MJ-Pippen Reincarnated In Miami
The Los Angeles Lakers visit the Miami Heat (ABC, 3:30 p.m. ET) in a matchup that has changed drastically over the past two weeks. Yes, the Lakers are still good. Yes, the Heat are still bad.
But both teams made blockbuster trades bringing in superstar forwards. We have seen how Gasol and Kobe can play together, but the Heat trade hasn't received its share of recognition.
This may come as a surprise to a lot of people, but contrary to popular belief, the Miami Heat did not send Shaquille O'Neal to the Phoenix Suns as a philanthropic act of charity to help Steve Nash finally reach the NBA Finals.
In fact, if Pat Riley is accurate, it is quite possible that the scales measuring the equality of the trade that ended the brief tenure of O'Neal's reign in South Beach may be leaning heavily in favor of the Miami Heat. On Wednesday, Riley compared the newly formed duo of Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion to the sequel of the Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen era that won six championships in Chicago during the 1990s.
The high praise that Riley bestowed upon his young stars may seem far-fetched on the surface, but the comparison to MJ and Pip in terms of their individual skill sets is valid. Granted, at this point they are 11 rings shy of the Bulls' tandem, but they are the two building blocks which will give the Heat a chance to get back to the top of the Eastern Conference sooner than people think. Of course, adding a Dennis Rodman type (sans the wedding gown) would help.
Marion and Wade are incredibly unique players. Marion's game begins with his freakish athleticism. He is rare in that he exudes the toughness of a defensive-minded stopper, yet has the speed and finesse of a sprinter. He is slightly built, yet is arguably the greatest rebounding small forward in NBA history. He does everything well. He can even stretch you out to the 3-point line despite the fact that his release is borderline ridiculous. The guy just makes plays. Always has. Always will. Don't let the increasing talk of his negative effect on the locker room blur the fact that Marion came to play every night in Phoenix. He may have been an unhappy, moody, malcontent the past year or so, but this guy loves to play basketball.
Wade became a star in front of our eyes during the 2006 NBA Finals when he single-handedly embarrassed a very good Dallas Mavericks defense and took home the Heat's first title. He has crazy explosiveness, immeasurable toughness, competitiveness and the ability to make the game easy for his teammates. Even more importantly, he loves the pressure of being the guy that decides matters. His only drawback is that he takes such a beating with his relentless assault on the rim that he spends far too much time in the training room for a guy this young.
The Heat are trying to rebuild and lay the foundation for a very bright future. The addition of Marion could force the rest of the league to break out the sunglasses much sooner than expected. The final analysis on the trade from Miami's standpoint will have to be put on hold until the tandem of Marion and Wade has a chance to ripen. They will be better immediately. The potential to be a relevant force and compete for a championship will take time.
What Riley sees in them is the same versatility, talent and desire that Jordan and Pippen possessed. Championship seeds are sown with that formula. Pat Riley most likely won't be the head coach when the harvest comes to bear, but given time, we'll see if the Heat can reap the ultimate reward.
Source:espn.com
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