What Next?

The Miami Heat were able to get their first win in 12 games by defeating the Sacramento Kings in a 106-87 rout, recording the first victory of the Wade/Marion era.

For the first time, we saw Udonis Haslem and Shawn Marion play in the frontcourt together. Marion adjusted very well to the three spot, where Pat Riley has envisioned him at. Marion was a terrific 10-for-14 from the field and spent a lot of time at the rim. Haslem added 17 points on six-of-11 shooting. However, a critical question remains. With Miami in a rebuilding mode, can Haslem and Marion serve as a formidable forward combination if the Heat want to return to contention.

The answer is no. Out of the starting lineup Miami currently fields, no one is a low-post presence. The Heat need a post presence not only to keep the elite forwards of the NBA honest, but also to make things easier on Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion, both of whom drive to the hoop from the perimeter. Don't discount on the upcoming NBA Draft for the answer to that situation.

Jason Williams also played inspired basketball, with 10 points, nine assists, and just one turnover. I will give credit to Williams on having a good night, but I don't see Pat Riley re-signing him in the offseason. Too many inconsistencies and off-shooting nights have permeated White Chocolate's days in Miami.

Another long summer of a point-guard-hunt appears to be on the horizon. Although the Heat are loaded with point guards, none of them are adequate. Chris Quinn is unproven and doesn't have the foot speed to keep up with the face-paced teams of the NBA. Marcus Banks has proven he can score for Miami as well as be an outside threat. Banks needs to learn how to run the offense and be a floor general on the court. He could be a quality backup point guard for Miami, but seemingly nothing else.

Recently, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel speculated that Pat Riley may make a run at Jose Calderon, a restricted free-agent this coming summer. Calderon could certainly be a young, promising, and efficient point guard for Miami. Calderon averages 12.7 points and nearly nine assists, exceptional numbers for a point guard. Shooting 46% from downtown this season, Calderon certainly can help the Heat in more ways than one.

The problem with Calderon is the same they had with Charlie Bell last summer. The Heat could sign Calderon to an offer sheet, but the Raptors would probably match any offer Miami can make. Other options at point guard from the free agency include Carlos Arroyo, Keyon Dooling, and Beno Udrih. In the Draft, point guards include Derrick Rose, Jerryd Bayless, DJ Augustin, and Ty Lawson.

In my opinion, however, Miami's main priority should be getting a low-post presence. With impending free agents Jermaine O'Neal and possibly Elton Brand being hit-or-miss opportunities, acquiring a low-post presence through the Draft is the safest route the Heat could take. The point guard situation is porous, but at worst, the Heat would have Marcus Banks, who can contribute to outside shooting at the very least. The Heat's win is just a tissue to slow -- but not stop the river of tears the Heat's season has produced.

What is Wrong with the Suns

On Sunday afternoon, the Phoenix Suns had their first blowout since acquiring Shaquille O'Neal in a 116-86 slaughter at the hands of the Detroit Pistons. Grant Hill went scoreless while the rest of the Suns couldn't buy a bucket, as they went just 41.6% from the field. Shaq was the only Sun who crashed the boards with 11 caroms. Guard Leandro Barbosa was next with a mere four boards.

To me, it appears the Suns still want to play at their run-and-gun style of play. They were able to get away with that against Boston and, to a lesser extent, Los Angeles. GM Steve Kerr acquired Shaq to be a low-post presence and to make Phoenix more viable in the halfcourt when their shots weren't falling for them. When the Suns were shooting bricks as they were yesterday, they needed to adapt into a more halfcourt style of play. Phoenix should run when they want to and run when they need to, but they shouldn't have been trying to play the way they played against Detroit, and it showed why.

After the game, O'Neal said that his team will be fine once everyone is able to get on the same page, and I would have to agree with him. I still do not think Mike D'Antoni is utilizing Shaq to the maximum of his capability. Shaq should not be setting as many screens as he is setting and posting up as little times as he is. I remember one play during the Phoenix-Detroit game in which Shaq set a pick for Steve Nash at the top of the circle. Nash passed the ball to Shaq 17 feet away from the basket, rather than waiting for him to post up down low. Looking confused, Shaq dove to the rim and attempted a spin move to get a shot off. It missed.

