Miami Heat: 12 Reasons Why LeBron James and Dwyane Wade Will Develop Chemistry
It's not exactly panning out how we thought it would be.
To the avail of critics and to the disappointment of Heat fans, the Miami Heat and their modern day dream team have yet to prove to anyone that they are the legitimate favorite to win the next few championships as expected prior to the beginning of the season. At 9-8 and with a recent double-digit loss to the Dallas Mavericks coupled with losses to Indiana and Memphis, the NBA world is going insane at the thought of this Heat team being recognized as a bust.
To be perfectly honest though, there shouldn't be anything to worry about too much. The losses to Memphis and Indiana were a bit painful, but it's all part of the growing up process. When the Boston Celtics came together and found immediate success, NBA fans now have the belief that any team that brings superstars onto their team will see it too.
The difference between a team like Boston and Miami is that the Celtics brought in players that all had their niche. Allen was a long-range shooter, Pierce was a shooter and slasher, and Garnett was a mid-range shooter. The Heat feature Wade and James who are both slashers and Bosh who has plays similarly to Garnett. When you have a team that features two players who generally drive, there will be issues when finding plays for each player to thrive in.
Just because the Heat haven't gotten to the start that we expected doesn't mean it won't work, it only means that there needs to be adjustments and a chemistry to build off of. The fact that there are already trade rumors is a clear sign that there is a panic amongst the masses. If the team isn't panicking and making desperate moves, then there isn't anything to worry about. Most teams that bring in new players, especially players of this magnitude, all need time to adjust, build a chemistry with their teammates, and learn the system they're playing in.
Dwyane Wade and LeBron James knew what they were getting themselves into when they joined this team and they both know what it takes to win. They'll do whatever it takes to win games and their biggest issue is forming a chemistry and thriving off of each other which will come in due time. The talent is right there and it's going to take more than 17 games for it to come together.
High Basketball IQ
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Dwyane Wade has a championship and a Finals MVP to his name for a reason. LeBron James has two MVP awards for a reason as well. Those reasons were not just for being the most athletic players either, they won those prestigious awards because they were smart enough to win them. No player wins championships and MVP's because they don't know how to play the game the right way.
Even though LeBron and Dwyane might be playing at times like they haven't touched a basketball in years, they are still two of the smartest basketball players in the league. LeBron has always shown a touch to finding his teammates for easy scoring opportunities, while Dwyane is one of the smartest at driving in the lane and knowing how to draw fouls and being an excellent ball hawk in the passing lane through his ability to perceive anticipation.
By having two of the smartest basketball players in the league, it's a quicker and easier process for the team to begin to develop a chemistry and to begin running the right plays that can get easier scores. At the moment, the team is struggling on offense as they have been forced into jump shots for the majority of their possessions. LeBron and Dwyane no doubt would rather drive the ball rather than taking 20 foot jumpers, but they are settling into shots that they are mostly forced to take due to how slow the offense is run.
LeBron and Dwyane each have been the leaders and primary scorers on teams that desperately needed it. James learned in his time with the Cavs and Dwyane in his time with Heat learned how to develop the essentials to what was needed to win games. Through their eight years of experience with all types of teams, they have developed high enough basketball IQ's to become stellar players. They knew coming into Miami that they would need it if they were to ever survive playing with each other.
With two smart basketball players, they will learn how to play with each other. LeBron and Dwyane are too smart of basketball players to allow their team to become mediocre and not live up to the expectations that they were supposed to achieve.
LeBron As The Point Forward.
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You aren't paying LeBron James $115 million to be a jump shooter. You could haven given any shooting specialist a couple million to shoot the lights out. LeBron was brought on this team with one thing on the mind of Pat Riley.
We can mold him into Magic Johnson. We have the technology.
Nobody is saying that LeBron James is going to be the next Magic Johnson, but he could easily be Magic Johnson-esque. At 6'8" and 260 pounds, LeBron James holds an advantage over every other point guard thanks in part to his size, much in the way Magic used his 6'9" frame to see over opposing point guards and to see the court better than any other regular 6'3" point guard could see. James' court vision is coupled with his high basketball IQ as he can see plays before they happen.
Dwyane Wade is the last person who wants to run point for this team. He has stated his displeasure in the past of playing point guard and hasn't been put into a starting lineup of playing the position since his rookie year. He has played shooting guard predominantly since his sophomore season and has had no urge to move back into the point guard spot.
