The Miami Heat are done. That’s the overall notion after they walked off the emptying arena, too quickly for anyone’s taste. The emptying I mean. Walk off? What else could LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and company do after losing a close one against the Boston Celtics, as the ghosts of last year’s final came crashing through the gates of the arena.
What people remember from the game now? The little kid, with his ‘Good Job, Good effort’ pats on the back as the Heat players headed into the tunnel.
Suddenly, this becomes all so symbolic for the Heat’s problems, fears, disappointments and what not. After LeBron James said that the Heat put themselves in a situation to win, and they couldn’t ask for more, what do you expect? When Erik Spoelstra speaks about how this team blocks itself from the outside world or something along those lines; When Dwyane Wade simply says – We didn’t expect to be in this situation it sheds the light from last year on the Heat project.
And it’s not about basketball and Erik Spoelstra not being able to actually draw up plays, or get his players to execute them, believe what you like. The Heat know how to play defense, but maybe even that comes from superior athleticism and will. After all, if you’re not lazy and you’ve got the feet to carry you, you’re going to be a decent defender in the NBA, at the least.
But the way the Heat’s half court offense looks just shrieks of bad coaching and of no one really knowing what to do. LeBron James dribbles trying to find a way to pierce through the defense, and then Dwyane Wade takes a stab at that. With a healthy Chris Bosh, it looks better. But Bosh’s return didn’t really change anything. The Heat looked lacking in terms of the hustle plays, the 50-50 balls. That’s what lost them the game.
And it’s a question of character now. Because this team isn’t suddenly going to play Spurs like basketball with multiple screens and off the ball motion while James spreads the floor. They have their way of scoring, with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade definitely going for at least 55-60 points. They need players to step up around them, with simple things – Making open three pointers, that are bound to be created through the two big’s penetrations.
Can LeBron James and Dwyane pull themselves together and mount up something extraordinary in the TD Garden? Most believe they can’t. Not now, when the tide has turned completely towards Boston, just like it did for the Dallas Mavericks a year ago in the NBA finals. The Celtics aren’t a good enough team to destroy the Heat, who will have a shot at winning the game if it turns into another close one. Can they do it? If not, they’ll be having a new head coach next season, while heading into another depressing summer.