Miami Heat: Is It Time for LeBron James and Company to Panic?

The Heat are 6-4 over their last 10 games. Based on what we have come to expect from the LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh led club, that’s toiling with the lines of dormancy.

Miami continues to look disinterested on the basketball court. James and Wade have not appeared to be on the same page as they were leading up to the All-Star break, and Bosh has never been less of a force in the low post or on the glass.

So, what’s wrong? Why is it that the Heat have gone from unbeatable to, dare I say it, human?

Perhaps the competition has become mundane. Perhaps the Heat, role players and all, have truly developed a sense of superiority that makes it impossible for them to experience urgency. Or perhaps their just feeling the effects of a condensed schedule. Or perhaps the detergent used to cleanse their jerseys was changed without their knowledge.

Whatever the reason is, the Heat just aren’t the Heat. That killer instinct that had them battling for the NBA’s best record has disappeared and been replaced with an aura of weakness.

Miami’s blowout loss at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder was disappointing to say the least, but their embarrassing display against the Indiana Pacers was truly disconcerting. This was a team the Heat had thrashed by 15 or more points twice this season. This was a team that had struggled to close out games all season long. Most importantly, though, this was a team, who was facing a team that should have been hungrier than they were.

Yes, the Heat still own the NBA’s third best record and are within striking distance of the top-seeded Chicago Bulls, but that’s not enough, especially fresh off a loss to the Thunder. The three-headed monster that is Miami was formed to win championships, and you simply cannot do that without first proving you’re a team that is never satisfied.

And despite a world of recent struggles, the Heat look like a team that is perfectly content with they are.

The talent is there and their potential is undeniable, but why must they avoid reaching it fully? Why must they broach the line of complete dominancy only to take gargantuan like steps backward?

That’s a question with an intangible answer, as the Heat’s inability to maintain an air of dominancy cannot be attributed to James’ tendency to become too unselfish. Nor can it be attributed to Miami’s subpar interior defense. It comes down to sheer will and the refusal to accept anything as it already is, no matter how positive it may be.

Right now, the Heat just don’t have that flair, the chip on their shoulder that propelled them to unprecedented levels of success. Instead they have what appears to be an unearned sense of superiority and complacency.

With that in mind, is it time for James and the rest of South Beach to panic?

Not quite yet. We’ve seen what Miami is capable of, and while they aren’t yet worthy of being considered championship locks, they are entitled to the benefit of the doubt.

Should the Heat’s Jekyll and Hyde act carry into the postseason, though, they automatically relinquish that right.

So keep that panic button handy.