LeBron James is the most athletic man on the face of the Earth.

At 6 feet 8 inches, 250 pounds with blazing speed, explosiveness and agility, no one should be able to stop him from attacking the rim.

Especially when you have a former Finals MVP in Dwyane Wade on one side and NBA All-Star Chris Bosh (though not totally healthy) on the other.

Mario Chalmers is also a capable point guard and respected three-point shooter.

Shane Battier showed up on the three-point line as well.

So how does Head Coach Erik Spoelstra explain how the Thunder destroyed the Heat’s halftime lead, and allowed Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to outscore the entire Miami Heat team all by themselves in the second half?

The Heat must play as a team and run actual schemes in order to win.

Miami is unstoppable in transition when James and Wade are on the floor, which is all the incentive you need to run the playground style of basketball that the Heat use.

Many times you’ll see James, the physical freak that he is, take the ball up court instead of Chalmers, the point guard, and immediately attempt to create off the dribble with a form of isolation that sees Joel Anthony stationing for rebounds in the paint while the rest of the team rotates while steering clear, with the occasional pick and roll.

This worked in the first half, but not in the second.

Why?

Because the Thunder made the necessary adjustments in the locker room to take care of it.

Durant started the game on James, but for the remainder, it was up to Thabo Sefolosha to contain him. And though he didn’t shut him down, the match-up was much more favorable, seeing as Sefolosha can slide his feet and recover from the pivot quicker than Durant can, narrowing James’ driving lanes and forcing him to dish the ball when the rest of the Thunder would collapse on him.

I did not see the Heat make any adjustments outside of giving Bosh more minutes, placing Wade on Westbrook and sitting Shane Battier when he had a hot hand from beyond the arc, which perplexes me.

Of course, this discussion may not be happening at all if James’ sidekick, Wade, would step up a little bit. He’s a superstar with an NBA Finals ring. His health isn’t at its best, but he’s still starting and still on the floor, which means he has got to perform.

Wade’s presence alone will command respect from the Thunder defense, but that will be the case less and less should he continue to shoot in the realm of 7-19 from the field.

One fact is as solid as any, though.

If the Heat lose this series, Erik Spoelstra will be fired, and fired quickly.

Joshua Bryant can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].