MIAMI — The Decision started all of this last summer. But it might take a couple of less-significant decisions over the next 48 hours for LeBron James, the Big Three and the Miami Heat to avoid a colossal letdown this season.
Sixty games into their much-ballyhooed season — and on the precipice of a 10-game stretch against good teams poised to test Miami's supposed greatness — the Heat remain a team both flustered and in flux.
This shouldn't be happening so close to the playoffs. But a still-weak frontcourt and an ever-widening and gaping hole at point guard have contributed to the Heat's failure to execute at the level expected of them.
LeBron is still taking, and missing, too many big shots at the end of games. Dwyane Wade is still not taking, and therefore not making, enough big shots at the end of games. The Heat, a squad with two future Hall of Fame players and two of the league's most ferocious scorers, still can't run an effective half-court offense. That fact alone is simply inexcusable.
None of this begins to address the Heat's vulnerability against teams with floor generals like Chauncey Billups (to say nothing of the likes of Derrick Rose or Rajon Rondo).
A dynamic point guard could be instrumental in addressing these things.
The Heat also still don't rebound with enough gumption. Or close late in games against good teams. Or play up to their potential.
All of this is the reason they again seem on the brink of doubting themselves and drifting apart. If their own March Madness unfolding these next two weeks goes poorly, it could be a November redux for Miami.
It's important to note that, unlike those dark days, this isn't nearly as much LeBron's fault. He's found his center and become what was expected of him, good and bad (mostly good).
The real issue is that he and Wade and, to a lesser extent, Bosh don't have the right component parts surrounding them. Period.
Fixing such a problem usually takes a couple of factors — enough cap room and assets to enable the proper trades or an offseason in which to make moves.
The Heat lack the former and don't want to wait on the latter. Not with the expectations the Big Three's presence has created.
But what the Heat do have is LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. And that makes them a very attractive target for players whose main focus is winning.
Which bring us to those crucial decisions, lower-case style.
The next 48 hours will be filled with NBA intrigue centered on where players like Mike Bibby (Washington), Troy Murphy (New Jersey) and Corey Brewer (Minnesota) — guys who have reportedly accepted buyouts — will take their lesser talents.
If a few were to choose South Beach, the Heat would become remarkably more formidable.
The most important among these is Bibby, an aged but able point guard who is leaning toward signing with the Heat, according to multiple reports. It's true Bibby, 32, is not a defensive savant. It's also true that simply getting Mario Chalmers off the court would be a major step forward.
Though it's likely Carlos Arroyo would be cut if Bibby were to sign, it's Chalmers' shrinking minutes that matter most. That, and Bibby's ability to do what Chalmers can't: run a half-court offense, shoot the 3-pointer (Bibby shoots 44 percent from there as opposed to Chalmers' 36 percent) and be coach Erik Spoelstra's extension on the court rather than LeBron's.
That's Mario's biggest problem. He's an extension of LeBron James in all the bad ways but none of the good.
Chalmers has an ego that keeps him from growing, a fact underscored by Spoelstra's continued talk about Mario needing to keep improving. (Even asked questions designed to allow Spoelstra to compliment his point guard, he demurs).
Chalmers seems so in love with LeBron (like, well, LeBron) that he errs too often on the side of thinking LeBron should always have the ball, especially in big moments (like, well, LeBron).
Remember the cool kid in high school, the extra-cocky jock prowling the hallways with confidence and swagger? Good. Remember his friend, the one who hero-worshipped him, who wanted so badly to be around that guy and be like that guy that he'd do anything to make him happy?
That's Mario Chalmers with LeBron James. And LeBron loves it. And it's probably a large part of the reason Chalmers plays instead of Arroyo. Neither is a great choice. But one is endorsed by the Chosen One and one isn't, and that alone might make Spoelstra's choice an easy one.
No more of that. Time to bring in a guy like Bibby — respected (Wade went out of his way to praise him this week), battle-tested, a veteran and someone whose main focus will be winning rather than making The King smile or laugh. The Heat don't need a court jester; they need a point guard.
After that, Troy Murphy is a fine fit. He's a body capable until this season of being a 10-and-10 guy. Maybe South Beach will rejuvenate his talents. There aren't as many minutes to be found for him if he were to go to Miami as there would be for Bibby, and Murphy reportedly is more interested in other places (Boston seems the best fit), but the Heat could use his size (he's 6-feet-11, 245 pounds) and rebounding.
The Heat would probably also be happy with Brewer, though reportedly they're not high on his wish list. Landing all three and allowing the Heat to dispose of Arroyo, Jamaal Magloire and maybe Juwan Howard would be Pat Riley-esque: Smart, cut-throat and, perhaps, ultimately successful.
Do that, and Riley has landed two coups in one NBA season. First acquiring the Big Three. Then finding so quickly the parts capable of helping them live up to all that hype.
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