Heat vs Celtics - 7:30 TNT

It'll take Miami a while to get going.  Lebron, Wade and Bosh hardly played together at all in preseason.  They'll be one of the top three in the east.  dont know about a championship this year though.
 
Forget about yesterdays game, lets just look at the Miami Heat as a whole. An all-star PF, all-star SF and all-star SG. LeBron and Wade have shown us for several years now that they are dominant players while Bosh has shown us he is one of the best PFs but is nowhere near dominant on either side of the court. I think the Heat wont have any trouble at all getting production from LeBron and Wade but their lack of front court depth will hurt them big time in the playoffs. They've got Bosh, Anthony, Maagloire, Z, Juwon, Haslem who'll have to match up against Shaq, Perkins, KG, Baby, JO. Although Bosh is better than any C's big man, the Celtics unit as a whole is much superior to the Heat front court.

And then if the Heat manage to make it all the way to the finals, they dont have the depth to match up with the Lakers. Their front court does not compare to the Lakers front court. Then you look at the Lakers defensively and you realize that Kobe, Artest, Odom, etc are all good defenders who'll likely be able to somewhat limit LeBron and Wade's effectiveness.

I dont see the Heat winning the title this season. I still think we're heading to another Celtics vs. Lakers final. However this is just year one of a 5-6 year project for the Heat and they'll have plenty of time to get things right. Remember that MJ and the Bulls struggled for a while before finally winning their first title. Kobe + Shaq couldnt get it done until after several years with each other. The Pistons needed a few years to gel before they won a title. The current Lakers team needed about 2 seasons together before they won the title in 2009. Maybe the biggest exception to this rule is the 2008 Celtics who won their first season together. My point is that based on NBA history its unrealistic to expect the Heat to go out and win a title in their first season together.

The Heat will also likely get better in the coming years as the cap goes up or if player salaries decrease as either scenario will allow them to afford some better depth players than the ones they currently have.

As for the absence of Mike Miller yesterday, I think the Heat would've won the game if he was healthy. James Jones missed a lot of open shots that Mike Miller would've nailed. Jones shot 36% last season while Miller shot 50% and has been a 49% shooter the last 3 seasons. He hasnt been talked about a lot so far but this guy is probably the 4th best player on the team and will play a major part on the Heat in the coming months and years.
 
Forget about yesterdays game, lets just look at the Miami Heat as a whole. An all-star PF, all-star SF and all-star SG. LeBron and Wade have shown us for several years now that they are dominant players while Bosh has shown us he is one of the best PFs but is nowhere near dominant on either side of the court. I think the Heat wont have any trouble at all getting production from LeBron and Wade but their lack of front court depth will hurt them big time in the playoffs. They've got Bosh, Anthony, Maagloire, Z, Juwon, Haslem who'll have to match up against Shaq, Perkins, KG, Baby, JO. Although Bosh is better than any C's big man, the Celtics unit as a whole is much superior to the Heat front court.

And then if the Heat manage to make it all the way to the finals, they dont have the depth to match up with the Lakers. Their front court does not compare to the Lakers front court. Then you look at the Lakers defensively and you realize that Kobe, Artest, Odom, etc are all good defenders who'll likely be able to somewhat limit LeBron and Wade's effectiveness.

I dont see the Heat winning the title this season. I still think we're heading to another Celtics vs. Lakers final. However this is just year one of a 5-6 year project for the Heat and they'll have plenty of time to get things right. Remember that MJ and the Bulls struggled for a while before finally winning their first title. Kobe + Shaq couldnt get it done until after several years with each other. The Pistons needed a few years to gel before they won a title. The current Lakers team needed about 2 seasons together before they won the title in 2009. Maybe the biggest exception to this rule is the 2008 Celtics who won their first season together. My point is that based on NBA history its unrealistic to expect the Heat to go out and win a title in their first season together.

The Heat will also likely get better in the coming years as the cap goes up or if player salaries decrease as either scenario will allow them to afford some better depth players than the ones they currently have.

