Heat Have Wrong Big Three II:

On the first day of December I proclaimed the Miami Heat to have the "Wrong Big Three"  (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh). I discredited this Heat team by speaking to the fact that they do not have the defensive personell to contend for a title. Also speaking to the fact that they have all the talent in the world to win any one given contest, but not a seven game series against The Boston Celtics or Chicago Bulls. Yet after this proclamation of a faulty "Big Three" Miami  soared to new heights, winning 21 out of 22 games, before crashing back to earth in a 1-5 skid.

The Heat again began to ascend with an eight game winning streak until they matched up with the Celtics. Boston clinched the season series between the two rivals with their thrid win over Miami this year. After picking themselves up from the Boston defeat, the fickle world of professional sports fans and media revised their thoughts on the Heat (considering them title contenders once again). This is due to an upswing in the Heat's play as they have beaten the  L.A. Lakers and San Antonio Spurs in recent times. The knock on Miami this year has been that they cannot beat any of the top teams in the NBA. Now that they have (beaten two of the best), people who were ripping them during their five game losing streak, are ready to praise them, and ride their coat tails to promise land.

To say that as a (unoffical) sports analyst I have never been fickle is not true, nor was that my intention to imply that. I am simply saying that all season long I've remained steadfast on my stance that the Miami Heat will fail in the posteason. Of all the top seeded playoff teams in the East and West, Miami is by far the most depthless and has glaring weaknesses at point guard, power forward, and center. This team has incredible offesnive talent; with two of the best slashers to ever play the game (James and Wade) that are surrounded by potent three point shooters. However, asisde from Miami's offensive prowess this team's interior defense is simply not there.

Chris Bosh does not play effective interior defense and as great as LBJ and D-Wade are, they just are not big enough to defend centers and power forwards. The only interior defender to speak of and respect is Udonis Haslem, but he has only played thirteen games this season (due to injury). Zydrunas Ilgauskus, Juwan Howard, Jamaal Magloire, and Erick Dampier has to be the worst and oldest front line in the NBA, and leaves the Heat more than vulnerable inside. To escape the Eastern Conference playoffs you will need to defeat the Celtics or Bulls in a series. You will need size on the defensive end and an elilte point guard to slow down Derrick Rose and or Rajon Rondo.

The Heat lack the qualifactions to eliminate the Bulls or Celtics in the postseaon, because their greatest strength is attacking the basket. Lebron James is the greatest slasher in the game today. A man who uses his strength, power, and speed to penetrate into the paint and "slash" to the basket. James is their best player and driving to the basket is his most prized skill. The reason this does not serve his team well against the Bulls and Celtics is because both of those teams have great size and stalwart defenses.

Boston (when healthy) has the biggest paint clogger in NBA history in Shaquille O'neal, Jermaine O'neal, Kevin Garnett, and not to mention another seven footer in Nenad Kristic. Do the Celtics miss Kendrick Perkins in this area? Of course they do. However, as long as the O'neals can return and team up with KG, Miami would have no chance to dominate the paint. Chicago is similarly poised to stall the Heat's main attack with a stout front line of Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer. Perhaps an even greater challenge for Miami would be trying to hinder Rose or Rondo, and Mike Bibby certainly can't do that.

The Miami Heat will be a great team within the next two to three years if they keep their "Big Three' intact and add defensive minded and capable players. Of all the star players that have won championships in NBA history, they never did it alone. You need a "team" to win in Basketball, whether you are Michael Jordan or Larry Bird you need your role players, team depth, and you need interior defense. When Dwyane Wade won his championship with the Heat he had a true team. A team with Shaq O'neal and Alonzo Mourning anchoring the defense, Gary Payton distrubuting the ball, and of course the brillant play of Wade himself. The 2010/2011 Miami team is the polar opposite of the last South Beach champions.

Maybe the Celtics or Bulls won't even play Miami in the playoffs, but if they do the Heat are in too deep with the wrong Big Three.

Sources

http://www.espn.com/

http://www.basketball-reference.com/

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