The Miami Heat can only go so far with a group of overachievers.
The Miami Heat would tell you that basketball is a team sport. Those are usually the words preached when pundits, coaches and players want their teams to play in what they consider the right way. The interesting thing is, the same people would tell anyone listening that the NBA is a star-driven league.
Though both statements sound mutually exclusive, they are not as big of a contradiction as they come off as. Teams usually get a game to the fourth quarter while stars bail them out along the way and take over in crunch time.
Miami finds themselves in a position where they are dealing with the former, but thriving for the latter.
Assuming Miami started the process of Chris Bosh’s medical release means that they are not only eradicating his contract from the salary cap, but also eliminating the last remaining star on the roster. That is not to knock anyone who has contributed to the Heat’s 17-4 record over the last 21 games, but besides Goran Dragic’s all-NBA third team nod, in 2014, the team is full of D-League bargains and NBA castaways trying to get their careers back on track.
Can an organization get over the hump playing that way though? In most cases the answer is no.
Some people will make arguments for the opposite by pointing towards the Boston Celtics or the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons as star deprived teams with championship caliber. However a simple glance at the roster can be misleading.
The Pistons housed a starting five full of all-stars and regardless of Isaiah Thomas’ diminutive stature; the Celtics’ fourth quarter scorer is a star. And despite a down season, Al Horford is also an all-star. The Heat have none.
Miami’s closest comparison would be to the Denver Nuggets team that traded Carmelo Anthony and this year’s group that is sitting in eighth place in the Western Conference. Those are the types of teams where everyone buys in because it is the only way to win.
Coaches like Erik Spoelstra end up gaining acclaim and praise for getting the Dion Waiters of the world to play efficiently with no ego–yet without any bona fide stars Miami will not be able to get over the hump. They will likely gas out due to injuries or sneak into the back end of the playoffs. But even there, their shortcomings will hamper them.
As the playoffs start, the game slows down and the star-driven league quotes begin to take precedence. Unfortunately the Heat’s top four scorers–Goran Dragic, Tyler Johnson, Hassan Whiteside and Waiters–only average 5.7 points, 4.7 points, 3.7 points and 3.5 points per game in the fourth quarter. Fans can consider that a surefire recipe for postseason disaster.
Next: Dragic snubbed as Eastern Conference Player of the Month
Experience winning games during the regular season is great, but if it does not help the Heat land a big fish, Pat Riley’s organization will have a hard time trying to truly compete. But is that such a bad thing if it is actually time for a rebuild?