[Chicago Sun-Times] Rose Wants Legacy To Include Clutch Play

Not really. Wade is a top 5 player in the game when healthy. Nobody in the last 5 years outside of maybe Utah had something like that with two top 5 players on the same team who had still yet to reach their primes. Last season, you could've said Wade was #2 or #3 in the league behind LeBron as one of the best players in the game... Bosh would be considered a top 20 player. Again, no margin of superstars to this caliber have ever been together on one team before, there's a reason this team has gotten so much hype and spotlight from the media. It's really not even close.

 

Wade really isn't a top 5 player IMO. I'm not taking him over LeBron, Howard, Rose, Durant or Kobe. What reasoning do you use to place Wade above any of those guys? I might not take him over Dirk and CP3. Some may not take him over Melo, who hasn't missed the playoffs until this year (possibly).

No margin of superstars of this caliber have ever been on a team before? Jordan/Pippen/Rodman isn't of that caliber? Pippen lost Jordan and still got out the 1st round. Wade hasn't been out of the 1st in how many years? Kareem/Magic/Worthy isn't of that caliber? Moses/Doc/Cheeks isn't of that caliber? Bird/McHale/Parish isn't of that caliber? Additionally, you forget that a team has 12 players, not 3. Once you consider players 4-12 I can list numerous rosters that had more talent on it than the Miami Heat. The 86 Celtics not only had that trio but they also had Dennis Johnson (who had already led a team to a title), Ainge and Walton. You would rather have Wade, Bosh and the other scrubs on the Heat than Gasol, Bynum, Odom, Artest and Fisher?? You would rather have Wade and Bosh than Pierce, Allen, Perkins and Rondo??

 

You're looking at it wrong. You have to compare each team to its contemporaries.

Magic/Kareem/Worthy played against Bird/McHale/Parish.

When Jordan/Pippen/Rodman played together, Jordan and Pippen were past their primes, and there were other teams with comparable talent. Don't forget that even we had Olajuwon/Drexler/Barkley. Also, you have to remember that the Bulls' greatest weakness was their center position, and there were plenty of centers in the league who could exploit that weakness.

In terms of talent, who currently comes close to the 2012 Miami Heat? James/Wade/Bosh are all in their primes. The only other team that comes to mind is OKC, but none of them (Durant/Westbrook/Harden/Ibaka) have reached their primes.

 

Even looking at the contemporaries, the 2011 Miami Heat do not have more talent on it's roster than the two teams that made the Finals in 2010. Those were the target teams to beat. The Lakers still have just as much talent as Miami's big 3 with Kobe/Bynum/Gasol, and last season still had more talent with Kobe/Bynum/Gasol/Odom. Just because they got swept and didn't gel that postseason doesn't mean the team was less talented.

Edit: I think Miami has used their MLE well and has a better bench than the current Lakers since they gave Odom away, but Kobe/Gasol/Bynum/Odom/Fisher is just as much talent as LeBron/Wade/Bosh.

 

Rose missed 6 of his last 7 shots, and 2 free throws in a row..his shot wasn't there anymore. He has to make the right basketball choice and pass it to the wide open man. If Hamilton doesn't make it, you live with it because in the end it was the right choice. I would take a Hamilton wide open 3 than a cold Rose who had to pivot around to shoot, flanked by 2 defenders any day. It's BBall IQ.

 

The Heat are the most talented team in the NBA by a wide margin. They're stacked. Bryant is in his 16th season, and Gasol has started declining this year, his 11th season. Bynum gets hurt every year. And on top of that, you're going to say Miami isn't more talented than the Mavs or Celtics right now? Your credibility is shot.

 

He never really mentioned the Mavs, or said that they are better than miami right now, he is talking about the past championship teams like Boston and the Lakers who had more talent on their roster than miami, which i would have to agree with

 

I may have misinterpreted that. However, neither of those teams had 2 top 5 players to go with a max (top 15) PF in Bosh. Miami is more loaded than any team we've seen in quite some time.

 

Miami is more talented than Boston now. They were not more talented than Boston when they still had Perkins. That Rondo guy....he's kinda good. They definately weren't more talented than the 08 Celtics who had those 5 and guys like Posey off the bench.

Last year the Lakers had as much talent as Miami. Who cares what season Kobe is in. He is still producing at a high level and no one expected LA not to compete for the title last year. Just because they underperformed in the playoffs and got swept doesn't take away from all the talent that was on the roster. Did you expect LA not to make the Finals last season prior to the playoffs starting? When they lost it was a total shocker.

I never said Miami wasn't the most talented team this season, mainly because they added key bench help and some other teams like LA and Boston basically gave good players away. I said they were formed to beat the teams that met in the 2010 playoffs, and what they had last year wasn't any more talented 1-12 than the squads that won the 3 titles before last season. And the roster definately doesn't stack up to multiple other title teams. If anyone is trying to pawn the Heat off as one of the most talented teams ever or the most talented ever compared to their opponents (since I really don't see any team with as much talent as those 96-98 Bulls, who had a better Big 3, Harper, Kukoc, legit 7 footers and actual shooters) then they have no credibility and are letting their hate blind them from reality.

 

No, they aren't, unless you think you only need 3 players on the court to win. Any Rockets fan should know the importance of surrounding your stars with quality role players. Go look at who was playing C and PG for the Heat last season. Look at their bench. Do you think the Lakers of 2010 would have traded you Bynum/Gasol/Odom/Artest/Fisher for Wade/Bosh and any other player that played for Miami last season outside of LeBron? Hell no!!! It take 5...not 3.