improper wrote:
Personally, I'd cite Miami's depth the past few years as a weakness more than a strength. They went to four Finals on the backs of their three best players, and got unsteady contributions from everyone else. Yeah, some guys (Miller, Allen, Battier) really showed up when it counted during their two Finals wins, but depth wasn't exactly a strong point of the Heat. One of the reasons LeBron likely left was that he was having to shoulder too much of the load during the regular season and was getting run down. That happened because the Heat lacked the depth to compensate for Wade missing a quarter of his games.
Hmm.. maybe in 2011 the depth was questionable and in 2014, our role players just aged but in 2012 and 2013 runs, Miami had great depth. Contributions during the playoffs come from different players when needed. That is what role means. Sometimes is on offense, sometimes on defense. Miami got it done even when Wade or Bosh missed games. It was not ALL Lebron, the role players had A LOT to do with it.
improper wrote:Obviously chemistry is important, but the Cavs project as a very deep roster. Dion Waiters and Anderson Varejao each would have probably been the fourth best player on any Heat team from the past four years. Even Tristan Thompson might be in that argument, and he'll come off the bench. Matthew Dellevadova, the Cavs' back-up point guard, is arguably better than any point guard the Heat started during LeBron's time there (seriously...the kid just knows how to play).
Now you are just overrating your players. Verajao can't stay healthy and yet he might be the one player in your roster that will fit the easiest into his role.
Waiters hasn't shown that he is better than Larry Hughes when he was Lebron's running mate as a second option. Let's see what he can do first as the 4th option. Tristan Thompson is not any better than what Haslem was for the Heat in 2010 and I question if he can contribute more than what McRoberts can at this point. He is a solid rebounder - like Haslem - but you'll see his numbers drop like everyone else who plays with Lebron. That is when it becomes about BBIQ, fit and being able to play the role. Can these youngsters do it? And I won't even comment on the absurd statement about Dellavedova.
improper wrote:Add to that Mike Miller (who played all 82 games last year) and James Jones, and probably Shawn Marion too, and the Cavs just have a very deep roster. It's also possible that Joe Harris turns into a solid role-player for them. He looked good during Summer League (although I know not to overvalue that). The Cavs also have assets to improve later, something the Heat lacked after burning almost all of them to (pointlessly, as it turned out) sign-and-trade for LeBron and Bosh. They'll likely trade the Miami first to Minnesota in the Love trade, but they'll still be left with the very valuable Memphis first, either their own or Chicago's next summer, and all their own picks going forward except 2016. Oh, and that awesome Haywood contract (ten million totally non-guaranteed next summer).
Miller didn't even play much in Miami because of our depth at the time. Same with Jones so I wouldn't brag about those two as primary depth. Marion would be a nice singing if it happens (kinda like a Battier IMO). Everybody else is just end of the bench fillers.
improper wrote:The Heat were clearly a little better at the top (Love is better than Bosh, but Wade was probably the third or fourth best player in the league in 2010), but the Cavs just have better depth, plenty of youth, and the assets to improve upon it later as well.
I think the Cavs can put a nice team around Lebron in the coming seasons but the topic was about winning the East now. It will be interesting to see how the Cavs handle role players in a couple of seasons when Lebron asks and gets his $30mil per season, Love and Irving are under max, Waiters and Thompson want to get paid and you have to pay for quality free agents to fit other important roles. Yes, the future is bright but it is not going to be easy. Regardless, Cavs are in good position the rest of the league could only wish for.
