Ok, so the Miami Heat have dropped yet another game, putting their record at a dismal 2-9. Not only did they lose another game, they lost another home game, putting their home record at 0-5. I don't know if Heat fans remember, but just 3 years ago, the Heat were unstoppable at home. They posted a 35-6 record at home in the 2004-2005 season and a 31-10 record in 2005-2006 season. Also, how about the fact that the Heat are 0-3 in the Southeast division this year. Lets go back 3 years ago again, the Heat were an outstanding 15-1 in the Southeast. So, what is going on??? 0-5 at home? 0-3 in the division? 2-9 overall record? They still have D-Wade and Shaq. But I am fearing that could change in the near future.
Once a team wins a championship, they are expected to continue the success and keep winning. But once that team starts to fall off the map and begins to get older and not be the team they used to be, changes start occurring and players/coaches/fans start to get restless. This happened with the Los Angeles Lakers when they lost to the Pistons in the 2003 Finals or after the Nets, Pacers, and 76ers lost to the Lakers in the finals . The team starts to break up: Trades happen (Shaq to Miami), free agents don't resign (Kerry Kittles, Kenyon Martin), Coaches quit or get fired (Phil Jackson, Larry Brown), and teams start looking towards the draft. The Miami Heat are looking like they might be heading towards this direction and I am worried. I really hope this doesn't happen, but its a possibility and this is why:
We all know what Pat Riley has done in the past when the Heat start to falter- He quits or "leaves temporarily". After the Heat had their 25-57 season in 2002, Riley quit as head coach and gave the reins to Stan Van Gundy. Then last year, when the Heat got off to their dismal start, Pat Riley decided to leave mid-season to get hip surgery and gave the team to Ron Rothstein. So, what will happen this year if the Heat keep loosing? Will he leave the team due to psychological damage due to his team's inability to win?
What about superstar Dwyane Wade. He is in his first year of a very short contract of 3 years. Will he refuse to resign with the Heat in 2 years when his contract expires if his team keeps loosing? Although he says he is not worried about the Heat's slow start, you have to think that he is frustrated. A player of his ability will not stay around with a team that is wearing away by the day.
What about Shaquille O'Neal? He still has 3 years left on his contract, but that's not what I am worried about. I am worried that he might get fed up with all the criticism that is being placed on him by Pat Riley and will end up just opting out of his contract or pulling a Stephon Marbury, and leaving the team altogether. He is a player known for speaking his mind and if things start to hit the fan, I wouldn't be surprised if he showed no loyalty to the Miami Heat.
What about the rest of the team? Ricky Davis, Jason Williams, Penny Hardaway, Dorell Wright, Chris Quinn, Smush Parker, and Earl Barron are all in contract years. Will any of them want to return to the Heat if they don't make the playoffs and superstars Shaq and D-Wade are disgruntled?
Also, Pat Riley is already telling the Miami Herald that ''There are no assurances," and "I'd like to see this team develop into a consistent winning team without much change. But I think the wins are what it's going to be about. We'll see over the next month.'' The Heat just made a trade for Ricky Davis to become the team's 3rd scorer, and their already talking about making more trades to improve the team. What trade pieces do they have? Who are they going to trade? Udonis Haslem? Dorell Wright? Either way, this shows Miami is already starting to push the panic button.
Hopefully, everything I said will not happen and the Heat will turn it around. Hopefully, D-Wade is not worried for a reason and he will be able to turn this team around. Hopefully, Shaq and Ricky Davis will step up and the trio of Wade, Shaq, and Davis will become one of the best trios in the league. Hopefully, Pat Riley will get them motivated and get them back to their championship form. Hopefully, just hopefully, they will realize that they really do have a great starting five and a Hall of Fame coach and will be able to turn this season around and avoid all H*ll breaking loose.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
Why D-Wade is the team's savior
Yesterday, I was playing basketball, just shooting around with some other kids when I heard one of them say "Did you see Dwyane Wade last night?" (referring to the Heat vs Celtics game) And his friend said "Yes, he did pretty good for his 2nd game back." But then I heard the first kid say "Are you kidding me, he was terrible, he missed the game winning shot like usual" and "He has no basketball IQ, he's always doing stupid stuff like that." I was about to respond and argue but then I realized that this would be a full scale argument that might have ended up not so good. I thought to myself how could someone say such a thing about Dwyane Wade- that he is terrible and has no basketball IQ? Then, I realized he has a missed a few shots in the past and that his would-have been game winning shot against Boston was kind of unorganized in that he wasted the entire clock and didn't even try to drive to the basket and get fouled.
