2011 NBA Playoffs: How the Miami Heat Have Silenced the Critics

"I will be taking my talents to South Beach."

A simple, yet ground-breaking phrase for the NBA.

It all started last July with LeBron James' hour-long special revolving around the conclusion of his free agency, The Decision.

Because of that decision, James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade did the unthinkable and pulled off their two-year long conspiracy to one day play together.

The news of the Big Three coming together came at the dismay of the masses.

All season long they have been viewed as villains around the league. Those same villains even cried in the locker room following a fifth straight loss in early March.

The critics were happy. However, those same critics certainly haven't had the last laugh.

By eliminating the 76ers">Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics en route to the Eastern Conference finals, the Heat have put a muzzle on all of those rabid critics.

Don't think that reaching the Conference finals is satisfactory for Erik Spoelstra and his squad. Remember that welcoming bash the Heat hosted for Bosh, Wade and James in the days following The Decision?

LeBron promised not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, but seven championships.

Great players like LeBron James have the right to talk the talk, but the playoffs are certainly the time to back that talk up by walking the walk. He and his teammates have certainly done plenty of walking to this point.

The next step is to eliminate a pesky Chicago Bulls team to advance to the Finals.

Do that, and the road to the first championship and a potential dynasty becomes that much easier.

Falter, and the obstacles will loom large.  

Only time will tell if those talents that decided to come to South Beach will pay off.