Where Is "The Answer" When the Miami Heat Needs One?

No, I don't care that the only team Allen Iverson has received a significant offer from plays in a European league.

And, oh no, I don't care that the Miami Heat haven't been keeping up with the Joneses by making some radical move.

What I care about is seeing my team miss a valuable opportunity by allowing long-term concerns to interfere with their immediate needs.

Allen Iverson is a must-sign pickup.

Contrary to most teams, Miami actually needs a guy that is selfish about his scoring.

Dwyane Wade didn't lead the league in scoring for the first time last year because his game jumped a few notches—it's because his teammates were afraid to shoot.

It's because Wade wanted to prove he was among the league's elite again by throwing up 30 every night.

Ultimately, Miami fell short because they couldn't keep up with teams on offense, despite having the best statiscal offensive player in the year.

Now, I personally don't care if the Heat has to cue Alanis Morisette to do a hundred renditions of "ironic" until Pat Riley calls up Iverson.

No, I don't want to hear about Flip Murray. He can't score like Iverson, and he has a goofy name like Smush Parker.

No, I don't want to hear about Jamaal Tinsley. Say what you will about Iverson, but at least he still has passion for the game. Tinsley is just a malcontent who prematurely retired while wearing a uniform.

Jeez, I really must be upset, because I'm barking like Stephen A Smith. And guess what? That makes me exponentially more upset.

So let me just say this—and I have said it before.

At the end of the day, everything revolves around Wade. 

The Heat made their pitch for Lamar Odom. And as pundits have accurately assessed, if Odom ever really wanted to sign with Miami, he wouldn't have kept stalling. It was always L.A. for him.

Do I care? No, not really, because Odom doesn't have passion. He can get by on skill, height, and versatility. But everyone knows that when Odom actually comes to play, the Lakers are unbeatable—and don't think this factor wasn't silently a big deal.

Getting back to my previous point, next summer is going to be a fork in the road for the Miami Heat. Either Wade and significant free agent signs, or Miami loses Wade and the apocalypse happens.

Keep that in mind that the next time you hear Iverson's name connected with the Heat and the phrase "a move just for the sake of making a move."

Iverson does not fall under that phrase or category. Flip Murray and Jamaal Tinsley, while filling needs, are.

What Iverson is, is what he has has always been. He is a statement, more than an answer.

And that statement is: "We want to make life easier for our superstar. Because he knows, and we know, that we won't win the big game. We won't even get to it. But next summer, that's when we make our jump. And we want to make sure he isn't too worn out and frustrated to help take us there."

Get it done, Pat Riley.