As for the absence of Mike Miller yesterday, I think the Heat would've won the game if he was healthy. James Jones missed a lot of open shots that Mike Miller would've nailed. Jones shot 36% last season while Miller shot 50% and has been a 49% shooter the last 3 seasons. He hasnt been talked about a lot so far but this guy is probably the 4th best player on the team and will play a major part on the Heat in the coming months and years.
 
Originally Posted by SHUGES

Originally Posted by CP1708

Will we see Boston go on a 12-2 run and the cameras pan to Riley steaming out both his ears? 

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 Thank you Shuges, good lookin out. 
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the heat will be fine, but they will have trouble against the really good teams. but they need a legit big if they want to contend.
 
the heat will be fine, but they will have trouble against the really good teams. but they need a legit big if they want to contend.
 
Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

Exactly....and with 4/5 Boston's starters being over 33 years old, I'm not sure why the Heat didn't try to run more.  It's clear that Bron, Wade, and Bosh (as well as the rest of the team) aren't a cohesive unit.  They don't know all their offensive sets and played some real slow-it-down basketball last night.  I really think they could have exploited Boston's age by running a little more.  You get in the 1/2 court sets and that plays right into the Celtics gameplan.  Maybe things will change down the road, but they looked like Cleveland-South last night. 
  
Miami didn't get enough defensive stops and didn't rebound well enough against the Celtics to force the tempo...you can't really run and gun taking the ball out underneath your own basket. Lot's of teams would like to speed the game up, but you gotta have that quickness and good decision making at the 1 to do it...Miami does not.

Stop it already with the Bron at the 1 talk too. He's a point forward, who should initiate the offense at times but not full time. In the half-court set he can be so brilliant but so horrible in the same game. I know it's just game 1, but him and Wade kinda looked like they were just trying to outdo each other on too many possessions. Bron scored a few buckets and then Wade had to get his fga's, and vice versa (except last night Wade just got attempts no buckets
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Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

Exactly....and with 4/5 Boston's starters being over 33 years old, I'm not sure why the Heat didn't try to run more.  It's clear that Bron, Wade, and Bosh (as well as the rest of the team) aren't a cohesive unit.  They don't know all their offensive sets and played some real slow-it-down basketball last night.  I really think they could have exploited Boston's age by running a little more.  You get in the 1/2 court sets and that plays right into the Celtics gameplan.  Maybe things will change down the road, but they looked like Cleveland-South last night. 
  
Miami didn't get enough defensive stops and didn't rebound well enough against the Celtics to force the tempo...you can't really run and gun taking the ball out underneath your own basket. Lot's of teams would like to speed the game up, but you gotta have that quickness and good decision making at the 1 to do it...Miami does not.

Stop it already with the Bron at the 1 talk too. He's a point forward, who should initiate the offense at times but not full time. In the half-court set he can be so brilliant but so horrible in the same game. I know it's just game 1, but him and Wade kinda looked like they were just trying to outdo each other on too many possessions. Bron scored a few buckets and then Wade had to get his fga's, and vice versa (except last night Wade just got attempts no buckets
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Originally Posted by grittyman20

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

Exactly....and with 4/5 Boston's starters being over 33 years old, I'm not sure why the Heat didn't try to run more.  It's clear that Bron, Wade, and Bosh (as well as the rest of the team) aren't a cohesive unit.  They don't know all their offensive sets and played some real slow-it-down basketball last night.  I really think they could have exploited Boston's age by running a little more.  You get in the 1/2 court sets and that plays right into the Celtics gameplan.  Maybe things will change down the road, but they looked like Cleveland-South last night. 
  
Miami didn't get enough defensive stops and didn't rebound well enough against the Celtics to force the tempo...you can't really run and gun taking the ball out underneath your own basket. Lot's of teams would like to speed the game up, but you gotta have that quickness and good decision making at the 1 to do it...Miami does not.

