2014 Rebuilding or Reloading around Lebron

[twix2500]

2014 the summer everyone want to talk about because the idea of Lebron may leave. But Im not taking that inconsideration, because the Heat have done everything that is needed for him to stay. If he leaves then there was nothing more this organization could have done.

I want to talk about building around Lebron and how do we continue the success with Lebron as the center piece 2014 and beyond. I am confident that all three of the big three will return. The summer of 2014 we have most of our vital complimentary role players free agents or may more may possibly retire. Here are the current players that will be under contract next summer;

Lebron James
Dwayne Wade
Chris Bosh
Mike Miller
Udonis Haslem
Joel Antony
Jarvis Varnado

Do you reload with the same strategy and scheme around Lebron as we have the past three years. Bring players in if not the same players to fill the same roles.

Or do you rebuild this team differently? Which some I think want to do and the reason why the intrigue of Greg Oden in having hopes to make this more of a power team. Healthy Oden at Center, Bosh back to powerforward and James back at powerforward as an example.

What is your take and beliefs what direction should the Heat go. Do the Heat reload and what new and old players should we reload with? Do we rebuild how do you suggest we rebuild?

[Cmon_Son-_-]

The day the Heat rebuild is when the big 3 are no longer on this team. Reload is the way to go, these players been in the league way to long to go through a rebuilding stage or projects. If they ain't winning or close to winning they're not going to be happy.

[Alex Trevelyan]

By rebuilding I suppose you mean that one of the Big 3, probably Bosh, is no longer with the team and the primary role players are in the process of being phased out and replaced. By reloading I suppose you mean the team stays as is and we just keep adding pieces via the MMLE and filling out the roster with vet minimums. If these are the options I think the former would be preferred over the latter, for the simple fact that as the Big 3 age, it's just not going to be an adequate strategy to keep filling the roster in around the edges.

Riley will need at some point to infuse the roster with a couple of guys, perhaps not All-Star guys, but younger, high quality players, maybe a couple of 15 ppg types that do the other things very well. In a couple of years D-Wade is going to have to transition himself into a lesser role, which may in fact make him more effective as the years go on. See the Spurs as an example. They had their core 3, but as that core began to age they started to surround them with guys that while not stars, could do other things well--Leonard and Splitter for instance.

[twix2500]

By rebuilding I suppose you mean that one of the Big 3, probably Bosh, is no longer with the team and the primary role players are in the process of being phased out and replaced. By reloading I suppose you mean the team stays as is and we just keep adding pieces via the MMLE and filling out the roster with vet minimums. If these are the options I think the former would be preferred over the latter, for the simple fact that as the Big 3 age, it's just not going to be an adequate strategy to keep filling the roster in around the edges.

Riley will need at some point to infuse the roster with a couple of guys, perhaps not All-Star guys, but younger, high quality players, maybe a couple of 15 ppg types that do the other things very well. In a couple of years D-Wade is going to have to transition himself into a lesser role, which may in fact make him more effective as the years go on. See the Spurs as an example. They had their core 3, but as that core began to age they started to surround them with guys that while not stars, could do other things well--Leonard and Splitter for instance.

By rebuilding it doesn't necessarily mean one of the big three is removed. But the philosophy and scheme of the way the team is built and run is changed. Do we rebuild a team that plays a different style.

May be the role player that you bring in and replace serve a different role.

[puppa bear]

I think we should be reconstructing - this might play better than rebuilding

As all of he big 3 slow down a little, or at least develop their games differently, we will need to be able to incorporate a power game. For the next 3-5 we definitely stay fast, but adding some power will make us more versatile - which is the thing I've most admired about the Timmy/Pop/Parker Spurs: it's been able to change they way it plays to fit opponents.

A player like a healthy Oden gives the Heat the option to play two contrasting styles of game, within each game. Our players are smart enough to make the change, and it will be so much harder for opposition teams to key on one, or two, weaknesses.

[Sgt P]

I think that the current strategy is a result of what is available. Given that depending of the type of players we are able to get will dictate our offensive philosophy.

Adapting and changing given the what type talent is on hand. The position-less is based on the fact we have the type of players that better suited for space and pace.

This is where SPO has been greatest, cooking up in the lab and Pat finding those that fit into a particular schema. I think that SPO will continually go further into the direction of space and pace but only if the players are able.

Pat will only rebuild, look at his use of rookies.

You have to fit the strategy around the talent you have, look at this past Laker season.

[DWadeno3]

Another 2014 and LeBron thread. Let's worry about that when the summer is there. There's still another season in between it where a lot can happen. This board is too influenced by the ESPN people who speculate for the sake of drawing attention.

[DeeDub]

By rebuilding I suppose you mean that one of the Big 3, probably Bosh, is no longer with the team and the primary role players are in the process of being phased out and replaced. By reloading I suppose you mean the team stays as is and we just keep adding pieces via the MMLE and filling out the roster with vet minimums. If these are the options I think the former would be preferred over the latter, for the simple fact that as the Big 3 age, it's just not going to be an adequate strategy to keep filling the roster in around the edges.

Riley will need at some point to infuse the roster with a couple of guys, perhaps not All-Star guys, but younger, high quality players, maybe a couple of 15 ppg types that do the other things very well. In a couple of years D-Wade is going to have to transition himself into a lesser role, which may in fact make him more effective as the years go on. See the Spurs as an example. They had their core 3, but as that core began to age they started to surround them with guys that while not stars, could do other things well--Leonard and Splitter for instance.

By rebuilding it doesn't necessarily mean one of the big three is removed. But the philosophy and scheme of the way the team is built and run is changed. Do we rebuild a team that plays a different style.

