Let’s just get this out of the way; the Miami Heat are on top of the basketball world right now. Ever since LeBron James and Chris Bosh took their talents to South Beach in 2010, they’ve been nearly unstoppable. They’ve made it to the finals all 3 years, only coming up short of a championship in 2011. Losing the Finals in 2011 was exactly what LeBron and the Heat needed – a reality check.
When Lebron said his famous “Not one, not two, not three, not four, etc.” spiel, many people criticized him for that. Since 2010, the Heat have been the face of the NBA. So far, they have lived up to the hype, winning back-to-back championships. But each year the competition gets tougher. Do the Miami Heat have what it takes to be able to go the NBA Finals for a fourth straight year and win a third NBA Championship?
No NBA team has made it to the NBA finals in four consecutive years for about three decades, and the last team to win three straight championships was the Los Angeles Lakers (2000-2002). If we consider history, it doesn’t bode well for the Heat to three-peat. But let’s not forget what kind of team were dealing with here. This is a team that is flirting with being called a dynasty.
Miami’s core roster is pretty much the same as last season, though they added Greg Oden and Michael Beasley this offseason. Even though these were two low-risk pick-ups, Greg Oden could very well decide how Miami does. The main recipe to dethrone the Heat is size. One player who could really benefit from Greg Oden playing well is Chris Bosh. Chris is mainly a power forward, but he’s had to play center due to lack of size on the Heat roster. Chris could be able to play his normal position, which could be a huge boost for Miami.
There is another factor that might be the biggest key for Miami to three-peat: Dwayne Wade. Dwyane was the face of the franchise since he was drafted. He’s arguably the best shooting guards today, and if he continues to play at a high level, will be considered amongst the NBAs legends. Let’s not forget he won a championship in Miami before LeBron and Chris came. The past two years, he’s been dealing with a bad knee, which has really kept him from being able to play at an elite level. He always comes up big when he needs to, but this year it needs to be a little more often. Luckily he didn’t have to do much this summer, and we can assume much time was spent relaxing and rehabilitating. If he’s able to stay healthy, Miami will be very tough to beat again. His health could potentially be a huge factor in LeBron’s decision next summer.
Let’s not forget about the role players for Miami, who have been huge for the Heat these past few years, always playing big in big games. If it wasn’t for Ray Allen’s amazing shot, we most likely wouldn’t be talking about Miami possibly three-peating. Shane Battier was also huge for the Heat, especially in game 7. Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole always come up big when the stakes are at their highest. With the departure of Mike Miller, expect to see Rashard Lewis and James Jones get more playing time. This is a special roster, and they definitely have what it takes to three-peat.
The main reason people feel Miami won’t be able to three-peat is because of two teams: the Indiana Pacers and the Chicago Bulls. Indiana was so close to beating Miami, taking them to 7 games in the Conference Finals. Chicago is probably the bigger threat to the Heat, but that all depends on the health of Derrick Rose. If he can get back to MVP form, they’ll give the Heat the most trouble. I really hope Indiana and Chicago end up playing each other in the playoffs. Watching those two teams fight for a shot at Miami in a 7 game series? Amazing.
But when all is said and done, I really feel Miami will again raise the trophy at season’s end. They have the best player on the planet in LeBron. LeBron’s name is being mentioned alongside the greats, and if he wins this year, he is one step closer to Kobe and perhaps even Michael
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