NBA Analysis: Without LeBron James, Miami Heat Suffer 28-Point Loss

So Dwyane Wade decides to have an off-game the one time LeBron James misses a game.

This is the NBA regular season in a nutshell: a bunch of individual aberrations mixed in with some models of consistency.

Even though Wade played poorly and the team has dropped two consecutive games, the team should not be in panic mode.

Losing back-to-back games on the West Coast vs. teams with explosive scorers, is not the worst thing that could happen to the team,

Over the last two games, the Heat have give up a combined 241 points.

Defense is about 99 percent effort and 1 percent discipline and design. The Miami Heat, which is still one of the top defensive teams in the league, has been lazy the last two games.

It can be broken down as simply as that. There is no other deep, intrinsic explanation. Athleticism and youth coupled with veteran experience should result in a strong defensive team.

And that is the case.

But for some reason, the effort, youth, and athleticism has not been not display the last two games.

It could be that the long road trip is finally getting to the most hated (not that its not well-deserved) NBA franchise right now. And I am not going to say I condone losing a bunch of regular season game.

But I am saying that the sky is not falling and that I much rather the team lose some not-so meaningful regular season games compared to the all-too-crucial playoff games.

Chicken Little already told that story; history does no need to repeat itself.

Wade will get back on track. James will get back on the court. Come April, Heat fans will not even recall the two road losses to West Coast teams back in January.