Heat Continue To Seperate Themselves From Competition With Win In Houston

If you watch the highlight from last nights game, you do not see LeBron James at all which is saying something about the chemistry that is getting created on the court as Dwayne Wade dropped 45 points to notch his second consecutive game of 40+ points.

Houston certainly put a great effort on the court as well which made for an entertaining contest as they kept the game relatively close the majority of the game. "This was a tough game for us," Wade said. "We gave up 119 points, and that's not Miami ball. Houston played unbelievable."

 However, Wade's focus on the game was unquestionable as he missed a couple of minutes of the game because he took an elbow to the jaw that required stitches. With the stitches in his mouth he continued to drive the lane and split defenses with a ferocity in which the stitches may have added to his contributions to the night.

"For the majority of athletes, when they get angry, they lose their focus, composure and poise," Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. "But he's one of the few that the exact opposite happens. He was angry after that hit, and he was bleeding. But you could see, after that point, an absolute laser focus and poise, and he didn't let his anger get the best of him."

One shot that signified the night was Wade's shot from the top of the key that bounced around like a roulette ball on the rim that eventually went in.

With the win, the Heat's final record for the month of December is 15-1 which nearly came close to matching the 1978 Lakers mark of 16 wins in the month of December.

"We're just a different team now," James said. "We go out and understand that no matter what the course of the game may bring, we can always will ourselves to win, get enough stops, and make enough plays to win a basketball game."

The Heat will attempt to continue their winning ways against the Golden State Warriors on New Years Day at the American Airlines Arena at 7:30.

Wade's 40 Enough to Roll Past Knicks

In a the second match up of the season, the Miami Heat rolled past the New York Knicks for their 24th win of the season and their 15th of December.

This time it was not LeBron James leading the way but Wade who dropped a season high 40 points on the Knicks who put up a good fight, but in the end were overwhelmed by the star talent on the court that produces not only on the offensive side but on the defensive side as well. Within in this 15-1 streak the Heat have held every opponent under 100 points, in fact a good amound of teams have struggled to hit 90. This is the type of stat that certainly puts the Heat back into the conversation of the best team in the league, although there are many within the conversation including the Dallas Mavericks who gave the Heat their lone loss of the month. This also puts the Heat right on track on LeBron James schedule who said the team will be playing their best ball entering January.

The Knicks just did not seem to have an answer for Wade as he entered the fourth quarter with 25 points and scored 15 in the final frame. This was big because the Heat led by 22 at one point  I think most importantly of Wade's 40 points were James's 18 points. This shows that they are starting to gel as a team and teammates. James took a step back tonight and let Wade go off. That is what this team needs to do to continue to be successful and it appears that they are starting to operate on all cylinders.

The greatest show on court next takes its talents to Houston where they will face the Rockets at 8:30. The Rockets are coming off a win against the Washington Wizards and have an extra day of rest in between games. This is going to be challenging for the Heat as they traveled last night and have to play today. However, if they continue to produce at the level they are currently operating at, then it should not be an obstacle to overcome.

Retraction A Good Thing? LeBron Thinks So

Yesterday, LeBron James stirred the tabloid pot once again yesterday as he suggested that contratraction would be a good thing for the NBA. "Hopefully the league can figure out one way where it can go back to the '80s where you had three or four All-Stars, three or four superstars, three or four Hall of Famers on the same team. The league was great. It wasn't as watered down as it is [now]," James said. This statement comes at an odd time for me as I once disdained the NBA for their sub-par product. What started as a reason to think the NBA was sub-par talent to college basketball was reaffirmed with the search for talent and marquee names to replace Michael Jordan seemed like a lost cause. The San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Piston championship low rated championship runs also reaffirmed that the NBA was producing a sub par form of entertainment.

Fast forward to the present where the NBA is currently producing their finest form of entertainment since Micheal Jordon retired led by none other than LeBron James. With James opting to take his talents to South Beach, the interest NBA skyrocketed and sell outs proceeded to pop up all over the country; an instant jolt to the NBA just as LeBron entered his prime. With this jolt, the talk of 'trio's' begun, more specifically three superstars on one team is the best chance a team can have to win a championship with reference to the superstar teams of the Celtics and Lakers in the 1980's and the 1990's Bulls, Rockets as well as the Detroit Pistons, San Antionio Spurs and the current day Los Angeles Lakers all used this formula to win numerous championships.

For whatever reason, LeBron James was criticized for tryng to follow this formula, but that is not the case. The case is if Carmelo Anthony goes to the Knicks, the NBA's product is going to continue to skyrocket and follow the trend of more superstars on one team in order to win a championship. If this is the case, this would support LeBron James's comments in support of  contraction of NBA teams in order to make a better product on the court. However, I do not know if this is an issue of the product on the court or the dollars in the owners pockets.

I feel that the NBA is currently putting its best product on the court since Micheal Jordon and is not in need of retraction. Teams can get better, just look at what the Atlanta Hawks have been able to do over the five years with proper free agent spending accompanied with home grown talent has produced one of the top five teams in the Eastern Conference. However, I do not know the financial dealings of the NBA and do not know what is truly the best route for the NBA to take. These are uncertain economic times and it appears that the NBA is no different than many of the corporations facing difficult economic times. They would like to lower their work force to save money. With contraction comes serious layoffs such as what will the front office of the Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves do if their team is disbanded. Would it make for a better product? Perhaps, but I do not think it should happen as the interest of the NBA has recovered since MJ retired and they can thank one person: LeBron James.

No Dwayne, No Problem. Heat Roll Past Suns

With Dwayne Wade sitting out due to a stiff hamstring, LeBron James and Chris Bosh had a chance to really let loose within the offense. James finished with a game high 36 points while Bosh contributed 23 in a 95-83 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

"We played the majority of our offense through LeBron and Chris, and they really carried us at times and make the game easier for our other guys," Head Coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We got enough games from them and ball movement at key times to close out the win."

The win comes after the Dallas Mavericks snapped a 12 game winning streak that got the Heat back on track  for the season bringing them the second best record in the Eastern Conference; second only to the Boston Celtics who are currently riding a 14 game winning streak. The win is the Heats 8th straight on the road and they look to make it 9 against the Lakers on Saturday as they travel to Los Angeles to take on the Kobe Bryant in a Christmas Day match up.

Mavericks Snap Heat Streak at 12

From the opening tip off, it did not seem like it was going to be the Miami Heat's night. The Mavericks came out hot by building a 14-2 lead and eventually won the game 98-96. For the score to be this close on an off night is not that bad, but at the end of the day, the Celtics are riding a 13 game winning streak and do not seem to be slowing down. Symbolically this has ramifications, but with the new year still a week away, it is not detrimental.

For whatever reason, the Miami Heat were out of sync from the gecko. LeBron James developed a bad habit of leaving his feet while trying to find an open teammate. Throughout the night LeBron tried to drive the lane, leave his feet and try to find an open man. At times it worked, but at times would roll out of bounds. The Heat closed out the first quarter strong and actually gained a one point lead going into the second quarter led by James. This habit could have been a facet of unselfish play as late in the game with 30 seconds left, Dwayne Wade had an opportunity to take an open 15 footer but opted to pass it out to Mario Chalmers whose only option with 5 seconds left on the shot clock was to pass to an open Chris Bosh who missed a three pointer; this is not overly surprising as Bosh hit a big three Saturday night against the Wizards. In any event, the Heat did not resemble the team that was riding a 12 game win streak into the game.

The effort seemed lack luster which led to numerous loose balls not going the Heats way. Was there something that was happening behind the scenes that led to two of the three superstars not producing 20 points (Bosh and James both had 19) with Wade finishing with 22. Could there have been an effort to spread the ball out more to other teammates which resulted in James Jones and Mario Chalmers finishing with more than 10 points each?  There could have been, but the Mavericks just seemed to be the more motivated team on the court tonight; perhaps even the more talented team. They have an all-star line up in Dirk Nowitzski, Jason Terry, Tyson Chandler, Shawn Marion, Caron Butler with Jason Kidd leading them. They all played well and it turned out to be to big of a test for the Heat to meet tonight.

The Heat travel west tonight as they will take on the Phoenix Suns Thursday night and travel to Los Angeles in on of the most anticipated match ups of the NBA season. Not only will LeBron (or Wade) be taking on Kobe, but it will be on Christmas day with the nation watching. The Heat fall to 21-9 on the season and 12-4 at the American Airlines Arena.

