Miami Heat Not Rising to Expectations In Second Loss To Boston Celtics
It wasn't supposed to be like this. Local and national media pegged Miami to be the one team that could eclipse the 72 win total of the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls. They were the ones who tried to lay claim to the name "Big Three;" a term that had forever been linked with the Boston Celtic organization. Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh and possibly the Maimi Heat organization forgot that it takes more than talent to win.
Miami has arguably two off the best players at their position however duplication and lack of support has caused them to falter down the stretch. They have faced the Boston Celtics twice in the first nine games of the season. Each time, it has been LeBron who has taken it upon himself to bull-doze his way through the opposing team. Each time they have come up short wondering why. Is it time to panic? Only Pat Riley's note cards can tell us but his facial expressions in last night game told us all we needed to know.
The heat is on head coach Erik Spoelstra to figure out how to bring the Miami "Ego" machine into line. We all remember the day after "Le Decision" when James proudly proclaimed that this new edition of the Miami Heat would win at least seven championships.
Bosh strutted across the stage in his thin-man version of the incredible Hulk while Wade and James flanked him. The NBA world was placed on notice that they were champions albeit paper champions.
Reality has a way of bringing things back into perspective and the shortcomings that were overlooked have become glaring weaknesses that every team with a decent big or point can take advantage off.
Point Taken
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Rajon Rondo sets the standard that Carlos Arroyo and Mario Chalmers are trying to reach. Arroyo and Chalmers have a better jump-shot yet they lack the point guard skills that are necessary to gain the trust of the Heat stars.
Arroyo can often be seen differing to James or Wade and often time panics when neither option is available to him. His passing skills are less than servicable and in the world games he was not even the best point guard on the Puerto Rican national team. That distinction went to the Dallas Mavericks back-up, Jose Barea.
Arroyo lacks the skills to run the team whether or not Wade and company are on the court with him. His defensive weaknesses are exposed against top flight point guards like Rondo. Players like Derrick Rose, Brandon Jennings and Russell Westbrook will be waiting to take their turn destroying the Heat back-court.
Wade In The Water
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Dwyane Wade is a living crash test dummy. He throws his body around with abandon and as a result missed all of the pre-season. His game is predicated on his slashing style and a very efficient use of his athleticism. Unfortunately all of that is negated when he runs across an equally potent scorer such as Ray Allen.
Allen knows how to work without the ball in his hands, he sets up his opponents by running through a series of screens.
In the two games that the Heat have faced the Celtics, Wade has had to attempt to get over the screens set by Celtic bigs, Shaquille O'Neal and Glen Davis. By the fourth quarter, tired legs prevents him from being a key factor in any attempted comeback.
Last night, he was once again relegated to being a bystander as James made it his personal mission to outduel the Celtics by himself. It would be wise of him to take a page from the de facto Celtic captain Paul Pierce's approach to working with other stars. That is to learn how to play without the ball in his hands and just give the game what it needs.
For all intensive purposes he is the leader of the team, yet his passive aggressive comments show that he is afraid to tell James directly that he needs to share the ball more.
Le Decision And The Truth
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There is no doubt in anyone's mind that LeBron James has more physical talent than Paul Pierce. He is more athletic and can dominate the game like no other. However Pierce has the edge in understanding how to work well with his teammates without dominating the ball.
It is a known fact that James has had the ball in his hands since he was in high-school; dominating the game because he was so much more talented than anyone on that level. Fast-forward to the NBA and his peculiar talents often leaves everyone in awe and expecting greatness in the form of championships.
Like Wade he is more often than not the better player at his position. He doesn't have to do much and the opposing small forward doesn't put up much resistance.
Pierce is the equalizer that forces Bron to stay at home and not roam, he has to pay attention to Pierce at all times. Bron has openly stated that he needed more help; yet when faced with the pressures of making a comeback he refuses to utilize the very star who welcomed him in his town.
James may figure out in time that it is better to make your teammates part of the action instead of bystanders.
KG and The Thin Man
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The Miami Heat thought they were getting a younger version of KG in Chris Bosh. They both have a reliable mid-range game and are about the same height. That is where the similarities stop.
KG's desire and heart shows-up every minute that he is on the court and his team follows his lead. Garnett's legendary intensity rubs other players and even his teammates the wrong way sometimes. However if you ask anyone they will gladly take him over Bosh; surgically repaired knee and all.
Garnett is averaging almost a double-double this season, while Bosh's rebounding totals are pedestrian at best. He was the leader in Toronto by default and would not push himself through a nagging injury last season to help his team make the playoffs. Now Pat Riley has gifted him a 100 million dollar contract that he will eventually regret.
The Miami Heat, cannot stem the tide of opposing guards and big men who feast on Bosh, Udonis Haslem and Joel Anthony masquerading as the last line of defense.
Bosh stood motionless as Rondo came down the middle dunked, elevated and posterize him.
When faced with the intensity that rages through Garnett's game he wilts under the pressure. There is nothing in his game that says he is truly part of the Miami triumvirate; instead his game and his demeanor screams that he is in over his head.
Undersized, Undermanned an Afterthought
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It's not his fault that he cannot give the Heat what they need; an enforcer that will make opponents think twice before entering the paint. Joel Anthony is often outmatched every night and has no help from Chris Bosh in patrolling the paint.
He has no offensive game to speak off and has to wait for the scraps from the misses of Wade and James. When the game is on the line he is no where to be seen, because he becomes an instant liability.
Anthony was on the floor for the first few minutes of the first quarter and was replaced by Zydrunas Ilgauskas for the rest of the night. Ilgauskas's game keeps him on the perimeter and at one point in the game two Celtics out rebounded four Heat players for four offensive rebounds.
There is one name out there that Riley may decide to bring in and that is Eric Dampier; he would be a major upgrade and that is not saying much.
Can You Feel The Heat
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Erik Spoelstra is known as Pat Riley's hand pick successor to the coaching seat. He started out as the video coordinator and slowly made his way up the chain to head coach. He was supposed to hold down the fort till a more experienced successor could be found.
He surprised everyone by making the playoffs in each of his first few years. Now that he has an upgrade in talent the eyes of Riley are squarely placed upon him. Riley talks to Coach "Spro" after every game, critiquing his efforts and giving him advice.
I doubt many coaches would feel comfortable with the GM waiting in the wings to tell them how they did in each game. Riley has a great basketball mind, but the ghost of Stan Van Gundy's conspicuous abdication from the coaching chair is probably in the back of Spoelstra's mind.
Wade, James and Bosh claimed to a man in July that ego would not be a problem, yet Coach Spro could be heard imploring his team to put their ego's aside. I dare say he was talking to Wade and James who seem to be wrestling with the thought of who will be king of the hill when all is said and done.
Nine games into the season and the new look Miami Heat have landed with a thud after having to come to terms with the reality that it ain't easy being three.
The media has already started whispering that the red inked paper in Riley's Armani suit may spell the end of Spoelstra coaching day's with the Miami Heat. The body language of the team tells you that it may happen before the trading deadline.