The reason why Shaq is on the perimeter frequently is that Amare Stoudemire is hanging around 10 feet from the basket and in. In my opinion, it should be the opposite. Shaq should be setting up down low and Amare Stoudemire should be setting screens and diving to the rim. Shaq was worked best for over a decade of basketball when he gets deep post ups from the guards. From then, open shots arise. There is also the option of re-posting Shaq, and that spells trouble for Shaq's defender.

I know that Shaq said he didn't mind taking a back seat to Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire, but I would have liked to see more shots for O'Neal in a game against the Pistons. The Suns didn't acquire O'Neal's $20 million-a-year for rebounding. Part of the reason is that. Another reason was to get a low-post scorer who could create open lanes for cutters, open shots for shooters, or take it in himself. Right now Shaq isn't being allowed to do that by Phoenix's coaching staff.

This is a very talented team. Steve Nash is superb when he has his shot going for him. Raja Bell is a lethal three-point shooter and a lock-down defender while still having the versatility to separate himself from a guy like Bruce Bowen. Grant Hill has been a steady contributor for Phoenix and has even offered some vintage moments. Amare Stoudemire is one of the top five big men in the game. Leandro Barbosa is a prolific scorer with cat quickness. Boris Diaw has flourished with the Suns. The X-Factor remains O'Neal.

The motivation is there for the Big Cactus and there is nothing Shaq himself is doing wrong. Once the coaching staff gets a feel of what best suit's O'Neal's game, the Suns will be right up there with the Lakers, Spurs, and the rest of the Western Conference.

Why the Heat Should Draft Beasley

Part of the reason I watched the Memphis vs. Tennessee game last night was because I wanted to see how Memphis, in a weak conference, would handle a tough team like Tennessee. However, I also watched it to see how Derrick Rose, a predicted lottery pick, would handle playing on the big stage. Needless to say, I was impressed with Rose. Playing all but nine minutes, Rose scored 23 points on nine-of-16 shooting and nailed two triples. Although his team couldn't pull out the win, he made clutch plays and good decisions down the stretch.

At one point during the game, I happened to glance down at the ESPN bottomline. I read that Kansas State forward Michael Beasley had scored 44 points in an 86-92 loss to Baylor. Those 44 points were the most scored in a Big 12 game in history. Beasley also had 13 rebounds in the game, and registered his 23rd double-double to break Carmelo Anthony's previous NCAA freshman record.

With Miami on an 11-game losing streak and the trade deadline having passed, there is nothing to look forward to other than the Draft Lottery. The worst team, a title the Heat currently own, only has a 25% chance of winning the first pick. Pat Riley can only hope his team will come up victorious this season -- something he hasn't been able to say in a while. What I do know is that if the Heat obtain this first pick, they should draft Michael Beasley.

Able to shoot from the perimeter or explode from the post, Beasley is NBA-ready to bang and score with his 235-pound body. He is a prolific scorer despite being doubled or tripled virtually every time he gets the ball. He has the ability to catch-and-shoot, especially on the baseline. He will be able to run pick-and-pops to the t on Day 1. Beasley could revolutionize the game as a new age power forward. He rebounds, scores from the post, and blocks shots with the skills and shot of a small forward.

There is a notion that "Beastly" will not be a legitimate power forward at the next level. Of course, Beasley may not match up well with Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudemire, Rasheed Wallace, or the other strong power forwards of the League. With above average athleticism and long arms, Beasley is just 15 pounds of muscle away from guarding the players mentioned above. He is a very versatile player, able to post players up down low or drag players out to the perimeter and take them off the dribble.

The Heat still need a big man, and they will probably have to get that answer from free agency with Emeka Okafor, Elton Brand and Jermaine O'Neal options. In the Draft, there are simply a lack of quality big men. DeAndre Jordan has a long way to go until he becomes an effective pro basketball player. Hasheem Thabeet may be a defensive stalwart, but is severely limited offensively. And after an encouraging junior season, Roy Hibbert hasn't performed as many expected him to as a senior.

