In 2013, the Heat won a second consecutive NBA title and started this current season in good form. But as 2014 has arrived, Miami lost that spark of quality and motivation that has characterized them in the previous years.
Though winning back-to-back titles is hard, defending them is even harder; the burden of expectation has always been present for Miami, but at this point in time Lebron’s side don’t seem to have the ambition and envy to overcome it. They are the favorites in every game they play, consequently having everything to lose each time they step onto the court. Having achieved everything possible in the last couple of years, Miami now lack that flame of ambition that used to keep them firing all season long.
After losing to both the Knicks and the Nets, the two on-form sides, Miami suffered a harsh and unusual loss to the Wizards. A three-game losing streak, only five wins in their last ten, and four games behind the Eastern Conference top spot. Recent stats clearly outline the slump Miami are currently in. In addition to this, they are struggling in both main sectors of play; in each of their last three games they have conceded over 100 points yet have scored fewer than that, which is the extreme opposite to their season stats, where they average triple digit scoring and only concede 98 points per game.
But is it really that serious? After all, the Heat are just a basketball team, and loss of form affects all sides at some point or the other. Miami may just be having a bad spell, and things could soon get back to normal. What is more worrying is that though the team is not performing, Lebron still is: He has still been scoring over 20 points a game, shooting a ridiculous field goal percentage, and dished out assists like no other forward is capable of. That outlines the fact that the rest of the team has lowered their standards, and that is a real problem. If your key player is struggling, then you can explain poor form, but when your key player is still playing so well, then there something is really going wrong within the whole team.
With the All-Star game fast approaching, all players, especially the stars, are feeling the strain of fatigue. That could be a clear explanation for Miami’s loss of form, and you can expect things to get back to normal after the meeting in New Orleans. In any case, let’s not get ahead of ourselves; Miami may not be as great a team as last year, but they are firmly anchored in the top two of the East (seven games ahead of 3rd place Atlanta). A high playoff seed is guaranteed, and even if they aren’t a brilliant team in the regular season, you can expect their stars to shine in the postseason. Yes, Miami are in a bad run, but if I was a Heat fan I wouldn’t be too worried. After all, no team can dominate 82 games a season, especially not over three years. Their record may not be elite (27-11, 5th overall in the NBA), but let’s not rule the Florida side out too early.
Thanks for reading. You can follow me on twitter @fourpoint_play. While you’re at it, why give the site a follow too – @lastwordonsport and like our Facebook Page.
Interested in writing for LastWordOnSports? If so, check out our “Join Our Team” page to find out how.
