Before I begin talking about the Heat, I want to say a word about the Celtics.   The Celtics got their 'BIG 3' through reasonable trades.  I really believe that.  Big Al looked like a monster in the making.  Plus we gave Minny some decent other players.  As far as Ray goes, we gave #5 pick and West and Szerbiak (the latter admittedly bad in my opinion).  Thus we got our team the old fashioned way.  We made trades.  For example, look at how Denver got a "better" team in exchange for Carmelo. This brings me to the Heat. Whom I must say, I have complete disdain for.  Two all-stars decided to join another all-star to make a super-team.  No building blocks. No reasonable trades.  NOthing.  Just all-stars deciding to pick a team and kick butt and win as many championships as possible. The problem with this is that other all-star players in the NBA want to win championships too.  So what will happen in the future?  Stars in free agency will decide to join forces and try to beat the Heat's super-team.  I believe, for example, there might be three or four super-teams competing for the championship all mostly built on stars coming together and trying to beat other super-teams (i.e. the Heat) Gone will be the era of the trades for the most part.  More power, rightly or wrongly, will be given to the players.  MANY THINGS WILL BE CHANGED by the example set Bosh and James did. Granted, I must admit here in saying in all this that I detest the Heat and how they went about composing a winnning team.  I don't respect James nor Bosh.  I don't even like Wade as much.  Once again, and others have said it, would Kobe ever have done what James did.  I think not.  (Even though Kobe is a Laker, I respect him.) In conclusion, I do believe there will now be a shift in how teams will be formed.  Players will have more power, etc. I just hope that I love the "new" NBA as much as I love the present one.  And, of course, my love for the C's is non-ending.
Posted by celticreuven

Not trying to rain on your parade but I have no problem with what Bosh and LeBron did.  I have a problem with how LeBron treated Cleveland, but you can't blame guys for wanting a chance at winning.  The Heat will have another 3-4 years of being title favorites before Wade and Bosh's game start to go downhill.  Even then, LeBron will still be in his prime and able to carry that team to the title. The Bulls are only getting better, the Thunder are only getting better, I believe the Lakers and Celtics find ways to rebuild and stay in contention, the Knicks will get better... Heck, even the Grizzlies look to have a bright future.
Posted by SoxPatsCelts1988

Before I begin talking about the Heat, I want to say a word about the Celtics.   The Celtics got their 'BIG 3' through reasonable trades.  I really believe that.  Big Al looked like a monster in the making.  Plus we gave Minny some decent other players.  As far as Ray goes, we gave #5 pick and West and Szerbiak (the latter admittedly bad in my opinion).  Thus we got our team the old fashioned way.  We made trades.  For example, look at how Denver got a "better" team in exchange for Carmelo. This brings me to the Heat. Whom I must say, I have complete disdain for.  Two all-stars decided to join another all-star to make a super-team.  No building blocks. No reasonable trades.  NOthing.  Just all-stars deciding to pick a team and kick butt and win as many championships as possible. The problem with this is that other all-star players in the NBA want to win championships too.  So what will happen in the future?  Stars in free agency will decide to join forces and try to beat the Heat's super-team.  I believe, for example, there might be three or four super-teams competing for the championship all mostly built on stars coming together and trying to beat other super-teams (i.e. the Heat) Gone will be the era of the trades for the most part.  More power, rightly or wrongly, will be given to the players.  MANY THINGS WILL BE CHANGED by the example set Bosh and James did. Granted, I must admit here in saying in all this that I detest the Heat and how they went about composing a winnning team.  I don't respect James nor Bosh.  I don't even like Wade as much.  Once again, and others have said it, would Kobe ever have done what James did.  I think not.  (Even though Kobe is a Laker, I respect him.) In conclusion, I do believe there will now be a shift in how teams will be formed.  Players will have more power, etc. I just hope that I love the "new" NBA as much as I love the present one.  And, of course, my love for the C's is non-ending.
Posted by celticreuven

