Miami Heat: Swagger Alone Will Not Lead Them to the 2011 NBA Finals

It's easy to miss the fact that the Miami Heat have been playing some pretty good basketball, considering the amount of attention and drama that greets them every time they hit the court.

Despite backlash from LeBron James' decision, the early loss of key player Udonis Haslem to injury and the constant media circus that accompanies them everywhere they go, the Heat still managed to finish the regular season as the east's No. 2 seed and with the third best record in the NBA.

But as anyone will tell you, it really doesn't matter what obstacles Miami conqured in the regular season because if they fail in the playoffs, their efforts are all for naught.

That's not really being fair to the Heat, but what else can you expect for a team whose roster includes three of the top players in the game and expectations that have been off the charts ever since James hit the stage in Miami.

What the Heat have already accomplished is impressive, but in order to meet those lofty expectations, and they are capable, there are a few more obstacles they have to cross.

The aura and swagger of James and Dwyane Wade will probably carry Miami past the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs, but after that, the Heat must excel in their strongest area of the game and greatly improve in their weakest.

Miami is one of the NBA's top defensive teams, as they allow only 94 points per game, and their opponents shoot 43 percent from the field.

James and Wade are two of the league's top perimeter defenders; although they both can be superior individual defenders, they really shine on defensive rotations and off the ball.

Both players are beasts in the passing lanes, and they arguably convert defense into offense better than any other team in the NBA.

The Heat's second round opponent will likely be the Boston Celtics and in order to beat the defending conference champs, Miami will have to dominate the perimeter defensively and execute in their half court offense.

Miami's front court is perceived to be the team's biggest weakness, but their make-shift front line has actually performed well and the Heat enter the playoffs as the NBA's eighth best rebounding team at 42.15 per game.

Wade, James, and Chris Bosh have the ability to dominate their individual matchups offensively, and the Heat are one of the league's best uptempo teams but that style doesn't usually translate well in the postseason.

The importance of every single possession forces the pace of the game to slow down, and the offensive opportunities in the open court will not be as abundant as before.

When Miami has struggled it has usually been in their half court offense, which makes the play of Mike Bibby and Mario Chalmers critical in the postseason.

Either James or Wade are more than capable of dictating the Heat's offense from the point of attack, but both players are more effective when setting screens and rolling or receiving the ball off picks.

Each player can attack the rim off the dribble to initiate the offense, but if it turns into a one on one game against the Celtics, then the Heat's chances of advancing are slim.

Playing isolation offense against a team like the Celtics allows them to gang up and collapse on the ball handler, but they are more vulnerable to offenses that utilize crisp passes, sharp cuts and established rhythm.

Bibby will likely be the key in this case, because he has plenty of playoff experience that comes with plenty of big shots in the process.

If Miami can establish a rhythm in their half court offense, they have the potential to be lethal because James and Wade are surrounded by other players like Mike Miller and James Jones that can hurt you from the outside.

But in order to defeat the Celtics and possibly the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Heat must combine strong defense and offensive execution in consistent efforts because they will be tested.

Miami only managed to go 1-6 against the Bulls and Celtics in the regular season, and both Rajon Rondo and Derrick Rose have exploited the Heat defensively from the point guard position.

The Heat did beat the Celtics towards the end of the regular season and in impressive fashion, but now they must prove they can sustain that effort over the course of seven games.

Miami already has the look and swagger of a team that could potentially reach the 2011 NBA Finals, but in order to realize that goal, the Heat will have to capitalize on their defensive strengths and have patience in the half court.