But then I was like wow, what am I thinking? He just came back from 6 months of inactivity and is a little bit rusty. Not to mention, he is the 2006 Finals MVP, as well as being the entire reason we won the NBA finals, and has made numerous of clutch shots that have saved the Miami Heat in his short career.
So my argument to the kid that said D-Wade has no basketball IQ, is that you are completely wrong Sir and you have no IQ yourself. And these are the reasons why:
1) Dwyane Wade was the most valuable player of the NBA Finals in just his 3rd year out of college. To show such maturity in just your third year and to be the Finals MVP before the Great One- Michael Jordan- is saying something.
2) He creates double teams, he gets his teamates open for shots, and is consistently at the free throw line- all these attributes show high basketball IQ.
3) Most of the time when the game is on the line, he is able to make the game winning shot. During the NBA finals, in the last few minutes of game 3 and game 5 when the game was close, he found ways to get himself to the free throw line, even if the fouls were a little questionable. Regardless, he found ways to get his team the W.
4) The man just got back from offseason surgery on his knee and shoulder and has already turned the team around and gotten them their 2nd win of the season against the New Jersey Nets- showing his ability to be a leader of this frazzled team.
So, that is why D-Wade is the Miami Heat's savior and he will continue to turn this squad around into a championship contending team.
But then I was like wow, what am I thinking? He just came back from 6 months of inactivity and is a little bit rusty. Not to mention, he is the 2006 Finals MVP, as well as being the entire reason we won the NBA finals, and has made numerous of clutch shots that have saved the Miami Heat in his short career.
So my argument to the kid that said D-Wade has no basketball IQ, is that you are completely wrong Sir and you have no IQ yourself. And these are the reasons why:
1) Dwyane Wade was the most valuable player of the NBA Finals in just his 3rd year out of college. To show such maturity in just your third year and to be the Finals MVP before the Great One- Michael Jordan- is saying something.
2) He creates double teams, he gets his teamates open for shots, and is consistently at the free throw line- all these attributes show high basketball IQ.
3) Most of the time when the game is on the line, he is able to make the game winning shot. During the NBA finals, in the last few minutes of game 3 and game 5 when the game was close, he found ways to get himself to the free throw line, even if the fouls were a little questionable. Regardless, he found ways to get his team the W.
4) The man just got back from offseason surgery on his knee and shoulder and has already turned the team around and gotten them their 2nd win of the season against the New Jersey Nets- showing his ability to be a leader of this frazzled team.
So, that is why D-Wade is the Miami Heat's savior and he will continue to turn this squad around into a championship contending team.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Heat loses to Boston; but Dwyane Wade's impact is immediate
And the hole continues to grow deeper for the Miami Heat. The Miami Heat continued their losing ways with an 92-91 loss to the undefeated Boston Celtics on Friday night. Although Miami kept it close, a loss is a loss.
The only bright spot for the team is the fact that Dwyane Wade's presence has immediately been felt. In his first full game back, Wade lead the team with 23 points and 6 assists after being inactive for 6 months while recovering from offseason shoulder and knee injuries. Just the fact that Wade is back with the team made it possible for the Heat to keep it close with the best team in the Eastern Conference (Celtics) and arguably one of the best teams in the NBA.
Another good thing that came out of this loss was the fact that Miami put up 91 points. Prior to the game, Miami was averging the worst offense in the league, averaging around 80 points a game. The fact that they were able to put up 91 points proves that their offense is immediately improving with Wade back in the lineup.
