ASK IRA: Is dynasty tag premature for Panthers, just as it was for Big Three Heat?

Q: Ira, a lot being said about the Panthers becoming a dynasty. I’m curious, were the Big Three Heat considered a dynasty? Reflecting, that’s not what I recall. – Tomas.

A: To my recollection, that was not the case when the Heat went to four consecutive NBA Finals from 2011 to 2014 and won championships in 2012 and ’13. A degree of that is that during the heart of that run, few expected LeBron James to walk away, as he did after the 2014 NBA Finals loss to the Spurs. So the thought was that the run would be further assessed as it continued to play out – only to see it not play out. Plus, the bar in recent memory is a bit higher in the NBA for the “dynasty” tag. Most recently, there have been the Golden State Warriors not only winning the Finals in 2015, ’17 and ’18, but also being in the Finals in 2016 and ’19. Before that, there were those Spurs titles in 2003, ’05 and ’07, a run preceded by the Lakers’ three-peat in 2000, ’01 and ’02. And, of course, there were the six of eight for Michael Jordan’s Bulls in the ’90s.  Prior to this Panthers run, you had the Lightning with Cups in 2020 and ’21 plus a Final appearance in ’22. You also had three Cups in short order in the 2000s by the Blackhawks and Penguins. So I would think three championships in short order – NHL or NBA – would be a closer definition of dynasty, an aspect where the Heat fell short and a height the Panthers next could achieve. Just not yet.

Q: Ira, when the Pacers lose the NBA Finals on Thursday, they will be dismissed just like the Heat were after they lost in 2023 to Denver. You don’t build to just make the Finals, you build like the Thunder did to dominate. – Allan.

A: Which brings us to when Pat Riley had insisted there only were winning and misery, that it was championship or bust. And that, frankly, is an awful way to live one’s sporting life, that unless you win the final game of the season it isn’t worth it. So, yes, if that is the lone sense of joy received from sports, then the Heat should blow it up, tank for years to come, and then, like the Thunder/Sonics organization, wait 46 years for a championship (the Sonics won in 1979, eventually moving to OKC in 2008). Or you can enjoy the rides. For as much as it crashed and burned for the Cavaliers in the second round, it’s not as if there wasn’t plenty to savor amid their 64-18 regular season. Championship-only fandom is a largely miserable existence. It is something even Riley came to appreciate from a coaching and management standpoint. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t want to see teams improve and compete. But there is nothing wrong with talking time to savor the gains. And, who knows, perhaps the Pacers’ unlikely ride lives on for another game.

Q: Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler never seemed to mesh well as starters. Do you think Tyler’s playing style will mesh better with Kevin Durant’s? – Roy, Miami Beach.

A: Shooters help shooters. Jimmy Butler was never much of a spacer, even when he began to attempt more 3-pointers. With Tyler Herro and Kevin Durant, it could be a pick-your-poison defensive experience. And with all due respect to Tyler, Durant figures to be the one for the ages who will draw the ultimate defensive respect.