With the expectations surrounding that team, each year is championship or bust. However, that doesn't mean that they have to look to make changes if they don't win the title this year. There is the chance that LeBron leaves at the end of this deal, but assuming he sticks around, the window for the Heat to win a title is wide open.
This is a one and done team like Boston and Detroit. They will most likely win this year (basically taking advantage of shortened season with limited competition challenging them).
There's a vast difference between the two, Kobe at age 31 and 32 isn't nearly as needed on the Lakers as Wade is in Miami. During their championship runs there would be stretches where Kobe was off, but that was ok cause they had Gasol, Odom and Artest/Ariza who picked up the slack. On miami, they only have Bosh and Lebron to carry the team, guys like Norris Cole and Battier give the M3 some time to rest, but they can't carry the team when Wade or Lebron are firing blanks. Think of it this way, Miami needs to score over 100 to win a game. Even if Bosh and James have monster games and score 30 each, Wade and the Miami roleplayers have to come up with 40 total every night. Also, comparing the two isn't really accurate, Kobe at age 30 has had more than a decade of wear and tear on his body. Wade started playing in the NBA at the same time as Lebron and Bosh, he should be healthy as an ox right now just like Lebron and Bosh are. Instead his body's breaking down, and his numbers are down in almost every category.
I don't really understand why people are over reacting on the heat. The NBA isn't a friendly game between neighbors, EVERY TEAM WANTS TO OUT-TALENT ALL THE OTHER TEAMS IN THE LEAGUE. Acting like Miami are the bad guys when they only did the same thing everybody wants to do is ridiculous. Why did Lakers get Pau Gasol? Why did the Celtics get KG? THe only difference is instead of Kupchak getting Gasol or Ainge trading for KG, Wade convinced Lebron and Bosh to play with him instead. The board will probably have an orgasm if Howard ends up wearing rocket red, are we going to burn Rocket jerseys because DM wanted to out talent the rest of the league?
Hey man, just because the CBA says you can build your team through the draft, trades and free agency doesn't actually mean free agents are supposed to have some say in where they play. Didn't you know this? It's cool to have all the talent in the world on your team as long as your GM gets it for you. How dare you exercise your free agent rights and decide for yourself!!!
Nobody said it was wrong. But you're also not going be a big fan of the rest of the NBA when you take the competitiveness away from the NBA. Building super teams pretty much paves the way for other superstars in small markets to now just leave their teams and do the exact same thing by teaming up with other stars to build super teams in big markets. It's pretty much a trend. That's probably the worst part to me about it all.
I would agree with that if the NBA were ever truly competitive and if the league history weren't built on superteams. The league has always had superteams. The league markets stars and superteams. The only difference is free agents did it themselves. This is a league where two teams have like half the championships or something. At the end of the day the league will have 3-4 squads with a real shot to win and the rest won't, just like in every other season that I have been watching basketball. The end product hasn't changed one bit. Only how it was built.
I really don't understand what this argument has to do with Wade being in decline. Wade is not in decline. It's a plan to keep his minutes down, and his PER is still top 5 stellar. As for the "Miami needs to score over 100 to win a game" is beyond silly and, even if correct (which it is not) it as nothing to do with whether Wade is declining or not. Their opponents are averaging only 94 ppg...and in the playoffs, their opponents will likely average less than that.
You make a point, however how it was built is the biggest and only factor. Its just really bogus to leave a team hanging like that and not letting them get anything in turn for you. Hopefully DH wont go down that path.
I don't get why people are talking like Miami has a title already and setting the expectations high for them. They have to face a certain team at least 4 times in every round of the playoffs, which gives the opponent time to adjust and make plans specifically to counter them. Drop the excuses that last year was their first year together and that they didn't have enough time to develop chemistry, etc. Those 3 guys were franchise players who had a bunch of experience and they had a full season playing together and practicing. If they suck, they suck. Why are people talking like it's something not right if they don't win the title?
Because of all the stuff that they have gone threw to get to where they are now, playing consistently and demolishing everybody. When you assemble a team like that there is no reason for you to be underachieving. There first year they get a "break" even tho they shouldn't, simply because Boston got it when it was hot. Now its there title to lose considering they have a legit team with all the supporting cast.
Even though they did not win the championship, they won their conference title. That's like a silver medal, good enough. That's not underachieving. Even though they have 3 first rate players, their coach is a young one with not much experience. Remember when the Mavs was upsetted by Golden State? Coaching matters alot too. Also, their egos could get in the way towards the end when they have trouble deciding who wants to be MVP, since their is no such thing as NBA Finals co-MVP.
Well yes those are all factors to be considered. As far as raw talent and making the pieces fit, there about as ready as they can be. Even if they don't win it this year i wouldn't be surprised if they continue to come out stronger each year. Their's just no way you can 'blow up' that team for any reason other then tweaking things here and there, the first thing they will look at is coaching as they did early last season.
+1 - They don't have a real Center which is a big deal come playoff time vs teams that do. Dallas had the perfect storm going for them last year, but they lost their best center in Chandler. Heck, the Lakers could probably take Miami in a 7-game series right now. Add to the mix that the Big 3 for Miami are sort of injury prone, and the Ch'ip this year, while the odds look nice, is certainly not a lock.
