LeBron James: What will be the next “Decision” for the Miami Heat superstar? – NBA Feature: Part - 2
What people failed to realize is that James only did what he was supposed to do. That was the role given to him on that team, or the role he decided to take up. LeBron James immense talent, basketball IQ and sheer physical prowess
allows him to perform duties that mere mortals cannot fathom undertaking.
He did them for the Heat. He ran the offence, he made the extra man on defence and he ran all day after a principle offensive threat on the opposing team, often smaller and quicker players -Derrick Rose and Jason Terry.
For the most part, LeBron James did what he was supposed to do. In the meantime, scoring duties were taken up by Dwyane Wade and company. The fact that the rest of the team came up short on the one thing LeBron hadn’t prioritised,
is not his fault and blaming him for it is seriously harsh.
However that is what happened and that’s what is still happening now.
Which brings us to the next “Decision” James has to make, and he has to make it this summer. It is quite a simple one really; does he switch roles with Dwyane Wade? Does he take up the mantle as the scorer supreme and leave the
other duties to his supporting cast?
A LeBron James freed from the constraints of other responsibilities would give Kevin Durant a run for his money in the race for the scoring title next season, wouldn’t he?
However, the question facing James is, would that be beneficial to his team?
And to him?
There are some reasons as to why James took up that role in the first place. The first one is his overall game. James is simply the only player playing in the world at present, who can do all the things he did last season. As a
scorer, as a rebounder, as a playmaker, as defender and as a leader, there is nobody else that can match him in every department.
More than that, the Heat require LeBron to play the same role he played last season. They do not possess a NBA World Championship calibre point guard, nor centre. The lack of playmaking skill and lack of physical strength in the
paint, almost dictates “The Chosen One” to be the one filling those roles.
Miami are looking to add some muscle and maybe some speed to their roster in the summer, but it’s hard to see how they can do that. With a salary cap already stretched by the three superstars, Heat have a distinct disadvantage
in the free agency. Plus the restrictions likely in the new CBA are bound to tie their hands even further.
That effectively puts an end to the thought of any reasonable reinforcements coming in through that passage. Add it to the fact that, apart from the Big Three, Miami really do not have a player representing meaningful value on
the trade market and you are stuck with the same roster as last year’s, barring minor tweaks here and there.
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