Stop it already with the Bron at the 1 talk too. He's a point forward, who should initiate the offense at times but not full time. In the half-court set he can be so brilliant but so horrible in the same game. I know it's just game 1, but him and Wade kinda looked like they were just trying to outdo each other on too many possessions. Bron scored a few buckets and then Wade had to get his fga's, and vice versa (except last night Wade just got attempts no buckets
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I just think if the gameplan was a little different they could have put up more than 9 points in the 1st quarter
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  But you're right....a lot of it does fall on the horrible decision making by both Bron and Wade.  Their unfamiliarity in playing with one another was exploited by the C's.  I'm sure as the season rolls around a lot of the kinks will be worked out.  But last night we just saw a team who has had their core intact for 3-4 seasons dismantle a confused and inchoesive Heat squad. 
 
Originally Posted by grittyman20

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

Exactly....and with 4/5 Boston's starters being over 33 years old, I'm not sure why the Heat didn't try to run more.  It's clear that Bron, Wade, and Bosh (as well as the rest of the team) aren't a cohesive unit.  They don't know all their offensive sets and played some real slow-it-down basketball last night.  I really think they could have exploited Boston's age by running a little more.  You get in the 1/2 court sets and that plays right into the Celtics gameplan.  Maybe things will change down the road, but they looked like Cleveland-South last night. 
  
Miami didn't get enough defensive stops and didn't rebound well enough against the Celtics to force the tempo...you can't really run and gun taking the ball out underneath your own basket. Lot's of teams would like to speed the game up, but you gotta have that quickness and good decision making at the 1 to do it...Miami does not.

Stop it already with the Bron at the 1 talk too. He's a point forward, who should initiate the offense at times but not full time. In the half-court set he can be so brilliant but so horrible in the same game. I know it's just game 1, but him and Wade kinda looked like they were just trying to outdo each other on too many possessions. Bron scored a few buckets and then Wade had to get his fga's, and vice versa (except last night Wade just got attempts no buckets
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I just think if the gameplan was a little different they could have put up more than 9 points in the 1st quarter
laugh.gif
  But you're right....a lot of it does fall on the horrible decision making by both Bron and Wade.  Their unfamiliarity in playing with one another was exploited by the C's.  I'm sure as the season rolls around a lot of the kinks will be worked out.  But last night we just saw a team who has had their core intact for 3-4 seasons dismantle a confused and inchoesive Heat squad. 
 
Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

Originally Posted by grittyman20

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

Exactly....and with 4/5 Boston's starters being over 33 years old, I'm not sure why the Heat didn't try to run more.  It's clear that Bron, Wade, and Bosh (as well as the rest of the team) aren't a cohesive unit.  They don't know all their offensive sets and played some real slow-it-down basketball last night.  I really think they could have exploited Boston's age by running a little more.  You get in the 1/2 court sets and that plays right into the Celtics gameplan.  Maybe things will change down the road, but they looked like Cleveland-South last night. 
  
Miami didn't get enough defensive stops and didn't rebound well enough against the Celtics to force the tempo...you can't really run and gun taking the ball out underneath your own basket. Lot's of teams would like to speed the game up, but you gotta have that quickness and good decision making at the 1 to do it...Miami does not.

Stop it already with the Bron at the 1 talk too. He's a point forward, who should initiate the offense at times but not full time. In the half-court set he can be so brilliant but so horrible in the same game. I know it's just game 1, but him and Wade kinda looked like they were just trying to outdo each other on too many possessions. Bron scored a few buckets and then Wade had to get his fga's, and vice versa (except last night Wade just got attempts no buckets
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I just think if the gameplan was a little different they could have put up more than 9 points in the 1st quarter
laugh.gif
  But you're right....a lot of it does fall on the horrible decision making by both Bron and Wade.  Their unfamiliarity in playing with one another was exploited by the C's.  I'm sure as the season rolls around a lot of the kinks will be worked out.  But last night we just saw a team who has had their core intact for 3-4 seasons dismantle a confused and inchoesive Heat squad. 
I also thought there was way too much apprehensiveness and over passing by the Heat in the first half.  I think they were so focused on trying to look like a team and not look selfish in getting their own that we saw some ill advised passes that led to turnovers.  Lebron throwing cross court passes going out of bounds or being picked off, passes glancing off of Wade and Bosh's fingertips because they weren't expecting passes, etc.  It wasn't until Lebron went Lebron and dominated the ball in the second half did they look a bit better.

