Posted On June 14, 2014 By In Sports, Sports Takes

End of the Big 3 Era?

 
 

The San Antonio Spurs are giving Miami a reality check this year.

They ran away with game 3 of the NBA Finals and did it again in game 4 to go up 3-1 heading back to San Antonio.

After back-to-back NBA championships, it appears the Big 3 are human after all.

Miami, with the combination of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh, won 2 straight titles. A win this year would make it a 3-peat, but it seems out of reach. The Spurs “big 3” …or 4 or 5 after seeing Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, and Boris Diaw, are nothing to scoff at and they have proven that the NBA will not be run by one team.

Tim Duncan and company have won 4 titles since 1999 and are one game away from their fifth.

There are questions to answer this offseason regarding Miami’s Big 3.

What’s the deal with Carmelo Anthony? (Big 4?)

Specualtion surrounding Melo has lead to rumors of Miami seeking to add him to the mix. Such an acquisition would require the current Big 3 to take pay cuts in order to accommodate Melo. But, Phil Jackson and the Knicks are interested in keeping Melo and having either James or Bosh break their contract to come to New York.

How many seasons does D Wade have left?

Dwayne Wade has won 3 NBA championships – 2 in the big 3 era. He’s a 10-time all star and one of the greatest scorers of our generation. This is the eleventh season for the 32 year old star. While he can still put up numbers, he is no longer the leading man night in and night out. Lingering knee problems hold him back. What happens to him in the next 1-3 seasons is huge for Miami. The addition of a Melo type scorer could alleviate the pressure on Wade and keep him around to play more of a Ray Allen type role.

How does free agency impact the Heat?

Beyond their own acquisitions, the Heat have to look out for their competitors adding talent. The biggest free agents to watch this off season include Raptors’ star scorer Kyle Lowry, big man Pau Gasol, Marcin Gortat, veteran Paul Pierce, and 7-footer Spencer Hawes.

The Heat will still be hot in Miami next season, but their dominance is in question if the Spurs finish them off in game 5 the way they have so far. This offseason is critical for the future of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh.

There might not be anymore flawless victories for the Miami Heat’s Big 3.

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Harry is a writer from Washington DC. He graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with both his B.A. & M.P.A. and is the author of The Poetry of Politics and Panic: One Man's Struggle with Anxiety. He enjoys anything that opens his mind to new experiences and world views. Baba Booey to all.