The Hall of Fame player turned NBA analyst for TNT called the Heat a “whiny bunch” on a Chicago radio station. Barkley, a world class agitator, has also been candid in his opinions on Wade, saying he’s “starting to lose his athletic ability” and the Heat won’t successfully defend their title with the way Wade (20.2 points per game, .506 field goal percentage) is playing.
Since then Wade has made Barkley look silly, putting together back-to-back games of 26 points in victories over New Orleans and Atlanta. What does that mean?
“It means Charles Barkley needs to shut up,” James said Monday night after the Heat’s 101-92 victory over Atlanta.
“The man’s shooting like 80 percent from the floor the last couple of games. Come on, man. That’s like crazy, right? Seriously. I mean, that’s why he is who he is. That’s unbelievable.”
James might well have been speaking to everybody who doubts the Heat right now.
There’s reason for concern, and the Heat has acknowledged as much, but there’s no reason to sound an alarm. The Heat knows things aren’t right. The key to getting an early-season read on this team is diagnosing why things aren’t totally right.
If it’s because they’re bored, that’s a major problem. They’ll need an attitude adjustment, either from team leadership or from Spoelstra.
If, however, it’s simply because it’s December, well, that’s OK. That’s my bet.
The Heat has some issues. On a team that sometimes lacks defensive aggression and cohesion, they’re trying to find a role for athletic center Joel Anthony. The rotation, mind you, is already about 11 deep. But in the last two games Anthony has come off the bench to swat shots and run the court, providing a previously missing defensive spark.
There’s uncertainty as to where power forward Rashard Lewis fits in, too. His defense is lacking, as expected. Udonis Haslem is the better defender. Lewis’ shooting remains good, but this is a defense-first team. That means Lewis probably won’t be on the floor to close out games unless they need a shooting specialist. And if he doesn’t start, well, now you can see how his minutes are squeezed.
Although the Heat has ragged at times on both ends of the court, it’s more likely expectations are too high.
This Heat team, you’d have to think, remain a tough “out” in a best-of-seven. They have the resources to hone in on your weaknesses, offensively and defensively, and pound you into submission over the course of a long series. You remember LeBron, Wade and Chris Bosh, right?
So, is it appropriate for this defending champion Miami Heat team to be concerned in December?
They should be concerned about the Knicks. And some of the teams in the West. But the idea of, say, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Chicago, or anyone else in the East beating the Heat in a best-of-seven isn’t realistic.
And so the Heat’s level of concern, fittingly, doesn’t have to be that high.
Chris Perkins is a regular contributor to SheridanHoops.com, covering the NBA and the Miami Heat. His columns regularly appear every Tuesday. Follow him on Twitter.