There's certainly no disappointment from Miami Heat fans after an offseason in which they landed Giannis Antetokounmpo.
In fact, it's been a decade and a half since the last time there was this much excitement and anticipation heading into the start of a Heat season. That's just the effect that the arrival of Giannis has had on the franchise.
But there's no question that had the Heat also signed LeBron James this summer, the level of hype would've been on an entirely different level. And in his regular-season debut with the Philadelphia 76ers, in which he finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, he continued to prove he may be exactly what this Heat team is missing.
LeBron James could be the one who got away in the Giannis build
Let's preface this all by saying that LeBron is no longer the elite superstar that he's been for the majority of his career. At this point, he's an elite role player. Still, there's an argument to be made that he's exactly the piece that the Heat may be missing.
It's the size, athleticism, defensive versatility, playmaking ability, secondary scoring threat, and, perhaps most importantly, the leader on and off the floor that the Heat could use next to Giannis and Bam Adebayo.
And this is not exactly a surprising revelation by any means. It's one of the biggest reasons why the Heat went after LeBron even with Giannis in their back pocket. It's not just the fact that the Heat believed LeBron would be a cherry on top of a banner offseason; it's the idea that he could've been the final piece of the championship puzzle.
In a vacuum, LeBron would've made a lot of sense for the Heat, especially when it comes to playmaking. In a sense, the playmaking ability of LeBron would theoretically help balance the shaky fit between Giannis and Bam. There are no real arguments about that. And now, watching him integrate himself with all those weapons in Philly, you can't help but continue to think, "What if he had chosen Miami?"
LeBron may have "only" finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, but make no mistake, his on-court value extended well beyond the stat sheet. And especially as the Heat start to build around Giannis, that may be the exact supporting star that could stand in the way of the Heat making a true NBA Finals run vs. just being a dark-horse threat in the Eastern Conference.
Again, I don't believe anyone in the Heat organization lost much sleep after LeBron chose to sign with the Sixers, but it sure would've been great to have him on their side as they prepare for this new pursuit of a championship.
And at least on opening night, the Heat were just reminded of how great a fit LeBron would've been on their team.
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