Miami Mice

By Migs Cortez

This was taken last July.

What a difference a couple of months makes.

The Miami Heat currently have a record of 9-8, with their most recent loss coming at the hands of the surging Dallas Mavericks. After the game, Dwyane Wade and company held a players-only meeting.

In my opinion, neither that, nor Erick Dampier, can save them now.

It's early in the season, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that this Heat team is one that is discombobulated, teeming with talented pieces which don't fit together well. For the year, Lebron James has averaged 23.4 points per outing, Dwyane Wade has netted a 21.3 ppg clip, and Chris Bosh has averaged 17.9. For all the talent that those three possess, and for all of the veteran smarts than guys like Jerry Stackhouse, Carlos Arroyo, and the crafty Juwan Howard bring, the Heat have been beaten at one aspect of the game that requires the most moxy- defense.

While Miami averages 100.4 points a night and is 6th in points allowed at 94.5 per game, they can't seem to find ways to protect them rim. Zydrunas Ilgauskas' age is showing, and Juwan Howard and Jamal Magloire aren't exactly whippersnappers. Miami is only 22nd in rebounding at 40.7 per game, with 30.9 being defensive. It is often said that defense wins championships, and right now, the Heat's interior D isn't enough to win them a game of HORSE.

Injuries to co-captain Udonis Haslem and shooter Mike Miller have not helped, either, with their losses being tremendous blows to an already shaky team chemistry. Pat Riley's trigger finger must be getting itchy, and young Erik Spoelstra must be peeing in his pants. Lebron is chucking up bricks and being a primadonna, Wade is beginning to force the issue on offense, and Chris Bosh is averaging career low numbers.

The difference between Miami and teams like the Lakers and Celtics is the fact that, on top of the players from the latter teams having more experience playing together, they too have learned to tag their troops with certain roles and stick to those roles no matter what. Knowing your roles means placing egos on the shelf. Personally, I don't think that Bosh, Wade, and especially Lebron are adept at making ego management a primary concern.

And goodness gracious, for all his skill, Lebron doesn't seem to have Jordan or Kobe-esque drive to improve at every facet of the game. After years in the league, you would surmise that maybe this man who has been dubbed as the second coming of Basketball Jesus might just get a better looking jump shot.

King James' field goal percentage to this point is a measly 43.6, which, for a guy as athletic and as large as he (6,8", 250 lbs), is insanely low. He's been settling for outside shots, and such is a shame, not only because he hasn't improved his perimeter game, but also because you'd expect that he'd have a take-no-prisoners attitude and barrel his way to the hole more.

I guess that the King has been iffy about getting his hands dirty. All he's seemingly brought to South Beach is trouble.

What started as the infamous "Decision" has ballooned into something much more worrisome- the clashing of styles and egos, and the impending demise of a team that seems to be melting under the klieg lights.

When the cat is away, the mice play, but then, once the cat comes back, the mice might as well go home- lest they be eaten alive.

The clock is ticking for the boys from South Beach, and as the biggest villains the NBA has seen since the 80's Bad Boy Detroit Pistons, the entire world is raring to see them fall, and fall hard.

-MC-