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.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
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.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
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.
Monday, October 25, 2010
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.
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.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
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.
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.
Friday, October 22, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
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.
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.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
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.
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.
Monday, October 18, 2010
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.
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.
Friday, October 15, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
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.
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.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
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.
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.
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