We knew that the Miami Heat were going to be big news this season but right now, the Heat continue to make headlines as they look to find answers to the question "What's going on in Miami?" But regardless of what solutions they come up with, the scrutiny is producing questions at a faster rate.
So was it an intentional bump by LeBron James on head coach Erik Spoelstra Saturday night as the Heat went down to yet another defeat? Or are we reading too much into things? Spoelstra didn't seem concerned and at first glance it seemed like an accidental collision.
But what if it wasn't? What if the AAU mentality is starting to come out? You know that mindset that says, "I'm untouchable and I'll do what I want because this dude coaching the team doesn't know what he's doing and I'm done with him?"
What next, do we see LeBron's crew close to the bench yelling at Spoelstra telling him who should be in the game and who should be on the bench? It doesn't sound like the Heat are going down that road. Personally, I don't think it was a big deal but that's what happens when teams are losing, everything is up for debate and everyone has an answer and if a coach has to show he's in control then he probably isn't.
Like everything this season with Miami, "bump-gate" will be analysed to death and after losing four of five games, the team held a players only meeting on Saturday after the loss to Dallas and it seemed to work. They did get a win over Washington in the next game, which makes them 9-1 against sub .500 teams and 1-7 against teams with a winning record.
Even after that meeting in Dallas to supposedly clear the air, there still seem to be more questions and speculation surfacing about Spoelstra, his coaching tactics, and his ultimately his job. Believe what you will but there is only one thing that will end the guesswork and settle the minds of Miami's players, front office personnel, coaching staff and fans, and that is winning.
Dwyane Wade for one doesn't want Pat Riley in as the head coach. It's almost as if he's saying to his teammates "Trust me, let's try to work with this guy because I'm not up for the disciplined regimented style that Riley will bring. If you think you're not having fun now, it will be worse if the dude with the slick back hairdo takes over." But then again, if you want to win, you may have to do things you don't want to do and it's not as if Wade issued a ringing endorsement of Spoelstra with his "he's not my guy" line when talking about coaching in the NBA.
Right now as the NBA's most hated team, there are a lot of people quietly chuckling at the "Mishaps in Miami". This team will eventually get it together and regardless of the struggles, I dare you to find one team that would want to take them on in a seven game series next April. For public perception, they are saying and trying to do the right things. Spoelstra and James have met and are supposedly on the same page. But in the mean time, many around the basketball world are revelling with the Heat struggling.
