By TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer
MIAMI (AP) -- LeBron James and Erik Spoelstra already seem to have a solid grasp on each other's language.
There was a moment in Miami's first preseason game when James walked toward the Heat bench after a foul, hands outstretched a bit as if to ask "What happened?" Without saying a word, Spoelstra waved his index finger and gestured in a certain direction, James nodded and quickly returned to the other end.
"I'm very coachable," James said.
The Heat wouldn't argue that point. Sure, James is a two-time reigning MVP, a former NBA scoring champion, an Olympic gold medalist who some think is good enough to average a triple-double this season -- and is considered by many to be the best player in the game.
Nonetheless, the Heat want to see even more from him, and they're working to bring that out.
James has learned how the Heat like to do things; the Heat have learned how James likes to do things. The first major test of that new bond comes Tuesday night when Miami opens a season of title expectations in Boston against the reigning Eastern Conference champion Celtics -- the team that knocked both Miami and Cleveland, James' former club, out of the playoffs last spring.
"Whatever the coaching staff envisions me trying or wanting to do, then I'm open for it if it benefits our team," James said. "And so far, so good."
It's been that way from the moment this relationship began.
After James arrived in Miami in July, Spoelstra went to work getting to know the MVP as a person. He already knew plenty about James as a player, just like every other coach in the league, but Spoelstra wanted to know what made James tick off the court. So they had some lunches and long conversations, sometimes about basketball, sometimes not, and a picture began forming in the Heat coach's mind.
Much in the same way he did with Dwyane Wade, Spoelstra spent a good amount of 1-on-1 time on the court with James this summer, even using an orange traffic cone as a prop during one workout to illustrate how the MVP should properly use picks. Spoelstra didn't even think twice about fouling James as he shot, trying his best to replicate the contact he'll draw in
games.
"His game and his versatility allows him to probably fit in every system in the NBA," Spoelstra said. "He's a proven two-time MVP player. I don't want to confuse him or reinvent his game. The areas we've had to incorporate and spend some time is our pick-and-roll game, which is similar but a little bit different than what he was used to. But secondarily, the post-up game. We post him up a little bit more."
Subtle changes could lead to major rewards for the Heat. For example, when using his 6-foot-8 frame to post up players who are almost always smaller than he is, the Heat want James to back into the spot, instead of simply setting up there and waiting for the ball to come from the perimeter.
"It's something I've worked on this offseason," James said. "Working on it, continuing to work on it in practice, and then it's something I'll implement into the games. So I enjoy it."
Spoelstra said coaching James hasn't been intimidating in any way. James is typically one of the first Heat players on the floor for practice, and usually one of the last to leave. There were plenty of times during Miami's seven preseason games when James would pull teammates aside for quick chats, suggesting this cut go this way or this play go that way.
In short, he knows the Heat system already, noting it wasn't that hard to pick up.
"Every team has their own system, but at the end of the day, it all comes back to the same thing," James said. "Most teams run pick-and-roll. Most teams play inside-out if you have a post threat. You try to get as much spacing on the court, get the best shooters out there around guys that can penetrate. That goes for every team in the league."
Almost lost in the hubbub of his move to Miami and embracing his new city and nine-figure contracts and everything else is this: James thinks he takes his craft as seriously as anyone in the NBA, if not more so, which is something else that's made the early stages of Spoelstra's relationship with James go smoothly.
"I can't say it's a total surprise, but he has a magnetic personality," Spoelstra said. "He has a very unique way of bringing people together and making them feel comfortable around him. That type of charisma and leadership, you can talk so much about developing that, but I think it comes naturally to him. It's a great quality. It's been very interesting to observe."
Plus, James has all but tried to end this best-player-in-the-league debate. He doesn't even like engaging in conversations about who'll take the last shot if needed in Miami, saying Spoelstra will have the luxury of deciding between himself, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh or someone else.
"Spo's decision," Wade said. "We know somebody will take it."
Another thing that's made the job of coaching James easier for Spoelstra and his staff is the fact that this "new" team really isn't that new. James spent the previous four summers playing with Wade and Bosh as part of USA Basketball's men's national team, so they knew plenty about the nuances of each other's games.
"I think that's underrated, how much we've played together," James said. "We can play off each other, and the rest of the guys can play off all of us."
Given that they played together for only three minutes in the preseason because of Wade's strained right hamstring, the game in Boston on Tuesday will be the first real unveiling of how it all will work. Spoelstra started drawing up plays for the so-called Big 3 even before the deals that brought them to Miami were completed. He's as eager as anyone to see how it comes together.
"Can't wait," Spoelstra said.
Received 10/24/10 03:48 pm ET