Miami stayed pretty close with Boston for most of the game besides a few parts of the game when they fell behind by 10 or 11 points. For most of the 4th quarter, the Heat were down by 7-11 points but came storming back in the final 4 minutes of the game. It started with a Wade miss and put-back monster dunk by center Shaquille O'Neal. It followed with a Celtic miss and a pull-up 3-pointer by Ricky Davis. Then a steal by rookie Daquean Cook led to a breakaway And 1 dunk, but he missed the free throw. Miami proceeded to fall behind 84-80 with 1:30 left in regulation. Miami stormed back with 4 straight points and ended up taking a 1 point lead on a Shaq free throw, but that was the last time the Heat would lead. Paul Pierce then ruined the Heat's chances of getting their 2nd victory of the season with an easy layup around Udonis Haslem. One last desparation shot by Wade rimmed out and the Heat's record fell to 1-8.
Although the Heat lost their 3rd straight game in a row and 8th overall, Heat fans must be at least content that D-Wade is getting back to his explosive form and making an immediate impact on the team. I think without him in this game, especially being on the road, Miami would have lost by a lot more than 1. Hopefully the Heat will take advantage of Wade's presence and start winning some ball games.
The only bright spot for the team is the fact that Dwyane Wade's presence has immediately been felt. In his first full game back, Wade lead the team with 23 points and 6 assists after being inactive for 6 months while recovering from offseason shoulder and knee injuries. Just the fact that Wade is back with the team made it possible for the Heat to keep it close with the best team in the Eastern Conference (Celtics) and arguably one of the best teams in the NBA.
Another good thing that came out of this loss was the fact that Miami put up 91 points. Prior to the game, Miami was averging the worst offense in the league, averaging around 80 points a game. The fact that they were able to put up 91 points proves that their offense is immediately improving with Wade back in the lineup.
Miami stayed pretty close with Boston for most of the game besides a few parts of the game when they fell behind by 10 or 11 points. For most of the 4th quarter, the Heat were down by 7-11 points but came storming back in the final 4 minutes of the game. It started with a Wade miss and put-back monster dunk by center Shaquille O'Neal. It followed with a Celtic miss and a pull-up 3-pointer by Ricky Davis. Then a steal by rookie Daquean Cook led to a breakaway And 1 dunk, but he missed the free throw. Miami proceeded to fall behind 84-80 with 1:30 left in regulation. Miami stormed back with 4 straight points and ended up taking a 1 point lead on a Shaq free throw, but that was the last time the Heat would lead. Paul Pierce then ruined the Heat's chances of getting their 2nd victory of the season with an easy layup around Udonis Haslem. One last desparation shot by Wade rimmed out and the Heat's record fell to 1-8.
Although the Heat lost their 3rd straight game in a row and 8th overall, Heat fans must be at least content that D-Wade is getting back to his explosive form and making an immediate impact on the team. I think without him in this game, especially being on the road, Miami would have lost by a lot more than 1. Hopefully the Heat will take advantage of Wade's presence and start winning some ball games.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Are the Heat really this bad?
1-7? 1-7? 1 AND 7?
Thats the Miami Heat's record as of today. That pathetic record has them in dead last in the Southeast division and is downright embarassing. It completely mindboggles me that a team 2 years removed from a NBA championship is this bad. Their record makes it look like they pulled a "Marlins" and firesaled the whole team. But that couldn't be farther from the truth.
The team actually improved, well at least on paper.
- They added a high-scoring forward in Ricky Davis, who is defintly a huge improvement for a 3rd scorer over Antoine Walker.
- They added 7-footer Mark Blount, who averaged 12 points and 6 boards last year.
- They added PG Smush Parker, who has averaged over 11 points the last 2 years.
- They got rid of Antoine Walker (finally), who couldn't stay skinny and was just abominable from the free throw line and pretty much just shooting in general.
So, what I am trying to say is how are they this bad, I mean look at the stats.
