How and Why The Miami Heat Will Succeed With The New Big Three
In the illustrious 63-year history of the National Basketball Association, never before have three of the top ten players in the world been assembled together on one roster. The aspect that can't be overlooked is that each of these young stars remain in the primes of their respective careers.
As of July 9, 2010, that statement is no longer true.
With the acquisitions of Chris Bosh and LeBron James, along with the re-signing of Dwyane Wade, the Miami Heat have firmly thrust themselves from first-round fodder to perennial contender.
Cynics have predictably berated the trio, but I recall many question marks about the Boston Celtics and the likelihood of their success when their version of the big three joined forces. I'm very confident the Miami Heat are going to enjoy unparalleled success.
The reason being is this: LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are winners. I'm absolutely convinced that LeBron and Wade are more than capable of playing with anybody, especially each other.
Both are unselfish, both consistently make the right basketball play, both are blessed with very high basketball IQs. Both make teammates better, both bring it every night, both are gifted offensive players and, more importantly, both are more than capable defensive players.
These three are pieces that fit comfortably. It's not as if it's three players with abysmal shot selections. Allen Iverson, Steve Francis and Larry Hughes they are not. Unselfishness is a characteristic Bosh, James and Wade share, and it's that characteristic that will rule the day for the Heat going forward.
During his time in Cleveland, LeBron single-handedly transformed a dysfunctional NBA doormat into a playoff team and eventually an NBA championship contender. LeBron guided a very mediocre Cleveland squad to their first ever trip to the NBA Finals in the 2006-07 season. In his last two seasons, the two-time MVP James squeezed every ounce out of the roster by leading the franchise to their two best years in franchise history.
LeBron James has never played with anyone close to this caliber before, let alone two guys of this caliber. Mo Williams, Shaq, Jamison and Zydrunas Ilguaskas have all been named All-Stars at some point in their careers. None of them (with the exception of Shaq in his prime) are or were in the top 5 in their position. LeBron could play alongside his four teammates from high school and take them to the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. Ergo, you simply can't help but feel that the sky is the limit for the Miami Heat.
Dwyane Wade's supporting casts over the years have been, for the most part, even worse than LeBron's. The championship year aside, where Wade was fortunate enough to play alongside Shaquille O'Neal, Antoine Walker, James Posey and Alonzo Mourning, Wade has been going to battle with NBA D-League caliber pieces around him.
Despite this, Wade has singularly directed the Heat to forty plus win seasons and consistent playoff berths.
One thing Wade and James have had in common to this point in their careers is the unprecedented weight on each of their shoulders. So much was expected of these two every night from Dwyane Wade and LeBron James, lesser players would've folded or quit. But Wade and James each found success in the regular season, regardless of the abilities of their surrounding pieces. This is one of the main reason I'm convinced this triumvirate will be very effective.
The Heat also inked Chris Bosh to a long term deal. In his seven seasons in the NBA, he has been named an All-Star on five occasions. Bosh has played with a relatively weak set of teammates as well over the years. Bosh hasn't enjoyed the success that James and Wade have thus far in his career, however he did lead his undermanned Raptors to the playoffs twice.
Much criticism has been levied on Chris Bosh. Fair or not, a star player is measured by how his team performs, and simply put the Toronto Raptor's track record is dreadful. I think this will be a heavy factor in terms of Chris Bosh's motivation going into the season.
With respect to how this will actually play out on the court, I envision endless possibilities. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade will take turns setting up the offense. Either are capable and will be entrusted with running the offense. That role calls on them breaking their man down and creating opportunities for others or themselves.
The pick-and-roll game will be efficient with either James and Bosh or Wade and Bosh. Opponents will discover that the pick and pop game with either James and Bosh or Wade and Bosh is going to be difficult to defend as well.
The Heat will be able to feed Bosh on either side of the block, where he'll be capable of using his quickness to blow by his defender or unleash his impressive mid-range jumpshot. The Heat will be more than adequate in scoring in half-court sets. The real terror for the rest of the league will be their transition game.
If you thought the Phoenix Suns played an exciting brand of basketball, you haven't seen anything like what's going to happen in Miami. Let's just say the Heat will lead the league in at least two categories in 2010: most times on national television and alley-oops.
Regardless of who the Heat sign to round out the remainder of the roster, in LeBron James and Dwyane Wade they have arguably the two best finishers in the entire league. Not to mention they are two of the fastest guys with the ball in the NBA.
Speaking of the remainder of the roster, that makes for a very interesting subplot. Third year guard Mario Chalmers is the likely candidate to start at point guard. Rumors are circulating that sharp shooting G/F Mike Miller is headed to Miami. Another rumors is that they are in talks with veteran PG Derek Fisher. That leaves approximately seven or eight roster spots available.
A quick look at the list of potential free agents indicates that there are some players that could help in Miami's quest for an NBA Championship. The Heat will need a defensive presence in the middle, some size to put around Chris Bosh, a pure shooter or two, and could use a defensive specialist on the perimeter.
Miami doesn't have a great deal of money to spend. However history indicates that veteran players have a tendency to sign for less in order for a realistic opportunity at an NBA championship. And they will certainly be afforded that luxury in Miami.
Udonis Haslem, Eddie House, Tony Allen, Nate Robinson, Tony Battie, Joe Smith, Kurt Thomas, Josh Powell, Jarron Collins, Juwan Howard, Matt Bonner, and Ben Wallace are all veterans who could be in play for the Heat.
Getting back to James, Wade and Bosh, what they've done is unprecedented. You'll be hard pressed to find someone actually praise what they did, which is unfair. Each agreed to take a paycut, and put winning above all else. We so often hear professional athletes say 'It's not about the money', but for the first time an athlete put his money where his mouth is. In this instance, three guys put their money where their mouth is.
James, Wade and Bosh each will still get paid handsomely, each will enjoy life in gorgeous Florida, each will have the times of their lives playing alongside two of his best friends. But the bottom line is, they did it all for one reason. To win. There is something wholesome and special about that.
We've never seen an athlete sacrifice the glitz and glamour of being the face of his own franchise, simply to become another guy in a team concept and make less money doing so. These three willingly did, and should be commended for it.
Personally, I am predicting the Miami Heat are going to flirt with seventy wins every year this triumvirate is assembled. They are going to prove all the naysayers who think there's not enough basketballs to go around wrong. They're going to dominate in the regular season and succeed in the postseason, and they better because they mortgaged their entire future in so doing. The Heat don't own a first round pick until 2015 due to the sign and trades with Toronto and Cleveland.
