Miami Heat Musings: LeBron James and Co. Move Forward After Win in Cleveland
Now that the hoopla surrounding LeBron James' return to Cleveland in a Miami Heat uniform has (for the most part) died down, the NBA can continue about its business as usual.
However, for a team like the Heat, for which there is no established norm–no break from the chaos of having three of the game's best players in the same locker room, on the same court, at the same time–a convincing win over a team like Cleveland can have a lasting effect.
Particularly considering the parties involved and their histories (*cough*LeBron*cough*The Decision*cough*Ohio hates him).
So where does the squad from South Beach go from here?
LeBron James: Exorcising Demons
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Once LeBron announced on national television that he would be taking his talents to South Beach, the world watched and waited for the Heat to deliver the "King" back to his former subjects, with Dec. 2 circled on the calendar.
Chances are, James had the same mark on his.
With his performance against his former team in the House that Dan Gilbert Built (38 points, five rebounds, and eight assists, including an astonishing 24-point third quarter), King James seemed to finally put the demons of his past transgressions behind him, at least on the court.
And even if he hasn't, James has at least begun the healing process for his own troubled soul and can resume his domination of the league.
Dwyane Wade: Second Fiddle Ain't So Bad
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Somewhat lost amidst the fanfare surrounding LeBron's scoring explosion was the remarkable stat line put up by Dwyane Wade, also know as that other All-World player on the Heat's roster:
22 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, three steals.
Wade's play has been a bit erratic so far this season, due in part to his having to adjust to sharing the spotlight with LeBron, which has subsequently sparked a debate in the basketball world about who should take the reins in Miami and who should simply take a back seat.
Oddly enough, Wade's performance against Cleveland suggests that the Heat would be better off with him, and not LeBron, playing second fiddle.
With the limelight firmly fixated on James, Wade had his best game of the season, shining without the benefit of ball control.
The lesson? Perhaps Wade, more so than James, is amenable to a somewhat diminished role on the court for the Heat, championship ring and Finals MVP award notwithstanding.
Chris Bosh: Bring The Boards
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Chris Bosh came to Miami as a front-court stud, a title earned by virtue of his ability to regularly pour in 20 points and pull down 10 boards.
As expected, Bosh's scoring numbers have dipped noticeably since joining the Heat, as he has had to adjust to being the clear third option on a team with two other superstars.
However, this change in roles has also diminished Bosh's rebounding stats considerably, as demonstrated by the former Raptor pulling down a full two rebounds fewer per game than his career average.
This doesn't bode well for the Heat, which already ranks in the bottom half of the league in rebounding and lacks size up front.
If Miami is to take off as so many expected, Chris Bosh will need to do a much better job of cleaning up the boards.
Because, as Heat president Pat Riley said himself, "No rebounds, no rings."
Heat Front Court: Where's the Beef?
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To be fair, Chris Bosh isn't the only front court player for Miami who hasn't gotten the job done on the boards, though he certainly is the most important.
With Bosh showing his true colors as a middling rebounder at best, and with hustle specialist Udonis Haslem likely done for the season, Miami mastermind Pat Riley will have to swing some deals to bulk up his team's front line.
Riles has already added free-agent big man Erick Dampier to the roster, but it'll take a lot more than that to get the team's rebounding up to part.
Especially with Zydrunas Ilgauskas, alternately known as the world's largest noodle, "filling" the Heat's starting spot at center.
Being thin up front won't fly if Miami wants to win a championship, considering the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers are the league's second-best rebounding team–even without Andrew Bynum.
Erik Spoelstra: Is He The Boss or Not?
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Even with the trip to Cleveland in the rear view, the question of control over this Heat team remains.
One convincing over a sub-.500 team does little to solidify Erik Spoelstra's status as the long-term solution on the bench for Miami.
Not that he shouldn't be. Spoelstra has proven to be more than capable as an NBA head coach, as demonstrated by the Heat's playoff viability during his first two seasons at the helm.
Nonetheless, Pat Riley and his five rings are still just one ousting away from returning to the sideline, a la the Stan Van Gundy situation in 2005.
Frankly, Spoelstra is in a strange and, in many ways, unenviable position.
He has the opportunity to coach three of the games best players on one team in only his third year as an NBA head coach, but he also must face the pressure to win immediately with such talented trio on his roster, particularly with a legend of the game like Riley monitoring his every move.
Unfortunately for Spoelstra and anyone hoping to quell LeBron's ego, the young coach may find himself out of a job if the Heat don't get on a roll, and fast.
Win in Cleveland or no.
