Miami Heat Seek Validation in Brazil Against LeBron, Cavaliers
By David Ramil
I won’t lie…this is pretty exciting, at least as exciting as the NBA preseason gets.
Here are the particulars – the NBA, in their infinite wisdom and foresight, scheduled a game between the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers to take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. While it’s also part of the league’s continued efforts at globalization, the two teams were the best options for LeBron James via free agency. He chose one, left the other, and the storyline is now much more interesting than just two Eastern Conference teams playing a meaningless game.
We’ve debated the significance of the game, suggested it was set up to be needlessly dramatic and most recently acknowledged that there are questions that can only be answered on Saturday. There’s no way of knowing how the events will exactly play out but I can tell you I, personally, am excited about seeing this game.
While I agree with our esteemed editor that some of the dramatic elements are somewhat manufactured, the bottom line is that Miami has a lot to prove when the contest tips off at 5 PM (EST) on ESPN News. To LeBron James, who chose what might seem like a better, younger team that gives him a better chance at competing for a championship.
To the fans of the NBA, who dismiss the Heat’s chances to remain relevant and have too-eagerly embraced James’ tired narrative of “coming home.”
But, most importantly, to themselves, as they take a major psychological step towards working their way out of the shadow of James and begin a new era of Heat basketball.
Players on both sides will claim this is just another game but that’s ludicrous. The World Wide Leader pushed aside their regularly scheduled programming to show this game, even amidst the more lucrative spectacle of College Football Saturday. The “neutral” site somehow adds to the story; Cavs center Anderson Varejao is the bigger star here, surpassing James, Kevin Love, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade by virtue of his Brazilian citizenry. While the fans will root for Varejao, the Heat will be the underdogs here, giving them more than a puncher’s chance.
Moreover, the players are human, a fact they try their hardest to hide and one that we, as fans, conveniently forget at times. Bosh’s recent comments smack of some hard feelings, even if he says otherwise. Wade is too competitive to simply let this game become just like any other. James has hinted about the awkwardness of the matchup.
For this and much more, the game is must-watch television, even in the preseason.
Here are some things to look out for, in honor of Miami’s new, more unified team concept, my Five Keys to the Game:
Basic interactions between the key players – it may not be as dramatic as when the Heat’s Shaquille O’Neal faced Kobe Bryant after publicly ripping each other, but there will be tension
Key matchup no. 1 (LeBron James vs. Luol Deng) – Deng is an otherworldly defender and has harassed James consistently throughout his career. This should be a fun one to watch
Key matchup no. 2 (Kevin Love vs. Chris Bosh) – They may not be matched up against each other but seeing Love play the role in Cleveland’s LeBron-centric offense that Bosh handled for four seasons will be an interesting measure of whether James was right in choosing the Cavs over Miami
Dwyane Wade – The phenomenon of “Angry Wade” is well-known to Heat fans; it would almost pay to have someone on the coaching staff slap him before games just to get him going (he probably wouldn’t like it, though). Will Wade embrace the rage and look to compete against James? One can only hope that we’ll get a replay of this classic battle:
Teams’ depth – With Kyrie Irving likely out of the game (ankle injury), the scoring load will fall to other Cavs aside from James and Love. Will Dion Waiters, Shawn Marion, Matthew Dellavedova take up the slack? And how will Miami’s bench – Danny Granger, Chris Andersen, Norris Cole and James Ennis – handle the challenge?
These are just some of the subplots to watch tomorrow afternoon. Even though it’s a preseason game, it will be far more interesting to watch than a matchup against the University of Anybody and Who-Gives-A-Damn State.
And with the regular season still weeks away, basketball fans have something to look forward on Saturday.