Ricky Davis averaged 17 points last year, Smush averaged 11, and Blount averged 12. They added 40 points a game in scoring and they lost Walker's 8 points. So, in essence, they gained around 32 points in scoring. Your probably thinking well they didnt have 2006 Finals MVP Dwyane Wade for their first 7 games. But, the 32 points they gained in scoring should have overwhelmingly made up for Wade's 27 points a game, at least for 7 games. I'm not talking about half the season- I mean 7 measily games, and they could win more than 1?
I love the Miami Heat, but I just dont understand why their this bad, seriosly look how good their lineup is even without "Flash".
C- Shaq/Mourning
PF- Haslem/Blount
SF- Dorell Wright/Penny Hardaway
SG- Ricky Davis
PG- Jason Williams/Smush Parker/Daequan Cook
I'm sorry- but that lineup is pretty scary and with the addition of Dwyane Wade it can be considered elite. I know Shaq, Mourning, and J-Will are old but they still make a huge impact on this roster and are still able to put points/boards/blocks.
So, why are the Heat this bad?
Is it the absence of Wade in the first 7 games- which I don't consider an excuse...
Is it because Ricky Davis hasn't stepped up enough?
Is it because Shaq's contribution is not nearly close to what it should be?
Is it because the new members on the team aren't gelling?
Is it a combination of all them?
or Is it just the end of a mini rein that the Miami Heat had in the eastern conference and time to start thinking about the draft?
I would like to hope and think that its a combination of all of them except for the last one and that if Ricky Davis starts stepping up and Shaq plays like we know he can, and D-Wade returns to 100% health and plays like he has for the last 3 years that we can return to an elite team in the Eastern Conference and make it to the NBA Finals.
Tell me what you think.....
Thats the Miami Heat's record as of today. That pathetic record has them in dead last in the Southeast division and is downright embarassing. It completely mindboggles me that a team 2 years removed from a NBA championship is this bad. Their record makes it look like they pulled a "Marlins" and firesaled the whole team. But that couldn't be farther from the truth.
The team actually improved, well at least on paper.
- They added a high-scoring forward in Ricky Davis, who is defintly a huge improvement for a 3rd scorer over Antoine Walker.
- They added 7-footer Mark Blount, who averaged 12 points and 6 boards last year.
- They added PG Smush Parker, who has averaged over 11 points the last 2 years.
- They got rid of Antoine Walker (finally), who couldn't stay skinny and was just abominable from the free throw line and pretty much just shooting in general.
So, what I am trying to say is how are they this bad, I mean look at the stats.
Ricky Davis averaged 17 points last year, Smush averaged 11, and Blount averged 12. They added 40 points a game in scoring and they lost Walker's 8 points. So, in essence, they gained around 32 points in scoring. Your probably thinking well they didnt have 2006 Finals MVP Dwyane Wade for their first 7 games. But, the 32 points they gained in scoring should have overwhelmingly made up for Wade's 27 points a game, at least for 7 games. I'm not talking about half the season- I mean 7 measily games, and they could win more than 1?
I love the Miami Heat, but I just dont understand why their this bad, seriosly look how good their lineup is even without "Flash".
C- Shaq/Mourning
PF- Haslem/Blount
SF- Dorell Wright/Penny Hardaway
SG- Ricky Davis
PG- Jason Williams/Smush Parker/Daequan Cook
I'm sorry- but that lineup is pretty scary and with the addition of Dwyane Wade it can be considered elite. I know Shaq, Mourning, and J-Will are old but they still make a huge impact on this roster and are still able to put points/boards/blocks.
So, why are the Heat this bad?
Is it the absence of Wade in the first 7 games- which I don't consider an excuse...
Is it because Ricky Davis hasn't stepped up enough?
Is it because Shaq's contribution is not nearly close to what it should be?
Is it because the new members on the team aren't gelling?
Is it a combination of all them?
or Is it just the end of a mini rein that the Miami Heat had in the eastern conference and time to start thinking about the draft?
I would like to hope and think that its a combination of all of them except for the last one and that if Ricky Davis starts stepping up and Shaq plays like we know he can, and D-Wade returns to 100% health and plays like he has for the last 3 years that we can return to an elite team in the Eastern Conference and make it to the NBA Finals.
Tell me what you think.....
