicks are surging into playoff contention in the East and are the only team whose number the Heat don't have right now.

With Dwyane Wade on Lin and King James on Carmelo Anthony, Miami matches up well against New York. But if the Linsanity continues after Melo's return, it will be a lot for the Heat to handle come playoff time. 

The Heat Must Cut Down on Turnovers

Miami has climbed out of the cellar in the turnovers per game statistic, but still sits at 20th in the league with 15.5. 

Part of this is due to Miami's run-the-court tempo, but it has to be cut down especially when the rigors of a deep playoff run will come to fruition and they are battling the league's best. 

In bad losses, turnovers play a huge part in the Heat's inability to sustain possessions and give their play-makers a good look at the basket. In some cases, it leads to unfavorable fast breaks and an easy two points for the other team.

Look for Miami to trim down the turnover ratio before the playoffs. 

The Heat Must Defend the Arc Better

We've all seen the great equalizer play its part in huge comeback playoff victories, and it may be the Heat's biggest vulnerability that nobody is talking about. 

Miami ranks in the bottom 10 (23rd) in three-point defense, as the opposition is averaging 36.3 percent from behind the arc. Even worse is that they have allowed 238 treys this season, the most in the NBA. 

It may not be talked about, but the numbers don't lie. And when the Oklahoma City Thunder look like your top competitors for the NBA crown this year, you'd better be able to defend the three ball. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook can stroke it with the best. 

Of course, if LeBron & Company keep up their jaw-dropping season, it may not make any difference.