The 2014 NBA playoffs came to a close June 15 when the San Antonio Spurs finished off their dismantling of the two-time defending champion Miami Heat.
Though the Spurs, led by future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan and emerging star and Finals Most Valuable Player Kawhi Leonard, earned their fifth NBA title in the Gregg Popovich era, the future of Miami’s famed Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh has already supplanted the Spurs’ title as one of the many compelling headlines heading into the offseason.
When James, Wade and Bosh decided to team up in 2010, the Heat became the most talked about team in recent memory. But now, with the future of the Big Three in doubt, the word “uncertainty” can now be associated with the Heat for the first time in almost four years.
After falling short in their quest of a third straight NBA title, James, Wade and Bosh can opt out of their respective contracts and test the free agent waters this offseason. Still a very talented team, the 2014 Heat lacked enough help outside of James to topple the depth of the Spurs. Miami won championships in 2012 and 2013 with a similarly limited roster as the 2014 squad, but team president Pat Riley and the Heat front office was always able to find productive bench players to help carry the load. In this year’s Finals, Miami’s main problems resided in the starting lineup as well as on the bench.
Wade and Bosh each put forth lackluster performances when it counted most against the Spurs. Wade scored a combined 21 points in Games 4 and 5 of the Finals, a far cry from the 22 he put up in Game 3, all Heat losses. Bosh’s play was equally uninspiring, as he tallied just nine, 12 and 13 points in Games 3-5 after scoring 18 points in both Games 1 and 2. The Heat needed much more if they expected to keep up with the Spurs.
The offensive production of Wade and Bosh as the Finals wore on is one reason that James could decide to bolt from Miami and split up the Big Three. But why would he? The Heat fell just three wins short of a third straight championship after becoming the first team in 27 years to make NBA Finals four straight seasons.
Sure, the Big Three is getting older, but they should still be able to compete at a high level for at least two or three more years as a group. First off, LeBron is always going to put up LeBron numbers (27.4 points per game in postseason). Behind him, Bosh is generally reliable on the offensive end, and Wade can still provide solid minutes, granted he stays healthy. This year’s Finals was one of the few times that the Big Three’s production has been questioned. We should not let one bad stretch of play by Wade and Bosh spark talk of a breakup.
The only question mark over the past four years has been whether the Heat’s secondary players can produce, and more often than not, they have. In the 2012 NBA Finals, it was Mike Miller providing the heroics for the Heat off the bench, as the veteran swingman hit seven 3-pointers in Game 5 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, an NBA record for a reserve in a Finals game. Shane Battier also came up huge in that series, shooting 57.7 percent from 3-point range, an NBA Finals record for a player who made more than 15 3-pointers in a series.
Then, of course, we have Ray Allen, the NBA record holder for career 3-pointers made. Allen’s 3-pointer in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals sent the game to overtime and gave the Heat new life in a series they would ultimately go on to win. Throw in quality reserves in point guard Norris Cole, forward Chris Andersen and even forward Rashard Lewis, and you have a decent second unit.
Riley seems to always find a few unheralded players, whether through the draft or free agency, who come in and produce right away. Who’s to say he can’t do that again this offseason? The upcoming NBA Draft is being hyped as one of the deepest drafts in years, so it is not a stretch to say the Heat could find themselves another quality rotational player with the 29th pick.
Looking at the current landscape of the Eastern Conference, things are looking pretty good for the Heat. In 2015, Chicago and Indiana look to be the only teams with a chance to dethrone the Heat as Eastern Conference champs. The Bulls have plans to retool their roster this summer in hopes of landing either Carmelo Anthony or Kevin Love. Either of these additions, along with a healthy Derrick Rose, makes the Bulls very formidable when compared with the Heat. Indiana faltered heading into the playoffs this year, but have the most experience playing against the Heat, having lost to Miami two years in a row. Depending on the additions they make in the offseason, the Pacers project to be right in the thick of things in the East.
But none of these things are givens. Rose hasn’t proven that he can stay on the court for an entire season, and the Pacers seem to unravel whenever the Heat challenges them. Because of this, LeBron should be licking his chops heading into next season knowing his team will have the upper hand.
We are not one week into the offseason, but the rumors are already swirling. Of course, the most potent of them all will be those that call for James to return to Cleveland. Already, it was reported that James had enrolled his children in a Cleveland-area school for next year, leading some to believe that he is planning a return to his hometown. This report, like most involving James, was proven to be false.
James knows what team is best for him, and that team is the Miami Heat. With the Heat, James is playing for a solid organization that has proven it can provide the pieces necessary to win a championship.
With James, Wade and Bosh, the future is bright, and the door of opportunity is still open. There is still time for the Heat to make a run at another championship over the next 2-3 years. Though heading to free agency is an enticing option for the Big Three, Miami is the best place if they want to win. After all, isn’t that why they came together in the first place?