Defending Miami

        Let me first just say that I am as big a Miami Heat hater as can be. I think they’re arrogant and I believe they truly lack the killer instinct and determination to put their talent to use and be a great team. With that being said, they are dangerous and very, very good. They have two of the best players in the world performing in their primes. They have a big man whom, on 95% of the teams in the league, would make them instantly better. And a head coach whom, although young, has a great basketball mind backed by one of the best coaches in NBA history.

The 2003 NBA draft is seen as one of the best drafts in NBA history. Four of the top five picks in that draft are potential hall of famers (No not you Darko), two of whom are guaranteed to get in (Wade and James) and the other two can still make a case (Bosh and Melo). There is a lot of criticism of Wade and James (James mostly) some fair, some unfair but they are still two of the best in the world. As a die hard Bulls fan I see the Miami Heat as sort of an evil empire and the Bulls are the resistance. My dislike for Wade and James (and to a lesser extent Bosh) is no secret but, if you were to tell me that Wade and/or James just signed with the Bulls I would be ecstatic. Love them or hate them you cannot deny their talent or athletic ability. Dwayne Wade is a shooting guard with point guard abilities and the strength of a small forward. His agility and strength make him a nuisance to defend and attack on the offense. Wade’s basketball knowledge is so good you can plug him in to any style offense and he can produce quickly. James, to put it simply, is the best player in the world. I know some Bulls fans are gonna hate me for that statement but its true. Here’s a 6‘8 guard/forward with the speed to defend any guard and the talent and strength to defend forwards and centers. I’ve seen James slash like a point guard, hit threes against some of the best defenders in the league and post up bigger, stronger players. He’s got Magic’s passing instinct with Karl Malone’s strength. Hero or Villain he is the best player in the NBA.

I know what you’re thinking “Is he really gonna give Chris Bosh his own paragraph”. Yes. Yes I am. Before Bulls fans go crazy, I want you to remember something...Chris Bosh was our first choice. Boozer was a safety net in the 2010 season. In 2008 and 2009 the Bulls seriously explored trade options for Chris Bosh, both deals were blown up due to the Bulls not wanting to part with Luol Deng. In the shadow of LeBron and Wade, Bosh has taken a kind of comic relief role on the team. He is regularly called soft by the media, sometimes he’s even portrayed as being a bust with his talent coming into question. Anyone who believes that has never seen Chris Bosh play. Bosh, at 6‘11, is as difficult a defensive assignment as any. With a mid-range game he can hit all day, and the ability to knock down a three, if you give him any space he can burn you. At a long, lean 6‘11 his ability to take most defenders off the dribble is the most impressive. While his post game is a bit underwhelming (save for a beautiful turn around fade away jumper) he is still an under the basket threat, being one of the best passing big men in the league. While Bosh isn’t the best defender his size and length regularly give forwards around the league trouble and his foot work, surprising speed and effort give him the ability to guard smaller quicker players as well. Bosh may not be the most mentally tough but his two way game make him and extremely important piece to the Heat’s success.

When Pat Riley stepped down as head coach of the Heat at the end of the 2008 season, the Heat chose to hire a little known assistant coach/video coordinator/scout named Erik Spoelstra. Before succeeding Riley as head coach Spoelstra was responsible for helping design and integrate a state of the art statistical database and scouting software. This software tracked player productivity and trends and is still in use by the Heat (and many other teams) to this day. Spoelstra, who was 38 when he took over as head coach, encountered some skepticism due to his youth but had the full support of Pat Riley who stated “This game is now about younger coaches who are technologically skilled, innovative, and bring fresh new ideas. That's what we feel we are getting with Erik Spoelstra. He's a man that was born to coach.".Spoelstra’s team control is often questioned due to the talent, money and egos in play on the Heat but the coach and his team have stated time and again that he is the coach and fully in control. As an assistant coach Spoelstra was known for hammering fundamentals into the players going so far as to clean up Dwayne Wade’s shot and make him more fundamentally sound after Wade returned from the Athens Olympic games in 2004. Under Pat Riley, Spoelstra was given a crash course in defense and the philosophies of letting your defense create your offense. The defensive knowledge and schemes learned under Riley have aided in giving the Heat a top 6 defense three of his first four years as head coach. Spoelstra may not be the best X’s and O’s coach in the league but his defensive knowledge and focus on fundamentals have helped him become one of the best young coaches in the league. Plus if he ever has any X’s and O’s questions....he always has a hall of fame coach at his disposal.

The Miami Heat are the biggest (and possibly only) hurdle the Bulls need to overcome to become champions once again, but that is MUCH easier said than done. The talent on the Heat is unreal. Players who can score at will, a stingy defense and good leadership. The only question is whether they can put it all together and reach their potential. As an objective observant and NBA fan, its a treat to watch the Heat play but, as a Bulls fan its a bit unsettling. Love them or hate them the Heat are tremendously talented and damn good, and anyone who tries to dismiss them as a team is severely lacking in any basketball knowledge.