Wade Seals 12th Straight Win at the Line

The Miami Heat passed the character test tonight as the Washington Wizards held a two possession lead with less than 30 seconds to plays, but the Heat were able to pull out a thrilling 95-94 victory.

Chris Bosh hit a big three pointer with 28 seconds left to breathe some life into the Heat as they completed the victory. What was important about this shot was that it set up Bosh pump faked his way to three free throw shots with 12 seconds left and his team down by three. Unfortunately Bosh did not make the three shots, but James Jones came up big on the next round of free throws for the Heat to tie the game up. After Kirk Hienrich failed to hit two free throws after being fouled, Dwyane Wade proceeded to take the ball up the court, drive the lane and hit both shots to put the Heat up by one. In Washington's final possession Heinrich drove the lane, put up a lay up, tried to sell a foul, but a foul was not called with Wade gaining possession and throwing it up in the air as time expired.

This was exactly what the Heat needed and certainly serves as one of those wins that you can look back on and realize how important a win like this is. It showed that the Heat can perform when the pressure is on. The Heat have passed alot of tests during this 12 game win streak, but the biggest test will be against the Celtics in which they have two more opportunities this season to get wins against them; one on February 13th and another on April 10th. However, the Heat's next test will come Monday night as they host the Dallas Mavericks Monday night at the American Airlines Arena.

James Triple Double Leads Heat Past Knicks at Garden

In LeBron's 'Return' to Madison Square Garden, home to one of his pursuers in the previous off season, he did not disappoint as he usually does not when he visits New York.

Whenever LeBron visits the Garden, it usually turns out to be a spectacle. In the end, LeBron dropped 32 points 10 assists and 11 rebounds while his teammates Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh did the rest each dropping 26 points.

"This is a great building," James said. "Myself and D-Wade talk about it all the time. Certain buildings in this league that you just thrive on and you're excited about, and this being the mecca of basketball as a kid you always envision not only playing in the NBA but also having a chance to play in Madison Square Garden."


James was obviously booed as many fans in attendance thought that they would be rooting for him this season instead of against him. One such incident was when James was resting in between plays and got an ear full from Spike Lee who was obviously in attendance. James performance not only left Lee going home disappointed, but also the sold out crowd of Madison Square Garden. James and Co. return to action tomorrow night as they travel to Washington to take on the Wizards.

New York Knicks-Miami Heat Make Me Think of Oooonne Thing

A Little Late, but Just Found This Video

The Heat Make It 10 In A Row Against Cleveland!

In the much less anticipated match up between the Cleveland Cavilers and the Miami Heat, the Heat walked away with their 10th straight win to solidify their position in second place in the Eastern Conference standings.

The game obviously received less hype because it was just LeBron going against his former team, not LeBron returning to Cleveland. In this match-up he did not score as many points and did not play with the fierce attitude that he played in Cleveland just a couple weeks ago. He only scored 21 points as opposed to his 35 he dropped on the Cavilers the last time they faced each other. The story of this game however, was Dwayne Wade as he came alive in the forth quarter to score 18 of his 28 points.

The Cavilers kept it close for the majority of the game and even had it within four with one minute to play. The Heat kept off their last run to close out the game for their tenth straight victory. What as propelled the Heat to 10 straight victories as certainly been the play of Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Dwayne Wade, but every so often a bench player will come onto the court and be a factor. That person for this game was Mario Chalmers, who certainly has the potential to be a good scorer in the NBA, but has not found his consistent stroke yet. Chalmers finished with 14 points on the night. James Jones has also been that player in previous games and was that person again as he contributed 14 points.

The winning streak is tied for forth longest in team history and certainly the longest of the season. The Heat will look to continue their winning streak as they travel to Indiana to face the Pacers on Friday night. They quickly return home to host New York and Utah Saturday and Monday night.

I Think This is When LeBron Really Made His Decision On Who He Wanted As A Teammate

Heat Prep For Hornets, Look for Ninth Straight

The Miami Heat are in for redemption tonight as they finish up their four game road trip tonight as they travel to New Orleans to take on Chris Paul and the Hornets.

The Heat look to avenge an early season loss against the Hornets which saw Dwayne Wade pass up an opportunity to win the game with an open three at the top of the key and pass it to Eddie House who missed. House has seen little playing time and even less shots since that game; not saying that one moment is the reason why he has not, its probably just his overall lack of production.

The Heat have fared better since they abandoned their unselfish ways, well I should not say Heat, but rather Dwayne Wade and LeBron games have abandoned their unselfish way but for the better of the team. Since the start of this eight game winning streak, Wade and James production have sky rocketed as they find their identity as a running team. Another strong point that has come around in this winning streak has been the third installment of the three superstars, that being Chris Bosh. Bosh has found a balance, and realizing the importance, of his presence down low as a rebounder as well as the third option on the offense. Together, it is not far fetched that this trio can average 70 points a night collectively as been the case during this winning streak. They will be tested on the defensive side of the ball as well as the New Orleans Hornets come in boasting one of the best point guards in the NBA in Chris Paul.

Heat Make it Seven in a Row

The fastest show on earth tooks its talents to the west coast this past week where they rallied off their seventh straight victory last night and look for their eighth tonight against the Sacramento Kings.

With the short road trip and the way the Heat have been playing during this win streak does not look to be slowing down anytime soon. Check that, I should say the way Dwayne Wade and LeBron James have been playing during this win streak. The Dyamanic Duo have been leaving defenses straight baffled on the fast break. The two's combine speed in transition is sheerly mesmerizing as they put the installed their latest transition highlight last night.



The commentators reaction, or lack their of I should say, says it all: nothing, just silence for 10 seconds after they let out a wow. With the two gelling on the level that they are right now, it is hard press to see the Heat post a loss tonight. LeBron is also visiting the first place he ever stepped foot on an NBA court.

LeBron and Dwayne are Gellin' Heat Win 6th Straight

The wonders of winning rears its head yet again as just a week and a half ago, the media was flooded with talks of Head Coach Erik Spolestras losing his job. After a players only meeting in the middle of those floods, the Heat have come out to win their sixth straight game.

The main reason for the recent show of excellence as been a showing of selfish play; not that I am saying that that is a bad thing, especially when LeBron James and Dwayne Wade are splitting the court running a transition offense. The duo is starting to reach a cerebral level as was shown last night as with each turnover or defensive rebound, the two were off to the races splitting the court, leaving Utah's defense at a stand still. They also left the crowd and the commentators standing still as well as with each alley-oop, each perfectly run fast break possession, the crowd was silent and the commentators just simply said "Wow."

All in all the duo combined an astonishing 64 points, with Chris Bosh pitching in 14. As stated earlier, this type of selfish play can be a good thing when you have LeBron James and Dwayne Wade on the court at the same time. A couple of stories ago, I said that the Heat did not have a style that would be their crutch in tough times, but I think throughout the this win streak, you are beginning to see what type of style works for them. Some stats that jump out: LeBron James and Dwayne Wade are 1 and 2 in the league in points scored in transition, there are only 3 others in the league with that same amount of production. Perhaps the most important stat of the game was the Miami Heat outscoring the Utah Jazz 34-20 in the forth quarter. Another significant stat was Big Z's double-double (16 pts, 10 rebounds).

"It was kind of pick your poison," Utah guard Deron Williams said. "It was just tough to defend." It was a tough lesson to learn for Williams, but he will not be the only guard in the league scratching his head after a match-up with these two. Up next for the Heat is a match up with the Golden State Warriors Saturday night, they round out their road trip in Sacramento on Sunday night before they come home on Tuesday night and host the New Orleans Hornets.

Bosh Breaks Out, Heat Defeat Hawks

In what could be a potential playoff match up against the Atlanta Hawks, the Miami Heat earned their fourth straight victory as they defeated the Hawks 89-77. This is the second consecutive game that the Heat have kept their opponent below 80 points which is certainly a sign of relief as they should never be short on offense.

Chris Bosh had his best game of the year as he finally put his rebounding game and offensive attack together as he registered 27 points and 10 rebounds; his first double-double of the year. The offensive stats are astounding for this game as their was only 14 points scored by three players not named LeBron James, Dwayne Wade or Chris Bosh. This could mark a turning point for the team from going to an unselfish group of individuals to a selfish group; which is not necessary a bad thing.

