The sad news is...the Heat aren't special in this regard (either). Even when they lose, folks seem to want to treat them special whether its on the plea copping OR hater side.

Let's be clear: ANY team that has enough talent and/or a fair opportunity to win the title and doesn't...that's a bust of a season. This year: OKC, Chicago, LA...all busts to me. They all had some talent, more than a fair opportunity and they could've done more in the situations where they got eliminated. In the case of the Celtics..its a failure, but its a hard sell as a bust because at least they got bit by injury bugs all over. I felt like they STILL underplayed their potential (I'm looking at Fall Pierce HARD), but hey...

Its one thing to be the Clips and be at the house with no title. Them dudes didn't have the talent. They didn't make the playoffs and get a major luck of the draw. Its another thing to be IN THE FINALS, 4 wins away and come away with no title. That's a bust. And that's the case whether its that Lakers squad with Malone and Payton that got owned by the Pistons or that Philly team that AI got there a decade ago. Or hell...even those questionable as hell Nets teams with Kidd that got beat down. All busts. Ask Dirk and Jet about it..they know too. Ask them if they feel like their last time in the finals was a bust. "Ya'll know we shoulda won ya'll" doesn't mean shit. Ask C-Web...its no wonder he's going in on Bron after EVERY game where he does little more than dick in the 4th quarter of these game. Its burning Web's soul that he has no titles to show for his career after knocking on the door for some years as a King and he's watching LeBron go out.

Now, if the Heat don't win tonight and Tuesday, they'll join the long as hell list of teams who 'busted' on a season where they were in the top 5 or 6 teams that 'could've' won it. Folks will cop pleas and/or hate with force, but its the same thing...there's just a little more material to work with for either agenda because of how the team was constructed, presented, and covered this year.

Jimaveli