Can they be stopped? When will the Heat’s reign end?

The Big Three now go for the three peat

The Big Three now go for the three peat

The 2013-2014 NBA season has many captivating story lines. Derrick Rose’s injury, Kobe’s bout against father time, and Eastern Conference’s futility. Still, no NBA team is stirring up more controversy and headlines then a certain team from South Beach. The NBA’s evil empire, the Miami Heat.

With the opportunity to three peat as champions and join some of the league’s most storied teams, the heat is on in Miami. The question is can a David step up and topple the mighty Goliath? Can any team upset the Heat and spoil their quest of dominance? The reloaded Nets and the Bulls struggles have many doubting their ability to knock King James of his throne. Can a team from the Wild West such as the Thunder, Clippers, or Spurs be able to shock the Big Three? Without question the Heat are the lightning rod for attention in the NBA.

Whether its Lebron’s legacy, the team’s health, it’s fans, or just the animosity that no other team seems to get attention in the NBA, the Heat are the logical focal point. It’s understandable why this team is hated so much. The best player in the NBA leaves his hometown team and community to create an all-star team just to win championships. Theres the constant media attention where the top NBA story always involves Miami. It doesn’t matter if Kevin Durant drops 50 points for the Thunder because ESPN  needs to analyze James’ supporting cast for the hundredth time. Miami is despised for having the worst fans in sports, who only either care about the team when they are winning or are so spoiled because they have jumped on the best team bandwagon. Heat fans are always complaining for no good reason! Why? Now idea, they’ve won three championships in a decade so what’s the problem? However, the biggest reason the Heat are hated is because they are the best.

They have Lebron James, and your team doesn’t. Their arrogance and cockiness about being the best team drives NBA fans crazy. This team just thinks it will be a breeze to win another championship. However, I think there is another thing at play here. People still love Michael Jordan. The fact that Lebron is threatening what many claim is the NBA’s greatest legacy strikes a nerve within die-hard NBA fans. Then you hear the criticism and laundry list of reasons why Lebron James will never surpass his Airness. The points, position, competition, the list goes on and on and on. The fact that Lebron threatens one of if not the most beloved player in NBA history, and the way he has achieved his success, just riles up Jordan supporters who will try to find any flaws within James’ game. However, there is no question that right now there is no better player in the NBA.

The question shouldn’t be if Lebron James is the best player in the NBA, he is, but is there a basketball team that is constructed better than the Heat right now? Is there such a team whose sum of parts will equal a greater team then the Heat? Obviously, Lebron skews this equation by being the best player in the game, but is there a roster whose depth and overall talent can expose the Heat’s flaws of being a team built on three players? These are the questions that teams in the NBA must answer. I think there is such a team. With so much talent in the NBA and a few teams with loaded and lethal rosters, it might be when not if the Heat are eliminated from contention this year. Will Lebron hoist his third trophy, or will some other superstar begin their own Hall of Fame legacy? We await with bated breath to find out if the King will get another ring, or if his mighty empire will be failed be a worth adversary.

Can anyone topple the NBA’s evil empire

Can anyone knock the Heat off their throne

Can anyone knock the Heat off their throne

“This fall I’m going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat”. When Lebron James uttered these words in front of a surprised nation, a new villain had been spawned. “The Big Three” of Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh became the new villains of basketball. Much like the movie Star Wars, this evil empire is led by three NBA juggernauts who for the past three years have bullied the NBA’s best. In those three years the Heat have won two championships and have been in the finals every single year. Now the question is can anyone take down the empire? While it remains to be seen if Chris Bosh will return, there is no question that the Heat will be the favorites to three peat. The thing is that there aren’t many eminent threats to this evil empire’s reign. The Pacers and Bulls represent the biggest threats with their deep pools of talent. However, the Bulls will need Derrick Rose back and healthy if they want to beat Miami. If healthy I think that the Bulls could be the team that is the biggest threat in the East. That is if they can stay healthy. What about the Pacers? While the Pacers have a talented roster and a physical style of play that can exploit the Heats, I think Miami will do two things to prevent this. First I think they will not underestimate the Pacers again, and second I think that the Heat will add a physical big to help counter the physical in the paint style of the Pacers. The only other team that could compete with the Heat would be if the Celtics can reload their roster with young talent while removing the original big three of Garnett and Pierce. What about the West? While Kevin Durant’s Thunder pose the biggest threat it was apparent this postseason that he still needs help around him. The LA teams? The Lakers and Clippers are both messes right now, with the only exception being that the Clippers are a glorified highlight reel. The Spurs? Unfortunately I think this was the last hoorah for Parker and Duncan as father time becomes their biggest challenger. While there may not be an immediate end to the Heat’s reign, the one thing that all other NBA fans have is hope. They hope that their team, or some other team will rise from the NBA depths and overthrow the Heat’s empire for good.