MIAMI – Okay, the Heat's season is only seven games old, so declaring a game as a "statement game" is probably a little premature. But, Miami's win in Dallas on Sunday night did send a message to the league. Anyone who watched the game saw it loud and clear.
This Heat team is still very good and has room to only get better.
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With Josh McRoberts getting more minutes, Udonis Haslem playing his usual unselfish minutes and Luol Deng having his breakout game, it's becoming clear this team isn't just about Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade.
What Miami is proving to themselves and the NBA is that, with LeBron James no longer around, they do know how to play good team basketball.
It's what Erik Spoelstra has been preaching since the start of training camp. We're beginning to see the pieces come together. Plus, Miami's ball movement is unlike anything we've seen from this team in years.
Let's face it, its the only way they can win. A stagnant offense with little movement could work at times when you have player like LeBron to save the day, but that won't work with this group.
Bosh and Wade continue to put up big numbers. They each had double-double's against the Mavs.
Deng looked more like the player he was in Chicago. He's a good defender and can hit the mid-range jumper with confidence.
McRoberts is showcasing the things that attracted him to Heat in the first place. He's a skilled passer and rebounder. He gets the little things done on the court that don't always show up in the stat sheet.
Meanwhile, Mario Chalmers has really grabbed the 6th man role and embraced it. Wade said after Sunday's win that he's proud of Chalmers for doing something that not every veteran player can handle.
It's those unselfish things that Spoelstra has made clear to the team they must willingly do. Every player seems to be buying in.
What made Sunday's blow-out win even more impressive was that the Heat played their 6th game in nine nights and 3rd back-to-back of the young season. Yet, Miami looked fresh and crisp in a tough road environment.
And I mentioned that they could only get better.
Chris Anderson is getting closer to getting back on the court after missing time with a rib injury, while newcomer Danny Granger is very close to making his Heat debut.
Put this all together and maybe calling this latest win in Dallas a "statement game" isn't much of a stretch.
At 5-2, the Heat has endured a tough early season schedule, dealt with injury issues and still managed to look smooth on offense. With the defense showing some life in Dallas, Heat fans have reason to be excited.
I had a Heat fan on Twitter ask me if Miami could be better without LeBron? Well, that answer is obvious. No. You can't diminish what James brings to any team. But, could they actually play a better style of basketball? A type of game that is truer to what Spoelstra is constantly teaching? That answer is also obvious.
Absolutely.