If any two teams were headed in opposite directions this off-season, it was the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers, coming off of repeat championships, was not looking for any major changes that might upset their chemistry, just minor tweaks.
The Heat, on the other hand, was 4th place in the East and an easy-out for the Boston Celtics in the 1st round of the playoffs (4-1 series). Not only that, but with Dwayne Wade eyeing his free agency in 2010, the Heat had to convince him to stay.
The Lakers, though, had a busier off-season than some expected, finally picking up a reliable back-up point guard for the aging Derek Fisher. Steve Blake will also prove to be an effective shooter, even in clutch situations, as he has shown moments of this throughout his career with the Portland Trailblazers. In addition to point guard, the Lakers added depth at shooting guard with the feisty defender Matt Barnes, whom the Lakers acquired after Raja Bell chose to chase a contract, not a title, in Utah. Finally, the Lakers’ other move was bringing in veteran defender Theo Ratliff. Although Ratliff’s game has deteriorated over the years, he is still an adequate back-up. With a small move here and there, the Lakers have put themselves in a solid position to defend their titles next season.
Steve Blake:
The Heat, on the other hand, needed major lineup changes, and got them in the form of Chris Bosh, LeBron James, and Dwayne Wade (re-signed). What we talked about a few weeks back was how a lot would be determined by exactly how much the Heat could add around their newly formed big three.
While the Heat may still cut or add another player, they have formed their team to compliment James, Bosh, and Wade. But, have they done enough to make them a balanced team, not just a team built around three stars?
Working their magic, the Heat improved on the inside by Juwan Howard, Jamaal Magloire, and retaining Udonis Haslem. Where the Heat scored best was in obtaining shooters. After obtaining Mike Miller, sharp-shooter and veteran, the Miami Heat recently signed former Celtic Eddie House. Between House and Miller the Heat have bolstered their lineup with some great shooters. Simply put, the Heat look pretty dangerous.
Mike Miller:
At a glance, the Lakers also look tremendously more experienced, but this is misleading. While the Lakers have more championship experience, the Heat is the third oldest team in the league next to the Lakers (1) and Celtics (2) (Sports Center, ESPN). Other than having more experience in the Finals, the experience factor is close to a draw. With Fisher at the point, though, the Lakers do have a reliable and steady hand to guide the team while the Heat will rely on young point guard Mario Chalmers. The Heat will deal with this by using Wade and James to move the ball. Dealing with a lack of experience and other factors, the Miami Heatrio will be asked to pick up the slack for the rest of the team. Just how much they (Bosh, James, and Wade) are able to play a motivated and all-around game will determine exactly how successful the Heat will be in ’11.
The Heat is not, however, without weaknesses. Some problems the Heat will encounter may be: bench defense and defending the paint (their biggest body is rookie Dexter Pittman, which means they will likely have difficulty with Shaq and D. Howard). Also, the Heat will have to rely heavily on the experience of Wade and Haslem because they have been unable to add any one else with championship pedigree.
We all know the Lakers are good, not perfect, but will they be good enough to put out the Heat? On Christmas Day, we will get our first glimpse at how these teams match up.