I think they need to push the ball and get out on the break but Lebron or Wade has to be assertive from the jump.  Wade tried and he doodoo'd it up.  Let Lebron initiate and get going then have Wade and Bosh feed off of him when the defense begins to collapse and adjust.  James Jones and Eddie House did a GREAT job of doing this in the 2nd half as they had some wide open shots due to Lebron driving and dishing.
 
Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

Originally Posted by grittyman20

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

Exactly....and with 4/5 Boston's starters being over 33 years old, I'm not sure why the Heat didn't try to run more.  It's clear that Bron, Wade, and Bosh (as well as the rest of the team) aren't a cohesive unit.  They don't know all their offensive sets and played some real slow-it-down basketball last night.  I really think they could have exploited Boston's age by running a little more.  You get in the 1/2 court sets and that plays right into the Celtics gameplan.  Maybe things will change down the road, but they looked like Cleveland-South last night. 
  
Miami didn't get enough defensive stops and didn't rebound well enough against the Celtics to force the tempo...you can't really run and gun taking the ball out underneath your own basket. Lot's of teams would like to speed the game up, but you gotta have that quickness and good decision making at the 1 to do it...Miami does not.

Stop it already with the Bron at the 1 talk too. He's a point forward, who should initiate the offense at times but not full time. In the half-court set he can be so brilliant but so horrible in the same game. I know it's just game 1, but him and Wade kinda looked like they were just trying to outdo each other on too many possessions. Bron scored a few buckets and then Wade had to get his fga's, and vice versa (except last night Wade just got attempts no buckets
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I just think if the gameplan was a little different they could have put up more than 9 points in the 1st quarter
laugh.gif
  But you're right....a lot of it does fall on the horrible decision making by both Bron and Wade.  Their unfamiliarity in playing with one another was exploited by the C's.  I'm sure as the season rolls around a lot of the kinks will be worked out.  But last night we just saw a team who has had their core intact for 3-4 seasons dismantle a confused and inchoesive Heat squad. 
I also thought there was way too much apprehensiveness and over passing by the Heat in the first half.  I think they were so focused on trying to look like a team and not look selfish in getting their own that we saw some ill advised passes that led to turnovers.  Lebron throwing cross court passes going out of bounds or being picked off, passes glancing off of Wade and Bosh's fingertips because they weren't expecting passes, etc.  It wasn't until Lebron went Lebron and dominated the ball in the second half did they look a bit better.

I think they need to push the ball and get out on the break but Lebron or Wade has to be assertive from the jump.  Wade tried and he doodoo'd it up.  Let Lebron initiate and get going then have Wade and Bosh feed off of him when the defense begins to collapse and adjust.  James Jones and Eddie House did a GREAT job of doing this in the 2nd half as they had some wide open shots due to Lebron driving and dishing.
 
Originally Posted by Ricardo Malta

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

Originally Posted by grittyman20

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

Exactly....and with 4/5 Boston's starters being over 33 years old, I'm not sure why the Heat didn't try to run more.  It's clear that Bron, Wade, and Bosh (as well as the rest of the team) aren't a cohesive unit.  They don't know all their offensive sets and played some real slow-it-down basketball last night.  I really think they could have exploited Boston's age by running a little more.  You get in the 1/2 court sets and that plays right into the Celtics gameplan.  Maybe things will change down the road, but they looked like Cleveland-South last night. 
  
Miami didn't get enough defensive stops and didn't rebound well enough against the Celtics to force the tempo...you can't really run and gun taking the ball out underneath your own basket. Lot's of teams would like to speed the game up, but you gotta have that quickness and good decision making at the 1 to do it...Miami does not.