James however has no problem with running the point. He did it many times in his days at Cleveland, as Mo Williams was more of a shooter before anything else, and he facilitated the offense very well nearly every possession he accepted the role as point guard. It's how players like Anderson Varejao and Zydrunas Ilgauskas suddenly turned into All-Stars when LeBron had the ball in his hands. He knew where to look for his teammates and he knew the quickest way from point A to point B.
The only difference here is that players like Varejao and Williams will be replaced with Chris Bosh and Wade.
The Heat have yet to run a starting lineup with LeBron James at point, but if the defensive, and sometimes offensive, struggles continue for Carlos Arroyo and Mario Chalmers, then there would be a significant chance of James possibly running the point in the near future. With a less than stellar schedule on tap, the Heat have plenty of room to run different lineups and try out new systems that could be more effective.
Status Symbols
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You don't get to the status James and Wade are at without earning some type of accolade.
A position that these two hold over nearly every other player in the league is their status amongst other players. They have a lot more power and say than a Mario Chalmers or Joel Anthony type of player would get. Wade has plenty of power in the Heat organization and can easily dictate what he wants done with the lineups, management, or whatever else he could change for his personal preferences.
When LeBron joined this team, he immediately brought power to a team that had never been previously seen before. He was a business and he brought plenty of baggage with him as they most hyped high schooler in American history. He came into the league with fame and fortune surrounding him, he quickly established himself as one of the league's elite players, he had the city of Cleveland in the palm of his hands, and now him and Wade can basically control their team from the court.
Because they are held in the highest regards and esteem from their peers and are also the floor leaders, they have the power to control the internal issues of the Heat. If they become frustrated with the way the game is being run, there would be no jurisdiction and nothing holding them back from voicing their opinion and letting Riley know that they are unhappy with the way the season is going.
It's clear that Wade and James aren't completely frustrated with the way coach Erik Spoelstra is running the game as he would have been let go already, but it could happen in the future if the season progresses and the Heat are still recognized as a mediocre .500 team and nothing more. If inconsistency still reigns, changes will be made for Wade's and James' preferences. When they call for a change that benefits them, it will be then that they might possibly begin to develop a chemistry through the game that they want to play, rather than the game Spo wants to.
It would be a stretch for Wade and James to force Spo out of Miami, but it is a possibility if the season continues to progress in the manner it is at right now.
Cutters Keep Cutting
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If you have watched any Miami Heat game this season, you would know one of their largest issues has been on the offensive side.
It's been strange to believe that a team with three terrific scorers has trouble scoring, but after scoring 77 against Indiana, 80 against Boston, and 93 against New Orleans it became painfully obvious that the Heat have issues on the offensive side of the ball. They have had their success in a number of games, but they can fall into ineptness on offense, even against the most inept of defensive teams. Say for instance, their game against Philadelphia where they only 99 points and needed a big fourth quarter to pull away.
The largest issue on offense has been the lack of player movement. No team wins games when one player is controlling the ball and four other players are standing around watching and the Miami Heat are no different. There have been too many times this season where the Heat have played like the Cavs of the past few years where James has the ball in his hand and the rest of the lineup stands around and waits for him to make his magic.
There should be no reason for a team that has an offense led by Wade and James for a wait and see what happens attitude. There needs to be an aggression and physicality on offense that the elite teams in the NBA all possess. They need players moving at all times that keep defenses weary and on their toes, so that the Heat can keep opposing defenses second guessing themselves. The threat of a driving Dwyane Wade or LeBron James is one of the most intimidating plays to encounter in the league and it's why they have become so effective at it.
When the Heat run plays that consist of cutting to the basket, it either results in a nearly guaranteed two points, a foul, or a miss that still gives promise to a team that could use easy baskets. Most of the shots that the Heat take are difficult jumpers taken by players that shouldn't be taking those types of shots. If they can create designed plays where James can find Wade cutting to the basket or vice versa, then the offense would come a lot easier than before.
They Know How To Score
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31 and 30. Those are the career high in points per game that LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have acheived over their illustrious tenures. Those are numbers that many NBA players have never acheived and never will achieve because of just how truly strenuous it is to score in a league where the greatest individual and team defenses play in.
Even though their games are similar, they have completely different styles of how they play it. James gets to the rim through his athleticism and strength. He has thrived off of brute force and intimidating other players thanks in part to his abnormally large and athletic frame, while making a name for himself as one of the most lethal drivers in the game.
