The Game - Sales Kit 0 | Page 21

WORLDSPORTS DECEMBER 2013 LOOKING TO BOUNCE BACK Bosh under pressure to make up for a lackluster performance last season. I s it time the Miami Heat’s “Big Three” got a makeover? Chris Bosh’s lackluster play as a big man last season was the subject of hot debate. I can’t stop thinking about how Miami courted the edge of elimination in the playoffs and NBA Finals last season. There’s no question that the Heat lacked the length of the Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs. Miraculously, they got through by the hairs of their chinny chin-chins. However, lightning doesn’t usually strike twice in the same place and Hail Marys are reserved for football. Unless the Heat make adjustments down low in the paint, the likes of Tim Duncan, Roy Hibbert, Joakim Noah, Brook Lopez and others could thwart the Heat’s three-peat plans. Here’s a question for Pat Riley to consider: Could LeBron James and Dwyane Wade use a bona fide big man other than Bosh? In no way form or fashion is this an indictment of Bosh, but Erik Spoelstra and his coaching staff would be making a blind assumption should they think the current Big Three are the right combination going forward. I’d argue that it’s downright reckless and a half-cocked way of doing business if one fails to take inventory of a team vying for a championship. Think about this for a moment: Isn’t it wise for a successful grocer to walk his aisles and take inventory frequently? Perhaps, somewhere in the bread section, a loaf may have expired or is nearing the end of its shelf life. And, yes, even the top-selling brand can go bad at times. Basketball franchises follow similar strategies when assembling a team for a championship run and sometimes a slice of bread has to get toasted. Could LeBron James and Dwyane Wade use a bona fide big man other than Bosh? – QUESTION FOR PAT RILEY MIAMI HEAT TEAM PRESIDENT 16 t h e g a m e sports magazine To assume the Big Three are exempt from getting a once-over is not only halfcocked, but it's also a reckless way of doing business. Take Lamar Odom, for instance. The former Los Angeles Lakers big man played a very important role in the team winning back-to-back NBA Finals (2009, 2010). In both seasons, his production rivaled or exceeded Bosh’s 2012 and 2013 performances in points, steals, blocks, assists and total rebounds, according to BasketballReference. And, by the way, he did all this off the bench, while Bosh was a starter in the Heat's back-to-back championships (2012, 2013). And here’s where even being the 2010-2011 NBA Sixth Man of the Year isn’t good enough when dollars and cents enter the picture: Despite Odom’s banner year, he was dealt to the Dallas Mavericks, reportedly, over salary cap issues. Don’t think for a nanosecond that Riley and the Heat’s coaching staff are not looking at the possibility that Oden could be a better fit than Chris Bosh at the big position.