Realization that we're not the best team in the NBA anymore

[TRG]

This isn't an overreaction thread. It's just the plain, cold-hard truth. Ever since the Big 3 formed, I thought we would be the best team in the league for years to come with no questions asked. Heck I thought this team would DOMINATE the league for years to come, but then last years Finals happened. Now this season came along and I thought we would be back on top with an upgraded roster (or so we thought), but as the season went along we've all noticed literally every player outside of the Big 3 beginning to either regress or flat out continue to suck... Chalmers is still as inconsistent as ever, Haslem has taken a complete nose-dive since his injury, Mike Miller continues to be a complete bust, Norris Cole hit the rookie wall (HARD), Joel is still Joel, Battier seems to be just as inconsistent as Chalmers, James Jones has been assigned bench warming duties, and although Turiaf tries out there, he's still undersized.

Overall, you combine all of the above with the shoddy coaching of Spoelstra once again plus Bosh's recent injury and it's hard to see this team as the clear cut favorites anymore. I'm being serious here. Watch both the Thunder and the Spurs play. Our team has great players, the Thunder and the Spurs have great TEAMS. They both have role players that can actually step up when their stars need them to as well as superior coaches. What do we have? 3 great players that have to carry this pathetic team and coach every night. Is there anyone that can honestly say that we're a better TEAM than the Thunder and/or Spurs at this point?

Now don't get me wrong... I'm going to root for this team until I can't watch NBA basketball anymore. I love the Heat, but if someone put a gun to my head and said they were going to kill me if I couldn't guess the winner of this year's Finals correctly, I think I'd feel more comfortable going with the Thunder or Spurs.

This is just my own attempt at making things easier on myself if we don't win it all this year. We all have to come to this realization sooner or later because nothing is guaranteed, but I'll try to stay positive. What do you guys think?

[arsenic]

I don't think we ever were bro.

[TRG]

I don't think we ever were bro.

Harsh... I've thought we were up until I watched the Thunder and the Spurs recently. We're just not at that level of good team playoff basketball. Only way we have a chance at beating them is if our Big 3 go GOD mode for an entire series.

[twinthunder3]

Heat were never the best NBA team, but you guys are still best of the east.

[Pimpwerx]

Overreaction. We're the best team in the league with Bosh. Just that we have a serious problem with him out.

We outrebounded them, got the same number of points in the paint (38), forced 17 turnovers and held them to a terrible shooting percentage. We shot an even worse percentage, went 1-16 from 3pt land and only got 11 points from the bench.

Playing arguably our worst game of the playoffs, we only lost by 3. Our defense was fine tonight, just need to find a solution on offense with Bosh out. Haslem needs minutes, but we need someone other than Lebron to show up to this series.

I don't see a reason to jump off the ledge. If you panic after one loss, then you're not really being realistic. This is the playoffs. We're gonna lose some games...even ugly ones. How we bounce back is the question. PEACE.

[DefenseWins]

We were in the best team in the league BEFORE the All-Star break.

Remember we would blow people out, including Indiana? Maybe they adjusted, but we would have our way with them man. Or that road trip where we played back to back to back and blew everyone out. LeBron even looked fresh and that 3rd day we played Indiana.

I'm telling you, we peaked so high before the AS break and we could never get back to that form.

We actually had an offense, ran things, ALL OF OUR ROLE PLAYERS CONTRIBUTED. Cole emerged, Rio getting better, just everything was falling into place. We looked so good.

I don't know what happened after the AS break though. This team, so much people said they were hiding things for the playoffs, coasting... yeah right. This team is not coasting now and they look the same. They tried hard to win and didn't, so that "turn it on" crap doesn't apply right now.

The Thunder have better shooters than us and Harden can outscore our bench and even all of our roleplayers by himself. The Spurs, is an amazing story really. They are now one of the most stacked teams in the NBA and their offense is beautiful to watch. No high flying dunks but they are just so smart and have a nice flow. When we were peaking, the Spurs were trying to find their groove. The Spurs also rested people so much and still got the best record in the NBA. Popovich vs Spo, AHAHAHAHHAHA OH MY GOD that is like a dunce going after Albert Einstein.