In the past, both Wade and James looked as if they were forcing the ball to teammates to avoid speculation of being selfish players. In one instance earlier this year, Wade passed up a perfectly open shot at the top of the key to pass the ball to Eddie House for a game winner, but House missed it and the Heat lost. Now over the past four game stretch where the Heat have won, it seems that the Miami Thrice is turning into the Miami Heat. But that is why Pat Riley brought three of the best players in the NBA to one team for instances like this. He did not bring them onto get role players involved, he brought them on to dominate the court which is certainly what they did last night.

They will take this momentum to the road for a four game road trip which will have stops in Milwaukee, Utah, Golden State and Sacramento. They will not be home again until they host the New Orleans Hornets on December 13th.

24 Points in One Quarter, LeBron Wins in 'The Return'

In one of the most anticipated games that Cleveland has seen in the past seven years, outside of his LeBron James debut, the Miami Heat walked out of the Quicken Loans Center (probably one of the worst names for an arena) with an easy 118-90 victory. More importantly though, LeBron left the arena with a sense of vindication.

I am not going to waste your time with how much this game met to the city of Cleveland because if you have paid any attention to the sports world over the past 6 months, you should have a pretty good gist of it. As for the on-court performance, James certainly shined and put all the negative energy that was aimed at him from Cleveland, right back in their face. James was so efficient that he did not even play the fourth quarter but was still able to score 38 points on the night, accompanied with 8 assists and 5 rebounds. What may have motivated him to this performance was the boos he received in pre-game introductions. Ironically, following the boos of James was the cheers for Zydrunas Ilgauskas who was also making his return to Cleveland as well.

The reasons why LeBron left Cleveland are shown in the box score of the Cavilers. The only player to register more than 20 points was by backup point guard Daniel Gibson. The man that was LeBron's running mate in Cleveland, Moe Williams, only accounted for 11 points. LeBron's running mate in Miami however, Dwayne Wade, provided a second level of offense for the Heat as he registered 22 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. James outscored Clevelands starting lineup by 10.

As for reactions from the game they were as expected, business like. James said that "so many things went through my mind, I have nothing bad to say about these fans at all. We grew from the year before I got here, a 17-win season to the last two years I was here, we had the best team in the league in the regular season. I understand their frustration. I was frustrated also because we didn't accomplish what we wanted to. I wish this organization and these fans, who are great, the best."

Now that this game has come and gone, the Heat can get back to business as they host the Atlanta Hawks tomorrow night before they hit the road on a four game road trip. With the win, the Heat improve to 12-8 and win their third straight which as certainly quieted the critics calling for Head Coach's Erik Spolestra's job. "It felt like a playoff game for us," Spoelstra said. Ahh, the wonders that winning will do for an organization.

Heat Roll Past Pistons, Last Tune Up Before 'The Return'

The Miami Heat's big three, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, led a balanced attack en route to tonight's 97-72 win at the American Airlines Arena.

Although it was a balanced attack, it was not the balanced attack that led them to victory Monday night against the Washington Wizards that had the three accumulate 70 points. Tonight the three players only provided 50 points, but that is all they needed too as their defensive performance was more than this team needed tonight as they only allowed 72 points. Tonight's performance actually gave Miami's big three something that they have not collectively had all season; a break. Each player has been averaging close to 35 minutes a game, especially LeBron James who registered a season low 31 minutes tonight. Wade, who has been nursing a wrist injury for the past week, only registered 18 minutes while Bosh registered 29.

This accumulated rest has a unit, created new opportunities for other players outside of Miami Thrice. One player that I have been very high on this season who came in with low expectations is Juwan Howard. Howard registered 12 points tonight along with 4 rebounds and continues to be a productive veteran as he came to the aid of a flagrant foul against the Wizards which resulted in an ejection. This was possibly the most balanced scoring the Heat have shown this season as the only two players who did not score was Joel Anthony and Eric Dampier.

This game is exactly what the Miami Heat needed as they are coming off a streak where they lost 4 of 5. This is the Heat's second win in a row as they look to make it 3 in a row as they travel to Cleveland tomorrow night. I do not have to say how anticipated this game is as if you have had any type of ear to the sports world over the past five months, you would realize that this marks LeBron James first game in Cleveland since he packed his bags for South Beach. I have to say that Cleveland is certainly more excited for this game than any other city in the country. After the voodoo curses by radio dj's, the absurd reactions by the owner and fans of Cleveland; their inability to let go of LeBron's decision to leave certainly will add to the atmosphere. Unfortunately, the only choice for these fans is to boo him relentlessly. If they do not, they would just be as much of cowards as they perceive LeBron; no matter how false their pretense is. I really have only one statement for Cleveland: "You SHOULD get over it"

Wade Shots Himself Outta Funk, Heat Earn Win

Dwayne Wade and LeBron James had their second best outing as a duo in terms of point scored tonight as they combined for 56 points. Their highest total of the season as a duo was 59 against the Utah Jazz in which the Heat blew a 20 point lead. Tonight, the Heat kept their starters in even with a 20-point lead as that game I'm sure loomed in Erik Spolestras head as he as been in the center of the Heat's sub-par start.

What was surprising about the point total was that Wade only had four points at the end of the first half. He came out shooting the lights out of the American Airlines Arena in the third quarter though. There was about five straight possessions where Wade was the only player touching the ball. His first half was plagued by injuries as his attacking style leaves him vulnerable to re-injury as he was nursing a wrist injury from the previous week. Wade was relentless at attacking the basket tonight as many of his points came in the paint and from the free throw line as he had 10 from the charity stripe.

James quietly contributed 30 points tonight as Wade certainly earned more style points tonight. James was in the middle of the head coaching controversy this week as he bumped into head coach Erik Spolestra against the Dallas Mavericks spawning countless callings for the coaches job. The team did perform tonight and the big name free agents certainly showed up as they combined for 76 points of the teams 105. Chris Bosh is also finding his game as the big man of this group as his rebounding totals have been up along with his defensive play and points.

The Heat will only have one day off before they host the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night before the much anticipated match up of the Miami Heat versus the Cleveland Cavilers, LeBron's former team. With a successful attempt at live blogging tonight, I will once again provide a live blogging for this Wednesday nights game against the Detroit Pistons.

Heat Versus Wizards Live Blog!

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Heat Versus Wizards Live Blog!

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This Cant Be Good

Now everybody on the Miami Heat can all play the 'keep it cool' card, the 'its still early in the season,' card, the 'everything is going to be alright,' card, but actions speak louder than words. LeBron James bumping Erik Spoelstra during a timeout against the Dallas Mavricks has said more about the teams status than any post game bit could have.

Heat Lose Again, Wade Struggles Continue

With each game surpassing the previous in expectations for the Miami Heat, they fell short for the third straight time as they lost against the Orlando Magic 104-95.

As most stories that start with the Heat this year, LeBron James led the offensive attack as he shot %50 percent from the field for 25 points and four assists. What seems to be holding the team back from achieving balance on the court can be summed up by Dwayne Wade's body language he as shown through out the course of the year. It is not a careless demeanor, but one of not being happy. Wade only shot less than %30 from the field for 18 points, but did collect 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Outside of shooting Wade had a good night, but when he struggles to find his rhythm, his teams suffers, mainly because he is taking away shots from James.

The Magic showed balance in all aspects of the game as they wanted to prove a statement that they were the better team to reside in the Sunshine State. Dwight Howard took care of the basketball under the rim with 18 rebounds and Jameer Nelson took care of the basketball from the point guard position with 14 assists. With those assists totals, the team really showcased their balance scoring by having the high scorer (Howard) score only 24 points while the team eclipsed the 100 point mark. The only other player to score 20 points was J.J. Redick.

If LeBron was not having fun before, its has to be getting downright frustrating for him now. The Heat are now in position to fall to .500 for the first time this season if they lose one more game with a record of 8-7. They have no real crutch to fall on in terms of go to style that would bring them a victory. Think Pittsburgh Steelers with their defense. They currently rank 11th in the league in scoring, 19th in rebounding, 20th in assists. So whats the team to do? Well facing the 76ers may be a good place to start as they currently hold a win over them this season. In a game too in which they dominated. Tip off is for 7:30 Friday night at the American Airlines Arena where they are 6-3 on the year.

