The Original (Tainted) Super 3: 2010-2011 Miami Heat, how they could compare to us

[rabman_gold]

I thought I'd share whatever I thought and felt about them since this is the first real team to snag two big-name free agents considered among the elite.

3 words should describe it well:

I hate 'em.

Still do.

Manipulating the cap just so they could grab these two guys, I was in shock as I stared at my monitor while LeBron gave us his "Decision" to "take [his] talents to South Beach".

By the way, it seems we have done almost the same thing, yet there's almost no real venom I've heard around these part compared to the backlash this team? Why is that so?

Probably because the message is the opposite: "I'm coming home".

Either way, they split the amount of salary they had used on players from prior years in half. Just enough to convince Toronto to trade Chris just when he committed.

Here's what the Heat started with:
Arroyo, Wade, Chalmers, O'Neal (FA), Beasley, Haslem, Richardson (FA), Wright (FA), Anthony, Cook, Alston, Jones (FA Waiver), Magloire, Randolph, Diawara

1. They continued to move guys
   1. Sent Beasley to the Wolves for better fit and cap space.
   2. Sent Cook to the Thunder
   3. Sent a multitude of draft choices to other teams for salary cap space
2. Replaced him with Mike Miller.
   
3. Signed Zydrunas Ilgauskas for the year.
   
4. Got Juwan Howard.
   
5. Signed (later waived) Shavlik Randolph.
   
6. Got Eddie House.
   
7. Got Jerry Stackhouse (waived him early in the season).
   
8. Later replaced Arroyo with Mike Bibby.

2 replacements (upgrades: Beasley for Miller, Arroyo for Bibby), 2 signings that were removed (Randolph and Stackhouse), 3 depth signings (Z, Howard, House).

5 guys signed to improve roster around 3 stars, 4 main role players (James Jones, Joel Anthony, Mario Chalmers, and eventually Udonis Haslem, replacing Erik Dampier). 9 guys could play the whole season, with 3-5 filling in (leftovers).

What the Cavs did was somewhat different, but forced to do the same.
Irving, Waiters, Deng (FA), Thompson, Hawes (FA), Varejao, Zeller, Gee, Dellavedova, Miles (FA), Bennett, Karasev, Hopson, Felix, Jack

1. They first cleared room at the cost of assets and picks
   1. Karasev, Zeller, Gee, Hopson, Felix, Jack, and cash/picks were all sacrificed before we could get a big ticket item
   2. We received Brendan Haywood, 2 European stashes, future draft choices (mostly 2nd rounders), including Dwight Powell, and the three non-guaranteed contracts of John Lucas III, Erik Murphy, and Malcolm Thomas all so we could use them to acquire bigger draws thanks to the way the contracts were set up
2. They were able to sign LeBron because we had someone like Kyrie, similar to the Heat having Dwyane Wade
3. They were able to acquire Love by giving up the past two #1 overall picks (Bennett and Wiggins) and a future 1st round pick to both Minnesota and Philly
4. We then signed outright free agents:
   1. Mike Miller
   2. James Jones
   3. Shawn Marion
   4. Also picked up Alex Kirk and Joe Harris (whatever this means, who knows?)
5. And they still have the ability to make more moves than the 10+ current players they added

At this point, a major upgrade at small forward (Deng -> LeBron). A major upgrade in the front court (Hawes -> Love). But along with the 2 star upgrades and keeping our 3rd star (Irving), we kept 4 core pieces (Waiters, Varejao, Thompson, and Dellavedova). We replaced Gee with Marion, Miles with Miller, Jack/Felix with Jones, Zeller with Haywood/Powell(?), with room for a few more based on what opens up

So we have the potential to build a solid team around 3 stars, but it will probably look much better. With 4 core pieces, with some room to spare, we have a really good potential roster, if a little bit unfinished.

All in all, we're treading a very similar path to the Heat. Will we be more successful due to it?

If Miami could do it, we can now do it better, tip of the iceberg, my friends.

 

[rabman_gold]

*Bump*

The Heat made 4 NBA Finals and won 2 of them (1 barely). Anything think we can do better?

 

[bushwick_bill]

*Bump*

The Heat made 4 NBA Finals and won 2 of them (1 barely). Anything think we can do better?

Yep cap changes are coming and we didn't sacrifice so many firsts. We actually have a TON of tradable assets left unlike the Heat who traded away every tradable asset they had and will still suffer from those trades for how many years...

Plus the one star we had before all these moves isn't near his prime, nor is Waiters or TT.