The fact of the matter is that the player averaging a double-double isn't the 7'3" Thabeet or the 7'2" Hibbert or the 7'0" Jordan, it's the 6'9" Beasley. Beasley is simply relentless while going for the rebound and has the strength to win any tie-ups he is faced with.

As I've watched the Heat with Shawn Marion in the lineup, the Heat need a player with (1) Swagger - an alpha dog with extreme confidence, (2) physical toughness - the Heat can't have another player who is afraid to get his hands dirty, (3) a closing mentality - this year has shown that the Heat need a player other than Wade who can close out a game and convert with the shot clock running down, (4) a perimeter and interior defense - Miami needs a player who has a willingness to create stops without being a liability on the other end, (5) post skills - not a great post player, but a player who can take advantage of mis-matches, and (6) superstar capability - Miami needs a player who can fill up the empty seats at the Triple A. A player with a certain something that ticket buyers will gravitate towards.

Ok, that was a little lengthy, but what do you expect when your team still hasn't posted double-digit wins after the All-Star break? Beasley possesses all of the things that Miami needs, and more. With a Big Three of Wade, Marion, and Beasley, the possibilities are endless.

Obama-Clinton Debate

In perhaps the most crucial debate of the race for the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton failed to halt the surge of momentum that Barack Obama had been riding in the weeks leading up to the debate. The debate was civil, for the most part, but Clinton emphasized health care incessantly, attempting to criticize Obama for his views.

I expected Clinton to come out, in my own words, grimy. The moderators were pretty much daring the two to disagree, saying "You said this, you said that." To my surprise, Clinton was not inclined to disagree with Obama for the most part. Clinton critiqued Obama on health care, going back to it when the moderator was asking her to move on to another topic. Health care appears to be one of the few issues that Hillary Clinton can win on. However, what Clinton did with health care, Obama did with Iraq.

Clinton was on the attack with the issue of Barack Obama allegedly taking phrases of supporter Governor Deval Patrick's speeches and using them in his own utterance. Clinton called Obama's campaign "a change you can Xerox", which drew boos from the crowds. I am not concerned with Obama taking phrases of Deval Patrick's speeches. The man told Obama to use his words! Calling it "plagiarism" is completely ludicrous.

Hillary Clinton did indeed have a eloquent statement towards the end of the debate. When asked of a defining crisis, she said that she has been the victim of several more than one crisis. However, she said that that pales in comparison to the hardships that ordinary people in this country are facing, and spoke of the opening of a hospital in which soldiers had lost their limbs.

The crowd stood up and gave a standing ovation for the debate, probably the first one I've seen in my days. One thing that is important to note is that Clinton was eloquent and articulate. However, I got the feeling that it may have been a little valedictory. Three months ago, Clinton had a steadfast determination in her will to win. Now, she said that she will be fine no matter what the argument is. This could be construed as Hillary conceding that she did not accomplish what she needed to last night.

Clinton and Obama have said that they were friends before this campaign, and they will be friends after this campaign. If Barack Obama wins the election, Clinton may cut a deal with him to make her the most powerful Senator in Congress. She can endorse him, help him find a running mate, and help get things passed in the Senate. Conventional wisdom tells us that Obama will continue this wave of momentum and has a legitimate shot to win in Texas and Ohio. I stand by the comments I made a while ago, that Clinton is not out of this race. However, Clinton appears to have backed off.

Kobe Spoils Shaq's Debut

Over two weeks ago, Kobe Bryant and Co. were able to spoil the debut of newcomers Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks in a blockbuster deal that may have been a response to the Lakers' acquisition of Pau Gasol. Last night, the Los Angeles Lakers were able to spoil the other team's debut of a "new day" after the mega-deal. For now, it appears that Kobe's team is superior, as he dropped 41 points to put the Lakers in a statistical tie for the division lead with the Suns.

