Having the sixth best record in the NBA should make you feel safe, but the Miami Heat have to be worried. They have dropped five of their last six games, all to playoff teams. Everyone knew it would take time for Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh to gel, but March is the time to fine tune your team to be ready for a deep playoff run beginning in April. Before its too late Miami needs to look to their top competition for a solution, the original "big three".
Since acquiring Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, Boston has been incredibly successful. The success is not from those additions alone, but from the role players on the team. While Paul Peirce and Ray Allen have ball skills and can create their own shot, they still allow Rondo to run the offense. Their offense is fluid and seems natural to me, rather than James and Wade forcing their way into the offense from other positions. From day one people questioned whether James and Wade could coexist together because of their need to have the ball in their hands. I understand that when the game is on the line one of them will want it, but for the other 47 minutes of the game Miami needs a true point guard. They don't need a player as effective as Rondo, but someone they trust with the ball that can set up James and Wade for more efficient scoring opportunities. Mario Chalmers had a shot at being that guy, but with the addition of Mike Bibby they should have an experienced point guard heading into the playoffs. They have one month to build that trust and chemistry with Bibby.
Rebounding is another service that Boston's "big three" outsourced. Over the past few seasons Kendrick Perkins, Rasheed Wallace, James Posey, and Glen Davis have all lent a hand at crashing the boards. Miami is lacking those extra role players with Udonis Haslem out. His hopeful late March return could provide a needed spark. Without him, Miami has all its hope in two aging thirty-five year old centers with Ilgauskas and Dampier. Losing out on a Troy Murphy signing after he was bought out of his contract was unfortunate as well. Haslem's health going forward will be the key to their success in the playoffs, in what looks to be an exciting eastern conference.
Last July James, Wade, and Bosh began on their journey together, and eight months later it appears to be just that, their journey not a team's. The Heat need to define their role players moving forward to have a real shot at success deep in the playoffs.
I don't see it happening. We could sit here and name all of the things the Miami Heat have going for them, but more importantly, for me, it's what they are missing. They lack leadership from a coaching perspective which, as you can tell from Jackson, Rivers, Riley, etc., is necessary. You need more than raw talent. Discipline wins championships.
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