Has the Decision paid off?

It was on the night of July 8, 2010 that arguably the most hated NBA team officially assembled. In an hour-long special, Lebron James decided that he would “take his talents to South Beach.” In a matter of seconds, one of the most cherished, adored, and iconic athletes in the NBA became the most despised superstar. Cleveland wasn’t the only town that shunned their former Chosen One, but quite frankly, a large majority of the world was vindictive towards the King after his Decision.
Fast forward to the present. The Miami Heat is now competing for an NBA Championship against the Dallas Mavericks. Their path to the finals was far from smooth. Every since this fantasy team gathered, they’ve been disdained. If it wasn’t James’ irregular obnoxious announcement on national television that led to viewer rejection of the Heat, maybe it was their coming out party on stage in the American Airlines Arena that reminded me of Oprah’s Farewell Tribute. Whichever it was, Miami isn’t here to win a popularity contest. James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade to get a ring; period. They may be viewed as the Monstars from Space Jam, but their choice to join forces was what they wanted. They could care less about the opinions of men and women who don’t like them. Respect their business decision or not, it doesn’t matter because this is their job, not the world’s.
This Miami Heat team may be very young and talented, but ironically are wise due to the worldwide rejection. Every night there was a new story about the Heat. First, the preconceived notions of the team having no chemistry rose to the table. Then, their record against the elite teams weren’t good enough. After that, there was the controversy of how the offense was like a clogged toilet and not enough shots were given to Wade. And how could we forget the biggest debate, who should take the final shot. These are only a few examples of the excess amount of questions that were lingering about South Beach this year. According to numerous ESPN polls, viewers may never want this team to win a championship, but their worst nightmare may come true. What doesn’t kill someone makes them stronger and Miami has matured drastically from the hatred against them.
It was four years ago that James and the Cleveland Cavaliers were dismantled in the NBA Championship by the San Antonio Spurs. Now he is four games away with another shot to add to his legacy. Miami reminds me of when the Boston Celtics set the blueprint for the BIG 3. Though Miami is much younger and more talented than Boston’s triad, the Celtics received their share of criticism, too. The Celtics’ result in the first year was a championship and they were a game away from winning a second one as well. Hmmmm….. Ultimately, you can do all the research you want, but the regular season is in no comparison to the playoffs. There should be no surprise that the Heat have made it this far. The scary thing is that this team isn’t even close to reaching their peak. Let the three-headed monster develop some better chemistry along with their supporting cast. The sky isn’t the limit for this squad, the moon is.
As for the 2011 finals, Miami has never really competed against an explosive offensive team like Dallas in the postseason. The Mavs have a very deep bench and possess a lot of weapons in contrast to the Heat. Though they may be outnumbered in depth, Miami has three of the best four players in the series. Wade, Bosh, and James will obviously need to bring their top offensive game, but their primary concern should be on defense. Surprisingly, the Heat’s defense is the catalyst to a majority of their offense with fast breaks being one example. The reason why this team has been able to pull off these late comebacks is their lock-up TEAM defense. The Heat’s D needs to be as aggressive and smash mouth. The Dallas three-point shooters should have no room to breathe. Don’t be surprised if you see a couple of technical fouls being called in this series.
I rather not put the spotlight on any specific player other than the Heat’s Big 3, but the Heat’s bench performance could be the key to win this series. Mike Bibby and Mario Chalmers’ three-point knock downs can be just as significant as a block and offensive rebound by Joel Anthony. I know this bench has to be tired of the world thinking that it is a three-man show that got the Heat to the grand finale. I expect to see some more Udonis Haslem-like performances from someone on this team.
The adrenaline is high for both teams. I’m interested to see if Miami will stay undefeated at home in the playoffs and if the Mavericks can pass the century mark against this Heat defense. Tipoff begins on Tuesday at 9. Miami’s Big 3 vs. the White Mamba. The peanut gallery begins this Tuesday. Who are you with?