1. LeBron James Returns to Miami On July 8, 2010 superstar LeBron James, a seven-year veteran of the Cleveland Cavaliers, informed the world where he would be playing in the upcoming season: “I’m going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat.” James made his announcement live on ESPN during a broadcast of a program dubbed “The Decision,” which was devoted exclusively to this moment. James’ defection from his hometown franchise in blue-collared Cleveland to the stylish and splashy team from South Florida reverberated throughout the NBA and the sports world. Teaming up with Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and a mix of young talent and veteran experience, the James-led Heat went on to win 224 of 312 regular season games between 2010 and 2014 and made it to the NBA Finals four straight years, a feat not accomplished since the Boston Celtics in the 1980's. Most importantly, Miami added two Larry O’Brien trophies to their collection. The Heat’s nearly unprecedented run of success owed much to the other-worldly talent, skill and athleticism of James, who averaged 26.9 points, 6.7 assists and 7.6 rebounds per game in his four seasons in Miami. On July 1, 2014, James hit free agency again, and ten days later he penned an essay for Sports Illustrated in which he revealed his intention to leave Miami and rejoin the Cavaliers, signing a two-year $42.1 million contract. Once again, James had teamed with two established or budding superstars in power forward Kevin Love and point guard Kyrie Irving to form another “Big Three”. While LeBron’s decision to leave the Cavaliers four years ago sparked outrage and resentment in Cleveland, his parting from Miami provoked a decidedly less passionate response. Heat fans may have been surprised or even shocked to lose James on the heels of a fourth straight appearance in the Finals, but at least his Heat jersey was not burned in effigy in the streets of Miami. Now, how will James be received by the fans at American Airlines Arena? As a returning hero, or as a traitor? (Continue on next page!) [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] 2. Dwyane Wade vs. LeBron James Dwyane Wade and LeBron James have had a friendly but spirited rivalry since entering the league in 2003. In the 22 head-to-head matchups between the two stars prior to James joining the Heat in 2010, LeBron was 18-14 against Wade. Wade and James each averaged over 27 points per game in those 22 contests, though LeBron scored slightly better with 29.4 points per game versus Wade’s 27.6. Those numbers are a couple of points higher than the career averages for both players. Their last meeting was on February 4, 2010 in Cleveland. The Cavaliers prevailed over the Heat in that game by a final score of 102-86. Wade had 24 points, nine assists and three rebounds, while James led the Cavaliers with 36 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] 3. Miami’s Big Three vs. Cleveland’s Big Three Unfortunately, because Chris Bosh will most likely miss his sixth straight game with a strained left calf, a true comparison between the high-profile cores of each team will have to wait at least until their next matchup in February in Cleveland. But let’s take a look at the numbers, anyway, because they reveal some interesting patterns and comparisons. As mentioned above, James has two new running mates in Cleveland – guard Kyrie Irving and forward Kevin Love. Together, the three stars average over 62 points per game, and while they are one of the highest-scoring trios in the NBA this season, they come up short against year one of the Big Three era in Miami, when James, Wade and Bosh averaged over 70 points per game. Incredibly, James led the Heat in points, rebounds, and assists in each of his four seasons in Miami except one, 2010-11, when Bosh led the team in rebounding. Miami’s new Big Three – Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and forward Luol Deng – are averaging 58.7 points per game, about four points fewer than James, Irving and Love in Cleveland. These numbers may be skewed, however, because of the injuries that have plagued the Heat this season. Cleveland’s Big Three have played a combined 80 games (out of a possible 81), while Miami’s New Three have played a total of 71 games (out of a possible 87) so far this season. James has missed only one game, while Love and Irving have suited up together in every game. On the other hand, Wade has missed eight games due to injury, Bosh has missed six, and Deng has sat out two games. This has almost certainly led to a tough adjustment period for the three players, as the Heat are just a game over .500 – 8-7 – when all three play together. With Bosh most likely unavailable for the Christmas Day matchup with the Cavaliers, it will take an inspired effort from Wade, Deng and the rest of the Heat to earn a victory over the Cavaliers. [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] 4. How the Heat Will Respond to Adversity Number 4 is something of a corollary to number 3. The Heat have had an up-and-down season to say the least, mixing in impressive wins on the road against the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns, with home losses to the lowly Utah Jazz and (gasp) Philadelphia 76ers. Again, this can be chalked up to the ever-shifting lineups coach Erik Spoelstra has had to manage from game-to-game due to various injuries and ailments, especially to key players. Add to that a slower progression for some of the younger players, such as rookie point guard Shabazz Napier, and you have a recipe for a mediocre record. On the other hand, Miami’s supporting cast has shown signs of real improvement of late. Take the Heat’s recent home victory over the Boston Celtics. Playing without Wade and Bosh, the Heat used a balanced scoring attack to snap a five-game home losing streak. Six Heat players scored in double figures, led by Deng’s 23. Second-year forward James Ennis was especially effective off the bench for Miami, scoring 16 points and helping the Heat put the game away in the fourth quarter. But that was followed up by an embarrassing home loss to the 76ers. With Wade in the lineup, the Heat built a 23-point lead in the second half, only to watch the 76ers mount a huge comeback and leave American Airlines Arena with the victory. Their last two games pretty much epitomize what has been a uneven and often frustrating season for the Heat to this point. Age, injury and inexperience may be season-long issues for the Heat, but perhaps they use the signature matchup of the season thus far against LeBron and the Cavaliers to earn what would be an unexpected and most welcome win. [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"] 5. It's Christmas, After All The NBA schedule-makers give basketball fans several gifts every year at this time, and the biggest one of all this holiday season is the matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. Storylines abound and rivalries will be renewed, but at the heart of this Christmas Day game is a competition between two of the most compelling franchises in the Eastern Conference over the last 10 seasons. And one player has been key to the changing fortunes of those two franchises: LeBron James. Now he returns to South Beach with the team he spurned four years ago on a mission to duplicate the success he had with the Heat. Convoluted, yes, but compelling all the same. Thanks Santa. [xyz-ihs snippet="Responsive-Ad"]
