We're Built for This

Miami saves their dominance for the playoffs

The Miami Heat had a sub-par season. Sure, you can say that. The 2006-2007 Heat have underachieved - yet, the season isn't over.

They did finish with a 44-38 record, hardly the kind of numbers you want from a defending championship squad. But this team has hardly even resembled that team on the court at any point this season and it isn't because they have diminished skills or a lack of coaching and motivation.

It was simply that they couldn't push out the starting lineup consistently all season long due to a huge rash of injuries.

Now, I am not trying to make excuses and it is well-documented how many games players have missed and how many times the starting lineup has been on the court together at the same time.

Throw it all out the window. Because NOW matters.

Now, the Heat will have all their starters healthy and ready to go.

Now, the Heat will be playing for the championship title, again. That is what truly has been the focus of this team, that is what this veteran squad has been eyeing all season long, despite the turmoil, drama and obstacles that have befallen this team.

"We are built for this," said Dwyane Wade. "We are built for the playoffs."

It is well established, even by Phil "Benedict Arnold" Jackson, that Shaq doesn't really take the regular season seriously. He hasn't in years - and you can't blame him. He is used to playing for a bigger piece of the pie; not just measley, meaningless wins in a marathon season, but for grinding, intense victories on the court when it matters - in the playoffs. In fact, Shaq only took the regular season seriously this season when Wade went down with his shoulder injury on Feb. 21st. From that time on, Shaq took the team on his shoulders and carried them - proving he was still the dominant force in this league that borders on creating his own gravity field.

Miami is built for this. They know what is at stake, and they have done it before. Besides, they are also a year wiser and hip to this championship game. In an interview on BSPN this morning, Wade was waxing philosophically about being patient and staying the course and taking it one game at a time. No one play will win a series, and no one win will either. Miami, to a man, understands this.

They are unshakeable.

"We know what we have to do and how we have to do it and whatever we have to fight through, we're going to do that." Riley sounds like a confident man, and with his words there is no posturing behind it. Miami is so proven a commodity that even Mark "Heat Hater" Stein is picking this team to surge forward. Now, some may cite that as a jinx, and that is probably the true intention behind Stein's pick, but even he recognizes you cannot pick against a Shaq and Wade combo.

Adding to the mixture the return of Eddie Jones, who was practically a god-send once Wade went down. In 20 games at home, EJ was averaging 11.2 points per game on 51% shooting. He also peaked in March, with Wade out, getting 13.1 points a game - all the while providing excellent perimeter defense, drawing charges and setting up Shaq with excellent post placement.

EJ has plenty of playoff experience, as does the rest of his mates that will compliment Shaq and Wade on this journey. It will be interesting to see how Kapono responds and how Riley uses his best three point weapon during this run, but Kapono definetly adds another piece to the arsenal.

Amidst all the doubt and concern, stands a confident Heat team. They understand what is at stake and they also know they haven't exactly taken full advantage of what this season had to offer to this point. They also know they haven't been in the best place to take advantage, either.

Now, they are. And Now matters.