Phil Jackson Calls Out Erik Spoelstra

Not being one to hold his tongue, Phil Jackson said that if the Heat do not turn the season around, that it would be certainly possible that Pat Riley takes on the Head Coaching responsibilities of the Miami Heat. Now I do not think that these comments are out of line because Jackson is referencing a precedent because this has happened before. In 2002-2003 season, Riley replaced Stan Van Gundy as the Head Coach and sure enough, he delivered a championship.

Would Riley do that again? One would think not, but there is too much riding on this season for that not to be an option. Would the Heat have blown a 20 point lead at home against the Utah Jazz if Riley was the Head Coach? Possibly. Would they have gotten blown out against the Indiana Pacers when they desperately needed a win if Riley was the coach? Possibly. Would they have at least one good showing against the Boston Celtics if Riley was the coach? Once again, possibly.

Another question that arises is whether Riley wants the job or not. The Head Coach is a very stressful situation mainly because of day to day dealings with the media. Riley's current position, The President, gives hime the luxury of not being in the spotlight. However, Jackson's comments may have stirred the competitive spirirt of Riley back onto the bench as he is known as a winner. Whatever happens, tonight's game against the Magic is going to say a lot about where the Heat are and where they are going and could serve as a good barometer for the Heat's front office. Players have been known to rally for coaches on the verge of losing their job, I feel that if the effort is not there by the Heat tonight, the domino's may start falling.  

Heat Reach Low Point

It can not get much worse for the Miami Heat as they were embarrassed yet again on their home court against a middle of the road team in the Indiana Pacers. The score itself, 93-77, sums up the performance for the team.

LeBron James once again proved to be the constant on this team as he registered 25 points 5 rebounds and 6 assists. However, his running mate Wade as yet to find his stride on a game in- game out basis as he went 1-13 from the floor and only registered three points on the night. The lone bright spot of the Heat may have been Chris Bosh registering his first double-double of the season as he had 21 points and 11 rebounds.

Entering the game with a series of injuries the Heat were left only four players coming off of the bench in James Jones, Eddie House, Jamal Magloure and Juwan Howard; not the deepest bench. With this being one of the question marks entering the season, it seems that there is some truth to the speculation on the Heat's depth outside of LeBron James and Dwayne Wade: the only player to score off the bench was Jamaal Maglouire.
The question becomes where do they go from here? Well, I guess the first would be to get healthy. Wade was playing with a wrist injury while they also lost their best player coming off of the bench, Udonis Haslem, to a foot injury. Star-shooter Mike Miller return remains a month away as well. Unfortunately the sports world as a tendency to ruin hype with injuries which is the current case with the Miami Heat. The stories are slowing down on ESPN's 'Heat Index,' while the crowds are starting to leave earlier. The calling for Head Coach Eric Spolestra firing may also be on the horizon due to the current President's track record for championships; something that is looking more and more difficult with each passing game.

One staggering stat is the only one that matters, the win-loss column. At this point last year, the Heat were 9-5 while they just dropped to 8-6 with this loss and whose weaknesses seem to be getting exposed with each passing game. With the injuries piling up for Wade, defenses may start focusing on him which will put additional pressure on LeBron James to perform, something that he was looking to get away from in Cleveland. Speaking of Cleveland, the December 2nd match-up looms closer, but the Heat have some challenges before that game; mainly Orlando Wednesday night.

Although the trip will be relatively short, it may seem longer on the ride home if the Heat fail to perform. This will be a difficult task as the Magic crowd will surely be energized for the interstate rivalry. Accompany this with the aspect that the Heat are currently facing depth problems, a strong point for the Magic, and also lack the size to manage Dwight Howard, it may be a long night in Orlando and even a longer ride home.

Balanced Attack Leads Heat Past Raptors

With the latest issue behind him, his playing time, LeBron James cleared up the air once again as he felt his comments after the loss to the Boston Celtics were taking out of contexts. With the air cleared on the latest issue, the Miami Heat took to the court in front of a pack house eager to hit the streets of Miami for a Saturday night on the town.

James once again led the team in playing time as he registered 23 points 11 assists and 2 rebounds in his 39 minutes on the floor. His running mate Dwayne Wade led all scorers with 31 points as the dynamic duo continue to be a problem for teams not named the Boston Celtics. Unfortunately for the Miami front office, it is becoming harder and harder to put Chris Bosh in the same equation as his teammates for the reason the team is dominating on the court. Once again he failed to reach the 10 rebound mark and was out performed by teammate Udonis Haslem who registered a double-double with 10 rebounds and 10 point. Bosh was only able to register 23 minutes on the nights contest due to foul trouble.

The Toronto Raptors kept the game close and presented a challenge to the Miami Heat. The Raptors performance seemed to be stemmed from the energy from the crowd as teams seem to be playing their best basketball against the Heat, i.e. the Celtics. From the opening game of the season, each Heat game, especially at home, as had an added energy to them with no doubt teams getting extra amped to try to register a win against the most hyped team in recent history. The fact that the Raptors was the former team of Bosh also added to the teams energy. "There was no added incentive ... no emotion," said Raptors guard Jarrett Jack, a close Bosh friend for years going back to their time together at Georgia Tech. "It was all about beating the Miami Heat and we didn't get that done." The Raptors were only down four points with six and a half minutes left, but an offensive surge led by Wade and James gave the Heat some cushion as they went on a 12-2 run.

The Heat will close out their six game home stand by hosting the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night while hosting the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday night and then travel to Memphis to round out the weeks match ups. As the hype machine continues to fall victim to the media's obsession with them, James is already answering questions about his return to Cleveland on Dec. 2 and ESPN is already having a countdown to a Christmas match-up against the Lakers. "It's too early for me to think about," James said on the upcoming match-ups. Which it is.

Heat Fall To Celtics....Again

Their was a lot on the line last night as the Miami Heat hosted the Boston Celtics. For one, the Heat were trying to overcome an season opening loss against the Celtics where they were embarrassed on National TV. They were looking not to lose consecutive home games to move within one game of falling to .500. They were looking for their swagger that is needed in big games and they accomplished neither as they failed to show up and were once again embaressed by the Celtics

Historically there was something on the line too that does involve Michael Jordon and it is not the 72-10 mark that the Heat are supposedly chasing. I say supposedly because if you ask anybody on the team I'm sure that they would not agree that they are chasing that record, but aiming to win a championship. This is just another product that is the hype machine of modern day media. But historically, I will say that Ray Allen has solidified a spot as the greatest clutch performer since MJ. Allen set the tone for the Celtics as he connected on his first seven three pointers.

The play that wraps up the Heats night is Rajon Rondo's dunk on Chris Bosh who pretty much gave him a free pass to the rack. This signifies the softness that this team possesses on the defensive side of the ball; especially under the rim. Yes, LeBron James and Dwayne Wade are spectacular on the defensive side of the ball, but that is only so much when the weak point of this team is below the rim, Bosh's territory. Bosh once again failed to break the 10 rebound mark (James had 10).The Heat's lack the size makes it hard for them to match the swagger that the Celtics have, especially under the rim. The intensity of Kevin Garnett that not only fuels the likes of Glen 'Big Baby' Davis, but also fuels Shaquelle O'Neal, Jermaine O'Neal and when the angry Kendrick Perkins comes back, it is going to be very difficult for the Heat to keep up with the Celtics in the rebounding sector of the game.

James showed up for the game and seems to be the only constant in this teams offense. He narrowly missed his second straight triple double by coming up one assist short. Wade did not break the 10 point mark and was held to 8 points while not registering his first bucket until the third quarter. The only other positive that the Heat had on the night was the play of Udonis Haslem who registered 21 points. The Heat have a lot of work to do and you can hear it in the post-game comments. The "It's still early in the season," was pretty relevant in the answer they had after the game. It is early in the season, but a great athlete once said "It's getting late early,"- Yogi Berra.

The Heat will have another go around tonight with the Toronto Raptors at the American Airlines Arena. With the Raptors sitting at a 2-7 record, this should be an easy win. I expect Miami Thrice to be in full effect tonight as they attempt to avenge the loss against the Celtics.

Celtics Travel to Town for Round 2

In what will surely be a preview to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics will travel to Miami to take on the Heat.

