The heat would not even have hca in the west. Chances are their record would be lower than it is playing a grueling wc schedule over an easy peasy eastern schedule.
I have never doubted the heat are the best team. They have all the talent and anyone can coach them to a championship. Spoesltra is the reason they didnt beat the mavs. He should have put lebron on dirk. That and the refs lol. I recall one of them giving dirk a wink in a playoff game when he got mad about a call. Lol.
With that said the playoffs are all about match ups. Talent can only get you so far every weakness is found and exploited in the playoffs. The heat have major weaknesses in that they cant defend big men. So many wc teams have big men who can score inside.
Yeah, that Dallas series was an anomaly. But, the Heat were immature then too and arrogant. Spolestra goofed but they still could have overcome it if the Mavs hadn't gotten so hot. Jason Terry couldn't miss, Dirk couldn't miss, hell DeShawn Stevenson (where is he now?) couldn't miss. The Heat shouldn't have lost to the Mavs but they should have lost to the Spurs last year. The Ray Allen miracle thing was just unbelievable but the Spurs were the better team. The Mavs were not better than Miami - but the Mavs helped Miami to grow up and Gel so it was all good in the end. For this year, I still think the only team the Heat are worried about are the Spurs if they get there and maybe Brooklyn.
There were legitimate threats to Miami in years past. But this year, the Bulls have been exposed by the Wiz. Indy looked like crap coming into the playoffs (and still do), and Brooklyn might not even get past Toronto. Those three teams were (and are) considered to be the strongest teams in the East, next to Miami. And only Miami hasn't had trouble in their series. I know you love LeBron, but you can't honestly say that the Heat weren't challenged in the past. This year, though, it's been a joke. I thought maybe, just maybe, the EC playoffs would shed that "E-league" joke running through the regular season, but nope. I don't even know why Miami needs to play anymore - they should just get a month off until June, while the rest of the E-League plays for second place.
None of them in years past were legitimate threats. Miami coasted all the way. The closest one was Boston in 2012 when they went up 3-2 with that Game 6 in Boston and we all know what happened there. Miami/LeBron flipped the switch and the rest was history. For Miami, being down 3-2 doesn't mean they "almost" lost the series or were challenged, it means they had to wake up and give 100% effort and execute. The reason the Mavs series was such an anomaly was because they didn't get a chance the flip the switch and when they realized it the Mavs had gotten too hot and couldn't miss a shot. Don't forget that miracle comeback the Mavs has in Miami when every single thing had to go their way to get back in the game. Miami was about to go up 2-0 there. Even LeBron/Wade didn't take the Mavs seriously hence the Dirk "coughing" mocking incident. They were never worried and they got burned with Dallas' hot shooting - which nobody could have expected. Jason Terry didn't miss a shot in game 6. The Spurs were better however and Miami got lucky on that one. They never flipped the switch with the Spurs because it was on the whole series. Miami gave the Spurs everything they had and the Spurs should have won in 6. Look at the LeBron headband thing. He was giving it his all that game and they still should have lost if not for Ray Allen Miracle. I actually think the Dallas miracle comeback in game 2, 2011 was more amazing than the Ray Allen miracle. People forget that one.
The reason I think Brooklyn is a legitimate threat to Miami is not because Brooklyn is a good team or has a good coach but it's because of motivation and effort. I know a lot of you guys say stuff like "This is the NBA, professionals blah blah blah they are always motivated", "They are paid an X amount of dollars, they better be motivated". Brooklyn has the talent although most are older but they hate Miami so much that Pierce and Garnett could be so motivated to will them to a win. Derron Williams has enough talent at the point to give Chalmers and company fits, Joe Johnson can get hot and shoot the lights out (like Jason Terry did in 2011), Garnett and Pierce can play physical against Miami, beat them up and then Pierce can be a closer in close games. Brooklyn is really the only team that somewhat worries me in the East and the only team in the west I'd be remotely worried about is the Spurs. Miami would wipe the floor with all of the other Western teams including OKC. I would say the Clippers could pose a small challenge because Doc knows the Heat well but not with all the off court distractions.
you sound extremely butthurt about this. I HATE the mavs and dallas in general but heat got worked over and beat hands down. no two way about it. You can try to turn back time or blame hot shooting (umm NBA is about shooting ) but bottom line - heat got their asses handed to them. Sounds like you did too. You will get over it eventually. sorry about that. You can troll this board about rockets plight all you want doesnt change the fact that the heat were OWNED by the mavs in that series.
awww poor baby. Did you not read the rest of my post about how the Spurs were better and that Miami should have lost? I thought my takes were pretty un bias and rational. It's a shame you cherry picked that and tried to make it look like I was butt hurt about it. That's very strange. Trust me, Heat fans aren't butt-hurt about anything, we have the past two championship banners hanging from our rafters and are highly favored this year for another.
there was no trying son. Heat got whooped and you are butthurt about 'good shooting' waah waah comedy. you are funny when you get owned. it's a shame you are so butthurt about it years after the fact that you have to come on a rockets board and whine about it.. Trolled a troll. you lose.
