The Miami Heat will trample the Eastern Conference

With Chicago Bulls PG Derrick Rose nurturing a torn ACL, the title to this column seems like a statement as obvious as “the sky is blue.” However, this is something I said at the very beginning of this shortened season. After the Miami Heat had trouble beating contending teams last season, they were at least a .500 team against the likes of the Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers, and the rest of the bunch.

With Rose’s saddening injury and the monstrous onslaught laid down by the Heat against the equally depressing New York Knicks, the Miami Heat are the only team in the playoffs thus far to show no weakness whatsoever. Even without LeBron  James, the Heat would have still won. Teams like Miami who have a largely veteran presence off the bench actually improve come playoff time. Part of the equation is experience, while another component is the guaranteed day of rest in between games. By winning games 1 and 2 by a combined 43 points, the Heat have guaranteed their starters enough rest at the close of games and their lower bench guys enough refreshing moments to keep them ready.

New York Knicks SF Carmelo Anthony looks lost amidst a constantly evolving approach against his diverse offensive game. Anything less than a sweep for Miami will be deemed as a failure. With the only two players who gave Miami fits all year shelved for the Summer, the Heat will lose no more than two games on their way to the Finals, and will capitalize on a one dimensional Los Angeles Lakers, a young and trigger happy Thunder, or a tired and elder San Antonio Spurs.