Bagels wrote:
i'm trying to follow you here....on one hand you say Durant is the only thing standing in the way of 4 more rings for James...but then your last few sentences here suggest a deteriorating Heat team. Which is where i fall, i don't think the Heat are in any way some unbeatable dynasty. Bosh is broke and Wade & Allen are just about done. I think the Pacers certainly can beat them , most of their talent with the exception of West (and Granger i suppose) is on the upswing in their careers while most of the Heat are headed downward. and like you said too, I think the Bulls certainly can compete assuming Rose is at the level he was previously and they make some upgrades to the supporting cast
I'd say as long as the Heat keep surrounding James with a good supporting cast, they'll always remain favorites in the Eastern Conference. They are getting older, but we'll see what they do with Bosh this offseason. Like Jordan in the '90s, the team with the most dominant player will always be in the conversation. That being said, I don't see a team in the East dethroning the Heat, even with the diminished play of Wade. Wade was less than spectacular against both the Pacers and Spurs, but the Heat still managed to win both series. I do see OKC beating the Heat because they have more talent.
I'm not with you on the Pacers just yet. West is on the wrong side of 30, they were only four games better than a injury-riddled, Rose-less Bulls team, and I think Rose is better than Paul George. Well, I hope that's still the case. Assuming Rose comes back at full strength, I'd only like the Bulls if they add another star to complement Rose. They're not as talented as the Thunder, and even though they match up well against the Heat, the brilliance of James makes the Heat the favorite. That is why I think the Bulls can only get serious about beating the Heat by adding another creator to complement Rose.