The Heat are coming off a heart breaking loss at the hands of the Utah Jazz while the Celtics are also coming off of a heartbreaking loss at the hands of the Dallas Mavericks. This is an eliminate that was missing from the first game that will surely favor the Heat in this match up. Shaq has a couple games under his belt and is beginning to show signs of breaking down as he already as a knee injury to deal with so I'd imagine his minutes will be limited tonight. Jermaine O'Neal does not appear that he will be playing either so Chris Bosh may actually have a very productive game tonight. However, the Celtics depth at this position is certainly amplified as they still have Glen "Big Baby" Davis and Kevin Garnett can still be listed as a center at 7 feet.

The Heat need to take the lessons learned against the Jazz and apply it to this game. The Heat were victims of their own success in their last game as they have played with 20 point leads in three of their last four games prior to the Jazz Tuesday night. They need to learn how to keep those leads to the end of regulation, but this is just one reason why LeBron has publicly stated that this team will not be at its fullest potential until after the new year. And I must commend Head Coach Eric Spolestra for the job he has done handling these superstars as he was one of the question marks entering this season. Tip off will be set for 8pm and maybe just a good enough reason for me to pop my Downtown cherry and hop on a bus to soak in what will surely be a festive atmosphere.

Heat Blow 22 Point Lead, James Registers First Triple-Double

There were a lot of disappointed Miami Heat fans last night that left the American Airlines Arena as they were left befuddled to the fact that their team blew a 22 point lead. Befuddled to the fact that their two best players, Dwayne Wade and LeBron James, both had their best games of their year on the same night.

Wade registered 39 points as was 12-16 from the floor and 3-5 from three point range; he was also featured on another 'Dunk of the Night,' by ESPN. In overtime as he took the ball up the court, he got selfish and took the ball to the rack by himself reminding us of why he was nicknamed 'Flash.' James also had his best game of the year as he posted a triple double to further provide evidence of his role within this team. He registered 14 assists, 11 rebounds and 20 points. Once again, James out rebounded Chris Bosh who has been under performing at this all season.

The loss comes as a surprise to many due to the manor that it came in and by the individual who delivered the blows, Paul Milsap.  Millsap, who finished 19 of 28 from the field, had been a 2-for-20 shooter from 3-point range in his career -- then went 3 for 3 against Miami in the final minute.

The Heat will have to forget this game pretty quickly as their main competition to win the Eastern Conference, The Boston Celtics, comes to town. In their last meeting, the Celtics handed the Heat their first loss of the season in pretty convincing fashion. However, the Heat have shown alot of improvement since that game and will look to even the score on the season series. This game will provide an intense atmosphere as floor seats are selling for close to $12,000 each. Injuries surround the Celtics as Shaquille O'Neal will not practice today as he is nursing a knee injury. Fellow Celtics big man Jermaine O'Neal will also not be on the floor tomorrow as he is also nursing an injury. This gives an advantage to the Miami as the Celtics other big man, Kendrick Perkins, is still nursing an injury he suffered in this previous post-season and will not be with the team until the beginning of December. Tip off is set for 8pm and will be aired nationally on TNT.

Heat Smoke Nets, Prep For Jazz

The hybrid known as LeBron James and Dwayne Wade reared its ugly head against the hapless Nets this past Saturday at the American Airlines Arena in front of a sold out crowd in the second game of their four game home stand.

Both Wade and James had magnificent dunks that were certainly poster worthy, but the best came when the two combined on an alley-op dunk towards the end of the third quarter. Wade set a James perfectly as he could have dunked the ball himself, but chose to set up friend/teammate James summing up their relationship on the court; unselfishness. Unfortunately this same unselfish play was the reason the Heat lost Friday night against the Hornets as Wade passed off an open jump shot to tie the game to pass it to an open Eddie House who missed the game tying three.

With the win, the Heat improved to 5-2 on the season and look to have another performance like this against the Utah Jazz who are entering the game with a 3-3 record. The Jazz are coming off a thrilling double OT game against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Jazz are still finding out what their identity is with All-Star Forward Carlos Boozer leaving town for the Chicago Bulls. The Jazz still have the most underrated player in the league in Deron Williams and Andrei Kirlenko but not much after that in terms of talent on the offensive end. Tip off for this game will at 730 and will air on NBA TV.

Hornets Swarm Past Heat

The Miami Heat suffered their second loss of the season against the very much underrated New Orleans Hornets.

Chris Paul showed why he is the leagues best point guard as he distributed a staggering 19 assists while contributing 13 points. Some care calling it the blue print to beat the Heat, I would have to disagree witht that because there is only one Chris Paul in the league which means there is only one player who could do what he did against the Heat; himself. Paul even out rebounded Chris Bosh on the night as he grabbed four rebounds while Bosh only grabbed two; one offensively and one defensively. Although it is not time to quit on Bosh yet as a productive big man, with each passing game, Bosh's inability to collect rebounds is growing more and more apparent.

This was not the only aspect of the Heat's game that was exposed last night. Carlos Arroyo, the listed starting point guard in the starting line up, only played 17 minutes, contributed 0 points and 1 assist. There was not much more production out of the non-Miami Thrice players. LeBron James and Dwayne Wade both scored more than 25 points a piece while James, who appears more and more everyday the point guard of this team, contributed 10 assists. Out of the dynamic duo, one stat that is becoming more and more alarming is the amount of turnovers this team is accumilating. Wade had 7 turnovers last night, a couple which came at the hands of Paul's 5 steals on the night. This ability to perform on the defensive side of the ball is one of the main reason's why Paul is considered an elite player in the NBA.

What ultimately was the deciding factor of the game was Wade passing up the last shot of the game; his strength, unselfishness, was also his weakness last night. Wade had a perfect shot lined up last night for him in the winding seconds of the game as he was left wide open at the top of the key for a potential game tying 3 pointer with two seconds left in regulation. Wade opted to pass off to Eddie House who was probably surprised himself that Wade would pass up an opportunity like that. This poor decision making by Wade may be the reason he is committing an inordinate amount of turnovers. However, this is a man who missed the entire pre-season and has yet to find his comfort zone on a day in- day out basketball schedule.

The Heat look to bounce back tonight as they host the New Jersey Nets which should be an easy win for them. The Heat defeated the Nets last week by a staggering 30 points. Tonight they will be playing host against a sell-out crowd at the American Airlines Arena in the heart of downtown Miami. Tonight marks the a four game home set for the Heat which will have them play host to the Utah Jazz on Monday, the Boston Celtics on Thursday and the Toronto Raptors, Bosh's old team, on Sunday. As Miami tourist season begins to pick up, more and more people will be coming down to see the Heat play.

Heat Face Competition Against Undefeated Hornets

The Miami Heat will actually face some competition tonight as they travel to face the very competent New Orleans Hornets tonight at 8pm.

The New Orleans Hornets offense starts and ends with the play of All-Star point guard Chris Paul. What makes Paul such a great basketball player is the same thing that makes LeBron James and Dwayne Wade great basketball players: unselfishness. Paul is the type of player that feeds off of setting up his teammates which makes him an ideal point guard. He currently leads the Hornets in scoring average (21.3) and assists (9.0) which makes him good for contributing close to 40 points a night.

Paul will have his hands full on the defensive side of the ball has James will be playing tonight after some speculation on his status due to a bruised right shin. With the Heat still trying to find their identity at the point guard position, Paul, an All-Defensive team player, may face up to three different players bringing the ball up the court as Wade and Carlos Arroyo will be playing the position along with James.This is one of the aspects that is going to make this Heat team so special is the different looks that they will presenting to each team. James at the point guard position makes an automatic mis-match at the position because of his sheer size. Wade's attacking nature also makes a difficult match up for any player at that position in the league. When Arroyo takes the ball up, expect him to set-up the two superstars.

This game will also serve as a good road test as the Heat foiled when they visited in Boston, while their other road game was against sub par New Jersey and Philadelphia. Expect the Hornets to be playing against a full house that will add energy to the defensive side of the ball as well as energize their offense. I am still currently working out the kinks on setting up live blogging. Look for announcements regarding this feature in the coming days.

Timberwolves Keep it Close....For a Half...

It was another day at the office for LeBron James and Co. as they hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves at the American Airlines Arena tonight for their second home game of the season. The Timberwolves showed signes of life until the third quarter when the Miami Heat broke the game open and eventually won 129-97.

