Thoughts on the Heat and Spain Falls Hard

The Spurs celebrated their title yesterday with their victory parade.   They are a team with very few questions going into next year as it appears all the key parts will be back.  Miami on the other hand are in pieces.

The 2010 decision was hard to execute for Lebron and Co.  It really was draining on them, but going forward this summer is a way more complex matter.  It may not get the media hoopala and many figure the team will stay together for at least one more season, but there are some tricky situations to get around.

I think the Heat will ultimately stay together one more year with everyone opting in.  The Heat will gamble on Wade and Bosh being a little better than everyone gives them credit for.  The key for the Heat and many NBA teams will be learning a lesson from the Spurs.  That lesson is play your guys in the regular season less minutes.

Not less games, but fewer minutes.  This does two things.  Keeps your team fresh for the playoffs and develops the rest of your roster.  The NBA mentality of playing your best guys for the max minutes every game is foolish.  This obviously keeps guys who need minutes on the bench and useless when playoff time comes.

The Bulls have gone deep into their bench due to injuries and have developed guys that otherwise have not really made a mark in the NBA.  While I will say they tend to play certain guys too much it shows that depth can be tapped with experience around a core of guys like Noah to help progress talent.

The Heat should rest Wade, but not as much as they did game wise, but how about just fewer minutes.  How about Wade off the bench as a sixth man.  How about not so many minutes for Lebron.  This might make winning the #1 seed hard, but a fresh Heat team with some confident bench players is a scary thought.

Spain has Fallen

My alternative view on popular belief that Spain has been figured out or Spain is old, is that Del Bosque picked a really bad 11 twice and chose the wrong 23.  I would have sold out and used more Barcelona players for the second game, but instead he took Xavi out.  That was a critically poor decision.

I'm still wondering how he thought Koke and Cazola were going to bring him back.  His love affair with the corpse Fernando Torres boggles the mind. I'm still waiting for David Villa to get a start or be subbed in. So I pin 90% of the blame on the coach.  He has the resume for some latitude, but look at Euro 2012 and watch Spain struggle to score goals.  Wonder why natural strikers are left out and David Silva is being played upfront.

Everything has to be questioned, but I am firm in the belief that Chile is good, but not better than Spain.  You could take away two things from yesterday after Holland beat Australia.  One Holland is not that good, two Spain are real mess.  Chile picked the bones yesterday.

The style is not found out.  It's just not being played correctly.  Chile pressed the midfield and backline.  By doing so they limited possession stayed positive.  This forced the turnover that lead to that first goal.  When Spain play with that front three in the shape they are in they are toothless.  When you have no fear of their front three you can press the midfield and cause havoc.  It's not about having a bunch of mid fielders out their, but a dangerous strike team supported by a strong midfield.

Spain could have been better upfront if they used their true strikers left on the bench and left at home.  That's the coach's fault.  It's not the end of the Golden Age of Spain.  Look no further than the talent at the three top club and realize this is a bump.  The Del Bosque Era needs to end for Spain.  If that happens I think you will see the rewards at Euro 2016.