Last night after a clutch 3-pointer by Paul Pierce, the Miami Heat found themselves from being in cruise control to a championship, to on the brink of elimination. For the second straight year it seems like the South Beach boys might fail in their one goal; bringing the title back to Miami. After watching them in this year's playoffs, one thing seems crystal clear now. The Miami Heat do not have the team to win a championship.
Now, if you know me you know that LeBron James is currently my favorite NBA player (outside of Pierre McGee). If you really know me you know that I will fight to the end to prove that LeBron is the most underappreciated player since Shaq, and his talents truly won't be admired until long after he retires. He still is scrutinized over every move he makes. He still is having his whole career downplayed over the fact he hasn't won a title yet. But perhpas the biggest gripe about James is his decisions in the clutch. Although I myself agree that in some situations in the past he has been way too passive in the final seconds of a close game, but the way people hold a double standard when it comes to him and other superstars is outrageous. To this day I will never understand how when the Spurs' Ginobli takes a desperation 3-pointer over a double team sports analysts say he should have passed it to someone more open, but when LeBron passes out a triple-team, led by former defensive player of the year Kevin Garnett, he has a twenty minute segment conducted by your's truly. Anyway, before I get on a rant let me say this; James is not going to win a ring this summer.
Looking back at "The Decision", it's obvious now that The King took his talents from Cleveland to Sunny Cleveland. Besides Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, LeBron is still alone. Looking back at history it shows that you can't win a championship playing 3 on 5, no matter how talented those 3 are. When Bosh went out in game 2 of the Pacers' series, Miami's worst fear came to a realization. The basis in which they built their team on was gone. While a team can get pretty far with three all-stars, making it to the Finals with only two is damn near impossible. Honestly, does anyone think that a team with Joel Anthony and Shane Battier starting can win a championship? When you look at the rest of the conference finalists, you see well-coached t-e-a-m-s. The Thunder are a team, Boston is a team, the Spurs have a team. Miami just has three amazing players with a coach who doesn't know what he's doing. That's a team that will win a lot of games, but doesn't have what it takes to win it all.
So, rather it ends up in Kevin Durant's first or Tim Duncan's fifth, it's almost certain it won't be LeBron's first. Now, I highly doubt LeBron will go through his whole career without winning at least one ring, but it won't happen with this current Heat squad. Best believe changes are coming, and coming sooner than you might think. Mr. Riley doesn't like mediocrity, and with standards as high as Miami has put upon itself, that's what has happened the past two years. So prepare to see a very different Miami Heat team next year, one with one less superstar, and more quality role players. They say no man is an island, so it is kind of ironic that James plays in Florida; a state that appears to be off by itself like an island, but at the end it is still connected to it's neighbors. There may be an 'I' in King, but not in team. Basketball is a collective effort, and the King needs all his men in line to bring him his crown.
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