Who Cares About 5 through 8?

“Who cares about five through 8?!”

That’s what Dan Le Betard had to say on his radio show when told by Bill Simmons that it was impossible to project what the Miami Heat would do in the 2010-2011 NBA season. He was actually speaking with Bill Simmons, a avid Boston Celtics lover and someone who apparently isn’t all the way swayed by the notion that the Miami Heat are going to come through and terrorize the league with it’s new “Big Three.” Oddly enough, it is Simmons Celtics that were the beneficiary of a Big Three just three years ago, when Kevin Garnet, Dwyane Wade and Ray Allen came together to win an NBA championship.

The point Le Betard is trying to make is that outside of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, the other spots on the team don’t matter. These three players are so good, that you can put anybody else on the roster and they are going to win a ton of regular season games and, at the very least, will reach the NBA Finals. Throw in the fact that the Heat appear to have Mike Miller on board as the fourth pivotal player, and what you’re left saying is, “Who really does cares about roster spots five through 8?”

Roster spots five through eight will not matter. Just think about this. LeBron James and the rest of the ragamuffin Cleveland Cavaliers won 60 games last year and 66 games in 2009. LeBron did that without any notable superstar playing along his side, and the thought that they would do any worse with another top three NBA player on his roster is absurd. Throw Chris Bosh into this mix, and you’re talking about a team that should go after 72 wins this season.

That’s not to say this team won’t have flaws. If Chris Bosh is their big man, they will have to get somebody a lot tougher than him down on the block. Dwyane Wade’s jump shot will be tested throughout the season. And LeBron James is going to have to get used to seeing a lot of zone come playoff time.

Still, knowing that these three have their individual flaws should not deter anyone from seeing the forest through the trees. A combination of Wade and LeBron alone would be enough to rival Jordan and Pippen, but throw in a big man in Bosh, with the offensive skills those 90’s Bulls teams never saw, and you have a recipe for complete NBA destruction.

Of course, if you’re like Bill Simmons, and you think it’s necessary to see how this team fills out before you come to any conclusions, let me give you a few other pieces. The Miami Heat have Mario Chalmers as their point guard. He’s nothing special, but has done okay over the last two years, and besides, LeBron is going to be the true point guard for this team anyway.

As for that capable, tough, big man the Heat will need down low, Miami just stole Udonis Haslem for the price of two bags of chips off the free agent market. Haslem is no Chris Bosh, but he’s exactly what they need, but then again, I’m not sure James, Bosh and Wade needed anybody else to make this trio of talent work.

No related posts.