By CHRIS PERKINS
FOXSportsFlorida.com
Heat Writer
Jan. 13, 2011
The treasures really do mean something to the Heat.
Player of the Week. Player of the Month. Coach of the Month. The recently ended streak of 13 consecutive road victories. Becoming the first NBA team to win 10 consecutive road games in a month.
They're not just hollow, ho-hum marks and achievements. They have meaning to the players.
"For the short term it definitely means a lot," forward LeBron James said. "It shows what you're doing as a team, it shows what you're doing as an individual. . . . That's all a tribute to the hard work we do."
So as the Heat prepare to play at Denver tonight, having had a 13-game road winning streak ended Wednesday by the Clippers, they understand that the loss left a mark that goes beyond the standings. The Heat would have liked to unseat the 1971-72 Lakers, who won an NBA-record 16 consecutive road games, and have that accomplishment on their resume.
These little rewards and records aren't the ultimate prize, of course. That remains the NBA title. But finding a bit of pleasure in such accomplishments is a part of the joy of an NBA season.
It breaks up the emotionless grind. Being the No. 1 defensive team, leading the league in three-pointers, these kinds of things help teams enjoy the journey, so to speak.
These honors don't come close to providing solace for failure to win a title, however.
James, who shared the Eastern Conference Player of the Month award in December with teammate Dwyane Wade, knows about collecting awards without a title. He's the two-time defending MVP. His Cleveland teams won 61 and 66 games the past two years, but they never got close to winning a title.
He reminded teammates of that recently.
"LeBron made a statement the other day to us that's very true," guard Carlos Arroyo said. "He said the last couple of years he's been winning 60-plus games. At the end of the day, he doesn't get what (he) wants, which is a championship. He doesn't get that goal they all worked hard for. So our main goal is to win the championship."
Still, collecting trinkets is nice, too. Coach Erik Spoelstra was Coach of the Month in December. The Heat established a franchise record for best winning percentage after 37 games (28-9); accomplishments along those lines mark success. They're a bit of recognition, and everybody likes recognition.
"I think it's cool that we get some (recognition) and people get rewarded," forward Chris Bosh said. "I think that's real cool. It's good individually. But at the end of the day, it's about the team and we're trying to keep going. We want to win a championship."
