Miami Heat: How To Get LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh More in Sync
The Miami Heat are on a 10-game winning streak. Calls for the firing of coach Erik Spoelstra have ceased and there is a general feeling in the Miami locker room that this team is back on track.
However, over the last 10 games, the Heat, while dominating the opposition, have played relatively few tough opponents. The toughest teams played over the 10-game winning streak, the New Orleans Hornets and Utah Jazz, can be considered playoff teams, but victories over the majority of other opponents played did not prove anything.
The Heat still have much to prove against the elite of the NBA including the Boston Celtics who they have already lost to twice. While the Heat have been winning and dominating by large margins of victory, the offense needs to be able to score efficiently against more staunch defenses.
In recent games, it has become apparent that while Wade, James and Bosh have all performed significantly better as individuals, their chemistry still lacks in many areas.
Here is how coach Erik Spoelstra can help the Miami Thrice get more in sync:
Move Chris Bosh Inside
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Miami has primarily used Bosh as an outside threat this season. Even when Bosh has posted up, he often gets the ball well outside of the paint.
While Bosh is an excellent shooter from the 18 to 20 feet range, his attributes as a rebounder are not being utilized to their full extent. With Toronto last season, Bosh averaged nearly double the amount of offensive rebounds per game that he is averaging this season with Miami.
Moving Bosh inside would free up perimeter space for Wade and James to slash towards the basket and take their defenders off of the dribble. Additionally, Bosh would increase the amount of put backs and second-chance points that the Heat would get.
Start Mario Chalmers
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This is a move that many Heat fans have been awaiting since the start of the season. Despite the fact that Arroyo tends to be the more efficient point guard and turns the ball over less, there are several reasons why starting Chalmers would improve the chemistry between Wade, James and Bosh.
While the statistics may not demonstrate this point, Chalmers is a much better three-point threat than Arroyo. Forcing teams to limit their double teams against the Heat by extending the defense would open more court space for Wade and James to work in.
More importantly, Chalmers would immediately contribute speed and aggressiveness to the Miami defense. Starting Chalmers with the big three would allow the Heat more opportunities to turn defense into offense. Especially with both Wade and James on the floor, Chalmers could produce more fast breaks out of steals and loose balls than Arroyo could.
Sit Juwan Howard
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Juwan Howard would be perfect for this Miami Heat team. Unfortunately for the Heat, the Howard that fits with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh is the one who played in the 1990s.
The 37-year-old Howard is simply too old to keep up with the tempo that this Heat team should be playing. Howard's slowness negatively affects Miami's ability to get into the open court and utilize their speed on fast breaks.
While Miami is very shallow at the power forward position, Howard has truly struggled this season averaging just two points and two rebounds per game. If Miami is to take advantage of its speed and agility, Howard is just an obstacle that will stand in the way.
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Use More Backdoor Plays
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The athleticism on the Heat roster is unmatched by any team in the NBA solely on the basis of the agility and leaping ability of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. At the same time, few players in the league have the driving ability that James and Wade both have.
Thus far, Wade or James have stood idly by while the other works individually towards getting to the basket. There are plentiful opportunities for alley-oops and backdoor cuts as Wade or James face help defenses. When the help-side player leaves their man, the other players need to make more aggressive cuts towards the basket.
Already, we have seen Chris Bosh use the backdoor cut effectively. Other Heat players, particularly Wade and James, must slash to the basket without the ball rather than just settling for open deep jump shots.
Play LeBron at the Point
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The idea of playing LeBron James at the point has been thrown around a lot but not fully implemented by Erik Spoelstra this season. James has already adopted the role of facilitator in the Miami offense deferring to Wade and Bosh the majority of shots when all three are in the game.
With James already handling a large portion of the ball-handling duties, starting him at point guard will not change much in the Miami offense. The main advantage would be that Miami could avoid playing their weakest players (Arroyo and Chalmers) for extended periods.
This move could be especially advantageous when Mike Miller returns. By easing LeBron into a transition to point guard it could set up an opportunity for Miller to join the starting line up when he returns from injury in a few weeks.
Emphasize Turning Defense Into Offense
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Erik Spoelstra's system that emphasizes rebounding by giving offensive freedom to the player who rebounds the ball has received much attention and praise from Heat players.
Spoelstra should go a step further and provide incentives not only for rebounding but also defensive intensity and intelligence. James, Wade and Bosh seem to work much better together when the flow of the game is consistent and fast-paced.
By emphasizing defensive pressure and getting into the passing lanes, Miami could produce more fast breaks where James and Wade can work the wings. The Heat are already one of the top defensive teams in the NBA. Using their defensive advantage to create offense would help steady the offensive tempo and improve the ball flow movement.
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