Stop it already with the Bron at the 1 talk too. He's a point forward, who should initiate the offense at times but not full time. In the half-court set he can be so brilliant but so horrible in the same game. I know it's just game 1, but him and Wade kinda looked like they were just trying to outdo each other on too many possessions. Bron scored a few buckets and then Wade had to get his fga's, and vice versa (except last night Wade just got attempts no buckets
laugh.gif
)


I just think if the gameplan was a little different they could have put up more than 9 points in the 1st quarter
laugh.gif
  But you're right....a lot of it does fall on the horrible decision making by both Bron and Wade.  Their unfamiliarity in playing with one another was exploited by the C's.  I'm sure as the season rolls around a lot of the kinks will be worked out.  But last night we just saw a team who has had their core intact for 3-4 seasons dismantle a confused and inchoesive Heat squad. 
I also thought there was way too much apprehensiveness and over passing by the Heat in the first half.  I think they were so focused on trying to look like a team and not look selfish in getting their own that we saw some ill advised passes that led to turnovers.  Lebron throwing cross court passes going out of bounds or being picked off, passes glancing off of Wade and Bosh's fingertips because they weren't expecting passes, etc.  It wasn't until Lebron went Lebron and dominated the ball in the second half did they look a bit better.

I think they need to push the ball and get out on the break but Lebron or Wade has to be assertive from the jump.  Wade tried and he doodoo'd it up.  Let Lebron initiate and get going then have Wade and Bosh feed off of him when the defense begins to collapse and adjust.  James Jones and Eddie House did a GREAT job of doing this in the 2nd half as they had some wide open shots due to Lebron driving and dishing.


   I agree....Maybe it was just me....but I can't ever remember watching Wade/Bron/Bosh and say to myself, "they're over-thinking."  When you over-think, thats when mistakes happen.  Like u said...it wasn't until Lebron stopped messing around and the Heat cut the lead to 3.  James Jones and Eddie House got a %+!# load of open looks due to the dribble-penetration and then the kickouts.  You all can say what you want about Mike Miller, but dude is DEADLY (when he wants to shoot) from behind the arc.  If he's putting up upcontested 3s, that's another dimension of this Heat team that the opposition has to account for.  IMO, Mike Miller is one of the top-3 shooters in the NBA.  He's never had the luxury of having teammates of the calibur of what he has in Miami, so dude is gonna reap the benefits when he comes back. 




*To the Heat fans out there...what are some realistic options at the PG spot?  Arroyo ain't cutting it. 

*Anyone see what Beas was tweeting last night? 
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Originally Posted by Ricardo Malta

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

Originally Posted by grittyman20

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

Exactly....and with 4/5 Boston's starters being over 33 years old, I'm not sure why the Heat didn't try to run more.  It's clear that Bron, Wade, and Bosh (as well as the rest of the team) aren't a cohesive unit.  They don't know all their offensive sets and played some real slow-it-down basketball last night.  I really think they could have exploited Boston's age by running a little more.  You get in the 1/2 court sets and that plays right into the Celtics gameplan.  Maybe things will change down the road, but they looked like Cleveland-South last night. 
  
Miami didn't get enough defensive stops and didn't rebound well enough against the Celtics to force the tempo...you can't really run and gun taking the ball out underneath your own basket. Lot's of teams would like to speed the game up, but you gotta have that quickness and good decision making at the 1 to do it...Miami does not.

Stop it already with the Bron at the 1 talk too. He's a point forward, who should initiate the offense at times but not full time. In the half-court set he can be so brilliant but so horrible in the same game. I know it's just game 1, but him and Wade kinda looked like they were just trying to outdo each other on too many possessions. Bron scored a few buckets and then Wade had to get his fga's, and vice versa (except last night Wade just got attempts no buckets
laugh.gif
)


I just think if the gameplan was a little different they could have put up more than 9 points in the 1st quarter
laugh.gif
  But you're right....a lot of it does fall on the horrible decision making by both Bron and Wade.  Their unfamiliarity in playing with one another was exploited by the C's.  I'm sure as the season rolls around a lot of the kinks will be worked out.  But last night we just saw a team who has had their core intact for 3-4 seasons dismantle a confused and inchoesive Heat squad. 
I also thought there was way too much apprehensiveness and over passing by the Heat in the first half.  I think they were so focused on trying to look like a team and not look selfish in getting their own that we saw some ill advised passes that led to turnovers.  Lebron throwing cross court passes going out of bounds or being picked off, passes glancing off of Wade and Bosh's fingertips because they weren't expecting passes, etc.  It wasn't until Lebron went Lebron and dominated the ball in the second half did they look a bit better.

