Miami Heat: Is Point Guard or Center More Vital to the Team's Success?

Prior to the start of the 2010-11 season, nearly all of us had the idea that this Miami Heat team was going to be an unstoppable juggernaut that would pretty much steamroll its way on the talent it possessed alone.

How could you not believe so when arguably the two best players in the league in LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were teaming up with a multi-dimensional power forward in Chris Bosh, who had just averaged a career high of 24 points and 11 rebounds per game? The combo of Wade and James alone should have been enough to win a title, since they were the two best slashers in the league, as well as two of the top scorers and defenders.

Bosh was a perfect complement, as he added some needed inside presence to a team whose starting center would be 6'9" Joel Anthony.

Aside from the big three, the team had its options, but it was limited. Aside from Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller, there wasn't a true consistent threat that the team could rely on every game. James Jones would have provided some help, but the likes of Mario Chalmers, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Juwan Howard were hardly the type of supporting cast you could lean on if you needed help from an outside source.

It only got worse once Miller and Haslem were sidelined for the majority of the season. Neither player would make too much of an impact once they did get back on the court, aside from a few flashes of brilliance.

Even with the biggest big three of them all, it was obvious that they just weren't enough. The Boston Celtics' big three of the 1980s had Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge to rely on, the Los Angeles Lakers' dynasty of the '80s had Byron Scott and Michael Cooper, and even the Boston Celtics of today had Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo.

The Heat didn't have that last season because they lost their two greatest contributors, but also because they didn't have many answers outside of them. More specifically, only rarely would those answers come from the point, and hardly ever from center. Two of the most essential positions to have in the game today and the Heat couldn't deliver with a quality player at either position as they went through a myriad of players to fill the gap.

Carlos Arroyo didn't cut it at first, then Mario Chalmers couldn't, Arroyo couldn't do it again, and would then get cut and newly-acquired Mike Bibby would handle it well for a brief moment before faltering in the post season, then allowing Chalmers to get behind the wheel for the second time that season. There was no definitive answer at the point as the team struggled to find a consistent floor general to help facilitate plays.

Aside from the limited offense that was seen at the point, unless Wade or James was running it, the defense became a major issue throughout the course of the season. Miami would struggle mightily against the elite point guards of the league, and it cost the team games. It would wear down on the shoulders of Wade or James, who would be forced to use up their energy chasing around a speedy point guard.

Arroyo, Chalmers, Bibby and Eddie House all shared time at the point, with neither player being consistent enough to rely on. It was still fortunate for the Heat, however, that they had two players very well capable of running the point in Wade and James.

It's a disappointment considering that you want them to learn to move without the ball, and that they'd basically revert back to the mode that they were in prior to teaming up, but it still gave the Heat some reliability when the ball was in their hands.

The center problem unfortunately couldn't be fixed by Wade, James, and not even Bosh.

Watching one of the Heat's centers on the court was the equivalent to watching a movie that wasn't intended to be funny, but was in a sad sort of way. The team had absolutely no consistent answer as they used so many players at the position and tried to get the right combination night after night. Bosh, Howard, Erick Dampier, Jamaal Magloire, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Dexter Pittman all took turns, and not one player could fit the void.

Ilgauskas and Anthony were the best options, but they had so many flaws to them that it wasn't even worth playing them. Ilgauskas could knock down a few shots from time to time, and his 7'3" frame was terrific around the basket to tip-in missed shots, but he was so slow on defense that he made opposing centers look like Jesse Owens.

As for Anthony, he was a solid defender and could keep up with any power forward in the league, but this play alone explains why he wasn't trustworthy. He's a terrific hustler and one of the hardest workers on the team next to Udonis Haslem, but you can't rely on someone that plays offense as if he was attempting to learn Chinese.

With that being said, there's no doubt about it that the team desperately needs some help at the point and at center. The big three did all they could, and they got some help in spurs along the way, yet it's still not enough to clinch a title.

They're either going to need some of their current players to mature and become a reliable source of offense and defense (Mario Chalmers) or they're just going to have to end up signing some players in this year's free agency class.

The second of the latter will do. The point guard position does have its flaws, but it's a situation that doesn't need as quick a resolve as the problems at center. The team still has Wade and James to rely on to run the point, and they could possibly rely on Chalmers next season, as he exhibited a great deal of mental toughness in the Finals and throughout the postseason.

He filled in nicely for Bibby and was easily the team's third best player on the court during the Finals.

When comparing the two positions, it's obvious that they need more help at center. They have three centers that could possibly be retiring within the next two seasons, an undersized one, and a player that could still use some work in the D-League. Neither member of the big three can address those issues so this situation is going to have to be resolved by the organization itself.

The Heat are going to have throw some money around if they ever want to solve the problems at center because Anthony just won't cut it next season, and neither will Pittman for a few more seasons. With plenty of cheap centers going around in free agency, the Heat should definitely find some sort of answer to fill the void for the time being.

Unlike last year, when there was only one quality center to go around, the Heat can pick and choose who they want to possibly start at the position next season.

The player they choose might not be there permanently, but they'll get the job done for the time being. The Heat don't need a prolific center who can be a quality scoring threat or anything of that matter. They really just need a center who can fill the lane, grab some boards and bang with the big bodies inside to free up some room for any player that is slashing.

There were no centers on the team that could consistently do that. No defense was looking out for the potential threat of Dampier or Magloire down low, and it cost the Heat because opposing defenses would spend the majority of the time focusing on the perimeter, with their eyes squared on either James or Wade.

All the Heat need on offense is a center who can basically catch the ball and finish and show some off some sort of presence inside.

With names like Kwame Brown, Aaron Gray and hopefully Samuel Dalembert being thrown around, the Heat should get their man for a low price. They should be able to attract some quality free agents at both position as well since they offer those players the chance to possibly start on a championship-bound team.

The Heat possess more upside than any other team in the league, since they have a big three that doesn't have a player above 30 years old and that should reel some players in that are ready to take home a championship before a heavier wallet.

Miami has plenty to look forward to with this year's free agency class possessing nothing but role players that could help strengthen the bench and the starting lineup. When on the lookout, though, they need to have their eyes set on a center above anything else.