Miami Heat: Still Not a Championship Team

LeBron and Bosh surprised the NBA universe when they announced that they would be teaming up with Wade in Miami Heat. Their arrival at Miami was seen as the arrival of the new bullies in town which threatened to take the league by storm.

Many predicted the Heat to win more than 72 games breaking the previous record held by Bulls. However, they have not been able to live up to the expectations of their fans. 

Being a new team, they are bound to have some problems that they would need to work on before they can make a run for the title. 

So, the following list identifies the issues that Miami need to sort out before they start winning championships.

1. The Wade and LeBron Confusion: What Is My Role?

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CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 02: LeBron James #6 of the Miami Heat talks to Dwyane Wade #3 while playing the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena on December 2, 2010 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by down

Wade and LeBron have still not been able to decide their respective positions in the team. This can be attributed to the fact that Wade was injured during practice and missed out on all the preseason games. 

Since both of them are used to being the leader of the team, a power struggle could be brewing in the team. Wade, being the captain would be considered to be the leader but the question is whether LeBron would accept playing second fiddle to Wade after being considered by many to be equivalent to the Black Mamba. 

The problems in the team were further exposed by the rocky start to the Heat season when they lost to Celtics on opening night and later to the Mavericks. 

However, lately, they seem to have started to play well together and the fans would be hoping that with time, they form one of the most dominant partnerships in NBA history. 

2. The Chris Bosh Factor

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MIAMI - NOVEMBER 09: Chris Bosh #1 of the Miami Heat during a game against the Utah Jazz at American Airlines Arena on November 9, 2010 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photogr

Bosh, while in the Raptors, played his heart out for them. But the team simply did not have the quality to support him in reaching the playoffs, let alone win the championship. 

Heat brought Bosh into the team with the hope of creating a deadly combination with Wade and LeBron, that would, in simple words, be expected to DESTROY oppositions. However, Bosh has just not been the force everyone hoped for since his arrival. The hunger and fire to win simply seems to be missing.

He has some great games to his credit this season but those performances have been few and far in between. To win a title, Heat need to start praying that Bosh would mend his inconsistent season, would step up and start playing like a champion every night.

3. Point Guard Issues

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MEMPHIS, TN - NOVEMBER 20: Carlos Arroyo #8 of the Miami Heat calls out a play against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on November 20, 2010 in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using

A good point guard is one of the essential components in building a championship winning team. Although Heat has players like Wade and LeBron, who have a tendency to make plays for themselves, they need someone like Chris Paul or Rondo, who can make plays for the team.

Against top teams like Celtics and Mavericks, the Heat have been unable to spread the ball around in the front court which players like Rondo and Jason Kidd did so successfully against them. To win they need to go through some tough defences and to do that they would need a good point guard.

4. Great Teams Need Great Coaches

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WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 18: Head coach Eric Spoelstra of the Miami Heat watches the game against the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center on December 18, 2010 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by download

Erik Spoelstra, though a good coach, is no Doc Rivers. Why Doc you say? To coach a championship team, which many times consists of many big players with bigger egos, a great coach becomes essential to control those egos to get them playing well together. Doc, with the Celtics was able to do a fantastic job, when he successfully handled the egos of all his stars and made sure everyone got what they needed. 

Spoelstra has worked under the best, but he still needs to prove that he has the capability to coach the best. He is young and charismatic, and considered by many to have that ability, but he may just be too inexperienced to lead this team to the top pedestal. 

Will They Still Be Able to Defy the Odds to Win the Championship?

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WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 18: Dwyane Wade #3 of the Miami Heat rests during a break in the game against the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center on December 18, 2010 in Washington, DC. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by dow

Miami Heat have been through a rocky start but they have finally started playing like they know what they are doing. 

They have managed to string together a 12-game winning streak since their loss to the Mavericks on Nov. 27. But to win a championship, one needs to beat the best and they have just not been able to achieve success against the top contenders.  

Still, would they be able to win the title this year? Until they solve these issues, it looks highly unlikely.