Miami Heat: The Stat That Will Have the Team's Opponents Crying 'Foul'

You think they're crying about the Heat's Big Three now?

Just wait.

Here's a stat that foreshadows something Heat opponents will really whine about:

Free Throws Per Game (2009-2010):

1. Kevin Durant, LeBron James : 10.2

3. Dwight Howard: 10.0

4. Dwyane Wade : 9.1

5. Carmelo Anthony: 8.9

6. Chris Bosh: 8.4

That's right. The Big Three were all in the top six in the NBA in drawing fouls. They combined for 27.7 free throws per game. 

Even if the Heat's number were reduced by 20% to account for the Big Three sharing the ball (reducing the number to 22 per game), that compares very favorably to the Lakers' top three free throw shooters (Bryant, Gasol, Bynum): 17.0 per game, or the Celtic's (Pierce, Perkins, Rondo): 13.2. 

The biggest impact of this stat?

Simply stated, the ability to draw fouls is the best way to neutralize opposing big men.  How often have players like Shaq, Dwight Howard, and other bigs been forced to sit the bench due to foul trouble?

This does not bode well for teams that rely on big men like the Lakers (Bynum, Gasol), Boston (Perkins, Garnett), Orlando (Howard), and Chicago (Noah).

The Heat are built in a different manner. Like the championship Bulls teams, the Heat's strength is at SG, SF and PF. The center position is filled by somewhat interchangeable big men who can clog the middle, but are not relied upon for offense (Anthony, Big Z, Magloire, Pittman).

Once the season starts—mark my words—the next phase of the Big Three will be cries of favorable treatment from the refs. Simpletons, sportswriters, and fans will say "look at the disparity in foul calls," as if those numbers prove some sort of NBA/Nike/Madison Avenue conspiracy.

When those cries come, remember: These players were among the best at drawing fouls before they teamed up.

That's not going to change, and opponents will just have to deal with it.