NBA Playoffs 2012: LeBron James Must Continue to Dominate Ball for Heat to Win

The Miami Heat will lose the NBA Finals to the Oklahoma City Thunder if LeBron James doesn't dominate the ball like he did the last couple of games in their series against the Boston Celtics.

Dwayne Wade is a terrific player—one of the best in the NBA—but he can't do the same kinds of things for the Heat that James can do. James is a better ball-handler, a better passer, a better scorer and a better finisher around the hoop than Wade. 

The truth of the matter is that James is the best option the Heat have to win, but sometimes the team gets confused on this matter.

Take the beginning of Game 7, for example. James was almost completely absent for most of the first quarter as the Heat tried to get Wade involved in the offense. The Celtics ended up taking a big lead in the first half before James decided to take the game over.

The Heat are at their best when King James runs the court. 

He can take any player off the dribble and get to the hoop, and if there are three or four defenders waiting for him under the basket, James has the height, wherewithal and ability to get the ball to one of his wide-open teammates. 

He's big enough to post up Kevin Garnett, yet James is also agile enough and quick enough to get around the best perimeter defenders on the outside. James can play all five positions on the court, and the Heat need to let their star be all he can be or they will go down in flames once again in the Finals this year.

It's time for the experimentation to cease. Let James run the show from start to finish. He has become a vocal leader on the court, and he is adept at directing his teammates when he has the ball in his hands. Heck, it's not like Erik Spoelstra has the team running any kind of offense to begin with.

James needs to be the leader both in words and in actions from start to finish. It's the only way the Heat will win the title.

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