Did The Miami Heat Lose Their Identity Or Have They Never Found One
Monday, March 7, 2011 at 8:10AM Joe Simmons 
Just a few weeks ago I showed up at the gym and we shot for captains. Of course I knocked down the top of the key jump shot and was rewarded with the first pick. The guy I was picking against didn’t have a clue who could really play so he didn’t have any business picking anyways. Needless to say I was able to assemble what seemed like a monster squad. I had the best shooter, the best scorer, and the best rebounder in the gym on my squad, not to mention the best ball handler and passer, but I wasn’t trying to give myself props in this piece.
We easily won the first game and it appeared we had an all day squad. All we had to do was do what we do, and everything was going to be alright. Well let’s just say that didn’t happen. After winning the first game 12 – 2, things really went south. We played some guys who weren’t that bad, but had no business on the floor with us and they gave us their best but we managed to beat them with a pretty lucky shot 12 – 11.
The third game we got destroyed. Some guys, half of whom I wouldn’t even pick up in a normal game totally dismantled us. See the problem wasn’t how great the other team played against us, the problem was we stopped doing what we do. We transformed ourselves into the Miami Heat.
See like the Heat, we lost our identity. I understand my role. I am a pass first; create opportunity for your shooters, type player. I can knock down the open jump shot, but when I have a team full of scorers and shooters, there is no need for me to move outside of my strengths. For some reason, the Miami Heat has forgotten this. Ride your star power. No reason Dwyane Wade should have less than 8 field goal attempts in the fourth quarter in any game during the season.
There is also no reason why Chris Bosh should be shooting as many jumpers as he does down the stretch. LeBron will get a lot of bashing because he is under a microscope, but eventually he will master the art of shooting game winners. All he has to do is make a couple in some meaningful games and people will jump back on that bandwagon faster than they abandoned that ship.
Heat fans, no need to panic but there is a reason to be concerned. I think your team is built for a playoff run, but don’t get caught sleeping and don’t forget what you are. Make sure you are doing what you are supposed to do, and your role players need to know their role and stop crying.
Stay Breezy ~ I’m Out!
Reader Comments (5)
This one is tough.. Losing 4 in a row at the end of the game says a lot about where we are as a team. First of all it shouldn't be close and secondly with three great players, we shouldn't have to choose who is going to finish, it should just happen.
I like how you found a way to work your hoop game into this story.. Honestly it made the story better.
You say "Heat fans, there is no reason to panic," but there aren't many Heat fans in the first place; well, many real ones. Lemme stop; I shouldn't judge their fans off of their anemic, putrid, and disgraceful showing at American Airlines Arena this season.
Once again, this is why them saying they sacrificed is laughable. They still have some sacrificing to do, and this is coming from someone who loves the fact that they all came together. However, I don't wanna pile on right now. I just hope they're using these failures as moments to realize there's still some more that needs to be done, so they can reach their full potential.
Don't sleep on my heat. They will be back again. Its early and we will see come playoff time.
They needn a big man for rbs and defense the goal. They be ok if one of their bigs step up. Bring Shaq in next year jus for that reason.