While Dwyane thrives heavily off of driving as well when it comes to scoring, he uses finesse when he drives. Rather than going over the top of people for most of his scores, Wade will use a cross-over to lose his initial defender and then will finish off the bigger defender in the middle with his speed, agility, and ability to fool players into thinking he'll go somewhere else to attempt a basket. Dwyane is one of the deadliest slashers in the league and has made a career out of it, just like James.
If you think that Wade and James plan on being jump shooters for the rest of the season, then you're clinically insane and I insist that you stop reading and be checked into an institution. They have flaws in their jump shot and their above average at best when it comes to shooting, which is why they will begin to find new ways to score and finish or drawing fouls rather than taking shots that they'd rather not take.
LeBron and Dwyane are scorers and they know what they are doing when it comes to playing offense. The reckless jump shots are only prominent now because they are adjusting to the system they are playing in, they are trying to figure out each others games, and they are figuring out how to play with each other on the court rather than against.
Aside from Shaq playing with the Heat for three years, neither player has played with another superstar for an extended amount of time. These two will begin to adjust to each other on offense and when they do, it will be a spectacle to truly behold.
Dwyane Has Experience With Superstars and Their Egos.
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Think it's tough being a young player in the NBA playing alongside a veteran Shaquille O'Neal? Try playing with Gary Payton, James Posey, Antoine Walker, and Jason Williams at the same time.
That was Dwyane Wade's second year in the league. Following a rookie season where he became the team leader late in the season and all the way through the postseason, Pat Riley pulled off the move of the decade by sending Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, and Brian Grant to the Los Angeles Lakers for then three-time champion Shaquille O'Neal.
Following a 2004-'05 season that ended abruptly with the Heat losing in game seven of the Eastern Conference finals, they brought in more veterans to help facilitate the offense. This time it worked out as Wade led the team of veterans to the franchises' first NBA championship. It didn't work out the following two years mostly due to injuries, but they still found immediate success in their healthy years together.
Not only does this Heat team have superstars, but they are also in their primes. Unlike players like Shaq, Williams, and Walker whose careers were on the decline, James and Bosh are only 25 years old and have a decade of stellar basketball still in front of them. Unlike Wade, James and Bosh have never had the benefit of playing with another star. Mo Williams was the only All-Star that played with either James or Bosh and he made it thanks to James ability to find him for open shots and to draw defenders.
Players like Payton and O'Neal were criticized over their careers for having exceedingly large egos, it spilled over during one Heat time out when Wade and Payton got into a verbal altercation, but they still managed to come together for one purpose and that was to win. Wade was the leader of a veteran team that had some of the most talkative and ego-maniacal players in the league and was still able to lead his team to two consecutive conference championships and an NBA championship.
The issues of egos and playing with each other is not going to become an issue because of Wade's experience with the types of players that he has played with in the past. It will allow for chemistry to form easier because of the solid ground Wade can put everyone on.
Egos were checked at the door and forming the right chemistry and cohesion is the only concern on this team right now.
They'll Work Better at Full Strength
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Take away the sixth and seventh man from any roster and you'll see a completely different team. It should be worth noting that the Heat have actually won a game without possibly their most consistent shooter in Mike Miller and their best defender and rebounder in Udonis Haslem. The Heat have been having to rely on James Jones, Eddie House, and a 37 year old Juwan Howard for production on the offensive and defensive end.
Needless to say, it's not exactly the same. Jones and House are far too inconsistent and Howard might have been the right man for the position in 1998, but unfortuanetly for the Heat it's 2010 and he barely has his legs underneath him. Haslem has been a consistent offensive and defensive contributor for eight years and it's unfortunate for the Heat that he may now be out for the season. The signing of Erick Dampier helps replace the size issue, but it doesn't replace the consistent 15 foot jumper or nearly ten rebounds per game.
The Heat have no answer for their jump shooting woes either until at least the end of December when Mike Miller is set to return. Even then, it could take a few weeks for Miller to begin to get his legs and his shot back after a two month long lay off. For now, the Heat are going to rely on Jones and House for their three-point shooting, but even then they are far too inconsistent and don't have a true mid-range game.
When Miller returns, LeBron and Dwyane will no longer be the primary jump shoots in the lineup. They'll be able to space the floor a lot more with Miller on the floor and they will receive a player who had shot 48% from beyond deep only a season prior. The difficult jump shots from Wade and James will only be seldom seen as bailout's as the Heat will look towards Miller for their jump shooting concerns.