For a 35-going-on-36 year old who hasn't been on the court in over a month, Shaquille O'Neal hardly disappointed. Although he was quiet for most of the first half, he scored his first points as a Sun in a monstrous dunk over DJ Mbenga. O'Neal scored nine of his 15 points in the final quarter, but the Suns could seemingly never take the lead against the mighty Lakers.

Shaquille O'Neal looked fresher than he has been this past season with Miami. He also ran the floor well and was able to make his presence felt on the defensive end of the floor. Foul trouble was still a problem for O'Neal, who was just one mishap short of getting disqualified from the game.

As I predicted just after the deal went down, Amare Stoudemire flourished with the presence of Shaq. Phil Jackson did not hesitate to double-team Shaq, and O'Neal was able to hit Amare with some nice passes en route to a 37-point performance on 13-of-24 shooting. However, STAT disappointed on the defensive end of the floor against Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. Both were able to blow by Amare on several occasions. Stoudemire is very agile and athletic, but needs a bigger commitment on defense. If he can't even defend Pau Gasol, he'll get killed by Dirk Nowitzki.

Steve Nash was able to have everything going for him in a 26-point, eight-assist performance last night. Grant Hill also had the hot hand, going eight-of-13 from the field in a 17-point performance. Barbosa and Diaw were able able to notch double-digit performances. However, it could not match the performances of Bryant, Gasol, and Odom, who combined to score 92 points.
One O'Neal is able to find a rhythm with this Phoenix Suns team, this squad will be scary. O'Neal obviously has the motivation, but going out to 17 feet is just not his game. There is plenty of time for Shaq to get accustomed to this talented team, and their best days are ahead of them.

Tomorrow, the Suns host the Boston Celtics in another nationally televised game on ESPN at 8:30. However, tonight is the second one-on-one debate between Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. With 10 straight wins, Clinton might just become grimy. Don't forget to tune in for that.

Obama Takes Wisconsin

If Ohio and Texas hadn't already been viewed as must-win states for Senator Hillary Clinton, they certainly should be viewed as such now. Senator Barack Obama was able to increase his winning streak to 10 consecutive state-wins, with victories over Wisconsin and Hawaii last night.

On the Republican side, John McCain has won in Wisconsin, and all but locked up his position as the Republican nominee for the 2008 election. What I thought was pretty interesting was what McCain said in his victory speech. While not mentioning Obama's name, he did refer to battling against "an eloquent but empty promise" and mentioned the "confused leadership of an inexperienced candidate."

Confused leadership? Is that what McCain is talking about as an attack of Obama. He is the one that saw this "threat" in Iraq and took it the wrong way. In fact, he would want to stay in Iraq for 100 more years and has a strange fetish to bomb Iran. I know some people are saying that the surge is working. The violence in Iraq has gone from intolerable to insufferable back to intolerable. Sorry Johnny, but that isn't progress in my book. To say that you want to continue in a War that has cost us billions of dollars and thousands of Americans lives for 100 years is just ludicrous.

Speaking of speeches, there has been a lot of criticism coming Barack Obama's way for reportedly taking phrases of Governor Deval Patrick's speeches during his run in Massachusetts. I could care less if Obama is intertwined in this phraseology with the Governor of Massachusetts. What people should really be talking about is repairing this nation in which its economy and politics are in dire need of saving.

Most news stations report Obama with an approximate lead of about 60 delegates or so above Hillary at the moment. A lot of columnists have praised Obama's campaign, calling it breathtaking and amazing. These same columnists are suggesting that it would not be premature to write off Hillary in the election. As much as I would like to believe this, this election is far from over. If Clinton takes Texas and/or Ohio, she'll be right back in the driver's seat. This is the exact same thing people were saying before New Hampshire. Hillary Clinton is still very much in the race and don't scratch her off yet.

Even if Obama continues this wave of momentum, he will probably not receive the 2,025 delegates needed to grab the nominee. The Democratic nomination will probably be decided by the superdelegates, most of whom are still with Clinton. If superdelegates were completely out of this election, it would be a possibility to count Clinton out. A possibility.