As this team continues to perform its starting to look like this team will only be judged on big games. There is little commentary that can be produced from a game like this other than what was said from after the Philadelphia 76ers game which showed the Heat dominating to give their stars the forth quarter off. The team has been showing off their potential since Dwayne Wade has come around. As mentioned before on this blog, I felt that the first game against the Boston Celtics, Wade was emotionally drained from his child custody case in Chicago, but since putting his head on basketball, this team just seems to improve with each passing game.

Speaking of passing, LeBron reached the high mark for assists tonight by a registered forward for the Miami Heat with 12 assists. This is the first time all season James has surpassed the double digit mark in assists. This bodes well for a team with the superstar talent they possess because for one reason, it signifies non-selfishness. James Jones also continues to be very high as the first option outside the Miami Thrice; hit connected on 5 3-pointers tonight.

But the story of the game was certainly LeBron displaying his passing ability. Head Coach Eric Spolstra explains that "What I saw tonight out of LeBron was a high IQ game, he managed and dissected the game with his mind. He was baiting two guys on him, really playing with a poised tempo. He wasn't 100 percent tonight, but was able to make plays and really set up guys with wide-open shots."

The Heat will travel to New Orleans on Friday to take on the Hornets and will host the New Jersey Nets in their next home game on Saturday. You can catch the best recap for the Miami Heat games, right here on Southbeachking.blogspot.com.

Game Was Over By Fouth Against Nets

The Miami Heat continued their dominance on the court as they routed the New Jersey Nets 101-78 Sunday afternoon of this all Hallows eve.

It was a balanced attack for the first three quarters as none of the Miami Thrice played more than 30 minutes in this afternoons contest. However, each member contributed a nights contribution by the third quarter as each member had at least 17 points (Wade) while the others contributed 18 (Bosh) and 20 (James). Tonight's effort was more garbage minutes than anything as the four players of the bench (Illgaukas, House, Jones and Haslem) had roughly around 20 minutes or more in the contest.

Games such as this will mean little when the final tally of the season is created and the Heat may not face a meaningful match up until they host the Boston Celtics on November 11th. However, if the New Orleans Hornets can produce a viable match-up, that notion will be tested.

As for the game against the Nets, Wade explains that "The balance is what we are here together for," Wade said, "to have an opportunity to make the game easy on everyone and we're doing it. We're playing great team basketball and we're still not where we want to be, but we're making sure everyone gets an opportunity."

The New Jersey Nets got a show of what they could have been as the Nets were the first team that James visited in his free agent period. Unfortunately the Nets could not land the King and had to play witness to today's latest basketball masterpiece. The next masterpiece will take place Tuesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves and I would suspect the same treatment to them as was the Magic and Nets who may become part of a bigger list of teams who became victim of the NBA's latest circus. You can catch a recap here (and hopefully a live blog someday) of this teams latest act.

Heat Thrill Home Crowd In Home Opener

I did not really know what to feel going into Friday nights opener. I was in the downtown area that afternoon and you could feel the buzz in the air. The television crews, the signs supporting LeBron, it was finally here and in typical Miami fashion, they save the best for the weekends. Think it was a coincidence that they wanted that the Friday night spot and chose to play two games on the road?

The opening act was a little too Miami though. The music of Phil Collins did not really get me excited about the game of basketball, the video on the titan tron was equally trendy. In comparison to the opening that the Boston Celtics have, it was sub par at best. But too often too much, the conversation about the game of basketball often sways away from the court so onto the actual game and how the team did on the floor as Dwayne Wade showed what he really brings to the table.

It has been awhile since Wade has had a chance to perform on a stage like last night as the Heats Championship run was years ago followed by sub par performances by the Heat along with an injury. By attacking the basket and drawing fouls, Wade showed the potential that him and LeBron James will bring to the table each and every night. Outside of the two, the team flowed very smoothly as well. Just when you think that LeBron was touching the ball too much, he would work the ball around too Wade. And vice versa. I think Mark Jackson said it best when the dynamic duo hit their first alley oop of the night that really set the crowd off. "Batman to Robin, rewind, Robin to Batman, it dont matter who is who, its just two of the worlds best doing what they do."

And then they started hitting three pointers. Once when they started landing treys, it was over for the Orlando Magic whose normal three point threat, Rashad Lewis, could not connect on any of his shots, (0-8 in the first half.) Carlos Arroyo also showed that he can be an asset to the team as well as Big Z and James Jones as a three point threat. But the story of the game was that Wade and LeBron once again exceeded an expectation set forth on them. Both sent the crowd of who some paid $12,000 dollars for a ticket certainly got their moneys worth. But it was just one game, but a game that will live throughout the season as Head Coach Eric Spoelstra said. "They've shown me what we're capable of defensively and I will hold them to this standard now in terms of the effort. The effort was great." This effort lead to Orlando's lowest point total since December 2, 2005.

LeBron will be visiting friend Jay-Z this Sunday as the Heat face the new look New Jersey Nets under Head Coach Avery Johnson who is someone that I never understood why he did not have a head coaching position in the NBA. He went unemployed for far too long. But if Lebron and Wade play in the same manner, which Spoelstra as stated he will hold them too, it should be yet another outstanding display of basketball.

Miami Heat Live Blog of Home Opener

Going to try this for the first time tonight.

Heat Earn First Win, Home Opener Friday Night

The Miami Heat cured what ailed them from their Boston hangover as they cruised to a 97-87victory tonight over the Philadelphia 76ers.

The crowd was not as large and certainly not as rowdy as Beantown. In fact, this may have been the only arena that will not produce a sell-out when the Heat come to town. Whatever the reason, Miami Thrice finally had the platform where they could showcase their talents as a cohesive unit. The main reason was Dwayne Wade's 30 points. Wade's head seemed to be more in the game and less on the child custody case he was going through in Chicago.( I recently stated that Wade seemed to be physically exhausted due to his child custody case in Chicago. No truth too it, was just an observation I made).

There was also a flash of the potential this team as LeBron lead the team with 7 assists, two of them highlight worthy. One was a quick pass to the open Chris Bosh and the other the most precise ally-oop I have seen in quite some time as James spotted a perfect ball to Wade who was sneaking through the back door. My guess is that from here on out, LeBron is going to the point guard that he always wanted to be. Face it, who doesn't want to be a point guard? It's arguably the funnest position to play in all of sports! Whenever I played, I always wanted to be a point guard, but just never possessed, the, ehh, ability.

Now the stage is set and nothing remains in between the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic. The stage is set for a marquee match up as the Miami Heat's home opener this Friday will not only kick off the tourist season, but be host to one of the best Halloween scenes in the world. This place is ready to EXPLODE! I have been placing residency in South Beach for the past three weeks and it the area seemed fairly quiet. Not a lot of people on the beach. The Clevelender closed on a Thursday night. Cold weather reports from the north. The Great Migration has begun! Win, Lose or Draw Friday Night, there's going to be a party after the game.

Lots of Questions After Game 1

Watching the game last night was fairly difficult because the Miami Heat did not resemble a competent basketball team. The ball movement was atrocious, the handling of the ball was equally bad and the Celtics showed the value of team chemistry last night.

LeBron got his 30 points, but at times it seemed that his supporting cast was scared to take shots so they just gave him the ball to take shots, much like in Cleveland. Dwayne Wade was obviously a no show to whoever watched the game, but his eyes seemed droopy and he seemed drained which may have been the result of the tiring child custody case that he was facing in Chicago; not making excuses, just saying what I saw. I do not expect another performance like that, but who knows.

This would not be that big of a deal, if it was not for the spectacle that the Heat put on for the three superstars. The smoke and light show that claimed that "Yes. We. Did." may have been more of a spectacle than 'The Decision.' However, it was just used as a promotional tool for the team, much like the tradition of Midnight Madness that a lot of college and universities do to get the fans excited about the team so I can not fully fault the front office for putting something like that together, but the loss last night certainly magnifies that decision. On the subject of college basketball, LeBron has a target date of the team reaching its chemistry around January, after the new year. This is roughly the same time when college basketball teams hope to reach their potential as they begin to enter conference play after the new year. Don't know if LeBron's college calender (a pun because he never went) is ticking in that manner, but a performance last night does not signify that this team is ready to compete for a championship.