The Heat are going to get their a...s kicked in the next round. If we had been healthy, we would have beaten them easily.
Posted by Kirk6

In Response to I think the Heat may have ruined the NBA : Read this: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-mchale120808 celtics got kg through 'reasonable trade'- HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Posted by Laker-Nation32

Before I begin talking about the Heat, I want to say a word about the Celtics.   The Celtics got their 'BIG 3' through reasonable trades.  I really believe that.  Big Al looked like a monster in the making.  Plus we gave Minny some decent other players.  As far as Ray goes, we gave #5 pick and West and Szerbiak (the latter admittedly bad in my opinion).  Thus we got our team the old fashioned way.  We made trades.  For example, look at how Denver got a "better" team in exchange for Carmelo. This brings me to the Heat. Whom I must say, I have complete disdain for.  Two all-stars decided to join another all-star to make a super-team.  No building blocks. No reasonable trades.  NOthing.  Just all-stars deciding to pick a team and kick butt and win as many championships as possible. The problem with this is that other all-star players in the NBA want to win championships too.  So what will happen in the future?  Stars in free agency will decide to join forces and try to beat the Heat's super-team.  I believe, for example, there might be three or four super-teams competing for the championship all mostly built on stars coming together and trying to beat other super-teams (i.e. the Heat) Gone will be the era of the trades for the most part.  More power, rightly or wrongly, will be given to the players.  MANY THINGS WILL BE CHANGED by the example set Bosh and James did. Granted, I must admit here in saying in all this that I detest the Heat and how they went about composing a winnning team.  I don't respect James nor Bosh.  I don't even like Wade as much.  Once again, and others have said it, would Kobe ever have done what James did.  I think not.  (Even though Kobe is a Laker, I respect him.) In conclusion, I do believe there will now be a shift in how teams will be formed.  Players will have more power, etc. I just hope that I love the "new" NBA as much as I love the present one.  And, of course, my love for the C's is non-ending.
Posted by celticreuven

Ratings for the season and playoffs are sky high. http://www.hoopsvibe.com/features/articles/167131-nba-tv-ratings-nearing-best-ever Maybe your thread should have been "I think the Heat may have ruined the Celtics chances for multiple Titles."
Posted by icnd

I don't begrudge them anything........I won't watch  any more games, but that is just a personal preference.  I prefer the Mavs and Thunder style of play........while all the games will be good, I'd rather stick a toothpick in my eye than watch MIA vs CHI!! Celtics are out - beaten by a better team, so it's baseball season!
Posted by hedleylamarr

In Response to Re: I think the Heat may have ruined the NBA : and may the marlins win it all! and my lil' cousin make it to the bigs! good luck next year, sir
Posted by Jimmy42Jack0

A new CBA is likely to limit the ability for a team to sign 3 superstars (1 in-house - 2 UR FA) in the future so I am not so sure that this trend towards players bunching together is going to continue. Carmellow Anthony was in such a hurry to get traded to the Knicks because he did not want to be an FA under an unknown CBA. Because the only thing that is known is that it will not be as player friendly a CBA as this past one was. But also this opinion the the Heat have ruined the NBA has its foundation on the idea that they will win the championship. That assumes they will beat Chicago and Dallas or whoever the Western Conference entry is and that is far from clear to me. Yes the Heat beat the defending conference champs but the C's came into the post season with disarray at the center position, a bench that never jelled after being re-engineered at the all-start break, Pierce playing with a partial tear in his Achilles and played 2.5 of the five games with their field general point guard playing with one arm. Healthier, younger opponents await with have had more stability in their total roster. They not only haven't ruined the NBA, while it was a nice step taking down the defending conference champs, they have not done anything yet. Last night's emotion from the Heat was as misplaced as was LeBron's declaration last summer at Miami's "signing party" that the Heat would win 7 championships.
Posted by fivekatz