Michelle Obama, Barack's husband, has been getting some heat for saying that she is proud of her country for the first time. She shouldn't be getting all of this scrutiny. I'm proud of my country for the first time too. We finally have someone running for President who wants to change things. Show me something in recent years that my country has done to make me proud. Other than the Olympics, music artists, sports figures, and some people in our community, there is nothing this government has done to make me proud over the past seven years. Show me something that our President has done to make me proud. Show me something, and I'll be proud of it.

Fidel Castro has resigned from office and left the head office to his brother. I know that many people in Cuba have been riddled under this dictatorship, and Castro is finally gone. He was in office for just nine months short of 50 years. Could you imagine 50 years of George W. Bush in office? This must be a big sigh of relief for all Cubans and I wish them well on their future endeavors.

The primaries in Ohio and Texas are looming upon us, and this is one to watch. Clinton is in a must-win situation, and expect her to work tirelessly in these two states to try to win. Obama should not get complacent with these wins. However, tonight is Shaq's debut as a Phoenix Sun against one of his former teams, the L.A. Lakers. I will be blogging on both the Suns and the Heat from now on to try to diversify my writings, and to give me a chance to blog about the happenings in the Wild Wild West.

Beasley or Rose? Is that the Question?

As most of the NBA's 30 teams begin to gear up for a push in the final half of the season after the All-Star break, the Heat now know they won't make the playoffs. The trade deadline is approaching, but there haven't been many trade winds harboring in Miami (no, the Heat aren't getting Eddy Curry). One gem the Heat do have is their lottery-protected first round draft pick the Heat sent to Minnesota in the Ricky Davis/Mark Blount deal. If the Heat continue their dismal season, they will be in the lottery with a decent chance of getting the top pick. Who they use with their first lottery selection since the one they used to grab Dwyane Wade is up in the air.

As I looked around the Mock Drafts of the NBA, nearly all of them have Miami picking up Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose -- arguably, the two most hyped players in this year's college basketball. As I looked deeper, I realized that only one of these players is actually living up to the hype.

Michael Beasley is a monster. At the college level, he is in a League of his own. He averages 25.7 points per game for the Kansas State Wildcats to go along with 12.6 rebounds. "Beastly" has notched nine 30+ point-games this season and two 40-point games this season (he does play in two 20-minute halves). Beasley has failed to grab double-digit rebounds just twice this season and has had two 20-rebound games.

The 6'9", left-handed forward has an NBA-ready body. His 235-pound frame is reminiscent of when LeBron James first entered the League. Beasley is widely predicted to be the #1 pick in this year's Draft. If Miami is able to come up lucky in the lottery, they should definitely take Beasley with their pick.

Some people may be wondering why Riles would do this, considering he already has Shawn Marion, who will probably not opt out this summer. Using Beasley as a power forward is certainly an option for the Heat, who appear to be moving into a more up-tempo style. Beasley has always loved a challenge, and banging down low with the Rasheed Wallaces of the League will certainly be met with enthusiasm. LeBron James guarded Tim Duncan down the stretch of the All-Star Game, and the East was able to double Duncan and recover back to their men quickly. I would anticipate a similar happening should Miami pick up Beasley.

The Big Three of Wade, Marion, and Beasley is a young group of guys that are athletic and have cat quickness. If Riley surrounds those guys with a decent point guard, a serviceable big man, and some shooters, I have no doubt that the Miami Heat will be right up there next season with Boston and Detroit in the East.

In nearly every Mock Draft I saw, wherever Beasley was, Derrick Rose was right behind him. People have compared him to Baron Davis, Jason Kidd, and even Dwyane Wade. However, as I have caught a couple of Memphis games, I have come to the truth that Derrick Rose is overrated.

Just by looking at his numbers, you can tell that Rose is a little over-hyped. 13.6 points and four assists isn't all that great for a player touted to leave his mark on the game at the next level. In that close game against UAB, Rose shot a miserable two-of-13 from the field. When you watch him, Rose has a limited amount of moves in his repertoire. He sometimes can seem lost going off the dribble or attempting to create something from the perimeter. He is a relatively big point guard at 6'3", but hasn't utilized his back-to-the-basket game enough to make it a strength of his.

