Miami Heat Creating Fire Where There Is None: Why This Isn't LeBron James' Team

Just as sure as the Sun rises in the East and sets in the West, the Media will create a story where there is none. It’s been the one constant of this 2010-2011 NBA offseason.

Apparently the current theme of choice is demerit Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade at any cost.

First the offseason started with Kenny Smith and Steve Kerr stating that Kevin Durant is a better player than Dwyane Wade. Apparently Durant had accomplished more in his three year career than Wade had in his seven.

Now after one preseason game; and a strained hamstring injury that will sideline him for possibly the next two weeks. The Media wants to proclaim that Wade is somehow less of a player and that LeBron James had claimed the Miami organization as his own.

Addressing Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports

Yesterday, Yahoo blogger Adrian Wojnarowski posted his typical foolishness on matters of the NBA. He stated:

“Dwyane Wade’s injury paves the way for what was already inevitable: LeBron James will own the Heat.”

A preseason injury has removed Dwyane Wade from his pedestal in Heat folklore, really?

Wojnarowski didn’t stop there though; he actually explained his premature speculation. He stated:

“For everything Wade gains with James and Bosh, for everything he has done and meant and represented for this franchise, something was lost on Tuesday night: His team. He’s the heart and soul, yes, but the Heat will no longer play through him. ”

The Heat will no longer play through Dwyane Wade, really? So seven years of a proven product will be taken out of stock for the so-called up-grade? Never mind the fact that the previous product had been the more effective and efficient offensive option and hasn’t shown any signs of being anything but that.

As absurd as his blog was, the most idiotic of his statements had to be this:

“For all the semantics about a partnership, about James fitting into Wade’s world, the truth made itself apparent on the opening night of the preseason. The Heat gave the ball to LeBron James and just watched him go, and they’ll never look back”. 

Understanding Heat Culture

In no way shape or form did the Heat coaching staff just give the ball to James and watched him go. He was a cog in a machine, just like every other Heat player on the court.

There were actually many possessions where James was left standing holding his hands out calling for the ball, only to have his new teammates ignore him in favor of running the offense.

This isn’t Cleveland and it most definitely isn’t a Mike Brown coached team. There will be no more handing the ball to LeBron and getting out of his way.

It’s the reason why Mario Chalmers finished with 3 more assist in seven less minutes than James. Even Mike Miller had the same total of assist as James but played 10 fewer miutes.

The Heat has a system and structure that not even Shaquille O’Neal could collapse. They also have a presence in the organization that outweighs that of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade combined – Pat Riley.

 Pat Riley doesn’t compromise. It’s his way and it’s his team above all others. James will never be viewed in higher regards than he nor Wade. That’s just the way things work in Miami.

 Weeding Out the Truth from the Lies 

I’m honestly under the impression that the Yahoo blogger didn’t watch the game, but instead waited for the ESPN and NBAtv highlights. There isn’t anyway one views that game and thinks that all the Heat did was play through James.

It was noted that James took the first attempt of the night for the Heat (a miss). However, it wasn’t noted that Wade made the first basket for the Heat (also had the first two steals).

It’s little subjective things like that a writer purposely leaves out to mislead readers into falling in-line with their way of reasoning.

The truth is this. James was a one man act for all of four minutes in the first quarter. From the 7:03 marker of the quarter to the 3:11 point, LeBron James dominated the game. He tallied eight points, two assist and 1 rebound.    

The Heat went from being down 7-9 to going up 19-11. That’s as far as this being his team went.

The Heat would finish the quarter up 24-15. James would tally 12 points (six of eight shooting), one rebound and two assist.

In the second quarter James entered the game with Chris Bosh after sitting for the first seven minutes, the Heat had ballooned the lead to 43-25. Yet somehow James is given credit for something that happened while he was on the bench.

James would go one for six in the second quarter and finished with two points and one assist. Chris bosh on the other hand had six points over the time span and Arroyo also had six. Haslem tallied eight points while James was on the bench, largely due to Mike Miller and Mario Chalmers running the offense.

The Heat would enter the half up 58-38. James would have 14 points, two rebounds, and three assist in 17 minutes of play. Bosh had 12 points, five rebounds, and one assist in the same time span.

The third quarter began with Bosh scoring the first six points of the quarter. Bosh would go on to score eight of the Heat’s first 14 points, none of which were assisted by LeBron James.

Mike Miller actually played the role of facilitator during that time span as he tallied three assist. The rest of the quarter feature Chalmers displaying his improved ball handling skills.

LeBron played the entire quarter finishing with four points, two rebounds and one assist. The Heat would end the third period up 87-68.

Clearly there was more to this team than LeBron. 

Loyalties Lie With Wade

People fail to realize that this Heat roster returns seven players from last season’s Wade lead team. Five of those players were guided to two consecutive fifth seeded positions in the Eastern Conference playoffs because of Wade.

Those players are familiar with Wade and have established bonds with him and his family. It isn’t logical that they will follow James over Wade; I don’t care how charismatic he is.

Then there’s the bond between Dwyane Wade and the Heat coaching staff. Seven years of loyalty won’t be erased by a player who is barely arguably better.

Wade is a huge reason Erik Spoelstra is still the coach of this team. He knows that even if Wade doesn’t. The two have a genuine love and respect for one another. There is no way Spoelstra throws that away just to accommodate the ego of LeBron James.

And finally we have the Miami Heat fan base. Or should I say “Wade County?”

Many of these people have fought and argued over Wade’s proper positioning amongst the NBA elites for seven years. It’s arguably the same reason many of them got up and left the arena Tuesday once Wade went out injured. They don’t care about James and how special he is. They only care how he can help Wade gain the recognition many believe he has been denied of.

Make no mistake, when the “M-V-P” chants start, it won’t be for James, it’ll be for number three. 

Wade Isn’t Worried   

The funny thing about all this is that Wade doesn’t care about this foolishness of whom team it is. He’s already stated that he’s happy that LeBron James is more vocal than he is because it allows him to take his more natural approach to leading, through effort and results.

Wade has seven years of producing at a rate that has propelled him to the top of nearly every Miami Heat record. He is only three years James’ senior, and being that the two will spend the next five years as teammates, he has just as much influence over James’ statistics as James does his.

Regardless of what LeBron James accomplishes as a member of the Heat, he’ll at best finish second to Wade on the list of all-time Heat statistics.

It’s as clear as day.

This isn’t LeBron James’ team, no matter who wants to claim differently. Wade has already walked the walk and is happily waiting for James to catch up. James has yet to take his first step.

Let’s discuss this foolishness at the end of this upcoming season. For now, the notion is as valid as Kevin Durant being a more complete player than Wade or James.