The Miami Heat – Failed Experiment or a work in progress?
Part II
What Miami needs is a dedicated point guard that lets LeBron play his natural SF position, and a Big Man that can post-up and grind it out down low. The Big Three alone are not enough to give the opposition nightmares. Since every team needs to field five players on the court, there is a strong urgency to fill out the other two positions with good players as well, to compliment LeBron, Wade and Bosh. Miami has managed to maintain a good record in the regular season, but the post-season offers more strenuous challenges.
The Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic will pose to be match-up problems for Miami, who has already had trouble against this elite tier of eastern teams. It would still be premature to write the Miami Heat off just yet. They did well against the Lakers, winning the season series. But, if they want to get to the Lakers in the Finals they will first need to go through New York, Boston, Chicago and Orlando.
Although, they have exhibited some conspicuous meltdowns in the regular season, but when running on all cylinders, even the mismatched Miami are a formidable team to be reckoned with, and a joy to behold. James and Wade both have the ability to erupt for 40+ points and take over any game, but as the popular saying goes ‘ Players win games, Teams win championships’.
Now, The Celtics are the closest available definition to a Miami-like super-team, and they have a championship ring to prove that it can work. It works because these so-called super teams; San Antonio, Boston, Chicago and the 80’s Lakers had been constructed slowly over the years. Trades, draft picks and free-agent signing all factored in the outcome of these teams. To say that the concept of pairing superstars together in one team is always destined to fail or succeed would be a vast misconception.
History can provide us with facts to argue whether these superstar-laden teams have been a good idea or not. And the argument can go both ways. The 1969-70 Lakers with Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain had issues with making it all the way; they made it to the finals twice in 3 years but couldn’t finish the job. Meanwhile, the Lakers team featuring Hall of Famers Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and James Worthy captured five championships during their 9 year span. The 1980-81 Celtics trio of Larry Bird, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale won the NBA championship, but unlike Miami, there were other pivotal role-players also involved in their success, such as Cedric Maxwell and Nate ‘Tiny’ Archibald.
So, the fact remains, that success would then depend upon how long it takes for the players to gel together and settle into the team. They need to stop thinking ‘me’ and start thinking ‘we’. Miami, once Wade’s team, has now been taken over by Lebron. The quicker Erik Spoelstra can put the team back on the same page and devise a strategy that gives both James and Wade equal touches on the ball, the sooner the Heat can start playing like a championship team.
Now with NY trading away almost half its roster to acquire a disgruntled Carmelo Anthony from Denver, it seems the practice of making super teams is here to stay.
To speculate whether or not they will be successful is a tough task. While these behemoth teams might endure growing pains early on, give them a season or two to settle and they could be potential championship contenders for the years to come.
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