If the Heat don't get the #1 pick, there are numerous players that could help Miami. Scoring point guards Jerryd Bayless or Eric Gordon are certainly options. Seven footers DeAndre Jordan, Hasheem Thabeet, and Roy Hibbert can help Miami when it comes to rebounding and interior defense. A more interesting move could be to draft Europeans Nicolas Batum or Daniolo Gallinari. As college basketball starts to heat up, make sure you catch the games...because one of those guys might be starting next to Wade in November.

East, LeBron Take Back Crown

Many people were concerned about how the NBA All-Star Festivities would go down, being hosted in a city still struggling to get back on its feet, New Orleans. It ended up being one of the most entertaining All-Star weekends in recent memory with very little chaos.

Dwight Howard was simply incredible in the Dunk Contest, giving the crowd thrilling dunks each and every time. His "Superman" dunk will definitely be on a lot of posters. Although some say it wasn't necessarily a dunk, no one can deny that it showed great athleticism in a big man. He took that momentum and got the All-Star Game off to an electrifying start. Dwight Howard, LeBron James, and Jason Kidd developed a great chemistry, as the first half of the game showcased a plethora of alley-oops and dunks.

The East came out with fire in their eyes after getting spanked by the West in 2007. Surprisingly, the East wanted to out-run the West in the game. This may be a little confusing, considering the West is the host of teams such as the Mavs, the Suns, the Warriors, the Nuggets, and other teams that run. However, the West had big guys such as Yao Ming and Tim Duncan, and the East used that to their advantage.

In the third quarter, the West went on a little run, but the East was quickly able to get the lead back to double digits heading into the final stanza of play. Dwyane Wade was able to make an acrobatic behind-his-back shot in transition, and was able to redeem himself after giving a halfhearted performance in the Skills Challenge which saw Wade turning the ball over against stationary polygons, Wade missing several jump-shots at the top of the key, and Wade missing two layups.

Byron Scott went tiny at one point, with Steve Nash, Chris Paul, and Brandon Roy on the floor. After the West was able to make a game out of it, Scott put in Duncan and Dirk Nowitzki, and the West was able to take the lead. However, with all eyes on LeBron James, a new hero emerged: Ray Allen. Allen was able to hit three consecutive triples to give the East a 125-122 lead with just over a minute to go.

Chris Paul was able to respond with a three of his own, making the game tied down the stretch. LeBron James took the ball down the court, saw an opening, and threw a thunderous dunk on Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan with less than a minute to go. After a West turnover, it was Wade's turn to give his own heroics. With Brandon Roy draped over him, Wade was able to connect on a driving layup shot to give the East a four-point lead with less than 40 seconds to go. Wade then was able to come up with an unbelievable block against the seven-footer Dirk Nowitzki with 25 seconds to go.

The West went into a fouling mode, but Ray Allen made three free throws to ice the game. Despite Allen's heroics, it was LeBron James holding up the trophy for the second time in three years, with a stat line of 27 points, eight rebounds, nine assists, two steals and two blocks.

This has been one of the best All-Star weekends. Several NBA players went out to help the houses and communities which have still been neglected by the federal government. It was a great entertainment, but the NBA also uplifted this city with its entertainment and its assistance. It was a great decision to come down here, and it will be even more exciting next year.

0-3 in New Era

In the last game prior to the All-Star break, the Miami Heat sunk to 9-42 on the season and 0-3 in the Wade/Marion era. The loss came at the hands of the Chicago Bulls, who were without Ben Wallace, Ben Gordon, and Luol Deng.

The Miami Heat have competed in every game since Shawn Marion has arrived, but they haven't been able to come up with a win. The main reason is because of the lack of a post presence. Without anyone named Shaquille O'Neal or Alonzo Mourning, the Bulls guards drove to the rim without a second thought, and the team scored 36 points in the paint. Chicago won the battle of the boards by a substantial margin of 18. Marion failed to get his third double-double in as many games with the Heat, and collected seven boards.