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
The improved play of Jason Williams and Udonis Haslem
While all Heat fans know that Miami is off to an embarrassing 1-6 start, which is good enough for last place in the Southeast Division, there have surprisingly still been some bright spots for the team. The brights spots have been mainly with the improved play of PG Jason Williams and PF Udonis Haslem.
PG Jason Williams: Williams is in his 3rd season with the Miami Heat and arguably doing his best out of the 3. A probable reason for his improvement is because he finally got rid off his knee ailments that have been plaguing him for the last 3 years. During the off-season, he had knee surgery and lost 15 pounds. He publicly said that "he was in the best shape of his career." So, with improved health and conditioning, he has gotten back to his old speedy, explosive form.
As of today, Jason Williams is averaging 11.3 points per game, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, and close to 2 steals a game. Along with those impressive numbers, Williams field goal percentage is 40% and he is averaging 36 minutes a game, which is a 6 minute increase from last year and the best of his entire career.
Almost every single statistical category has improved from last year and the former Florida Gator is acting as a point guard that is controlling the offense effectively. Another headline about Williams stats is his 7 assists per game. That's the best of his Miami Heat career, and an increase of almost 2 assists per game from last year.
Overall, Jason Williams has been very effective for Miami this year and he looks to run the offense even better when super-star Dwyane Wade returns from injury.
Now, Udonis Haslem:
PF Udonis Haslem: Wow, there's almost too much to say about this hard-working kid. As of the beginning of the season, UD had the honor and privilege of being deemed The Captain of the Miami Heat by head coach Pat Riley. "We didn't have any official captains last year, but Udonis is really the heart and soul of this team now," Riley said.
Along with being named team captain, Haslem is by far enduring his best statistical season in his 5 years as a member of the Heat. Although the season is still very young, Haslem is averaging an impressive double-double, with 14 points and 10 boards a game. But, Haslem is also doing things that don't show up in a box score. He hustles and plays out his heart and soul every single game. Whether it be diving for a ball or getting multiple offensive rebounds or never giving up on a play, Udonis is really proving why he should be the captain of the Miami Heat. Hopefully his play, along with the return of D-Wade, the Heat will get back to their 2006 championship form.
PG Jason Williams: Williams is in his 3rd season with the Miami Heat and arguably doing his best out of the 3. A probable reason for his improvement is because he finally got rid off his knee ailments that have been plaguing him for the last 3 years. During the off-season, he had knee surgery and lost 15 pounds. He publicly said that "he was in the best shape of his career." So, with improved health and conditioning, he has gotten back to his old speedy, explosive form.
As of today, Jason Williams is averaging 11.3 points per game, 7 assists, 3 rebounds, and close to 2 steals a game. Along with those impressive numbers, Williams field goal percentage is 40% and he is averaging 36 minutes a game, which is a 6 minute increase from last year and the best of his entire career.
Almost every single statistical category has improved from last year and the former Florida Gator is acting as a point guard that is controlling the offense effectively. Another headline about Williams stats is his 7 assists per game. That's the best of his Miami Heat career, and an increase of almost 2 assists per game from last year.
Overall, Jason Williams has been very effective for Miami this year and he looks to run the offense even better when super-star Dwyane Wade returns from injury.
Now, Udonis Haslem:
PF Udonis Haslem: Wow, there's almost too much to say about this hard-working kid. As of the beginning of the season, UD had the honor and privilege of being deemed The Captain of the Miami Heat by head coach Pat Riley. "We didn't have any official captains last year, but Udonis is really the heart and soul of this team now," Riley said.
Along with being named team captain, Haslem is by far enduring his best statistical season in his 5 years as a member of the Heat. Although the season is still very young, Haslem is averaging an impressive double-double, with 14 points and 10 boards a game. But, Haslem is also doing things that don't show up in a box score. He hustles and plays out his heart and soul every single game. Whether it be diving for a ball or getting multiple offensive rebounds or never giving up on a play, Udonis is really proving why he should be the captain of the Miami Heat. Hopefully his play, along with the return of D-Wade, the Heat will get back to their 2006 championship form.
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