Miami HEAT - What's the issue?

[JVides]

Guys, the season's not even a month old and JO is out for two or three weeks and Shaq is iffy.  What's going to happen in 45 games when Garnett's knees start felling like crap?  I'm glad you're sold on your team, but to ignore - or even scoff at - the possibility that age will be your team's undoing is extreme Pollyanna syndrome.

You're not worried about LeBron?  You should be.  He carried a crappy Cavs team to a finals appearance.  Add Wade, Bosh, and essentially the Cav's crappy team, and no matter how you slice it, this team is capable, not guaranteed, but capable, of hitting the finals. 

[JVides]

Paul Pierce is a first ballot hall of famer without question. Are you kidding me? When his career is over he's going to be the celtics 2nd all time leading scorer. He's already 3rd and will soon pass Larry Legend. Pierce is so clucth it isn't even funny. I'd take him over Lebron James anyday of the week. He's been an all-star 8 times and has been finals MVP. You can't be that ignorant to think that pierce isn't a lock first ballot hall of famer.

Paul Pierce played, like, 8 seasons as the C's lone gunner, where he was permitted to jack up shots at will.  Of course he put up points.  Who did Larry Legend have to share shots with?  Chief, McHale, Walton, DJ, etc...  Most of your great teams featured lots of great scorers.  It's no surprise Pierce is climbing up the scoring list, he was essentially all the C's had for so long!

You think he's this first ballot guy, fine.  I'm not so sure.  After all, Dominique Wilkins waited a year or two to get in, and I don't consider Pierce to be in his class (Pierce is almost 6,000 points behind Wilkins, or, at his current scoring rate, 4 more seasons, which he doesn't have left).  He doesn't especially scare me.  I've never considered him the best SF in the league, not even for one year in his career. What can I say?  He just doesn't scare me that much.  Put it this way:  If he or Ray Allen are my choices to leave open for a shot, I'd rather triple Ray Allen and give the shot to Pierce, because Allen WILL rip my heart out, but Pierce only MIGHT.  That's just me.  Oh, and LeBron has been an All-Star 6 times in 7 years, MVP twice, all NBA first team 4 times and will be, trust me here, a finals MVP as well before he's done.  Oh, and he's 25.  You'd trade Pierce for LeBron in a nanosecond and cackle at Miami's stupidity the whole time.  In fact, you'd trade your big three for Miami's big three, because your window would expand by 6 years. 

C'mon now, we're all grown ups here.  You can admit it.

[Fau Teixeira]

fact of the matter is that between the heat big 3 and the celtics big 3 .. the only celtic that would start on this heat team would be garnett and even then it would be because he and bosh could both play as a 4/5 in a pinch

[Sunstroke]

I think that, technically, the "big one" in Boston's Big-3 at the moment would be Rajon Rondo, and man, would I love to see that kind of stud PG talent on the Heat.

[Dave Gray]

I don't know if it was just a favorable matchup, but Miami thumped Phoenix.  It wasn't even a contest.  The Suns had no answer.

I noticed that Miami was distributing the ball better, and moving without the ball better.  I think Bosh's effectiveness may have opened up the floor, but I'm not really sure.

[TEKGOD]

OK I have been reading the posts & being an objective Heat fan I do not think they will win the conference this year. Team chemistry is very real & the Heat still do not have an identity. They are still figuring out if Bosh is most effective with LeBron on the court while Wade sits, etc. Oh and they have an issue at the point. I don't think having a big center is that big of a deal. Hell the Jordan Bulls never had one & they have 6 banners. Bottom line is this is not YMCA or division II ball where you can just put the best talent on the court & run teams out of the gym. That's why we can beat the Minnesota's of the world but not the Bostons.

Having said all that - there is no question that this is a foundation for a dynasty. Once we fill in the bench this is a team that *will* win at least 3 titles in the next couple of years. For now I'm not surprised they are not world beaters but they should be much better when Miller is healthy.

[TEKGOD]

I don't know if it was just a favorable matchup, but Miami thumped Phoenix.  It wasn't even a contest.  The Suns had no answer.

The Suns also have no defense. They don't match up well against the Heat.
A more defensive team like the Hornets, Lakers, maybe even the Spurs would cause probs right now

[Pats2006]

Everyone thought that right off the bat the Heat were going to blow out teams. You have to remember that this is the first time that the Heat r playing together. They have to develop a chemistry. If you have noticed they r getting better every game.  Bosh is starting to heat up.

My hole problem is that James is on the team. Sorry KING James. I just dont see how its going to work out because of how big of an ego that he has. I see a blow up with him later in the season. We'll see.

[Sunstroke]

Everyone thought that right off the bat the Heat were going to blow out teams.

Translation...SOME people in the media and SOME people on this board thought that...but saying "Everyone thought that..." makes his point look more intense.

Side note...This sort of blanket statement/massive exaggeration is rapidly becoming my biggest pet peeve with message board communication. Too many people do this sort of thing...it's like a lot of folks feel that reality doesn't support their point well enough, so they may as well just tweak the truth until it does!

So annoying...

[gocowboys31]

Translation...SOME people in the media and SOME people on this board thought that...but saying "Everyone thought that..." makes his point look more intense.

Side note...This sort of blanket statement/massive exaggeration is rapidly becoming my biggest pet peeve with message board communication. Too many people do this sort of thing...it's like a lot of folks feel that reality doesn't support their point well enough, so they may as well just tweak the truth until it does!

So annoying...


Really, i could've sworn someone in a number 6 jersey saying they were going to win 7 championships. They brought this uopn themselves and their folding under the pressure. Wade is the only one who has ant mental toughness. Lebron and bosh both are mentally midgets.

[Landshark]

The problem with the Heat is that they have no one who can dominate in the low post and get them rebounds.  That sort of basketball has been Riley's trademark for YEARS.  He always had a center or power forward who would dominate the boards relentlessly.  In L.A. he had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.  In New York he had Patrick Ewing.  In Miami, he had Alonzo Mourning for a number of years and Shaq for a brief period of time.  Bosh does not have the low post presence any of these guys have.  When they play a team with a low post presence, they get pounded on the boards. 

[Sunstroke]

Really, i could've sworn someone in a number 6 jersey saying they were going to win 7 championships.

Are you not paying attention, or does LeBron count as "everyone" in your world?

Side note...This sort of blanket statement/massive exaggeration is rapidly becoming my biggest pet peeve with message board communication.

Edited to add that people who jump into a conversation without reading any of the relevant preceding comments are way up on the message board pet peeve list as well.

[Phishfan]

does LeBron count as "everyone" in your world?

I think he does in LeBron's world.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Cromartie was right!

In the pre-season. Mr. Fatherhood called the Jets the Miami Heat of the NFL.

Lets compare:

1. Both are a little more than 1 game out of first place in their division.

2. Both have suffered humiliating loss on national TV to a team from Boston.

3. Both were hugely over hyped in the preseason.

4. Both had their own TV special. (The Lebron signing & Hard knocks)

5. Both are filled with big named, big ego players that don't believe in team work.

6. Both are failing to meet the expecations they boasted about before the season.

I say he was absolutely right!

[Sunstroke]

Take out #5 from that list (subjectivity, speculation, incorrect assumption...in that order) and I have no argument about it.

Couldn't we just make a "Boston Fans Sports Masturbation" thread for this sort of commentary though?