The fact that Haslem might be out for the season is a huge issue for Wade more than anyone else because of the strong chemistry that they have built over the past seven seasons. They are the only two players from the 2005-'06 championship team and have been through every type of season you can possibly think of. Not to mention, the Heat lose one of their most consistent mid-range shooters in Haslem.
It might not be until next season when the Heat are at full strength, but it will greatly help the chemistry between LeBron and Dwyane when they have more time to worry about their individual games rather than trying to compensate for the losses of Miller and Haslem.
They Know To Play With Less Than Stellar Teammates.
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Building off of the fact that LeBron and Dwyane are running in lineup's that consist of Joel Anthony, James Jones, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas is the fact that they have had plenty of experience with the scrubbiest of the scrubs.
Say for instance the past two seasons of Heat basketball where their only other scoring options were Michael Beasley, Udonis Haslem, and Jermaine O'Neal. Yet, they reached 43 wins in Beasley's first season and 47 in their second with two postseason appearances in both seasons. The Heat's 2008-'09 campaign in fact was arguably Wade's best season as he won the scoring title at 30 points per game and finished a career high third in MVP voting.
As for LeBron James, I think having Eric Snow as your second scoring option in the NBA finals says it all.
Aside from James, Bosh, and Wade and a few players that are injured, there aren't many other players that can produce points of their own without any help. Luckily for these players, they have the benefit of working on the same floor as the big three and have plenty of room to find open opportunities and easier shots than they would with anyone else. Because of the large number of players that benefit off of Wade and James, they'll be able to form a chemistry not only with their teammates but with each other.
They have the experience of playing with less than stellar teammates and it's extremely beneficial that they have because of the fact that the two strongest players off the bench are now injured and now see Juwan Howard among others receiving significant minutes that they weren't expected to receive prior to the start of the season. Dwyane and LeBron will begin to work with each other once they begin involving their teammates on a more consistent basis.
When they do find ways to involve their teammates more, they will be able to find each other for more opportunities as well. They both have made themselves and their teammates better in the past and running into that problem now will come as no different than they have over the past few years.
They'll Learn How To Run the Fast Break
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To an optimist like me, even I am a little disappointed at how few fast break opportunities the Heat have been able to thrive off of. It was believable to expect that Dwyane Wade and LeBron James were going to run some of the most exciting fast break's in league history, but so far we haven't seen much of it as many of the fast break's the Heat have fun haven't had too much highlight worthy success.
Let alone scoring success either. Numerous times this season, Wade and James have ran fast break's but have either come away with a sloppy possession or the other team keeping pace and being able to foul in time before the Heat can complete their highlight play. It's not really an issue of if Wade and James can coexist on the same team, it's chemistry issues as they learn to adjust to how each player runs a fast break.
Each player has run the fast break to perfection over their careers and have earned the titles of some of the most lethal players in the league in the open court. They've worked with plenty of players that have less experience than Brian Scalabrine in the open court and were still able to convert on nearly every possession. Dwyane Wade working with LeBron James and vice versa in the open court will work out in due time, but for now there will be plenty of sloppy possessions that will result in turnovers.
Like I stated before, Wade and James are two of the most lethal drivers in the league and it's no different in the open court. In fact, Wade and James are even more dangerous, and possibly the most dangerous, in the open court than they are in a set offense. They might be struggling right now due to the lack of chemistry built between them, but there is no doubt that in time they will become the formidable duo that we expect.
It's going to take more than 17 games for Wade and James to begin to thrive off of each other and it's not been more obvious than what we have seen so far in the fast breaks. If you watch any time the two run with each other, you can see the potential and you can see the mistakes that need to be worked on. These two are extremely resilient and they will be able to run the fast break to perfection within the course of a few months.
They Know How and When To Take Over.
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Dwyane Wade and LeBron James have had success in the past for a reason. There only apparent for a short period, but they
For a two year period, Wade and the Miami Heat were the team to beat in the NBA as they had two straight seasons of 50 plus wins, made two consecutive conference championships, and featured one of the more formidable duo's in Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade. LeBron James had has seen his success much more recent than Wade as he has had two straight seasons of 60 plus wins and made his first NBA finals only four years ago.
Each player has found the staple of their success from the final minutes of any competitive NBA game. Whether it was Dwyane Wade from game three to six in the NBA finals or LeBron James in the 2007 Conference Finals, each player has shown why they are recognized as one of the few NBA elite. Over the past few seasons, Wade and James have amazed and astonished us in down to the wire games giving them the title as two of the most clutch players in the NBA today.
