They won an NBA title in 2008 and came close to another one this past season.
The team concept is what has made the Celtics successful. Every player has a specific role, and everyone plays his part within the system. The Big Three set the tone in this respect. All of them have subjugated their egos for the betterment of the team. They don’t care about individual stats. Winning is what matters.
This summer, the Eastern Confernce has another Big Three. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have joined forces in Miami — hoping to bring multiple championships to South Beach.
They have youth on their side. All of them are in their 20s. The Celtics’ Big Three have experience on their side. Are of them are in their 30s.
Will James, Wade and Bosh gel the way Garnett, Allen and Pierce did?
It could take a bit longer. That’s because the compostion of Miami’s Big Three is different than Boston’s Big Three. While James and Wade have similar slashing styles of play, Boston’s Big Three all have different skill sets.
Many people believe the Heat are going to dominate the East because of their new Big Three. All of them are top players, important leaders and icons in their previous roles, but how will they adapt to playing together? Everyone assumes it will be a smooth transition, but there’s also the possibility that it won’t be.
What happens then?
Many great players have never won an NBA championship. It takes more than talent to win rings. It takes a team, and it takes time to become a team.
Some believe that James, Wade and Bosh face less pressure now that they are playing together. The opposite is also true. How will they deal with a losing streak?
All three Miami players average over 20 points per game in their careers: James (27.8), Wade (25.4) and Bosh (20.2). Compare that to the Celtics’ Big Three: Pierce (22.5), Allen (20.5) and Garnett (19.8).
All that scoring for the Heat will help them make shots and win games. But James and Wade aren’t going to be able to play the same way they have in the past. The old Lebron and old D-Wade will have to adapt and learn to play without the ball more. They will have to share the rock as much as control it. Both have been the go-to savior at crunch time, but who gets the last shot now?
Before talking about winning an NBA title, the Heat need to learn how to play as one. And what better team to learn this from than the Celtics. They hold a blueprint of how three stars – and possible future Hall of Famers – can co-exist and thrive.
When a team has three or more good players, how they are managed is critical. They must buy into the importance of playing together. The responsibility of transferring this message falls on the coach. Doc Rivers has been very successful preaching ubuntu in Boston. Erik Spoelstra faces the challenge of hammering the point home in Miami.
There is a lot of pressure on Spoelstra to win a championship in the upcoming season. His job might depend on it. If Spoelstra is unsuccessful, the Heat might even turn to Rivers for the 2011-12 season.
At the moment, all the Heat have with their Big Three is three great players. That doesn’t mean they are the best team in the East, because two or three people do not win a championship.
When the Celtics formed their Big Three, all of them fit right into the puzzle, and they were compatible with the team. They still have the same roles. Garnet serves as the emotional leader and backbone of the Celtics’ defense. Ray Allen is the 3-point sharpshooter and an important offensive and defensive cog. And Paul Pierce is the captain and clutch shotmaker.
The Celtics also have Rajon Rondo, who emerged as a team leader for the Celtics this season, making their Big Three a Big Four.
Miami doesn’t have that fourth guy, the team coordinator, yet.
The Celtics won 2008 NBA title because of their team, not only the Big Three. The bench, Rondo and Kendrick Perkins all made valuable contribution. In some of the games, the bench was the key to winning. Other times, the Big Three was the difference. It was give and take, and all of them contributed in different ways at different times. But in the end, they all had a hand in the success.
The players the Heat put around their Big Three will be almost as important as the Big Three themselves. Miami needs to surround James, Wade and Bosh with good complementary pieces and build a strong bench. Without that structure, winning games won’t be easy.
The Heat still have work to do to become a champion, but whoever else they add, Miami will be a force for years to come. The Big Three guarantees that.
Miami’s Big Three can be physically tougher – and healthier — than the Celtics. But the C’s have veteran players who have been in the league quite some time. They can outplay the Heat mentally rather than physically.
In time, Miami’s Big Three might outlast the Celtics’ Big Three, but the Celtics also have rising stars such as Rondo and Perkins, making the team more like the Big Five in the present.
The Celtics are still the team to beat in the East, and now they have a new rival.
Which Big Three will reign supreme? It will be a battle worth watching.