The second glaring weakness the Heat have is their floor general. It was interesting to see Pat Riley trust Marcus Banks as opposed to Jason Williams down the stretch even though Williams had his shot going for him. Banks can be a spot-up shooter for Miami, but possibly nothing more. Turnovers were in abundance last night. Wade finished with six mishaps, Marion with five, and Banks with four. The Heat need a crafty point guard who does not turn the ball over much.

Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion combined for 53 points, but no one else even registered in double digits. Williams and Banks might have scored in double figures if they were given more minutes, but Mark Blount could not hit an open jumper, Dorell Wright was three-for-nine from the field, and it would be hard to notice Ricky Davis was even playing.

Daequan Cook, who some say was snubbed from participating from the Rookie Challenge Game, seems to have dropped to an afterthought for Pat Riley. After going zero-for-six in the Feb. 6 game against Philadelphia, Cook has only played two minutes since then. He did not play last night.

Several fans and columnists thought Cook could have a brighter future than Wright, partly because Cook already has found his niche: shooting. Now, it seems as if Wright has found his niche. He is getting more and more comfortable by shooting that baseline jumper. However, his defense was lackadaisical, as Andres Nocioni blew by him for easy dunks on a few occasions.

Another player who played lackadaisical defense was Dwyane Wade. After Wade would turn the ball over, he wouldn't run back on defense, which gave Chicago an advantage. Wade was also not able to slow down Kirk Hinrich or Thabo Sefolosha, whether it was Hinrich knocking down shots or Sefolosha getting to the foul line.

In Wade and Marion, the Heat have a nice duo of players that can fill up the stat sheet. However, this team still has a ways to go. The draft and free agency will play a big role in how long this rebuilding process will last. With the Trading Deadline looming upon us, one must wonder whether Riles will use the expiring contracts of Williams or Davis to come up with a deal.

Lakers Spoil Debut of 'New Day'

The Dwyane Wade/Shawn Marion era officially started earlier today, in a matchup against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. Although Miami seemed very upbeat and giddy about the future, they were ultimately not able to pull away a win on the dawn of a new era in a 104-94 decision.

For a player who has had just one practice with Miami, Shawn Marion was phenomenal. In 44 minutes, Marion was able to contribute 15 points, 14 boards, four assists, three steals, and three blocked shots. In addition, The Matrix was able to connect on some highlight dunks, especially a thunderous alley-oop delivered by Wade which may be the shape of things to come.

Marcus Banks only received 14 minutes, but I liked what I saw out of him. He was able to put some pressure on the opposing team through his full-court press, and he made some shots. His three-point shot wasn't falling for him, but he appears to be a guy that can drive to the rim, but also hit the open jumper.

Banks was receiving minutes behind Jason Williams, but Banks should have been the starter. Jason Williams was horrible. He tries to sell a flop, and then follows it up with an ill-advised three-pointer on a four-on-one in a possession that could have brought the Laker lead to five late in the third quarter. It is bewildering to me why Pat Riley didn't him out for the rest of the game. It doesn't matter which level you are on, from college to high-school to middle school to rec leagues, every single coach will urge a player NOT to try a three with a clear advantage. That's low basketball IQ on Williams' part.

On the bright side, Dorell Wright and Mark Blount gave promising performances. Wright was able to connect on some jump shots en route to a 15-point performance on seven-of-12 shooting. Wright also grabbed seven boards and collected two steals. Blount, meanwhile, was able to score 22 points on nine-of-15 shooting. Blount looks to be a very nice option at the five who may play in Miami beyond this season. The rebounding is not there, but Marion and Wright are there.

Still, I can't help but wonder if Blount is being used as trade bait. He's got a hefty contract, but several teams need serviceable big men. I also wouldn't be surprised to see if Wright's name appears in some trade rumors. With Shawn Marion apparently solidifying the role in Miami as the small forward, Wright would be nothing more than a bench player with the Heat. Wright has had some good games this past season, and it will be interesting to see where he will end up next Fall.

