SI

Speculation will abound, but Heat have right formula for a dynasty

As much as Bosh is criticized for what he isn't, he needs to be recognized for how he enables the Heat to play to their style. His perimeter-based game leaves
Ian Thomsen|
Speculation will abound, but Heat have right formula for a dynasty
Speculation will abound, but Heat have right formula for a dynasty

As much as Bosh is criticized for what he isn't, he needs to be recognized for how he enables the Heat to play to their style. His perimeter-based game leaves the paint open to be attacked by LeBron James and Wade (when healthy) while forcing a big man to come out and defend him. Midseason pickup Chris Andersen also fit into their system because he was able to lurk along the baseline to finish layups and dunks created by his penetrating teammates. A traditional low-post big man would force a change in the evolving style of play that has generated two championships. Credit should also be given for Bosh's selflessness: How many stars would accept only five shots for the greater good of the team?

They can't look beyond next year because James will be a free agent, and his next decision will largely be influenced by the outcome of 2013-14. As much as the attention will be on Bosh, the hopes of Miami will rest on Wade and his ability to stay healthy through next season. If he is his old self, then the problems the Heat create will always be greater than those imposed upon them. If Wade isn't healthy, then James will have to find other ways to triumph. In any case, there aren't a lot of options, and it isn't as if Miami is operating from a position of weakness: The ultimate burden to make moves this summer is going to be felt by their rivals. The two-time champs have a winning formula and they should be careful about messing with it.

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Ian Thomsen
IAN THOMSEN

Senior Writer, Sports Illustrated Sports Illustrated Senior Writer Ian Thomsen, who joined the magazine in 1998, is one of SI's top basketball scribes. Along with writing columns and features for SI, Thomsen is a frequent contributor to SI.com. Before joining SI, Thomsen spent six years in Europe as the sports columnist for the International Herald Tribune, the world's largest international English-language daily. While at the paper Thomsen wrote about an array of sports for a global audience, including the major world and European soccer tournaments, the 1995 Rugby World Cup, Olympic Games, Ryder Cups, Grand Slam tennis events, Grand Prix auto races and, very rarely, cricket. Thomsen, who graduated from Northwestern with a journalism degree in 1983, was a feature writer for The National Sports Daily during its short, expensive run of 1990-91. His first job was with The Boston Globe, where he covered Doug Flutie's Boston College Eagles and all three of the Celtics-Lakers NBA Finals of the 1980s. Thomsen was a feature writer at SI before taking on the NBA beat fulltime in 2000. With Luis Fernando Llosa and Melissa Segura, Thomsen covered the 2001 scandal of overaged Little League pitcher Danny Almonte and wrote the first SI cover story on Kobe Bryant in 1998. Thomsen lives with his wife and two children near Boston.

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