May be the role player that you bring in and replace serve a different role.

I see no reason to do anything differently. What we did this year works. People seem to forget how well it worked. Over the 50 games prior to Game 2 of the Indy series, we went 47-3. I believe that is the best 50 game stretch in NBA history. But we were then playing very good teams, Wade aggravated the knee and Bosh generally went cold. And we still won the next 2 series and the title. If you look at the games we lost to Indy and SAS, it wasn't because we were too small or any stylistic problems, it was because Wade was hurt and Bosh was struggling to hit his shot. For Bosh, they were the same shots that he had hit at a very high clip throughout the regular season and for the last few seasons. It happens. Game 4 sgainst Indy Wade and Bosh combined to score 23 points on 6/21 shooting and the team shot 8/23 from 3. Game 6 against Indy Wade and bosh combined for 15 points on 4/19 shooting. It is tough to win when you are not shooting well. We lost 3 games in that series because shots weren't falling, not because of size, Hibbert or any structural problems with the team. The Spurs were a very good team. Game 1 was a game we whsould have won but we had too many mistakes in the last few minutes and they made some great/lucky shots. Game 3 was a flukey blowout in which they went nuts from 3 and we weren't shooting well. Game 5 was on the defense and great shooting by the Spurs, who shot .600 from the field. Only 21 of the Spurs points in that game came from big men, so size was not the issue.

Yes, to some degree we were lucky to win this title, but not because of any flaws in the composition of the team, but because 2 of our big 3 were either hurt or just cold for much of the last 2 series. I don't think that happens again to such a degree.

[twix2500]

By rebuilding I suppose you mean that one of the Big 3, probably Bosh, is no longer with the team and the primary role players are in the process of being phased out and replaced. By reloading I suppose you mean the team stays as is and we just keep adding pieces via the MMLE and filling out the roster with vet minimums. If these are the options I think the former would be preferred over the latter, for the simple fact that as the Big 3 age, it's just not going to be an adequate strategy to keep filling the roster in around the edges.

Riley will need at some point to infuse the roster with a couple of guys, perhaps not All-Star guys, but younger, high quality players, maybe a couple of 15 ppg types that do the other things very well. In a couple of years D-Wade is going to have to transition himself into a lesser role, which may in fact make him more effective as the years go on. See the Spurs as an example. They had their core 3, but as that core began to age they started to surround them with guys that while not stars, could do other things well--Leonard and Splitter for instance.

By rebuilding it doesn't necessarily mean one of the big three is removed. But the philosophy and scheme of the way the team is built and run is changed. Do we rebuild a team that plays a different style.

May be the role player that you bring in and replace serve a different role.

I see no reason to do anything differently. What we did this year works. People seem to forget how well it worked. Over the 50 games prior to Game 2 of the Indy series, we went 47-3. I believe that is the best 50 game stretch in NBA history. But we were then playing very good teams, Wade aggravated the knee and Bosh generally went cold. And we still won the next 2 series and the title. If you look at the games we lost to Indy and SAS, it wasn't because we were too small or any stylistic problems, it was because Wade was hurt and Bosh was struggling to hit his shot. For Bosh, they were the same shots that he had hit at a very high clip throughout the regular season and for the last few seasons. It happens. Game 4 sgainst Indy Wade and Bosh combined to score 23 points on 6/21 shooting and the team shot 8/23 from 3. Game 6 against Indy Wade and bosh combined for 15 points on 4/19 shooting. It is tough to win when you are not shooting well. We lost 3 games in that series because shots weren't falling, not because of size, Hibbert or any structural problems with the team. The Spurs were a very good team. Game 1 was a game we whsould have won but we had too many mistakes in the last few minutes and they made some great/lucky shots. Game 3 was a flukey blowout in which they went nuts from 3 and we weren't shooting well. Game 5 was on the defense and great shooting by the Spurs, who shot .600 from the field. Only 21 of the Spurs points in that game came from big men, so size was not the issue.

Yes, to some degree we were lucky to win this title, but not because of any flaws in the composition of the team, but because 2 of our big 3 were either hurt or just cold for much of the last 2 series. I don't think that happens again to such a degree.

So that being said you would reload

Which is what the San Antonio Spurs have done since acquiring Duncan. Same system and just kept plugging new players who did the same thing maybe better or worse.

Im surprise that I haven't heard anyone as of yet suggest rebuild, because of always hearing how we need to get a legit center and move Bosh to the 4 spot. That one move changes our teams drastically and we would need to modify our scheme and complimentary players. Also making James a primarily a small forward.

As I watched Lebron's evolution in his game and body, I keep seeing him become less and less of a small forward and more primarily a powerforward. Is moving James back to the SF position an realistic move foreseeing the future and the way has evolved?

[Heatin4]

Riley is doing the "one at a time" approach. Not the Nets or other teams all at once approach to free agents. Just like a summer or several seasons ago he brought in Chalmers, then Cole and now possible Big V or some other dude to fill out the other spots this time around. Using the draft picks/ summer teams to plug in the holes that Free Agents leave behind which are the main area of focus for Emperor Riley and his crew.

[LEIF]

a lot of this really will depend on what happens next season.

if I had to guess I would say that unless a total flop happens with the team next year this Big 3 will all opt out and adjust salaries in new deals accordingly to reload and add new role players to replace Battier, Allen and to a degree Haslem/Miller. I think people will be surprised at what DWade and Lebron will do to remain teammates. Wade knows this franchise will take of him for life, he will continue to facilitate the sacrficie to build a winner IN SPITE of the new CBA and its efforts to stop Riles & Co.