We wanted to send a message to the NBA we weren't playing around. We did. But after the AS break man... this team just sucked. SO much for Spo "saving some things for the playoffs". This dude relies on bail outs by his super stars, just admit it (SPO SUPPORTERS).

[TRG]

Overreaction. We're the best team in the league with Bosh. Just that we have a serious problem with him out.

We outrebounded them, got the same number of points in the paint (38), forced 17 turnovers and held them to a terrible shooting percentage. We shot an even worse percentage, went 1-16 from 3pt land and only got 11 points from the bench.

Playing arguably our worst game of the playoffs, we only lost by 3. Our defense was fine tonight, just need to find a solution on offense with Bosh out. Haslem needs minutes, but we need someone other than Lebron to show up to this series.

I don't see a reason to jump off the ledge. If you panic after one loss, then you're not really being realistic. This is the playoffs. We're gonna lose some games...even ugly ones. How we bounce back is the question. PEACE.

This isn't a matter of simply losing one game Pimpwerx if we're going to be the Champions we have to have or sights on the bigger fish (aka the Thunder and the Spurs).

Yes, we can still win it all and we have a chance, but as much as I hate to say it I just don't see how we beat either team with our flawed roster. I still have yet to see ANYTHING from Battier, Miller, Haslem, Chalmers, etc. that has convinced me that these guys can step up for a series compared to how the role players of other teams have been doing.

What exactly does this team have over a team like the Spurs besides the Big 3?

[Grumpy Heat Fan]

As I said before.... we have a historic team of TALENT. 3 stars -in their primes-.

and this is what we have? can't even get the best record in the league? can't even get the best record in our own conference?

To me, the biggest sin of this team, is watching them ROUTINELY go on 7 minute scoring droughts. It's quite funny. A team with LeBron, Wade, and Bosh, and good role players who can shoot the ball, can't score. hahahahahaha. It's comical.


I have said this before... Fire Eric Spoelstra. He is not the coach for this team. He is ruining this team.

[Mesa]

I don't think we ever were bro.

[TRG]

I don't think we ever were bro.

People like you really didn't think this team would plow through the league when the Big 3 first teamed up? Or before the AS break when we were taking a crap on everyone?

[Respect My Mind]

The Heat WOULD be the best team if Wade wasn't declining (athletically) and Bosh was the Bosh in Toronto (lightning quick first step)

It was pretty sad watching Wade try to go super saiyan today and fail.

[HIF]

For once in my life I'll agree with arsenic. We have never been the best team in the league (apart from a few weeks now and again) overall. NBA fans just went over the top when the big 3 got together.

First it was going to take time
second we needed complimentary parts.

We knew we couldn't do that in year 1 and we nearly won it all, we hoped we could in year 2 but we just can't get a big man to help us.

If we don't win it all this year maybe Riley will look at moving Bosh for a decent big and a PG. that would be sad but it's possible. I don't think he will ever trade Lebron and I don't think he SHOULD ever trade Wade (even though that would be the wise choice). He could also fire Spo - again a bad move IMO as it would put us back in a first year situation and mean no championship likely for another 2 or 3 which may mean that Bron becomes disgruntled and forces a move.

[CommonSensei]

While LeBron and Wade get **** on for an exhausting performance still putting up decent numbers, people still don't understand it's the coaches' fault that our role players are performing. I really have never been a fan of Spo (look at my posts from 09), and I continue to be disgusted by the idea of Riley wasting 2 years of the Big 3's prime on this mediocre protege. It's frustrating to see, while LeBron is putting up a MVP season, Wade & Bosh continue to sacrifice and adjust to win, Spo continues to minimize this team's talents. We have decent contributors in Chalmers, Battier, Miller, and Haslem, yet they all continue to underperform. It's the system that Spo has set up that has allowed them to do this.

It's a shame to watch the Spurs and see Pop maximizing player's like low level players Danny Green, Gary Neal, and Danny Anderson all playing with confidence and superb through his system. If they were in Miami or with Mike Brown in LA, they wouldn't get any PT at all and when they finally did, would perform horribly because these mediocre coaches continue to be carried by their talent.

