5 Looming Questions Facing the Miami Heat After Dreadful Finals Loss
Game Over.
The Miami Heat will now have to wait another 365 days to see if this was all worth it, but before that can become a possibility they will face countless obstacles in their pursuit for their first NBA championship.
I'm talking about the Chicago Bulls, the New York Knicks and yes, the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic even though their teams need roster repairs.
The Heat certainly face an uphill climb to reach this point again but before they get to the Finals again, here are five questions that will plague the organization moving forward into an uncertain offseason where the lockout wildfire will almost certainly reach the acres of the NBA.
What Happens to Erik Spoelstra?
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Nothing.
Look, Miami was two wins away from winning the NBA title, and when Miami was beating Doc River's Celtics and Tom Thibodeau's Bulls everyone was saying he should have had the NBA Coach of the Year award.
For at least next season, Erik Spoelstra remains the head coach but if, if Miami falters in 2012 then Spoelstra gets the axe but I believe Miami is going to give it a second try, with Erik because if they pull the trigger on him now, even more pressure is put on Miami to win with Riley who would have to be the replacement.
No, Phil Jackson isn't coming here, no chance, especially not with the hefty salary he'd want, but that door is ajar for him to be a candidate in 2012, if and only if Miami falters in 2012 on their second try.
Will the Trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh Be Broken Up?
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This one is a tough one but I'm going to say it's about a 50-50 chance that it happens.
Look, Pat Riley pulled off one of the biggest trades in NBA history back in 2005, which saw the Heat trading away Eddie Jones, little known Qyntel Woods, and Rasual Butler for Antoine Walker, Jason Williams, and James Posey.
What do you know? The Miami Heat win a title the next season for making an aggressive move to improve their team after the first year of the Shaq era ended in a Game 6 Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Detroit Pistons.
Miami would more than likely deal Bosh but again it would be tough and I only think it happens if they can get either a big man or a point guard.
I can't see the Magic, Nets, or Hornets dealing their valuable assets, and you know who I'm talking about. Bosh for any of those guys makes it a pretty lopsided deal because the Heat will end up the winner just because of the remaining two pieces in Wade and James.
Likely scenario? Riley holds off and gives the group more help (which I get into in the next slide) for the Big Three and gives them another shot with Spoelstra.
If that scenario were to fail, the Heat trades Bosh and targets Dwight Howard, Deron Williams, or Chris Paul in free agency which would be miracle if they hit the market.
But, for right now, Bosh will more than likely stay in Miami at least entering next season.
If Heat Keep Big 3 Intact, Who Will Be Their Reinforcements?
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In the offseason, the Miami Heat will be losing Juwan Howard, Jamal Maglorie, Erick Dampier, Mario Chalmers, and Mike Bibby to free agency.
You see the pattern right? Miami needs to fill the void and get the point guard and center for their lineup. Both Chalmers and Bibby are known for their shooting but they need a playmaker and as for the center position, they need a big man who can score in the post.
But who does Miami target as help for the Big Three? It'll have to start with whether Miami decides to trade Mike Miller who suffered through injuries all season along rendering him ineffective.
Overall, Miami was going with their Big Three and the injured back-up pair in Haslem and Miller for pretty much three-fourths of the season if not all of it.
If Miami holds on to those five players, which they should, then they can always look to 2012 as the offseason where they can pickup pieces such as Steve Nash and Dwight Howard if at that point they haven't achieved the success they wished for.
Besides needs, overall free agent options include Jason Kapono (former Heat player who hasn't gotten much minutes), Grant Hill (for a title run), Samuel Dalembert, TJ Ford, Tracy McGrady (for a title run) , Nazr Mohammed, Kwame Brown, and Delonte West.
Who Will Miami Select in NBA Draft?
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If last year's draft was any indication, Miami should go after a player who can be a role player on their roster immediately and not an extreme makeover project in Dexter Pittman who basically was a developing player and hate to admit it but just waste on the roster spot.
Now he may not be a waste this upcoming season but we'll have to wait and see if he can bloom and possibly become a key figure in Miami's resurgence.
The probable pick here will have to be point guard, simply because Miami might lose Chalmers whose performance will have another team aiming big bucks that will lure him away ala Golden State on Dorell Wright.
Names to keep on eye on for Miami are Darius Morris (Michigan), Charles Jenkins (Hofstra), and Nolan Smith (Duke).
Out of those names Nolan Smith would be the most ready for Miami coming from Coach K and that could be a bonus for Miami if they could nab him at that spot but my bet is on Darius Morris, a 6'5" point guard who can shoot the three and whose size would be an utter plus for Miami who can have Morris cover the Eastern Conference's toughest guards in Rajon Rondo and Derrick Rose.
How Will Impending NBA Lockout Effect Miami Heat?
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A lockout will only delay any offseason signings, but trades can still happen on during the draft because its before the season officially wraps up.
Miami won't make a major one too soon so they'll wait any lockout out and hope the media can be attached to it rather than the Heat but that might not happen.
If games are missed, it works in any teams favor because its less games and better chance at getting into the playoffs. The Miami Heat have benefited from this and were one of the best teams during the last lockout but that was short lived when they arrived in the postseason.
A lockout gives teams to think and in Miami's case they'll have a lot to ponder and that could give the "Architect" Riley enough time to see how he can make the necessary repairs needed to get this team back to where it was suppose to be.
