Many similarities exist between the 2014 Miami Heat and 2017 Cavaliers
With the Cleveland Cavaliers in town and struggling as of late, we take a look at how their team has striking similarities to the 2014 Miami Heat team.
As another NBA season winds down, it’s clear the game is evolving. But sometimes it feels like we’ve been here before, and there are a lot of things about the 2017 Cleveland Cavaliers that bring to mind the 2014 Miami Heat — the one that lost in embarrassing fashion to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.
The similarities between the two teams run pretty deep. First, the unselfishness of both Chris Bosh and Kevin Love deserve a ton of credit in each team maximizing their potentials. Both being primarily post guys on their previous teams, they each adapted and became more perimeter oriented so that LeBron James could work his magic.
Next, the floor spacing is eerily similar. At any given time, both teams would employ three, four, and sometimes five shooters on the floor. There were moments in which team would deploy James as the center and play four shooters around him, daring the defense to pick its poison.
Read More: LeBron was right not to tell Wade of his decision
Speaking of LeBron, he is no doubt the number one reason these teams are this much alike. He’s obviously the common denominator, but in watching both teams work, it’s clear that nothing moves without him.
But what makes the 2017 version of the Cavs so similar to the 2014 vintage of the Heat is how old/bored they look at times during the season. It was frustrating to watch those Heat teams at times because they seemed so disinterested with the slog of the regular season. That’s been a knock on this Cavs team, too.
Maybe you can point to the fact that both teams were made up of mostly veterans, who could be worn down through 82 games and the playoffs. Or maybe you can point to the fact that James’ primary motivation is to be rested for the playoffs. Either way, this 2014 Cavs team is old, and has been to two-straight finals already. Heat fans know how that can tire out a team.
There are a couple of places where these teams differ, though. First, at the particular stages of their careers and skill sets, Kyrie Irving looks to be much more dynamic than Dwyane Wade on the offensive side of the ball. The days of Wade’s 50, or even 40-point games were gone, while Irving is a threat to hit those numbers every night. Granted, Wade was about eight years older than Irving is, but the offensive firepower had lost a lot of luster by 2014.
Also, there was no one on the 2014 roster that compares to what Tristan Thompson gives the Cavs. A monster on the glass and an extremely solid defender, Thompson is much more valuable than any big man the Heat had in 2014.
Where the Heat do have an advantage is coaching. Erik Spoelstra is one of the top five coaches in the league, and while Tyronn Lue is a fine coach, he doesn’t get the credit for unlocking James’ vast potential and helping him win his first championship.
Next: Losing 2014 Finals pushed LeBron to leave Heat
Ultimately, both teams are more similar than they are different. That is mostly because they are in similar circumstances of attempting to get to at least three straight NBA Finals appearances. While the 2017 Cavs still have the remainder of their story to write, it’s becoming clearer each day that both teams may suffer similar fates.