Miami Heat, Fans Must Move Past Loss to Pacers

I hate roller coasters. That lurching feeling in your stomach, the uncontrollable dangling of limbs, the glee that many people feel by risking their lives at a cartoon-themed amusement park…all of it is truly terrible.

But I have a feeling I’ll have to endure those sensations frequently when it comes to watching the Miami Heat.

This season, still in its infancy, has been quite the ride already. Miami started off surprisingly hot (at least, the shock was felt by national media) with three straight wins, including a beating of the Toronto Raptors, who sit atop the Eastern Conference with just one loss thus far. Then Dwight Howard and James Harden destroyed us at home before Miami traveled to Charlotte to get Al Jefferson-ed to death.

Miami responded with back-to-back wins over the weekend, representing the peak of what fans can expect, at least during most of the regular season. Despite barely getting by a depleted Minnesota team on Saturday, the Heat’s weaknesses – occasional lapses in concentration and intensity, as well as an adequate rim-protector and rebounder – could be overlooked because of a convincing win on Sunday at Dallas. Miami played to their strengths against the Mavericks and for a brief window, this Heat team seemed unstoppable.

The reality, as it often does, made itself painfully obvious on Wednesday following a loss to a Pacers team most fans could barely recognize.

Donald Price? Never head of him, but he dropped 15 points, including nine from 3-point range. Lavoy Allen? Wasn’t he the salary cap throw-in to make the trade that brought Evan Turner (now with Boston, and struggling) to Indiana last season? Turner was supposed to be the difference maker to get past the Heat but Allen was the one busting Miami upside the head for seven hard-fought rebounds.

And what the hell is a Damjan Rudez?

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There are logical reasons for Miami’s shaky performance on Wednesday. Chris Bosh got into foul trouble early (on two ridiculously ticky-tack calls by referee Eli Roe) and was out of rhythm all night. Luol Deng, after dropping 30 on Sunday, chipped in just five points against Indiana. And Miami’s rebounding was every bit as vomit-inducing as eating 18 chili-cheese dogs before going to Disneyland.

There’s also the possibility that the Heat are still making things up as they go. This team has weaknesses, certainly, and at least one – the previously-mentioned interior presence – that won’t be addressed this season barring a major trade (unlikely) or free agent signing (not a guarantee). Still, there’s also some potential for beautiful basketball, as we saw on Sunday.

The Mavericks are no defensive juggernaut, to be sure. But the Heat seemed to click perfectly and while it wasn’t the quick, 15-point swings we’ve seen regularly over the Big 3 era, it was 48 minutes of great execution. And therein lies the difference and the struggle for Miami this season.

They don’t have the best player in the game as the ultimate ace-up-your-sleeve. This team can’t expect to overcome large deficits as easily as they have in the past. And so, just as you might be used to seeing someone come in and save the day, instead you get prolonged periods of not scoring a single point and Mario Chalmers doing the things that made him a verbal pinata for much of the last four years.

To the team’s credit, they seemed to understand that they blew a great opportunity. To a man, they gave Indiana credit for disrupting Miami’s offensive flow while not making excuses for their poor performances.

It’s how this season will likely play out, as coach Erik Spoelstra figures out his rotation, as players find their niche, and as it slowly gels together. Miami will probably end up somewhere between the two extremes of Sunday and Wednesday, a team that has a high ceiling but can occasionally fall flat.

That’s the nature of the roller coaster and Heat fans will simply have to get used to that.

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