Miami's athleticism overwhelmed. The Heat vaporized passing lanes on defense, and rampaged for fast-break dunks. In the half court, James and Wade didn't need wide lanes to get to the rim.
They flew through crevices. Wade was a smart, hoppy cutter before LeBron arrived. LeBron became one in Miami. Over three seasons of trial and error, Miami found the right mix of shooting and defense around the three tentpole stars. After their humiliation against Dallas in the Finals, Miami signed Shane Battier to defend power forwards -- an assignment James did not want -- in smaller lineups. The Battier deal might go down as the single most impactful midlevel contract in league history.
Watching the Finals through the lens of , the Heat look old-fashioned. Traditional centers clogged driving lanes. Bosh spotted up around the elbows. Their offense was stilted, uncertain. Time would have bred some chemistry and flow. Even so, watching now -- and knowing what was brewing in Oklahoma City and San Antonio -- you wonder: Had the Heat not reimagined their roster and style, would they have won even one title? Reinvention started with Battier's signing, but it took time. The Heat didn't commit to pace-and-space until an injury to Bosh in Game 1 of the conference semifinals against Indiana forced them into it.
When Bosh returned nine games later in the conference finals against the Boston Celtics , he was mostly a center. The Heat won six of their next eight, and the championship. That offseason, they doubled down on shooting -- and smallish-ball -- by snaring Ray Allen from Boston. Allen and Battier gave Miami the production they expected, but never really got, from Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem -- support players deemed so essential in that the three stars took pay cuts to fit them.
The league evolved past Haslem. Miller had moments, but injuries limited his productivity and playing time in every season in Miami until the Heat waived him. With Battier and Allen, Miami discovered its identity. The Heat went in , including a game winning streak -- the second longest in league history. The clunky, hesitant offense of gave way to a blur of touch passes, screens, and cuts.
The Heat did everything at full speed, a gear teams reach only when true joy meets profound confidence and familiarity. A pick-and-roll on one side with 18 on the shot clock triggered a rapid-fire series of actions that flowed into a pick-and-roll on the other side with 12 on the shot clock.
What had comprised their entire half-court offense two years earlier became subsumed within a circular system that was almost self-governing. Defenses chased from behind.
When they kept up, which was rare, the Heat improvised. Someone broke from the script, and even as he took that first step into the unknown, the other four players would realize what was happening -- and adjust in kind. It was the perfect symbiosis of style and substance. Miami topped the league in points per possession, and made one of the biggest year-to-year leaps in scoring efficiency of all time. Witnessing that kind of evolution -- the real work of the NBA -- is why die-hards set aside two-plus hours, 82 times per year, and obsess over the middle and back of the roster.
You almost feel part of the growth experience. It validates fandom. Miami blitzed through the first two rounds of the playoffs. The Heat were in 48 games entering the conference finals against Indiana.
They looked unbeatable. Damian Jones is out there. So is DeMarcus Cousins! It feels like I could write an MVP column every week. The race is constantly changing, with shifting narratives influenced by hot streaks and unfortunate injuries. Kawhi Leonard is too quiet to ever make a case for himself, so allow me the honor. His team is third-best by record in a ruthless conference, and according to Cleaning the Glass , the Clippers are During a season that will be remembered—at least on the court—for its explosive offense, Leonard leads the NBA in offensive rating.
Put some respect on his name. Beck: Buyouts are warping the NBA's competitive landscape. Mannix: Clippers must make a deadline move. Nadkarni: The Nuggets have stumbled into their lineup of the future. Herring: Inside the NBA's year of the lefty.
In her role as vice president of workplace culture and diversity initiatives for CBS Sports, the former college softball catcher is driving change within the workplace—and beyond. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. Support Us Miami's independent source of local news and culture. The Heat is a team that's figuring out who it is. The Miami Heat has not exactly provided the encore to last season's improbable NBA Finals appearance fans were hoping for.
Following a Cinderella run in , Miami was expected to hit the ground running in So far, that hasn't been the case. The Heat is likely to enter March a sub-.
The Heat just isn't the team it was last year and likely won't be any time soon. Things should get better, but they won't get that good again. So what happened? We've seen this team get to that level Adebayo is talking about, we'll just have to wait and see if they can reach it again in time for the postseason. By Jasmyn Wimbish.
May 11, at am ET 6 min read. Getty Images. Clippers vs. Watch Now:. Can the Heat regain last season's postseason magic? Jasmyn Wimbish 6 min read. Panic meter: Blazers have work to do Sam Quinn 7 min read. Rookie Rankings: Mobley seizes No. Mock Draft: Duke's Banchero No.
Toronto James Herbert 1 min read. Lakers mum on LeBron; ab injury not severe, per report James Herbert 1 min read. Report: Wall 'increasingly likely' to sit full season Brad Botkin 2 min read.
0コメント