For Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat — Eastern Conference teams that have no shot of winning a 2010 NBA playoff series much less the NBA title — the first round of the postseason is the equivalent of a Sunday open house. The other homes for sale on the block are locked up tight.
While the rest of the conference’s lottery-bound bottom feeders only can pore over pingpong balls, the national stage is open for up-and-comers to give free agents a glimpse of what might be possible with one or two more pieces. Players are always driven by the almighty dollar, but the potential to contend and win is still a powerful lure.
Even if the Bulls get swept, they won’t be forgotten for the passion they’ve shown or the impression guys like Joakim Noah have made alongside a superstar like Derrick Rose.
But with the way the Heat horrifically tanked in Tuesday’s 106-77 loss to the Celtics, why would Joe Johnson, Chris Bosh, Amar’e Stoudemire or even LeBron James be enticed to move to Miami this summer unless it’s purely for the cash and the South Beach nightlife?
At this point, the frozen breeze off Lake Michigan looks much more enticing, given that it would be complemented by a steady diet of easy buckets off great dishes from Rose.
All Dwyane Wade has right now is more disappointment from Michael Beasley and coach Erik Spoelstra, who gave the Heat’s biggest star all the more reason to turn his back on South Florida — on the same day he made it clear he preferred to stay there.
“It’s not a huge window at all. It’s a small gap,” Wade told the Miami Herald of how much he would listen to other potential teams. “You have to always keep your book open for your options and look at different things. But no, I’m not that open where I would go anywhere and would want to be almost anywhere.”
Wade could be forgiven right now for wanting to be anywhere but back in Miami.
