Why LeBron James and the Miami Heat Are Falling Apart: Can They Be Saved?

During the 2010 regular season, teams like the New York Knicks, the New Jersey Nets, the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls spent the majority of their season clearing cap room in anticipation of the LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh sweepstakes.  

With only one player left on their roster at the beginning of free agency (Mario Chalmers) the Miami Heat shocked the world by re-signing Dwayne Wade and acquiring LeBron James and Chris Bosh.  It was thought, that this was the ultimate dream team and most analysts and experts predicted that the Heat would dominate the NBA and would easily glide to the finals and win it all.  

What most didn't consider, was that the Heat still needed other players to fill out their roster and come off the bench.  Pat Riley built around the big three by adding cheap NBA minimum contract veterans as well as paying big bucks to keep Udonis Haslem.  It is safe to say that the Heat went into the start of this season with massive expectations, and they have not lived up to them by any means. 

Allow me to start by saying that 8-6 is not a terrible record by any means, but for the amount of talent on that Miami Heat roster it should be better than that.  Let's face it, the Heat haven't been very good this season by any means.  

In fact, their record is very deceptive because seven of their eight wins have come against New Jersey (two), Minnesota, Philadelphia, Toronto, Phoenix and Charlotte.  Their only win against one of the elite teams in the NBA came against the Orlando Magic.

Now, their six losses are not bad, but when you look at who they have lost to, it is concerning.  Four of the six were played against Boston (two), New Orleans and Utah.  One might say that those are really good teams. Well, I am sorry but if you're going to be an elite team in the NBA, you have to beat the NBA's elite.  And now, their last two losses against Memphis and Indiana are worrying fans and the organization, especially considering that Indiana more or less blew Miami out. 

To be brutally honest, the Miami Heat's schedule has been relatively easy compared to the schedule of, say, Toronto.  So, the team really hasn't been great at all. 

So I am going to tell you why they have been so bad and why it may continue 

Chris Bosh 

Chris Bosh was a star in Toronto and a perennial All-Star who played with enthusiasm and passion.  So far this season, Bosh is averaging 17.4 ppg and 7.2 rpg, which is still not where he should be.  He still looks lost on the floor during offensive possessions and it seems to be affecting his defensive play as well as it has been pretty bad.  

Chris Bosh has an ego, he was always "The Guy" in Toronto and now he is the third guy in what is known as the "Big Three."  Bosh should have known that he wouldn't be getting as many touches as he did in Toronto and that the offense wasn't going to revolve around him.  

I don't expect Bosh to be this bad for the rest of the season, but he needs to check his ego.  It is no longer all about Bosh.  He needs to learn how to play as part of a team or else Miami may not be able to keep winning their games based on talent.

Dwayne Wade's Injury

It is no secret that Dwayne Wade's hamstring has been bothering him.  It has slowed his production down slightly and he doesn't look right.  Hamstring problems tend to linger with athletes for quite some time and this may not be different.  The problem with Wade being hurt is that the Heat don't have much depth, so Wade's absence is very noticeable.

Udonis Haslem

Udonis Haslem has been a model of consistency since he's been with the Miami Heat.  Now, he has gone down with a torn ligament that will require surgery, which could keep him out for the rest of the season.  

Reason to be concerned???? Yes!!!!  

Some fans earlier on were demanding that Bosh be replaced with Haslem because of Bosh's terrible start.  Haslem had been a spark plug off the bench and was a good defensive presence and provided some good offensive numbers too.  This injury to Haslem is a big blow to the Miami Heat as it is hard to replace someone like Haslem.

The Lack of Fans

Some of the players have probably noticed that they aren't drawing a lot of fans to the arena.  That is something that has frustrated the players and baffled the media.  

I am sorry, but seriously NEWSFLASH!! Not everyone can afford to go see a way overpriced basketball game in this economy.  

They have to understand that their television ratings will go through the roof but until playoff time, they might not draw a good crowd.  The Tampa Bay Rays are the best example of this. 

Erik Spoelstra

There is not a doubt in my mind that Erik is one of the better coaches in the NBA.  Now, with LeBron and Dwayne and Bosh, he has a lot more to do than coach.  He has to control egos as well and keep the players in check.  All this nonsense I hear about Riley potentially taking over is just mad Heat fans trying to spin the rumor mill.  Riley won't let Spoelstra go.

Those are the things that are problematic right now.

How can they be fixed?

I think what it really boils down to is the point guard and the center positions, arguably the most important positions in the game.  If you compare Miami to Boston, their big three of Garnett, Pierce and Allen are great players but without Rajon Rondo they wouldn't be as good a team.  

The real problem with Miami is their point guards.  Carlos Arroyo and Mario Chalmers haven't been good.  Their health has been poor and they are not working well with the big three.  It was hoped that one of the two would become the Rondo sort of player and everything would be jolly, but it has not been the case.  

The other problem is that they have no one rebounding the ball.  Bosh has only recently racked up some rebounds and now with no Haslem they are in big trouble.  Most thought that Joel Anthony would break out in a big way this year on the defensive side of things but it has not been the case.

In my opinion I am not entirely sure if Miami is going to do very well until they check their egos at the door and start playing good old-fashioned team basketball.  They need to have a more balanced offensive attack and they need to play grittier basketball on the defensive end.  If this doesn't happen, it is going to be a long and turbulent season for the struggling Miami Heat.