by TheChosen1

Created on: May 28, 2011   Last Updated: May 30, 2011

Lebron James has been hyped as the heir apparent to the great Michael Jordan. He donned the same number as his Airness. He was likewise a lottery pick as well. He possessed the flair and flashiness that was Jordan's trademark. He was also idolized and revered like Jordan. He was this transcendent star that was supposed to bring the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers to the promised land.

Alas, seven years have passed and the closest Cleveland ever got was a four to zero drubbing by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2007 NBA Finals. Though Cleveland did well in the regular season with James at the helm, the playoffs were marred with collapses and disappointment. It was decision time for James. Does he stay with his hometown and continue to be the hero or does he go somewhere else?

Then came the media spectacle called "The Decision."  Speculation abound on where James will end up. The smart money was that he was going to remain in Cleveland. However, there were rumors that he was going to end up in places such as New York, Chicago, Miami. In the end, James decided to throw his hometown under the bus and took his talents to South Beach.

Two more superstars joined James in Miami. Dwyane Wade resigned with the Heat. Chris Bosh left Toronto and took his talents to South Beach as well. Thus, a new "big three" was formed. Miami went from a borderline playoff team to an NBA powerhouse overnight.

While the big three could easily put up seventy points on the board, the bench lacks a starter quality player who could take over while the big three sit out on the bench. They do not have a Lamar Odom or a Manu Ginobili. Mike Miller is supposed to fill this role but he is nowhere near where he was when he was still in Orlando and Memphis.

The Villain

Lebron went on from being a hometown hero to a nationwide villain virtually overnight. One of the NBA's most beloved players took a "heel turn" and was widely booed off NBA arenas. His was even reflected in Lebron's Nike ad. Lebron and the Heat now have a big bull's-eye on their backs.

The Arms Race Starts Anew

The formation of the Miami big three created waves around the league and has created the need for an arms race. Orlando has retooled its roster by getting rid of declining players Rashard Lewis and Vince Carter and adding Gilbert Arenas, Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu.  This gives Orlando immense offensive firepower. Boston acquired Shaquille O'Neil in order to bolster their bench and provide another big body down low. Chicago nabbed Carlos Boozer in a trade and Kyle Korver through free agency. This gives them a low post scorer and a three point marksman.

These improvements by Miami's arch-rivals will make it harder for this newly formed "super team" to make it out of the East. Miami lacks the ceiling that Boston (Kendrick Perkins, Shaquille O'Neil, Jermaine O'Neil, Kevin Garnett) and Los Angeles (Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom) enjoy. To add to this, Miami isn't really a deep team to begin with and lacks firepower apart from the big three.

While Miami could just ride on its new three-headed monster all the way in the playoffs, it might not win the ultimate prize because of a hollow bench. It is fortunate that the big three are relatively young. However, as they go up in years, injuries and mileage would start to decimate them should the Heat chose not to bolster the lineup adequately.

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