5 Fixes Miami Heat Need to Be Unstoppable

With yet another dominant performance from the Boston Celtics now in the books, it's time for the Miami Heat to do what they've needed to do since losing in the NBA Finals last season: re-evaluate everything and figure out where it all went wrong.

As one could only expect from the Heat, they dominated for short periods of time. Between their elite athletes and overall dominant scorers, even the vaunted Celtics' defense had no answer at times.

But "at times" doesn't win games; it has to be a full 48 minutes.

In order to reach the level of dominance that the NBA has expected of Miami, there are quite a few changes they need to make. Although some are likely to be unpopular, here is a list of five areas to improve upon as the Heat aim for perfection.

5. Start Bosh at the 5

One of the primary reasons the Boston Celtics have found such unlikely success is their move of Kevin Garnett to the five. While Miami fans are unlikely to approve of a move that "follows the Celtics' lead," pride must be put aside and the Heat must acknowledge what many have said all along: They play at their best with a smaller lineup.

It's well-documented how weak the Heat are at the five. In order to truly overcome that weakness, the Heat must stop pretending that another undersized player with a questionable track record is the answer. Instead, the Heat must utilize their quickness and athleticism to build a five-man unit that caters to their strengths.

In starting Chris Bosh at the five, the Heat would be able to place LeBron James at the four. His size and athleticism enables him to defend the position while his quickness, power and perimeter prowess makes him a terror for any player attempting to defend him.

4. Point Guard, Not Point Forward

LeBron James may be an excellent ball handler, as well as an excellent facilitator, but there's a difference between statistical greatness and an overall effect on your team. For instance, LeBron James had a plus/minus rating of minus-four against the Celtics. Meanwhile, Dwyane Wade registered a plus-eight.

In other words, the Heat actually played better without LeBron James on the floor. With James on the bench, the Heat cut the Celtics' lead from 89-81 to 91-89. Once James came back on the floor, the Celtics extended that lead to 102-91.

This is not a once-in-a-season occurrence.

Want further proof? Players ahead of him in assists per game include John Wall, Jose Calderon and Raymond Felton. All three of those players are not going to make the playoffs.

The fact is, a championship team is not built around one or three players; it's built around a system. Currently, the only system LeBron James employs is attacking the basket and hoping for open teammates if he can't find a lay-in.

Give the ball to a true point guard and let him do his job.

3. Extend Playing Time for Key Role Players

As the playoffs approach, it's imperative that the Miami Heat have clearly defined roles for the players who will help them win a championship. While most would expect those players to be Bosh, James and Wade, they're actually the role players who make the wheels turn on this Lamborghini.

Sharpshooters James Jones and Mike Miller have both suffered from injuries and a decline in playing time—something the Heat must adjust. They're easily the best two three-point shooters on the team, something that Dallas showed us can be pivotal in the pursuit of a title.

Furthermore, rookie Norris Cole has gone from a player who thrives on opportunity to a player who receives no chances at all. For the Heat to stand a chance in defeating a team like the Boston Celtics, they must possess depth at the point guard position.

Cole is the perfect player for that role.

2. Dwyane Wade Must Be the Closer

LeBron James has two MVP awards, a scoring title and is an eight-time All-Star. Know what he isn't? A former NBA Champion.

Dwyane Wade is.

While LeBron James' season has been absolutely magnificent, his history in the postseason has been far from stellar. Even if it had been, Dwyane Wade is the player who took the Miami Heat on his back and won an NBA title in 2006.

In the 2011 postseason, Wade's statistics were not as flashy as LeBron's but his play was much more efficient. He came up with defensive play after defensive play, including blocked jump shots and timely steals. He also lived up to the nickname Flash with his beautiful plays in transition, also hitting his signature circus shots on quite a few occasions.

What Wade did most, however, was come up in the clutch against the Mavericks. Just don't forget that it was LeBron laughing as he approached Wade after the corner three, not Wade laughing back.

1. Replace Erik Spoelstra

Don't get me wrong, I love the guy; he has a brilliant basketball mind and is talented enough to win an NBA title. But the fact is, he doesn't seem to have much control of his team and it often appears that plays are more on-the-fly than planned and practiced.

While I'd love to see Spoelstra turn things around, we all know who can control egos and bring about glory. It's just unfortunate that Pat Riley refuses to realize how poorly his team responds to a coach that could take them to the promised land.