NBA Finals 2011: What's Next for LeBron James and the Miami Heat?

After a beating at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, the Miami Heat have officially failed in their preseason goal of winning a championship. Now as the Heat begin preparations to avenge their defeat next year, they must decide who is a keeper and who must be sent out.

So, what must the Heat do now? Read on and discover the three questions they must answer to find their team identity and improve on a second place finish.

What to make of Chris Bosh?

 From the start of the season, it was clear that Chris Bosh struggled the most of the "Big Three" in his adjustment to a more complementary role on the star-studded Miami Heat squad. Bosh, always the top dog in Toronto, did not always capitalize on the open looks that Wade and James' penetration afforded him and suffered through a disastrous season during which he was more average than anything.

For a player making in excess of $110 million over the course of his contract, production like the production Bosh gave is simply inexcusable. Some have even proposed blowing up the "Big Three" experiment after just one season, believing that adding a defensive-minded big man or point guard in addition to another talent in return for Bosh would be a better fit alongside Wade and James.

A deal with New Orleans for Emeka Okafor along with some other young talent or with Phoenix built around Marcin Gortat (or even Steve Nash) could possibly inject some new energy into a team that appeared disinterested at times during the regular season. Okafor and Gortat would strengthen an already elite defense, and if the Heat could land Steve Nash, they'd have one of the greatest combinations from 1-3 ever conceived in NBA history.

However, after a rough year, Bosh's value could not be lower and moving him now could prove to be a blunder as his isolation scoring and shooting ability would be sorely missed. After seeing some promise in the later months, the Heat must stick with Bosh and see if he can be the big man they signed him to be. 

What can Miami do in free agency?

The biggest advantage Miami has over every other team at this point (apart from having arguably the two best players in the league) is their ability to sign nearly any veteran free agent that they want to sign. Players like Mike Miller, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Erick Dampier all took pay cuts to sign with the Heat last offseason, and it would not be surprising to see that trend continue.

Unfortunately for Miami, so much of their success this offseason will be tied to the new collective bargaining agreement. If the mid-level exception remains in the new CBA, the Heat will be able to spend about $6 million on free agents, allowing them to shore up their weak positions of center and point guard. If they could add a strong veteran at either position (Samuel Dalembert makes sense at center), they'd go a long way toward rectifying some problems that presented themselves this year.

However, if they are left with only minimum contracts to hand out, the task of filling the roster will be noticeably more difficult. Players like Dalembert might consider joining the Heat, but no players in their prime would be affordable in this scenario.

No matter the situation, expect the Heat to try to stretch their money as much as possible, offering players like Dalembert, Andre Miller and Andrei Kirilenko contracts early in the process.

Is Mario Chalmers the future at the point?

 Another one of the Heat's growing pains this year was the never-ending cycle of point guards that had Carlos Arroyo, Mario Chalmers and Mike Bibby all spend time as the starter throughout the season. Bibby, a midseason signing, completely bombed as the starter and appeared completely out of gas physically at his age. With Bibby's inadequacies so apparent in the NBA Finals, Erik Spoelstra opted to start Mario Chalmers in Game 6 to no avail.

While having a traditional point guard is not as important with two wing players who dominate the ball as much as Wade and James do, having a guard who can defend multiple positions and shoot the three is important. By that logic, Chalmers would be a terrific fit, but unfortunately he just has not performed well in what he does as a player. His efficiency is maddeningly low, he doesn't even assist that often, and his defense has regressed since his rookie year.

For these reasons, the Heat must look for a point guard to replace Chalmers. They don't have to find a franchise savior, but few players wouldn't be an upgrade over their current backup.

While the Heat may be down on themselves after losing in the Finals, the fact still remains that they are one of the most talented teams in the league. Even if they make no drastic changes, a large number of experts would pick them as the presumptive favorite next year. However, if they want more than just decent odds, they must make some tough decisions, and finding veteran help is one of them. While it is a dark night for Miami fans, the future is bright.