NEWS
6/22/14 5:32pm
By Matt Mallian
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.