I say this because not only was there poor team basketball played, there was a lot of questions that were created from the game. Such as, "Who will run the point guard?" "Will they be able to compete with the Celtics down low?" These are just a few questions that were spawned from last night, but it was only one game and this team can not get much worse, so I guess its up from here. We'll see how they respond against the 76ers tonight.

Preview For Tonights Game at Boston

Due to the uncertainty that comes with a home opener, I'm not going to offer really any type of insightful analysis to tonight's game other than this. The New York Jets came into the a season opening night riding high with false confidence because they had not proved anything up to that point and got their asses kicked on national television by the Baltimore Ravens. Boston is still a very talented team and if the aging veterans take a back seat to the Rondo show, they are going to be a very formidable opponent throughout the year. They have exceptionally team chemistry and now an added swagger with the aging, but still effective Shaquille O'Neal. I would not be surprised if the Celtics win tonight, but I will not be surprised that we finally see the full potential of this Miami Heat basketball team as they cruise to victory. But in the great words of Chris Berman: 'And that's why they play the game.' Its going to be a RAWKUS atmosphere and going to make for great television. Enjoy!

What Should He Do?

Defiantly digging this new commercial. Fuck all the haters, do what you want to do, and that goes for everyone, not just LeBron. Dont Hate, Educate.

Police and Fire Unions To Protest Home Opener

The City is abuzz as opening night for the Miami Heat approaches. LeBron has already made his plans for where he will be spending his first night on the town after a home game, Mansion Night Club where Carl Cox will be rounding out the weekends festivities with a Halloween set for his only performance date in North America. Halloween itself will be a pure spectacle in South Beach whever you are. The City itself was planning to shut down the downtown area to have a festival for the latest reason to drink in Miami: basketball. However, what the city was not planning for was a protest of the cities Police and Fire Department in the middle of it all.

The entertainment world has a tendency to distract a reeling society by putting a layer of optimism in its heart. After 9/11, we turned to the Yankees to help us remember what normal felt like. What has gotten lost through LeBronmania was the city of Miami's $110 million budget deficit. A hiring freeze since May 2009 leaving Police and Fire departments in the same shoes as universities and other companies; a growing workload with a shrinking staff. Many of these individuals without jobs may eventually turn to the Heat to forget about their current living situation, but for now, they will be missing the games to hold a protest outside the American Airlines Arena. No word on whether this will be the only time they will be conducting such a event, but my guess is as long as they can get permits to protest while the Miami Heat are playing, they will do so.

Are they at fault for doing such a thing? Absolutely not. They understand how big of a stage this Friday is for the City. They also understand that the same funds that went into making downtown a spectacle for the game could have been allocated toward their organizations. I actually applaud them because protests like this are needed to actually show how bad of an economic situation we are facing as a country. They are needed to show how little is being done about it. They are needed to show that people need to stop paying the price for a government that has failed them. A government of individuals more concerned about conducting smear campaigns against one another rather than find a real solution to a real problem.

Time To Worry? Stackhouse?

Have I have mentioned previously in my posts that I will not make a full judgement on the Miami Heat until the clock read 0:00 against the Celtics on Tuesday night, but the Heat signing Jerry Stackhouse looks like a desperation move to me. It may however be just to fill a roster spot until shooting guard Mike Miller returns in Janurary.

Miller was supposed to be the Steve Kerr of the Miami Heat equation because his supreme ability to hit a 3-pointer was supposed to be the perfect fit for defenses focusing there efforts on LeBron James, Dwayne Wade or Chris Bosh. However, the injury bug certainly has made its way around South Beach but that is professional sports and one must adjust.

Now I am not saying that Jerry Stackhouse will not fit into this system, its just that his age, 35, and dwindling stats over the past three years, signals that he was the best available option for the Heat; which there is nothing wrong with that. Stackhouse may turn out to be the perfect fit for this team who will inherit Miller's job of hitting open shots. Stackhouse is not going to have to run the floor, just hit open shots which is a talent that you never lose. And if he does end up running the floor, I do not see him playing more than 20 minutes a game, roughly his average with the Milwaukee Bucks last year.

But keep in mind, Mike Miller and Eddie House are practically the same player so I would expect to see House take on the role of hitting open three pointers, much like he did with the Boston Celtics in there championship run two years ago. My feeling is that the most important part of this team sits on the bench in an injured reserve position. If De'saun Butler can get healthy and back to his elite eight form with West Virginia before his horrific injury that the entire nation saw, this team will be better with him than with Stackhouse. But if Stackhouse is just a temporary fix until then, then I am all for it.

Hawks Take Alternate Route, Actually Try

Whether it was the 15,000+ in attendance that motivated them, or the opportunity to upstage the hype machine in the Miami Heat, the Atlanta Hawks showed something that the Miami Heat did not in the 98-89 win over LeBron and co last night in Atlanta; effort.

Now that could be a good or bad thing as a Heat fan because it did not seem like LeBron put much effort into last nights exhibition match up and still ended up producing roughly 50 percent of the Heats offense as he scored 38 points in 38 minutes, the most he has registered in either category. There were only two other players in double figures last night for the Heat and that was Udonis Haslem with 10 points and Chris Bosh with 14 points who also registered 14 rebounds.

But perhaps the brightest spot of last nights game was the play of veteran Juwan Howard who is vying for a spot on the final 15 man roster. He did what is expected of the Heat bigs. He set wonderful screens, made appropriate passes and scored a couple of impressive baskets as he registered two baskets and two rebounds. However, as previously mentioned, Howards presence will not be shown on the stat sheet, but in the intangibles in the game such as setting a productive screen. Those who watched the game last night heard the praise that Reggie Miller was giving him.

The rest of the team effort was lack luster at best. Each time a shot was put up, there was no one to be found underneath to grab rebounds and the highly energetic Atlanta Hawks took advantage of it. I for one have been a fan of how the Hawks have played over the past couple of years and they seem to get better every year led by the high-flying Josh Smith and the other highly regarded free agent this past off-season, Joe Johnson who received about a $20 million dollar more contract than LeBron this past off-season. Johnson was stellar in his performance last night as he registered 27 points in a more balanced attack of the Hawks.

However, once again this is a pre-season match up and there was too many variables to judge the performance of either team. The Heats offense is going to revolve around hitting open jump shots and neither Mario Chalmers nor Eddie House provided that last night which is the sole reason why they were brought onto this team. Is it cause for concern? Perhaps, because anyone who follows the game of basketball knows that if shots are not falling it becomes contagious. The only remedy is to be productive on boards which was a push last night with the Heat out rebounding the Hawks by one (49-48). James is keeping a cool head about the three straight losses in pre-season, much like Peyton Manning would after the Colts lost every preseason game a couple years ago and went onto win the Super Bowl. James is eyeing January as a time-table for the team to peak.

I do not know what the motivation is behind a comment like that, but I would assume James knows more about the operation of the team than some blogger would. I would suspect that Wade's injury is a phantom injury to deal with his child custody case in Chicago. I could only imagine the emotional drain on a hearing such as that and traveling back and forth from Chicago to Miami and all over the country would only add to the stress of the situation. It is probably best for Wade to be with his family in a time like this.

So questions can fly about the lack of preparedness of the team entering the season, I am not going to make a definite opinion about this team until they face the Boston Celtics this Tuesday. Will they be prepared? Perhaps not as much as they would like to be with Wade out, but as I mentioned in my previous post, these are professionals with Olympic experience with one another. This is also a long, long season and it is certainly not worth risking an injury this early in the season. The Heat have too much at stake to risk an injury in the pre-season.

The Heat may or may not take on the Orlando Magic tonight due to playing at a neutral site....at hockey arena. First Moscow, now this? Someone in the scheduling department of the Heat seem to not be taking there job seriously and I would not be surprised if the game does not take place tonight. Both teams have too much at stake to risk an injury in a pre-season game. Hate to keep reiterating this, but it is the truth.

Enough About Race, Here's LeBrons Real Image

While ESPN wastes Bob Ley's time and quality airtime conducting polls on what people feel about LeBron's image that include stats about race, TMZ is breaking stories that also effect LeBron's image; his bottle service. This past weekend while LeBron was resting his hamstring, he was spotted at Club LIV ordering three bottles of Wodka Vodka and two bottles of Dom Pérignon. What TMZ also discusses in their article is that he was not around any girls but did take over the DJ booth for over an hour. Now, re-read that last sentence and lets talk about LeBron's image because ESPN has failed to hit the main point.

