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Although Miami Heat President Pat Riley said that he envisions LeBron James taking on a Magic Johnson role, Dwyane Wade a Kobe Bryant role and Chris Bosh a Kevin Garnett role in Heat uniforms, those three players have never played together; as a result, it may be hard for some to truly see how this team can mesh. I've heard a lot of theories over the past three weeks, and the most ridiculous one was that Wade and James will play like Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony when they played with the Denver Nuggets.
 No, it won't be like that. Riley coached the Showtime Los Angeles Lakers during the 1980s to four championships with Johnson as its best player. Once the opposing team missed a shot, Johnson received the ball and led the fast-break. Despite the fact that this team should run with all of its offensive firepower, the Heat will take on an identity of its own separate from the Lakers' one. Riley broke the mold of building teams with this current roster because he always centered his teams around a dominant center, whether it be Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Patrick Ewing, Alonzo Mourning or Shaquille O'Neal. Miami doesn't have a dominant center, so it will take on a style distinct from the Showtime Lakers or any Riley-built team, for that matter.
These Three Kings could be the best and most cohesive trio the League has seen in recent memory. James was compared to Johnson when he was still a high school senior, and will finally be able to fulfill those comparisons. I see him having the ball in his hands a lot; Mario Chalmers and Carlos Arroyo will primarily be spot-up shooters. I could see James running the ball up-court with a head of steam, taking his man off the dribble at the three-point line and having the option to either pass to a three-point shooter in the corner like Mike Miller or finish at the rim. James has also scored 15,251 points, so he can also turn into a scorer when Wade is not on the court.
The Heat's best player in franchise history will play similar to how he played in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He can make a lot of nice cuts to the basket with James in the game and can come off of screens to shoot jumpers. Wade also has a killer crossover that can take him to the rim, and he could also take on some of the ball-handling duties if James is out of the game. I'd like to see Miami have at least James or Wade on the court at all times so the Heat can have an All-NBA First Team player on the court for all 48 minutes. But to start games and end games, those two will be on the court together, and Wade should be focused on scoring. I'd even like to see him continue to go to his developing post-up game.
With Wade and James slashing to the hoop and rising up for jump-shots, the Heat also has a very good player in Chris Bosh, who many people underrate right now. He mainly shoots jumpers, which spaces the floor well when Wade or James are driving to the hoop. Bosh can also run the floor like a deer, so I could see Miami running up the court and Bosh finding his sweet spot to shoot a jumper if he beats his man down the court. The Heat can really begin to scorch teams if Miller beats his man down the court, but Bosh will be very effective even in a half-court setting. He can set screens, and could either take jumpers or go to the hoop and draw fouls. The 6-foot-10 forward out of Georgia Tech can also rebound the ball very well, and he will find a lot of buckets off of second-chance opportunities.
A player who most NBA fans may have never even heard of but could really contribute is Joel Anthony. He may only be 6-foot-9, but he gives a lot for the Heat: interior defense, athleticism, hustle plays, rebounding and a humble personality that will not demand touches. Anthony is a shot-blocker and will be a key catalyst in a lot of Miami's fast-break points. He also hustles for loose balls and sets strong screens for perimeter players.
Anthony has made significant strides offensively since coming to the Heat. Two common misconceptions about Miami are that it doesn't evaluate young talent well and it doesn't develop players well. Sure, Riley could have taken some better draft prospects recently and Dorell Wright and Daequan Cook did not show a lot of growth in their games, but this same Heat coaching staff took a Dwyane Wade whose jump-shot was very shaky to a player who now isn't afraid to step out to the three-point line to make big buckets. Moreover, two of Miami's rotation players this season – Udonis Haslem and Anthony – were first discovered by this Heat coaching staff. Anthony has come a long way with his game; when he first came to Miami he could barely catch a ball. Now, he can dunk lob passes from Wade. He still can develop, but he has come a long way and should continue to improve.
The only player in Miami's projected nine-man rotation who can't run the floor well is Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and I don't expect him to play a lot with Anthony and Haslem receiving minutes in the middle. With such an athletic core, it would be foolish for Heat coach Erik Spoelstra not to exploit his advantages and orchestrate a run-and-gun style. Even Anthony, Haslem and Bosh can get down the floor quickly and sets screens, putting Miami's offense in motion instantly.
So many more angles and players can still be dissected, and I will continue to analyze the team as its season approaches.
Heat Re-Signs Randolph
The Miami Heat re-signed power forward Shavlik Randolph to a non-guaranteed contract today. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel's said that the contract was more of a courtesy move. His chances of making the team seem unlikely since the Heat already has three veterans at Randolph's position – Bosh, Haslem and Juwan Howard.
The Associated Press' Tim Reynolds said that Miami will sign guard Kenny Hasbrouck tomorrow, filling out with several young prospects who will compete for the final two roster spots, something I expected to happen.
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Furthermore, I agree with the points on Joel Anthony and Chris Bosh. Anthony is a hustle-minded player that is undersized, but makes up for it in effort and determination. He could easily become a better player now that he's surrounded by a much more talented team. If he's not the one blocking the shots, the Wade, James or Bosh will. As for Bosh, he will probably benefit the most from having Wade and James alongside him. His range is further than most big men in the league and with all the attention on #3 and #6, he'll have a ton of open shots to take. He should easily be posting nearly 20 points and 10 rebounds a night.
Anyway, keep up the good work and I look forward to seeing what your input is on the team as the season inches closer.