Now, Spo is going to wear down Wade and James, and while they remain professional go ahead and lose in the ECF (if Bosh doesn't return). Heat fans don't deserve this and the Big 3 along with our number of players who have taken paycuts to see the jewelry. If we don't win it this year, they have to blow it up on the sidelines along with amnesty Joel and trade Miller. There's just too many unnecessary, reoccurring issues with a historical team on paper 22 months into the era. I honestly don't know what I'm going to do (plus all the **** I'm going to take) if the Heat do not win it this year, and watching the game tonight, I have to say I'm not nearly as confident as I was last playoffs around this time.

[EscapoTHB]

How is it Spo's fault that career great shooters can't make wide open 3s? The Spurs make that same play and hit the shot every time.

Anyways. I think this is an overreaction. I had us losing a game to the Pacers. We always drop one game in a series to these teams. This was the game. I think we'll win the next three.

[FlashKing]

We wouldn't have lost last night if we had Bosh, it's that simple. I don't understand why you would make this thread when we're missing a very important piece to our team.

[TheDon008]

everyone!!!! put the gun down!

[HIF]

We wouldn't have lost last night if we had Bosh, it's that simple. I don't understand why you would make this thread when we're missing a very important piece to our team.

we wouldn't have lost if we'd hit a few more open shots!!!

[FlashKing]

We wouldn't have lost last night if we had Bosh, it's that simple. I don't understand why you would make this thread when we're missing a very important piece to our team.

we wouldn't have lost if we'd hit a few more open shots!!!

Shots i'm certain Bosh would have knocked down.no excuse for Wade and LeBron missing free throws late in the fourth but those 2 were tired and they had absolutely no 3rd scoring option. the supporting cast hasn't knocked down anything in the postseason and Chalmers has struggled the first 2 games of this series. there are plenty of reasons why we lost last night, but if Bosh was there, i'm confident that we would have pulled the victory.

[DrVanNostrand]

Overreaction. We're the best team in the league with Bosh. Just that we have a serious problem with him out.

We outrebounded them, got the same number of points in the paint (38), forced 17 turnovers and held them to a terrible shooting percentage. We shot an even worse percentage, went 1-16 from 3pt land and only got 11 points from the bench.

Playing arguably our worst game of the playoffs, we only lost by 3. Our defense was fine tonight, just need to find a solution on offense with Bosh out. Haslem needs minutes, but we need someone other than Lebron to show up to this series.

I don't see a reason to jump off the ledge. If you panic after one loss, then you're not really being realistic. This is the playoffs. We're gonna lose some games...even ugly ones. How we bounce back is the question. PEACE.

[twozeroMM]

We were in the best team in the league BEFORE the All-Star break.

Remember we would blow people out, including Indiana? Maybe they adjusted, but we would have our way with them man. Or that road trip where we played back to back to back and blew everyone out. LeBron even looked fresh and that 3rd day we played Indiana.

I'm telling you, we peaked so high before the AS break and we could never get back to that form.

We actually had an offense, ran things, ALL OF OUR ROLE PLAYERS CONTRIBUTED. Cole emerged, Rio getting better, just everything was falling into place. We looked so good.

I don't know what happened after the AS break though. This team, so much people said they were hiding things for the playoffs, coasting... yeah right. This team is not coasting now and they look the same. They tried hard to win and didn't, so that "turn it on" crap doesn't apply right now.

The Thunder have better shooters than us and Harden can outscore our bench and even all of our roleplayers by himself. The Spurs, is an amazing story really. They are now one of the most stacked teams in the NBA and their offense is beautiful to watch. No high flying dunks but they are just so smart and have a nice flow. When we were peaking, the Spurs were trying to find their groove. The Spurs also rested people so much and still got the best record in the NBA. Popovich vs Spo, AHAHAHAHHAHA OH MY GOD that is like a dunce going after Albert Einstein.

We wanted to send a message to the NBA we weren't playing around. We did. But after the AS break man... this team just sucked. SO much for Spo "saving some things for the playoffs". This dude relies on bail outs by his super stars, just admit it (SPO SUPPORTERS).

I'm still wondering till this day what happened to that team. Its so weird how that team just disappeared.