 Here is my take on LeBron's image in the post-Tiger Woods/Alex Rodriguez sex scandal era. LeBron James is not married but has two boys with Savannah Brinson. LeBron could have any girl in the Miami area (and believe me there are plenty) but chose to wear sunglasses, chill with his boys and drink with no girls around. No sex scandals and actually a pretty clean cut image. He is a very charitable man as you should have learned that although his 'Decision' broadcast was ill received, it did raise three million dollars towards the Boys and Girls Club. He is not a egotistical selfish superstar that the likes of Kobe Bryant would fall under, but just a super-star team player. The one play that stands out to me to define LeBron as a player is his first game against the Sacramento Kings where he passed up an open dunk to pass it to one of his teammates; that moment I knew he was going to be something special and someone I could relate to because I hate it when I am on a court and a 5-5 game turns into a 1-1 game.Unselfish play has been a staple of his game throughout his career which has some commentators predicting that he will average a triple-double this season as the talent around him will add to his assists.

So the fact that he is so hated right now further leads me to lose faith in a society that has made Jersey Shore a phenomenon. No sex scandal, no drugs, no arrests, family man, charitable man, unselfish team player and a responsible 25-year old celebrity who can go out to clubs with the only dirt getting dished on him by TMZ (*cough* Lindsey Lohan *cough*) is the Vodka that he ordered. Charles Barkley who did not have enough balls to be a role model, who gambled who got drunk, who got arrested is no where near the man that LeBron is now. LeBron has taken the anti-Barkley approach and is putting the world on his shoulders by being a role model that will be changing the game of basketball for years to come because he is showing the youth right now how the game is supposed to be played; unselfishly. Fuck Charles Barkley.

Heat Lose Again, Lebron Still Averages One Point a Minute

In another pre-season loss, the Miami Heat fell to the Charlotte Bobcats 102-96. In the loss, LeBron James showed why he was the most heralded free agent of this past offseason. He averaged just over a point a minute this game (33 Points in 29 Minutes), once again putting in a full days stat sheet without putting in a full game; he sat out the forth quarter as his teammates gave up 31 points. So is there a legitmate concern that James teammates will be the downfall of this team? I would not even call it legitamate concern, it is only preseason.

As you read in my last post, the pre-season is just too long and does nothing but sends the sporting media into a frenzy; especially dealing with this star-studded Miami Heat lineup. Lebron's hamstring? A non-issue as he showed in this performance. Wade's custody battle in Chicago? A non-issue. Will Wade play against Boston? I would say yes. Even if he doesn't play in any of the pre-season games. How will it effect the team? Lebron answers that "This is a very new team. It’s not like we implemented one or two guys in the system and we’ve all been rolling. At this point we want to make it as easy as it can be for when Dwyane Wade shows up. Once he gets back everyone wants to be on the same page and it’ll be an easy transition for him, it will be like he never left.”

It does not sound like they are going to have any transition issues when Wade returns. These guys are professionals and they deal with trades, free agent acquisitions all the time so they deal with new players all the time; Miami Thrice also have Olympic experience with one another so that will certainly help the transition. So if you hear otherwise, your just not getting the right info. The Miami Heat will return to the court Thursday against the Atlanta Hawks where I will attempt to blog the game live at 8pm. I say attempt, because its still pre-season for me too.

Growing Weary of Pre-Season Headlines

Im starting to think that the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball all have one thing in common, too long of pre-seasons. It is understandable why the NFL does it. They can still charge $40 for parking on pre-season games and still charge regular price for a ticket and still fill the stadium. Baseball is a different story. There month long hiatus mostly has to do with pitchers getting a feel for how pitchers will react to a Major League rotation. But in the end, it still serves as a money generating source for the clubs; I have seen sold out Red Sox-Yankee games in Tampa before.

However, basketball does not seem to be filling the seats. And the fact that there are still 8 days left before the Heat take on the Boston Celtics gives me a feeling that the pre-season is too long. With that said, there are still headlines that do not involve basketball such as Dwayne Wades custody case in Chicago. I personally feel that I do not need to know that Dwayne Wade is going through a custody case, but that is the state of the media. But there is only so much that can be talked about going into a pre-season game against the Charlotte Bobcats tonight. Luckily there are only three pre-season games counting tonights. The next two will be against the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday and then a pre-season game that might actually draw some interest and that is against the Orlando Magic. And then finally, the season opens up and I can actually start blogging about useful information.

Bosh Shines as Lone Star

I will have to admit, I did not know much about Chris Bosh entering the season because it was a rare event that I would pay attention to a Toronto Raptors highlight. With that said, Bosh was certainly the biggest question mark in terms of on court production, but what this pre-season has shown me is that Bosh is better than I expected.

Bosh seems to have the complete game. He is very fluent on his feet for a big man. He is very lanky in comparisons to the defenders he faces, and he has a very smooth left handed jump shot. All these aspects generally equate to a produtive big man and Bosh possesses and excels at them as well. So the comments made by Shaq that Bosh is the 'RuPaul of the NBA' and that 'Boston has a good one two punch,' in reference to LeBron and Wade, to me seems a bit inaccurate; but that's Shaq.

We'll see what Bosh can really do on opening night against the Celtics as the biggest questions of the Miami Heat are the big men that they apprently lack as the Celtics have plenty.

The Hype Machine Takes Break, Preps For Boston. Moscow?

The hype machine that is the Miami Heat had a quick hiccup as they took on a professional team from Moscow last night. I first thought? Why would they play a Russian Basketball team? Was that the only available country to face Lebron James and co.? Could  they not get Brazil or Spain or any country that basketball is thriving in? China? I went to the NBA website today to look for a job and they said "NBA in China is now hiring." Canada, maybe? Any other city besides Moscow. For this reason, I believe that Lebron may have faked an injury last night. With the logic being, it would be better to get injured in a real NBA game against a real NBA team. He knows Boston awaits.

You can hear it in the responses of LeBron. "If I had to play, I could." "Its a very, very minor injury." That sounds like he could have kept on playing, but much like the current debate in the NFL over the amount of preseason games that are played, the Miami Heat scheduling Moscow just did not seem like a good move. I can think of no positives. Is there a strong Russian population in Miami that I do not know about? I could only imagine the mind set of a superstar talent like James when facing a team like that in the preseason. I would feel that that is the last place I would want to get injured with the amount of expectations looming over the upcoming season. That is why he took himself out and did not return. In the end though he averaged just under a point a minute (22 points in 25 minutes) and continued to show that he is not a selfish superstar (7 Assists). Those stats are a full nights worth and will probably be roughly what he averages on the year. His night was finished in my book.

The hype machine will take another break tonight as LeBron and Wade rest against Charlotte because they know the real challenge awaits in  Boston October 28th.

Finally, Some Basketball!

Although it was not the most exciting basketball that we will see this year, it was nice to finally see Miami Thrice in action; albeit for only three minutes, but it’s better than talking about race.

With Dwayne Wade falling victim to a pull hamstring that will probably side line him for the rest of the post-season, we got a chance to see the direction that the Miami Heat are moving toward. These are the things we know after one pre-season game: 1.) If one of their star free agents go down, the other two will pick up the pieces. 2.) Chris Bosh has a better jump shot than I realized. He was in Toronto for the past couple of seasons. 3.) Mario Chalmers is going to be a contributing player.

Here are some things that we dont know. 1.) We still don't know how good this team can be with Wades injury. 2.) We still dont know how the Center's are going to play, this was pretty much a game to determine the third and forth centers on the depth chart. Big Z baby! 3.) We still don't know what Eddie 'Bringing down the' House's roll, I'm assuming that he's going to be shooting a lot of open three's. Just a hunch.

If the box score is any indication, I can assume that the centers will average anywhere from 5-10 shots a game. With the score power that the Heat possesses, the centers are going to have to do the dirty work. They’re going to have to get rebounds and play defense. That's it. Just be big. That is their only job. Often times, a center will get a spirit of athleticism that just does not transcend to the game of basketball and ends up looking foolish. As long as the center's understand their primary objective and obey it like a dog, the Heat are going to have little issues at that position. And if all else fails, just put Lebron at center. Worked for Lakers with Magic Johnson.