The Heat’s loss to the Jazz on Tuesday night may be characterized by their players as a sign of complacency more than anything else, but it looks more like a sign of arrogance more than anything else.

Imagine Michael Jordan’s Bulls teams saying they lost because they were “bored” and “complacent”. What do you think would happen? We certainly wouldn’t be showering Jordan with the praise we bestow upon him these days. With good reason – it was Jordan’s unquenchable desire to win and his competitiveness that fueled his championship runs. Teams that are 5-3, despite talent like Wade and Lebron, aren’t going to win 72 wins if they play like they did last night.

The question now becomes, is this too harsh of a criticism for this Heat team? Are the expectations too high? No and when a team admits that it was complacent and bored, because of a 22 point lead, then it is showing that it too believes its own hype. This is an important ingredient – every championship team and by default, dynasty, must have a healthy sense of self-awareness. Dare we say “arrogance”? The Bulls teams of Jordan’s era sure had it – they believed they were going to win every night they took the court. The difference is, they put teams away and looked to smash teams when they had them down. They had that killer instinct, that drive to step on the necks of their opponents and not relent until the game was over.

This Heat team has not learned that yet. “For whatever reason, we didn’t have a sense of urgency. I think we got up 20 and just got bored with that process how we got up to 20. I’m not sure. I don’t know.” Eddie House isn’t saying anything the rest of this Heat team isn’t saying also. From Spoelstra on down – the message has almost become a chorus. The problem is, what does it take to get this team’s attention? The Heat have to come with more focus and better preparation to win every game they play. If that isn’t your focus, you are not a true professional.

They are human, sure. Some games will bring more attention than others. Take Thursday’s matchup against Boston – a team that comes to Miami to look to take another game from them after defeating them to start the season 88-80. In that game, it was a lack of cohesion and poor shooting that doomed Miami. The Heat played great defense in that game – which is what kept them in that game, not their offense.

The Heat will now be even more ready to come out and make a statement because of this recent loss to the Jazz as it is being aired all over the place and has become a source of embarrassment for the Heat. But let’s be honest, it was one monumentally bad half for the Heat whose defense, to this point in the season, has been their hallmark. Don’t sound the alarms just yet and all of those Heat haters can just take a seat.

The whispers are starting to get loud for Chris Bosh, however. His defense has been questionable all season, and it can usually be glossed over in favor of his offense. The pundits continue to cite the Heat’s lack of point guard and front court depth as problems (they don’t understand – as probably Spoelstra hasn’t even quite figured it out yet either – that the Heat’s point guard problem will be answered by Wade and Lebron). Bosh’s inability to get touches in the paint and do anything to force defenses to collapse on him is damaging, but not necessary for the offense to be successful. With Wade and Lebron on the perimeter, the Heat have very little need for someone to clog the lane.

The Heat do, however, need someone to protect the painted area on defense. Bosh’s goal is to be a better weak side defender, but the problem is compounded for the Heat as they haven’t quite found their answer at center, either. Take Millsap’s 46 point outburst last night. It really wasn’t solely Bosh’s responsibility to guard Millsap – that was Udonis Haslem’s too. Some apologists might want to point the finger at Haslem, but really it was a team effort that got the Heat in trouble in the paint. Bosh did tend to switch to a perimeter power forward like Kirilenko all too often, which is what opened things up inside for the Jazz.

Bosh cannot be chasing a guy around the perimeter – he needs to anchor the interior defense and get rebounds as well as affect shots. Too many times are we seeing Heat players under the rim – which is a dead zone for rebounds. Bosh has to take as his assignment the other team’s center. Chances are, he will be more athletic than that assignment and will also have the size to draw a favorable matchup. Bosh can also focus on giving weak side defense as he is anchored in the paint. Udonis Haslem and Joel Anthony, although they play fiercely, don’t have the size to draw a favorable matchup for the Heat defensively inside. Bosh may want to play power forward – but he must do so on offense and not necessarily on defense. This will help get Bosh back into his zone and getting more rebounds as well, instead of being out on the perimeter chasing other players around – that isn’t his game.

Sure the Heat have their problems, but not enough to realistically derail the seemingly unrealistic expectation that this team should, and will be, in the Finals this season. Spoelstra is right, this is a learning process and the loss to the Jazz is a lesson for this young-dynasty-in-the-making. They must learn that their focus and will to win must follow them every game and that you can’t just turn it on. You haven’t proven yourselves yet and even when you do, you realize, that the way to greatness is by applying it in every situation you are called upon. Not just in a few moments. It must become something of a team’s nature, something they are and that they do consistently. The Celtics had to learn this despite having three experienced players on their roster. The Lakers have had to gel together as a team. The Jazz just employed the Sloan pick-and-roll system over and over last night. The Heat will find their rhythm but they also need to get over this arrogance and focus on beating opponents every night no matter where they are.