Two years ago, an incredible NBA Finals run by the Miami Heat ended with a six-game defeat in the Orlando Bubble. Through injury trouble and turmoil, the team fell short in a closely-contested Game Seven against Boston to get back this year. Through all of their struggles, don’t expect the Miami Heat to roll over and give up on their Championship dreams.
This is the identity of Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra’s team. If memory serves correctly, they bounce back quickly when they lose. Except for the 2011 NBA Finals, the Miami Heat have proven that when adversity strikes, they face it head-on.
There are three things the Miami Heat must do to get back to the NBA Finals.
The only questions are, how exactly do they get back to the Eastern Conference Finals, finish what they started, and make a return trip to the biggest show in basketball? The solutions can be answered simply by three components.
Unlike many tests, this one has many correct answers. All tests, especially this one, come down to preparation. If they make the right choices, South Beach might need to organize another championship celebration.
1. Get Jimmy Butler some more help from the Miami Heat roster.
For much of the past few years, Jimmy Butler has primarily been a solo act in South Beach. He has produced unbelievable performances and even a berth in the NBA Finals, albeit in the Orlando Bubble. Nonetheless, he did it, and now it’s time for him to get help from everyone else.
The problem in today’s game is that several of us who cover, analyze, tweet, and even talk about the game are often led to believe that a single superstar can carry a team on his shoulders. That’s not necessarily true; frankly, it’s a disservice to the players.
Butler will need help, but point guard Kyle Lowry also can’t do it all on his own. That means Miami may need to put their drafting skills to the test and try to steal another star player when it comes time for them to make a selection. Recently, Miami selected Nikola Jović out of Serbia. Will he be a major contributor right away? Probably not. But if he can provide any help whatsoever, the load on Butler’s shoulders will shrink.