By CHRIS
PERKINS
FOXSportsFlorida.com
Heat Writer
Dec. 24, 2010
Heat guard Dwyane Wade doesn't think Saturday's Christmas Day game against the Los Angeles Lakers is necessarily a defining moment of the season for either team.
"No," he said. "Absolutely, positively not. This is going to be a great game, no question about it, for our fans, for the NBA, for each player in the game because these are the kinds games you love playing in. But the outcome doesn't determine either team's fate."
Wade is right about that.
But this is a big, huge, gigantic game as far as the NBA regular season goes.
This is the one of the most accurate gauges of how much the Heat have progressed from their 9-8 start through their 12-game winning streak.
Monday's 98-96 streak-busting loss to Dallas was a measuring stick. Despite the loss, the Heat fared OK against a high-quality opponent at the 30-game mark.
Christmas, however, is biggest measurement of the season. The answers to lots of questions about the reinvigorated Heat become apparent after this game.
-- How will the Heat's Big Three of Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh answer the call in a big game on the road?
-- How will Wade and James fare against the Lakers' perimeter defense trio of Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest and Matt Barnes?
-- How will the Heat's big men hold up against the Lakers' Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum?
-- What about the Heat's bench? Will James Jones continue to hit big shots? Can center Joel Anthony be a factor?
-- Will Carlos Arroyo hold his own against veteran point guard Derek Fisher? Can Mario Chalmers hold his own against Steve Blake?
-- Would the Heat have a chance against the two-time defending champion Lakers in a best-of-seven series?
The Heat are downplaying the importance of a single game on an 82-game schedule.
"Guys will be ready for the game on both teams," coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Both teams will understand what it is, but it's not going to mean any more than anything else. We're trying to get better ... we feel like we're good enough and I'm sure our guys will want to prove that."
Oh, yeah, and the Heat only has one day to prepare for the Lakers. Miami played at Phoenix on Thursday.
"We're going to have to figure it out and get as much preparation as possible," James said. "We're not going to have much time on the floor to prepare as far as practice, but hopefully we'll be ready for it. I think we will."
