Yes, Heat fans. You heard it right. LeBron James is going nowhere.
He is staying in South Beach.
And for all those fans of other teams around the league, we have some bad news. There are multiple reasons why LeBron James will simply stick with the Heat for many seasons to come. Let’s have a look at some of the most significant and realistic reasons why James is staying put.
No.1: Pat Riley’s presence
What’s the main difference between the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers, from an organizational perspective?
We are not examining the nice weather Miami has or the lifestyle. We’re scoping the two teams from a basketball, “franchise power” perspective.
LeBron James spent seven seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers and no matter what the Cavs tried, no matter who they brought in to play alongside LeBron, the Cavs reached the NBA Finals just once.
On the other hand, Pat Riley, who was the mastermind behind the formation of the Big Three, constantly tried to improve the team since LeBron joined forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The result was four consecutive NBA Finals appearances and two NBA Championships. It’s obvious that Pat Riley knows the business. He knows how to put his team into a position to win a championship. And LeBron James may not find a better environment, another organization as focused, determined and complete as the Heat. In the long term, Miami is his best choice.
No.2: The Big Three still have much to offer
Now, another obvious fact about the Heat, something which was clearly exposed last season is that the Big Three definitely need some help. However, it’s also obvious that the three stars still have much to offer. Even if D-Wade is a bit less explosive than he was a couple of years ago, he is still one of the best shooting guards in the league. And although Bosh disappears in some stretches of the season, he still is one of the top power forwards in the NBA. After all, this is the core which led the Heat to two NBA Championships. The course of the Heat since the formation of the Big Three can be characterized as everything but a failure.
No.3: Ready – made championship contenting team
The Heat currently have just a few players under contract for the upcoming season. They made two signings this week in Danny Granger and Josh McRoberts. However, what is there for the Heat is the championship mentality: the systems, the mindset and all this support. A championship contending team should have the poise that they possess. It’s all there.
If LeBron stays in Miami, Bosh will most probably do the same. Of course, Dwyane Wade is going nowhere as well. And it won’t take much more than the addition of a few more pieces for the Miami Heat to return to the top of the NBA next season, a “retool” as Pat Riley said.
And they can stay there for the years to come.
Ron Leyba is the content manager of Fantasy Basketball Money Leagues – premier source of fantasy basketball updates, rankings and rumors. For more of his fantasy basketball updates, follow Fantasy Basketball Money Leagues Google+ account.