After free-agent movement, trades and a summer filled with anticipation, we’re off and running—already a week into a long NBA season. And, though it’s still early, the team many pronounced dead, the Miami Heat, currently sits on top in the East, the conference’s only undefeated team. I know, easy does it, the season is a marathon not a sprint, but clearly the Heat haven’t forgotten how to play.
Yes, LeBron James, the best player on the planet, took his talents back to Cleveland. Yes, the odds are stacked against them turning in a fifth straight Finals appearance (forgivable as the Boston Celtics of the 1960’s as the last team to accomplish that feat).
But the Heat still boast key pieces of the group that fought its way to the last four NBA Finals. Udonis Haslem, Chris Andersen, Norris Cole and Mario Chalmers are still on the roster, alongside new veteran additions such as Luol Deng, Shannon Brown, Josh McRoberts and Danny Granger. And in case anyone’s forgotten, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are all stars. Both of them stepped back to allow James to run the show in Miami. It’s time for both to leap forward again.
The challenge for the 2014-15 Heat will be at the end of games. No longer will they be able to give the ball to James and wait for him to either score, get to the free-throw line or find a way to create an easy or open look. But Erik Spoelstra has grown as a coach, and will have to put that hard-earned experience to use when it’s required.
As for the players, they still play terrific team basketball. Great spacing and excellent ball movement allow the Heat to shift, read and react to opposing defences with a combination of drives, kicks and side-to-side passing. If a lane is presented, they take it; if there is an open shot, they may take that instead. A top-10 team in assists last season, they find themselves in the top-five a week into the current season. That same brand of unselfish offensive play allowed them to get quality shots and lead the NBA in field goal percentage as a team last season. Offence won’t be a problem.
Defensively, Miami is still “flying around” as they like to call it in South Florida. A season ago, the Heat made up for their status as the worst rebounding team in the league by creating turnovers and transition opportunities. They deflected passes, trapped ball handlers in screen-and-roll situations and took advantage of 4-on-2, 3-on-2, and 2-on-1 situations to produce easy points. “We try to play on the break,” said Bosh, succinctly summing things up.
“It’s not like they are chopped liver,” commented Raptors head coach Dwane Casey in the post-game session that followed Sunday’s 107-102 Miami win over Toronto. “They won two championships for a reason.”
Enough said.
This season, you can bet the Heat will employ the same formula that made them successful over the past four campaigns—regardless of who pulls on a Miami uniform. They will do all of it with just a little added motivation to prove to people that there was more to the last four seasons than just James. Miami is a proud team and that pride starts right at the top with Pat Riley. Are they going to win a title? Probably not. But that isn’t going to stop them from trying to let people know why they were champions.
The Heat are far from down and out, even after a summer of upheaval. Don’t forget about them just yet.