Wade and James are more trouble now

James had beaten back one of his NBA demons, finishing off Boston by averaging 34 points and 11 rebounds in the final moncler jackets two games of the 4-1 series.

Dwyane Wade hadn't been too bad, either, especially in light of his struggles in the regular season's encounters with Boston: He averaged 30.2 points over the five-game set while filling the rest of the stat sheet.

So if you thought the Celtics had their fill of both in May, here's some news for them as they visit AmericanAirlines Arena for the Heat's home opener Tuesday night:

Wade and James are more trouble now.

Both are more trouble because of what the Heat has done around them, more so than anything - whether reshaping their bodies or expanding their games or improving their communication -- that they have done for themselves.

They now are in roles they were born to play, in an offense that better suits their talents. They now are better positioned to put aside some of the weaker elements of their repertoires, from overdribbling to long-range shooting, and focus on relentless attacking.

How did this come about?

Consider that two of the major issues for the Heat offense last season were pace and space, issues that got in the way of their stars' innate athletic grace, often making them appear clumsy and confused.

Erik Spoelstra refrained from implementing much at all on offense until a couple of months into the 2010-11 season, more concerned with establishing a defensive identity. Consequently, the Heat was deadly on run-outs off opponents' missed shots, but would often bog down after baskets, with Wade struggling to find his customary "comfort" spots on the floor and James pounding the ball at the top of the key.

The offense progressed moncler women boots as the season did, before reverting to its unwieldy and unsightly form at times against Dallas in the Finals.

With time to spare, Spoelstra crossed the country to study other coaches - as has been mentioned in this space - starting with Oregon's unconventional football boss Chip Kelly and continuing on to conversations with the likes of Billy Donovan, Urban Meyer and John Calipari.

It was then that Spoelstra chose to focus more on versatility and interchangeability of the Heat's core players rather than the conventional limitations of the overall roster.

When work began after the lockout, he also heard his players' pleas to loosen some of the offensive restrictions and let them to do more reading and reacting.

Meanwhile, his own boss was making moves that would make it easier for James and Wade to be themselves. First, Pat Riley drafted Norris Cole to fill a hole the Heat has had - with the exception of one healthy year from Jason Williams - since Tim Hardaway's knees cratered: a pace-pushing natural point guard.

Even though Cole has much to learn, it's clear James and Wade already trust him; when the rookie was in the game Sunday, they tended to let him handle, whereas they took more control with Mario Chalmers on the court.

With Cole orchestrating, James and Wade are free to slice and cut without the ball, repeatedly violating the paint and causing defenders to scramble.

Riley's other major move?

He signed Shane Battier while choosing to retain Mike Miller and James Jones. Battier played only four minutes Sunday, and Miller remains sidelined by hernia surgery. Still, when all three are available, it will do more than rest James and Wade during the 66-game regular-season sprint. It may also convince James and Wade that, with all those dead-eye shooters, there's really no need for them to do so much of something that simply isn't their specialty. Both can sink 2011 moncler jackets mens winter coats eric light blue three-pointers, when in rhythm, but they're bailing out defenses when they heave too many.

Sunday they didn't take a single one.