Miami Heat: The Road to 3-Peat

 

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The two-time defending champions Miami Heat are on a mission, pursuing their third straight championship in the last four years. With the series sweep of the Charlotte Bobcats in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, the Heat seem to flip the switch into playoff mode that leads to Miami elevating their performance in the postseason. On the road to making history, who are the teams that can dethrone King James and the Heat?

 

 

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Brooklyn Nets

 

During the regular season, the Brooklyn Nets became the first team to sweep the season series of the Miami Heat during the big 3 era in LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade. Adding fuel to the fire, the former Boston Celtics Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce will be sure to bring their A game, continuing the rival formed in Boston. With three of the four encounters being decided by 1 point, the Nets present the Heat with match-up problems with the ability to go small or big along with showing James various defenders with length and athleticism. Given the offensive weapons of Brooklyn, they pose what can be a difficult task for Miami to defend. The key factor for Nets to shock the world and upset the defending champions will depend of how well Deron Williams. The all-star point guard has been under scrutiny for the lack of performance during the first round. When playing at his best ability, Williams is a top premier point guard in the league.

 

 

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Washington Wizards

 

You can make the argument that the hottest team in the Eastern Conference playoffs has been the Washington Wizards. With the 1-0 series against top seed Indiana Pacers, Washington poses as a threat to the Heat with their speed and size in the starting lineup that may cause friction to Miami’s defense that could force them to make changes to their rotation beginning with the backcourt duo of John Wall and Bradley Beal and the front court of Nene and Marcin Gortat. What is the future could be what is now in the nation’s capital.

 

 

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San Antonio Spurs

 

If surviving the gauntlet of the Western Conference playoffs bracket, nothing would make the San Antonio Spurs more delighted than defeating the team who shattered their championship aspirations last season. Possessing the secret weapon that is the Coach of the Year in Greg Popovich, he is able to present LeBron James different defensive match-ups and schemes with Kawhi Leonard and Boris Diaw who have made it difficult for James on the offense while. On offense for San Antonio, they can adjust to Miami’s rotation while spreading the floor to create driving lanes and open three point shot.

 

Knowing that nothing lasts forever, the Miami Heat’s reign as the dominant team must come to an end. However, will they be able to accomplish the 3-peat, solidifying their mark on NBA History as a dynasty?

Injury Prone Guards

    The latest trend around the NBA in recent memory has been the collapse of many NBA guards across the league. Whether its a recurring them of injuries with the same players or freak accidents occurring, we are seeing key players being sidelined for various reasons at a high rate.

 

We are in the age of the association where the point guard era has been asked to consume more responsibility while placed with the task of leading a team. Guards such as Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and Deron Williams are now relied on to provide more offense by scoring the ball while being the floor general. The defensive side has also become a challenge as many are taking on the contact of pick and roll defense that takes a toll on the body over time.

   At this point, teams are inclined to have a serviceable backup point guard that is capable of controlling the offense like players such as Darren Collison, Reggie Jackson, and Shaun Livingston. It has become a rarity at the position to have exceptional guard play when others are forced to play out of their natural positions to fill roles they are not accustomed to playing especially for teams such as Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics without all-star point guard Rajon Rondo as we await his season debut.

  Due to today’s frenetic style and pace in the NBA, the frequency of injuries may increase specifically knee injuries. It has been well documented that many with multiple knee injuries do not come back as explosive as before while many NBA fans are hoping that is the not case for former MVP Derrick Rose.

 

We should value and appreciate the point guard play of what the league has to offer for now. The likelihood of having a longer career with less injuries comes into question for many NBA superstars leading their respective teams to accomplish their goals.