 

[Tornicade]

Ill bite
Cavs signed a free agent who had played with them before. Drafted another guy and traded for the other.
no hints of collusion just solid team building. The heat was also arrogant about it trying to rub it in peoples faces.

As far as 4 finals in 4 years the heat was built at a time when most of the east was in the process of rebuilding.

you had a bunch of young talent coming into the east but they were wet behind the ears while the teams outside of OKC were long on experience giving their last go around before the passing of the torch.

The NBA overall quality is gonna tighten up real fast. lebron saw this and decided to come back to cleveland with a young core of his own.

I do think this team will be better than those heat teams but we are going into a new era in basketball much like we saw in the late eighties and early nineties.

 

[col63onel]

Looking at that Heat roster, I think the current Cavs have WAY more depth.

The 4th highest per on that team was Z at 12.8. I feel like at least our #7 player would start for that Miami team, and maybe even up through our #10.

Andy, Marion, Dion and Tristan definitely start. Miller was on that team, but had a career worst year. 2014 Miller could start on that team .

Delly would at least get minutes with his competition being Arroyo and Chalmers. Heck, a healthy Haywood starts for that team.

 

[rabman_gold]

I have to say, we really look uncannily similar to that squad.

C: Zydrunas Ilgauskas - Joel Anthony
PF: Chris Bosh ---------> Udonis Haslem - Juwan Howard
SF: LeBron James ----> James Jones
SG: Dwyane Wade ---> Mike Miller
PG: Mario Chalmers -> Mike Bibby ------> Eddie House

Compare this squad from 2010-11 to the one we look to have at the beginning of training camp:

C: Anderson Varejao - Lou Amundsen - Brendan Haywood
PF: Kevin Love ------> Tristan Thompson
SF: LeBron James ---> Shawn Marion - James Jones
SG: Dion Waiters -----> Mike Miller -----> Joe Harris
PG: Kyrie Irving -------> Matthew Dellavedova

The biggest thing I can point out is that most of our guys are healthy. And we're a tab bit deeper.

Hopefully, this is the last time we have to compare them...

 

[Marcus]

By the way, it seems we have done almost the same thing, yet there's almost no real venom I've heard around these part compared to the backlash this team? Why is that so?

That one's easy. Everyone knows that the Miami Big Three was formed by collusion. Gilbert knew it, Stern knew it, even the most casual basketball fans all knew it. That, coupled with the narcissistic display known as "The Decision" made the Miami Heat an easy team to hate for anyone who wasn't a LeBron/Miami fan. But, it was also good for basketball in a way, as it generated a ton of interest. More people than ever tuned in just to see the Heat lose.

This team was formed via a very fair trade in which a dynamic #1 overall prospect, last year's #1 overall, and good forward all went to Minnesota, on top of drafting Irving, on top of signing a player that the team originally drafted anyway. They'd been pursuing Kevin Love for a year, at least, before they were finally able to make the trade. They didn't just go out and buy their rings like Miami did, or like the large market teams in baseball do. They've actively drafted young talent to put around this core. They gave up valuable assets for a great player. They made a trade that was disadvantageous to them just to finish clearing the requisite cap space to sign LeBron.

There was a ton of planning that went into this, but there was still a lot they needed to go right. They got very lucky, and there were mistakes made. The only venom I have heard directed at the Cavs (and rightfully so) is the fact that they have won the lottery three out of the last four years.

This Big Three is different. Two of the members are homegrown, and the other was acquired via trade, not colluded away from another franchise. The Cavs had permission to contact Kevin Love at the time LeBron did, and thanks to that, a trade was reached that was the best case scenario for both teams.

 

[pl4tinum]

hopefully in a couple of years from now people are saying "when you win 3 draft lotteries in 4 years, you SHOULD win back to back championships."

 

[kookoo]

Everything was so overdone on the first decision. There was an hour long special on ESPN in which he spent 59 minutes and 45 seconds talking about why he is making the following decision and 15 seconds to say "I'm taking my talents to South Beach". Not sure why he didn't say Miami, but whatever. Then there was a televised party with the 'Heatles' and Wade saying they're bigger than 9/11. And not 1, not 2, not 3, not... This time is different. All the personalities are likeable. The guys are acting humble. Not making promises. Essentially, LeBron learned from his mistakes. The other thing is some people are doubting Kyrie and Love will be able to help LeBron because between them they have played in 0 playoff games, whereas Wade had a championship and Bosh had made the playoffs twice.

It is different. It feels different. It feels right.

 

[Ruken]

I also believe that our pieces fit together well. Much more so than the heat did. Besides our obvious hole at center, only thing holding this team back is Kyries health.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[ThirdWorld]

tfw the coach right now isnt a video coordinator