Miami Heat: Not Unstoppable

Last year, the Miami Heat, the most scrutinized and the most hated team in the league, fell short of winning the NBA championship, to the delight of the entire basketball world. The Heat was ahead in 4 of the 6 games entering the 4th quarter and the collapsed and choked away the lead 12 minutes later to lose 4 games to 2 to the Dallas mavericks. The Heat said that was just a fluke, a learning curve or stepping stone they must take to become the best possible team they can be. They said they would put their 4th quarter collapses in their past.


That was in June. Now, almost 8 months later, the Heat are still having their 4th quarter collapses. Despite being one of the most athletic, quickest, and accurate 3point shooting team, the Heat are on a downward spiral. Their nightmares of the NBA Finals last year are resurfacing as they have encountered 3 straight 4th quarter (and over-time) meltdowns.

A picture of the Miami Heat's Not-So-Big Three
Taken from NBA.com

The Heat's biggest point of concern  is their Zone offense. Everyone knows they have 2 of the best 1-on-1 players in the league, which is why teams play them in a zone. Teams force the Heat to move the ball, to drive and kick, to rely on a team game rather than on 3 people. This is where the Miami Heat struggles.


As unselfish and team-oriented LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade are, they still always revert back to their one-on-one ways against the zone, the same mentality that cost them the Championship.


The team, not only struggled on the offensive end in the 4th quarters of the past three games, but also on the defensive end despite being one of the best defensive teams in the league. Their failure to score on one end and to defend on the other has cost the heat their top spot in the NBA.


The Miami Heat, now currently the 6th seeded team in the Eastern Conference, looks to silence all the loud, once more, doubters and haters with a win in their next game on Wednesday against the San Antonio Spurs.