Miami Heat’s bench need to improve their performance to support the superstar trio – NBA Update
The 2010-2011 National Basketball Association season comes down to the best of the best with stragglers no longer a part of the vigorous play-offs. The top eight teams from the Eastern and Western Conference prepare their big guns to propel fireworks in
the upcoming showdown.
The Miami Heat cemented the second seed in the East as the expectations in South Beach from the invincible trio LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are sky high in the post-season.
The recent immaculate performances from Wade and Bosh make the Heat as the toughest contender for the championship this year. However, the bench seems to lack the spark to carry the action which puts a serious question mark on whether Miami truly is a challenging
unit for the opposition to clinch the title?
There is no doubting the brilliance and sheer dominance of Miami’s spirited Big 3. However the team struggled when any of the three was either sidelined or failed to put up an upright performance, which was quite rare. Motivational factors are not scarce
for the team, as the two-time reigning Most Valuable Player LeBron said, “Inspiration and motivation. Two words that describe it for me.”
The sharp-shooter Wade also set sights on the promise that he made to the fans in the end of the last season and said on Friday, “I’m always thinking about that.”
Although, the Heat finished the season on a high note, however the play-offs result will solely determine the line-up success. Bench play counts a great deal when competing against the best sides for the big title.
Miami will face the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the post-season. James’ squad swept the season series comprehensively 3-0 against the Sixers and carry a psychological advantage over Philadelphia. However, the play-off matchup will depict a different
scenario as both the teams will be striving aggressively in the seven game series.
The Heat’s reserves will be the focal point in the formidable challenge and they need to provide massive support down the stretch. The team’s final game against the Toronto Raptors clearly suggested that the payers have the ability to perform when no one
from the prolific trio was playing. So the inconsistency from the bench is not due to lack of skills, but from under utilisation.
Whatever the case maybe, Miami needs to alter their line of attack and come up with a suitable option to support their superstar trio. They have a lethal weapon on their back James Jones who has an incredible ability to assail from beyond the arc including
Mario Chalmers, a solid defensive point guard.
James, Wade and Bosh will surely be firing on all cylinders to lead the team. If the bench is able to improve their performance and support the Big 3 in the post-season, the Heat’s chances to prevail in the NBA Finals will be strengthened to a great extent.
Tags: