The Heat went all-in on its Big Three (OK, a Big Two plus Chris Bosh), assembling those players together after an offseason that reeked of collusion and hoping that surrounding them with enough spare parts could lead to a championship. The Knicks are hoping to do the same with Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony and -- eventually -- Chris Paul. It's a new NBA model: miniature All-Star teams in major markets; on-court rivals who are off-court friends teaming up in the pursuit of championships.
Funny thing is, the team the Heat will have to get through to extend LeBron's pursuit of a first title -- and the team that, right now, seems most championship-ready -- is one that ultimately "lost" the LeBron/D-Wade sweepstakes and passed on a mega-deal for Carmelo Anthony.
"I definitely had one or two mornings where I woke up thinking I'd be a Bull, too, but ultimately I decided to come here," James said recently, echoing sentiments expressed by Wade.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Tribune noted that entering the Anthony sweepstakes would have, according to sources, cost the Bulls Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Taj Gibson and draft picks.
As constructed the Bulls, with their one true Alpha player (MVP Derrick Rose) and a cadre of seemingly perfect complementary players who defend with vigor and tend to rise to any necessary occasion, play like a throwback team. Noah, Deng and Gibson were critical pieces in their Game 1 dismantling of the Heat, a 103-82 victory served up with an exclamation point.
With Game 2 of their Eastern Conference finals series set for Wednesday night, it's hard to imagine the Bulls being put together any better than they are right now. Maybe a duo of Anthony/Rose or a trio of Wade/James/Rose would have been just as devastating, though we tend to think the mix ultimately wouldn't have been right.
Regardless, if you are a fan of team basketball and restoring some sanity to the building of NBA rosters, you are sure glad the Bulls are constructed as they are now.
MICHAEL RAND
