Can the Heat win a title? Where do they go from here?

Didn't Bibby give up something like $7 million next year to come play for the Heat the last half of this year? Oy.

 

I watched the Finals more this season than in a long time and that was for one reason only...

To root against LeBron.

 

Can the Heat win a title? Sure, on one condition. LeBron James has to solve the LeBron James problem. Until he cures himself of the habit of standing aimlessly at the top of the post while the shot clock runs down while he ponders his options and chooses none of them, the Heat or any other team he's on will never win a title.
It's really up to him. Wade and Bosh are who they are. I can't recall in my time a basically outstanding player who has as many piss-poor important games as LBJ. The area between his ears is his only weakness.

 

i have no doubt -- NONE -- that lebron will win a title with the heat. his story will be like a-rod's, widely hailed as the best players in their sport who spend a looongtrugg time in search of the holy grail. but as i said before, i am confident lebron, like dirk and wilt and other acclaimed 'all-time greats' will eventually win at least one and it'll be heaetwarming when his humbled self does.

thwy just won't win those '6 or 7' wade ridiculously stated their mission at the get-go. man, jow i'd wish more guys would walk the walk before talking the talk. heck, wade and james and bosh hadn't played a game together yet.

but now we'll be sold a bill of goods on how 'foolish' it was to think they'd 'jell' for a title in year 1. fact is they came within two games of doing just that and choked their brains out. nothin' to do with 'jellin.' had to do with gaggin'.

 

I thought they'd win multiples. I thought they'd win this year's finals.

But, after seeing LeBron in this series, I don't know.

I'm trying to figure out the 20 free throws he shot in the entire the six game series (when he shot more than that in just the last two games against the Bulls). I'm trying to figure out how a guy almost a foot and a half shorter than him in Barea is more effective going to the hole than Lebron was. I'm trying to figure out the -24 last night, the worst number out there on the court in an elimination game.

The guy has all the physical attributes--size, speed, strength, shooting touch, to bring home championships, and to be in the all time greats discussion. But, this flame out on the big stage--I'm trying to figure out if that indicates something really wrong mentally--a fear of failure, a lack of mental fortitude.

Such a Jekyll and Hyde performance between the Eastern Conference championship, where he was the reason they won, to the Finals, where he was probably the reason they lost. If nothing else, James is an enigma that people will be trying to figure out for the remainder of his career.

 

I don't think it's that big of a deal that they lost.

The way the Heat lost and who they lost to makes it a much bigger deal.

If the Bulls or Lakers had beaten them, I think we would have heard a lot more, "Yeah, well, everybody had to expect it would take a year to become champions.

Losing to a No. 4 seed with LeBron playing so badly late in close, winnable games is huge.

The A-Rod comparison is a great one. I agree that James is going to get his titles, but he deserves every bit of the criticism until he does.

 

If the rest of the East stands pat, LeBron will get plenty more chances to fail on the biggest stage ... and possibly stumble into a championship.

But you've gotta figure Chicago is on the way. And if Orlando figures out a way to pry Chris Paul from New Orleans ...

And while Boston looks to be deep into the back 9 and New York looks like a dumpster fire, neither of them are that far away, either.

 

If Paul and Howard go West, it will be the Heat and Bulls battling it out in the East for the forseeable future.

 

Yeah, Howard leaving Orlando would leave the East pretty much to Chicago and Miami. At the same time, it's not hard to picture Paul with the Magic and Boston retooling on the fly.

And maybe I'm the only one, but I keep thinking that Atlanta's really not that far off.

And all this is completely ignoring the West, which pretty much never seems to produce a fluke conference champ.

 

Haslem played unbelievable for where he came from, but really outside of him, the Big 3 got nothing else. Well Chalmers actually played pretty well and will get better. Anthony was a pretty good defensive player. Miller went 0-1 in Gm. 6. Bibby did not even play.

LBJ though, one of the smallest performances I can recall from any superstar in the Finals or Conf. finals.

 

But ... but ... but ... he had that one triple-double.

 

Atlanta always seems close and can never quite get there. Chris Paul in Orlando with Howard would make things really interesting.