I think they need to push the ball and get out on the break but Lebron or Wade has to be assertive from the jump.  Wade tried and he doodoo'd it up.  Let Lebron initiate and get going then have Wade and Bosh feed off of him when the defense begins to collapse and adjust.  James Jones and Eddie House did a GREAT job of doing this in the 2nd half as they had some wide open shots due to Lebron driving and dishing.


   I agree....Maybe it was just me....but I can't ever remember watching Wade/Bron/Bosh and say to myself, "they're over-thinking."  When you over-think, thats when mistakes happen.  Like u said...it wasn't until Lebron stopped messing around and the Heat cut the lead to 3.  James Jones and Eddie House got a %+!# load of open looks due to the dribble-penetration and then the kickouts.  You all can say what you want about Mike Miller, but dude is DEADLY (when he wants to shoot) from behind the arc.  If he's putting up upcontested 3s, that's another dimension of this Heat team that the opposition has to account for.  IMO, Mike Miller is one of the top-3 shooters in the NBA.  He's never had the luxury of having teammates of the calibur of what he has in Miami, so dude is gonna reap the benefits when he comes back. 




*To the Heat fans out there...what are some realistic options at the PG spot?  Arroyo ain't cutting it. 

*Anyone see what Beas was tweeting last night? 
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Erik Spoelstra needs to get to work asap.  It's up to him to retool the offense so Lebron and Wade get touches nearly every possession.  If he can create a more fluid offense where Lebron or Wade get the ball on the move the Heat will be so much better.  There has to be more movement without the ball, the biggest thing I noticed is that when one of the big 3 had the ball the other 2 was just standing around for the most part. 

Bosh played like a whimp last night.  I was not impressed with him.  At least Wade put in some effort. 
 
Erik Spoelstra needs to get to work asap.  It's up to him to retool the offense so Lebron and Wade get touches nearly every possession.  If he can create a more fluid offense where Lebron or Wade get the ball on the move the Heat will be so much better.  There has to be more movement without the ball, the biggest thing I noticed is that when one of the big 3 had the ball the other 2 was just standing around for the most part. 

Bosh played like a whimp last night.  I was not impressed with him.  At least Wade put in some effort. 
 
Originally Posted by amel223

Erik Spoelstra needs to get to work asap.  It's up to him to retool the offense so Lebron and Wade get touches nearly every possession.  If he can create a more fluid offense where Lebron or Wade get the ball on the move the Heat will be so much better.  There has to be more movement without the ball, the biggest thing I noticed is that when one of the big 3 had the ball the other 2 was just standing around for the most part. 

Bosh played like a whimp last night.  I was not impressed with him.  At least Wade put in some effort. 

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  Those 2 getting touches every possession isnt a great thing. 
 
Originally Posted by amel223

Erik Spoelstra needs to get to work asap.  It's up to him to retool the offense so Lebron and Wade get touches nearly every possession.  If he can create a more fluid offense where Lebron or Wade get the ball on the move the Heat will be so much better.  There has to be more movement without the ball, the biggest thing I noticed is that when one of the big 3 had the ball the other 2 was just standing around for the most part. 

Bosh played like a whimp last night.  I was not impressed with him.  At least Wade put in some effort. 

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  Those 2 getting touches every possession isnt a great thing. 
 
^Why do you say that? 

I think it's unacceptable when the Heat goes 5 possessions and Wade doesn't touch the ball. 

The Heat has to develop a quick passing offense with lots of cuts. 

*edit*

The way it is now, with one star holding onto the ball and the others are just standing around is a worst alternative.  But if the ball is moving at a good clip between at least 2 of the three stars with one always moving the offense will be so much better.
 
^Why do you say that? 

I think it's unacceptable when the Heat goes 5 possessions and Wade doesn't touch the ball. 

The Heat has to develop a quick passing offense with lots of cuts. 

*edit*

The way it is now, with one star holding onto the ball and the others are just standing around is a worst alternative.  But if the ball is moving at a good clip between at least 2 of the three stars with one always moving the offense will be so much better.
 
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