Miami Heat: Would They Be Better Off With Odom Or Boozer?

Latest news indicates that Lamar will be re-signing with the Lakers. This is great news, as a Lakers fan. Miami has been chasing Odom hard, and admittedly, there were more than a few nervous fans.

Miami has been active on the rumor mill, if not in real life free agency, and more than one article has been floated about the possibility of teaming Wade with Boozer AND Odom. Personally, I couldn't see how Miami was going to pay for that kind of roster, unless they moved Jermaine O'Neal (something I thought would be impossible, until I saw the Clippers move Zach Randolph. When that happened, I was like, hey, anything is possible--other than moving Eddy Curry (both contract-wise AND weight-wise))

Anyway, with LA poised to retain Odom, this becomes a moot point. But it's still fun to discuss (apparently). So, if Miami HAD been more active in real life, and they were to obtain the services of one of their coveted free agents, who would be the better fit?

LAMAR ODOM has played for Miami, with Dwayne Wade before. And played well. Dammit, if he had played like that with the Lakers in the finals against Boston, Kobe might have gotten that monkey off his back a year earlier. Never mind. Odom has already proven he can play with Wade, and play well. He'd slot into the starting PF spot, alongside O'Neal and maybe Beasley and help form a long frontcourt. And Miami would improve to somewhere between where they were when they had the Wade-Odom-Butler trio (heh, Butler trio) and when they had the Wade-Shaq trio (Shaq weighs like two people).

Don't think it equals a championship folks, unless Kobe, Duncan, KG, Pierce, Dwight and LeBron all suddenly fall victim to freak injuries, or get kidnapped like Damon Wayans in Celtic Pride. In other words, not only would the Heat not win a championship, but they are not even close to the same tier as the Magic, Cavs, Celts, Lakers or Spurs. They might beat the Hawks, but that's it.

CARLOS BOOZER on the other hand, would make the Heat a better team than Odom would. Let's operate under the assumption that Boozer won't fall to injuries (seriously, have you seen a tougher looking dude that got hurt so often?) or won't throw the Heat to the curb for a more lucrative offer from a cap-rich club. Instead of a Boozer-Deron Williams duo, you now have a Boozer-Wade duo. Just as potent, if not MORE potent.

Instead of a Boozer-Okur frontcourt you now have a Boozer-O'Neal frontcourt. O'Neal contesting and swatting shots and Boozer grabbing the boards. Instead of a Boozer-Millsap logjam you now have a Boozer-nobody logjam (assuming Haslem is part of the deal that would bring Boozer to Miami).

Miami gets a better player to pair with Wade, the Lakers keep their x-factor, and the Jazz remove the bane of their offseason (seriously, Boozer, when he hits free agency in any form, is a pain in the butt for any team that deals with him. "Yes, I'll re-sign...actually, no, I'll leave for a better offer. Yes I'll opt out...actually, no, I'll stay and bugger up your cap plans").

Miami, smile. Boozer is the better option for you. As a Laker fan, anyway :)