HEAT Check: Role Players are Niceties, Three Kings are Necessities for Championships

The Miami Heat need Three Healthy Kings, not role players, to win multiple championships. 

The Heat almost won the 2011 NBA championship with just one healthy and productive role player - Mario Chalmers (who was actually the second-most productive Heat player in the Finals). Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller struggled with injuries while Joel Anthony struggled to be productive matched against Dirk Nowitzki.

An article at bleacher report argued that Chalmers and role players like Haslem, Anthony, Miller, Norris Cole and Dexter Pittman are keys to the Miami Heat winning a championship. I know die-hards love role players but that’s nonsense. The Heat lost the 2011 Finals because Dwyane Wade was injured by that hockey goon Brian Cardinal.

I think role players are important but the bleacher report article didn’t make a good argument for their importance to the Heat’s title hopes. Here are a few articles that explain the importance of role players:

• Gator Effect
• Three Kings are Nice, but Bench is Second to None
• Benching John Hollinger
• Winning Numbers from the Weekend: 30-10-50