Yet in every down to the wire game the Heat have been in this year (New Orleans and Memphis) and have came up short. They have come up short on offense and defense as they either can't hit the big shot to make it a game or can't make the stop to put the game in their favor. In nearly every close game in the final minutes, the Heat have come up short with Wade and James being a part of each downfall as they can't help the Heat pull through.
When adjusting to a new system and team, players need to adjust to their teammates games, the system, and how to run the right plays for that time. It's too early to see how well this team responds to pressure because they haven't had enough time and experience together under pressure to beat developed teams that have worked in more games that are decided in the final minutes. An experienced team matched up with a newly created team will usually win when the game is close.
Even a team like the Heat.
A New Offensive Scheme?
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When you're set to race two thoroughbreds, would you either keep them at the gate and give everyone else a head start? Or would you let him go to their own pace to help you win?
Aside from the lack of player movement limiting the offensive production for this supposed to be juggernaut of a team is just how methodical and lethargic the offense is run at times. In the half-court offensive system the Heat have run since the beginning of the season, Miami has featured some of the most inexperienced, uninspired basketball as they usually eat up enough time in the shot clock to have to force a difficult jump shot from 20 feet or further.
The biggest problem is that there aren't too many players on the Heat that can make a jump shot like that. Mike Miller was supposed to be the guy to look to for shooting, but it has now been laid upon average shooters in LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to take the shot. Even when there's an attempt to drive, there is always either a roadblock in the paint or not enough spacing on the floor to open up an easy scoring opportunity in the middle.
While offenses run this slow do work out for more experienced, more jump shot oriented teams, the Heat are not the type of team that need to run so slow of an offense that they actually are forcing Wade and James into shots they'd rather not take. These two have been slashers, cutters, and drivers since they have joined the league and they should be played as such. The shooting can be left to players who have a specialty in that field, not players you're giving $115 million who have an average shot.
When the Heat run their offense, there needs to be a swagger and a faster pace to how it pans out. There needs to be a fluidity, so that James and Wade can help build chemistry together. The half-court features Wade, James, and their teammates usually passing the ball to each other along the perimeter and looking for an easier shot, usually they can't, mostly because they are restricted from entering the lane due to the lack of space and speed of the offensive system they are contained in.
Coach Spoelstra needs to let the two perennial All-Star's have fun at what they're doing and nothing would be more fun than seeing these guys run teams up and down the floor for a few quarters before sitting out the fourth. Two players this athletic and young would easily have the advantage over nearly every other team as far as athleticism and speed goes and they should be allowed to use these talents to their peak.
One Goal In Mind.
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If a team has one goal and is on the same frequency, they should have little trouble in developing the chemistry to help reach that goal. In the case of the Miami Heat, their main goal is that of winning multiple championships in their time together. At 9-8 and judging by the way they've played lately, it might not appear that way so far, but when millions of dollars are left aside or if three of the top statistical players are ready to give up their stats for rings, it is painfully obvious that these guys are still in it to win it.
This Miami Heat team was brought together for the sole purpose of winning a lot of games in the regular season, racing through the postseason, and winning a championship for nearly a decades worth of seasons. Players like Bosh, Wade, James, and Haslem all took pay cuts and huge public relations risks to team up in South Beach. With all the talk surrounding them and all the hate that is sent their way, they're not going to give up 17 games into the season, they're going to do everything they can to adjust to each other so that they can get on the right track once again.
We may have seen just how low this team can fall when there doesn't appear to be an chemistry or cohesion at all, but we have also seen just how dangerous and scary this team can be when they are playing on all the right cylinders for 48 minutes. It's not as if the Heat are losing terrible games either, nearly every loss the Heat has received have been decided in the final minutes and newly brought together teams usually don't have enough experience to beat an experienced team when it comes down to the final minutes of a game.
LeBron and Dwyane will form what will be known as the most dynamic duo to ever play the game of regulation basketball and they will put on a daily show for spectators from all parts of the country. The droves of bandwagon Heat fans will have a reason to attend games once there team begins to give them what they pay for: winning and a show.
With the same goal in mind, James and Wade will develop the chemistry needed to win games. Who would have guessed that it would take a newly developed team more than a month into the season to find their identity?
Give it at least until December before we demand trades and firings.
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