Durant can't carry a team by himself in a conf. semi. Maybe only Lebron can in this era.
I think since much of this talk alludes as a measuring for Melo then we can conclude its about chemistry.
Chicago went far with awful injuries.
give Miami credit, they have won 45 of the last 48 games. They have no peer at this point.
One more time, 45 of 48 and includes two rounds of playoffs. Imagine a season start where you look in the standings and see:
wins-----------Loss----------%
45--------------3-----------93.75
Yet, Wade is beat up, Bosh is "Pussy" and the rest of the team "sucks', Yet the record tells a story: Chemistry!
Is it sacrifice? Is it maturity? Coaching? Culture?
Or all the above?
We can "Blame" Melo, or Woodson, or Dolan but its not what we have, its what we lack and its a vision to win.
In retrospect if we lose tonite its not an object failure but a disspointment. The team was build to "win now" but if history tells us anything MSG with Dolan as the helm is run like an entertainment company and its stock has tripled in the last 3 years. The building is being renovated in the face of competition as was the knicks. The team was succesful in maintaining its fan base as the buzz died down in BKN and the knicks were able to finish ahead of them on the court. This is where fans count.
To me both teams "Won" as BKN had a successful season at the gate and made a big splash in its rebranding. If knicks were bad it would have been damaging. Businsess side both teams did very well.
I am suspicious that we cashed in a bit of future to pull this off. We gave up a very good prospect in Europe for Felton. Sure it was worth it this season, but he might have been a good asset going forward. Nets are stashing euro's and looking head while they have a pretty good team now.
Nalod enjoyed this season and think on the court it was fun and the team did well. I think it was a starphuch and a price will be paid which might not be a dramatic celler dweller existance but building a base for a long sustainable run does not seel like what is going on.
Miami is still golden for at least another year or as long as the Big three are reasonably healthy and lebron don't go back to cleveland.
Indy and Chicago seem like up and coming teams. Brooklyn is "interesting" with a core of three All-star caliber players and a bench I can't figure out. ATL made the playoffs and is shopping for a new coach. They are sort of in rebuilding mode despite. Boston with its aging core looks to enter a transition mode.
New CBA makes it easier for teams to retool but for now Miami has its Core. The next wave of teams could be like "Indy" and "Chicago" which stress chemistry and role players over stars. Stars eat cap space. Maybe its back to the era where you have to draft or grow your own stars because trading for them, and at the same time the cap space needed is a double edged sword. I know it was not possible but imagine a healthy AMare and Melo comes as a free agent. Not that we keep Gallo/Wilson/Etc but its obvious they could have been traded for other pieces that could have completed a great team. Im not lamenting, but its How Miami was able to do it.
Going forward in the internet era playing in NY is not as advantagious as it once was thought.
Nothing wrong with Melo other than the expectation he can carry the team to the finals.
Nobody but Lebron can.
SMH
5/16/2013 1:00 AM