Miami Heat Looking For Ways To Triumph Over Misery

After blowing a double-digit lead, drawing up a horrible play for Dwyane Wade that failed to tie the game and dropping out of third place in the Eastern Conference playoff race, you would expect the Miami Heat to be on the somber side of things. But according to yesterday’s jovial practice pictures, from the Miami Herald’s Ethan Skolnick, that was the furthest thing from the truth.

The air of the images gave off the sense of a team that not only knows that they can compete, but one that understands how hard it is to compete after going through the frustration of struggles.

Veterans like Joe Johnson and Amar’e Stoudemire both felt the sting of bottom feeding under the bright lights of New York City after having enough marginal success to cast expectations too high. The Heat organization had to deal with the disappointment of missing the playoffs following an NBA Finals loss and the departure of LeBron James. And Luol Deng, Wade and Goran Dragic know what it was like to have a roster ill-prepared to take the hit of a season-ending medical issue taking out Chris Bosh last season. Now they can appreciate having the young talent of Justise Winslow, Josh Richardson and Hassan Whiteside around to keep the team more than afloat for a postseason berth after lacking the pieces to do so the previous April. However, it could all get better.

Fingers are crossed that the team will eventually clear Bosh for play and boost their-new look lineup with his 19 points per game and 36 percent three-point shooting. But in the present, the Heat need their other future Hall of Famer to regain control of his rhythm.

In the last eight games, Wade has averaged 18 points per game, but on a woeful .398 percent shooting from the field. The Pat Riley pep talks and texts are great for confidence, but the right timing is everything. Take James and his Cleveland Cavaliers coming to town, for example.

Wade is not only shooting 55 percent in his two games against the reigning Eastern Conference champs, but this season, he averages 27 points, six assists and five rebounds every time he sees his best friend on the opposite side of the court — 26 times to be exact. Matchup 27 may just be the one that gives the Heat the push that they need to finally secure third place in the battle of the Eastern Conference standings.