When you have the best basketball player on the planet on your team, winning games tends to be a little easier.
For the last four seasons after “The Decision”, Miami was blessed to have the best player on earth, LeBron James, on their roster. Of course it wasn’t just James that helped Miami win four straight Eastern Conference championships and two Larry O’Brien trophies.
There was also Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. Wade is a sure-fire Hall of Famer while Bosh has a strong case as well. While there was no “Decision” this offseason, James jumped ship and went back to Cleveland.
In his four seasons with Miami, James averaged 26.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game.
It’d be a lie to say his departure from Miami wasn’t a bit of a surprise. Pat Riley and his crew acted like it as well. They maybe respected the decision, but they didn't have to like it.
While looking at this Miami roster, though, it's obvious the Heat could be in a far worse situation, much like Cleveland was when James left in 2010.
Miami still has Bosh and Wade. Hassan Whiteside has emerged into a star as of late. The team signed Luol Deng in the offseason to replace James. On paper, this team still looks like it should be a top-4 team in an Eastern Conference that isn’t exactly all that tough.
So, why is Miami 21-27 overall, tied with the Charlotte Hornets for seventh place in the East? It doesn’t seem like this team should be a game and a half away from missing the playoffs.
Like most teams that struggle, injuries have taken their toll on this team. Wade is having a nice bounce-back season, averaging 21.4 points and 5.4 assists per game, but he has missed 13 games already. Fellow veteran Deng has missed six. Josh McRoberts, a post who looked like he would fit in perfectly with the pass-happy Heat, is out for the season with a right knee injury.
Another main reason why this team hasn’t been able to creep up in the standings is because of its point guard game. When James was in Miami, he was the facilitator of this offense. That allowed the team to somewhat ignore the point guard position, bringing guys like Mario Chalmers (shoot first PG) and Norris Cole in. The Heat are paying for it now.
Chalmers is averaging 10.6 points per game, a career-high, but is shooting a career-low 27.1 percent from the three-point line and is averaging just 4.3 assists, down 0.6 from last season. Cole has made Chalmers look like an All-Star. He’s shooting a career-low 37.4 percent from the field and 23.9 percent from the three-point line.
If this team is going to compete in the East this season or even next, it doesn’t necessarily need James (although no Heat fans would complain). It needs someone who can run an offense, something that nobody on this roster has been able to do. Wade has the skills, but at his age and injury history, it’s probably too much to ask for.