Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade announced today that they will join forces on the Miami Heat next season.The Breakdown
With these two teaming up in Miami, it should certainly make the team stronger next year on the NBA court. In fantasy, I don't think it will make much of a difference in terms of their production. I expect the same numbers we've seen from each of these guys when they were on different teams. Bosh and Wade have completely different games, so they won't get in each other's way. If anything, they will complement each other.
What this duo could do is improve the fantasy contributions of their teammates. Michael Beasley, Mario Chalmers, and any other role players who join the team will get a lot of open looks as teams have to focus on the 2 superstars. Once the team is filled out, it would be a good idea to take a flyer on the other Heat starters as they could end up outperforming their average draft position. For example, check out Kendrick Perkins' numbers before and after the Big 3 came to Boston. You'll notice he scored more points and grabbed more boards once KG and Ray Allen came to town. I expect something similar to happen in Miami next year. I'm particularly interested in Beasley if he's with the team next season. He has tons of potential still and with Bosh there to alleviate any pressure Beasley may feel, it could be just the thing that allows him to live up to the expectations he had coming out of Kansas State as the #2 pick.
The X factor is still LeBron James. If he comes to Miami and forms a new Big 3, all 3 guys could see their numbers take a slight dip. All 3 of these guys had to play their best every night when they were on separate squads. If they team up in Miami, only 1 or 2 of these guys will usually have to be clicking for them to pull out a victory. One of the Big 3 will have an off night or won't get many scoring chances. It's just a given their won't be enough touches for each of them to get their numbers consistently. Additionally, this team will blow a lot of teams out and you'll have them sitting out long portions of the 2nd half, further cutting their production. We'll know tomorrow night whether this is going to be the reality we have to consider for the next few fantasy seasons.
