While we sit and wait for the arrival of the 2012-2013 NBA season, even Chris Bosh couldn’t lie when talking about the new look Los Angeles Lakers. According to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Bosh quoted the Lakers, as, “the best team at least on paper” and the Miami Heat “have to start over” this season.
While most will agree that yes the Lakers have the best starting lineup in basketball with Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace (Ron Artest for those who didn’t know by now), Pau Gasol, and Dwight Howard, the Miami Heat still should be the pre-season favorites going into the season. Bosh sees what all the rest of us see and based off experience Bosh also knows it takes more than what’s on paper to win an NBA championship.
It was just two years ago, we were sitting here talking about The Big Three in Miami, and how they were the best team on paper and nobody should be able to stop them. While the Heat started out slow they finished strong before losing in the NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks, in which was known as LeBron James‘ choke fest. Even with all that talent, it took the Miami Heat essentially two years, to really blend with each other and create the kind of chemistry that is needed, and knows the Lakers will go through the same growing pains.
While the Miami Heat should be the prohibitive favorites going into the season, that doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be a cause for concern in South Beach however. With the acquisition of Dwight Howard and Steve Nash the Lakers bolstered their point guard and center position, which are seen as weak links in the Heat’s lineup.
Even though the Miami Heat will not have to face the Lakers unless they get to the NBA Finals, if that were to happen the Heat will have their hands full. While the Lakers don’t have an answer for LeBron James which nobody ideally does, the Heat may struggle with the two seven foot biggs in Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard.
Last season in two match-ups both teams split a game a piece, but in both games the bigs consisting of Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol combined to score 68 points in both match-ups while averaging double doubles. Not to mention that in four games vs the Heat last year, Dwight Howard averaged 18.8 rebounds and that was with an average at best Orlando Magic team.
While acknowledging the Lakers, Bosh essentially called out his Miami teammates, saying that they need to be at their best this season and essentially better. With no saying the Heat know they have their work cut out for themselves this season if they want to repeat as champions.
With an obvious advantage down low if the Heat were to play the Lakers look for James to shift to the power forward to check Pau Gasol which he did so well in the 2012 Olympics, while Bosh would hope to hold his own on Howard with a little help.
The Miami Heat made themselves a better team this off-season acquiring the NBA’s 3 point all-time leader Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, but don’t expect them to box out Howard down low either.
With that said the Heat out of anybody knows that basketball is played on the court and not on paper and if the Lakers want to hold that trophy up at the end of the season there going to have to go the same route as the Heat did two years ago.
