The heat fell into a trap when they signed Lebron James last offseason and here is why I say that. I think, and I may be wrong, that all championship teams require a certain formula for success. Teams may vary in obtaining the formula, they also may vary in the way they execute the formula but at the end of the day its basically the same concept. In baseball, if you combine solid pitching with good defense and timely hitting you may win a world series. Teams like the ’97 and ’03 Marlins, ’98 and ’99 Yankees, ’05 White Sox, ’02 Angels, etc. Majority of the teams winning a world series in the past 20 years all used the same recipe. On to football, most teams winning a Superbowl in the past decade did so with a good defense, decent running game and protecting the ball. The high profile players on offense don’t necessarily mean you get to the big game…Peyton Manning won a ring the year Addai was running the ball like a beast and their defense was healthy. The year Tom Brady breaks records and puts up outstanding offensive numbers, they don’t win. In fact, they lose to a mediocre Eli Manning (And I’m A Giants Fan). Now teams may continue to go after high profile QB’s, RB’s and WR’s to put people in seats, however at the end of the day, if you have no running game and your defense is softer than Chris Bosh, you may put up 35 points a game, but you wont win the big one.
Back to basketball, I challenge anyone to name a team not in the windy city that has won an NBA championship in the past 30 years without a low post presence….anyone?? My sister asked me, growing up in NY, What was the most important position in basketball. I said “the center”, she then said, “Micheal Jordan must be a center”. Taking MJ out of the equation, in order to win an NBA championship, you have to have a big man who can either play with his back to the basket, or control the paint defensively. The playoff game is totally different from the regular season, so points are tough to come by. Establishing a post presence, or denying one, is key to getting or preventing cheap points which are gold in the playoffs. The heat lost sight of that a little bit and got two of the games best players, but no one to command the block. Trading Lebron for Dwight Howard will make the heat a dynasty immediately. Now people want to compare Lebron to MJ. He will be the next MJ to me if he pulls off a championship like MJ did with Scottie. Or he learns to play with his back to the basket (He should do so easily, but doesn’t like contact). Here is a list of team to win the past 30 years, and their big men.
2011 Mavs- Dirk Nowitzky
2010 Lakers- Gasol
2009 Lakers- Gasol
2008 Celtics- Garnett, Perkins
2007 Spurs- Duncan
2006 Heat- Shaq
2005 Spurs- Duncan
2004 Pistons- Big Ben, Rasheed Wallace
2003 Spurs- Duncan
2002 Lakers- Shaq
2001 Lakers- Shaq
2000 Lakers- Shaq
1999 Spurs- Robinson, Duncan
1998 Bulls-
1997 Bulls
1996 Bulls
1995 Rockets- Olajuwan
1994 Rockets- Olajuwan
1993 Bulls
1992 Bulls
1991 Bulls
1990 Pistons- Lambeer, Rodman
1989 Pistons- Lambeer, Rodman
1988 Lakers- Abdul-Jabbar
1987 Lakers- Abdul-Jabbar
1986 Celtics- Bird
1985 Lakers- Abdul-Jabbar
1984 Celtics- Bird
1983 76ers- Moses Malone
1982 Lakers- Abdul-Jabbar
1981 Celtics- Bird