Dwyane Wade was humbled by Kobe Bryant. I don't know if there is even a debate any longer. Bryant outscored Wade 33-19 and was able to force him in a traveling violation late in the third quarter in a great display of defense by Bryant. Wade appeared to do too much, and winded up with nine turnovers. The two offseason surgeries may be playing a factor, but Wade is clearly not the one that we are used to seeing.

In a game which saw the Lakers outscore Miami in every stanza of play, it's hard to say this was an interesting game. But the change of culture was evident in Miami, but they simply did not play smart enough as none of their comeback attempts came to frutition. As evidenced by the nine turnovers, Wade made some senseless mistakes of his own, including dishing it to Mark Blount below his knees on a fast-break.

However, the future does look bright for Miami. Marion is unselfish, getting multiple rebounds, hustling on every play, and jamming it down on people's heads. For the first game of a new era, it certainly showed signs of a nice future. However, this Heat team still has a long way to go. Several pieces need to be added before the Heat can make a serious return to contention.

Bringin' out the Brooms

It shouldn't come as a surprise to many people, but Sen. Barack Obama swept the states at stake tonight, Washington, Nebraska, Louisiana, as well as the Virgin Islands. The exact number of delegates varies according to several calculations, but all can agree that Obama is digging into this lead and it is not wise to think the Clintons will hold on to this delegate lead for much longer.

Obama routed chief rival Sen. Hillary Clinton in Nebraska and Washington, as the Illinois Senator received approximately 68% of the vote in those two states. In Louisiana, it was closer, but still a huge win for Obama. With 92% of precincts reporting, Obama holds a 56%-37% lead over Clinton in Louisiana.

Tomorrow, Maine caucuses are going to be held. Next Tuesday, primaries in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia will be held. All appear to be Obama-friendly states. This essentially means that it is feasible that Clinton could go without a win for the next week or two. As we see Obama cutting in and cutting in to this lead, we may actually see a change in the superdelegates.

For those of you who don't know what a superdelegate is, it is an elected official who has the ability to change his or her position. As you may know, the superdelegates are what have been giving Clinton this slight edge. Obama may decide to shake up the superdelegate tree and tell them, "Don't you want to be with us when take the lead in delegates?"

I don't mean to make this even more complicated, but even the pledged delegates are not even "pledged" as they seem. They have not written their candidate of choice in blood. If they decide to change their candidate, they won't be arrested or anything like that. However, there is still a reason why we call them "pledged delegates." This election has thrown its share of surprises, and there are undoubtedly more to come.

I expect Obama to continue to ride this wave of momentum he is on. Obama raised over $30 million in January without lobbyists while Hillary Clinton has had to donate $5 million to her own campaign. Things aren't the way they once seemed. Barack Obama's that scrappy little team that you can never get rid of. You can lead them by double digits, but they fight back. Who knows, they might even pull off an upset.

On Tuesday, February 19, primaries in Washington and Wisconsin are held, as well as caucuses in Hawaii. This leads up to what some call "Junior Tuesday." On March 4, primaries in big states such as Ohio and Texas are held, as well as in Rhode Island and Vermont. It should be interesting to watch, so let's see how this all plays out.

The End of an Era

When Miami announced that they had traded Shaquille O'Neal to the Suns for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks, it effectively ended the Shaquille O'Neal/Dwyane Wade era. Now, it appears to be the Wade/Marion era. Do they compare to Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, as Pat Riley suggests? Hell no. But the sky is the limit for these two guys.

Shawn Marion is arguably the most versatile, most underrated, and the best athlete in the League. At 6'7", he's able to grab almost 10 rebounds a night. He has good accuracy and is fearless while driving to the basket. He is a great defender and can guard several positions. He is such a well-rounded player that the only negative thing people have to say about him is his shooting mechanic.

It may be entertaining to see Wade on one side of the fast-break and Marion on the other side. But if Wade and Marion are going to be a duo that will return this team to contention, where is the help? Where is the point guard, who can distribute the ball? Where is the post player who will ease things up on Wade and Marion? Where are the three-point shooters? Where is the depth? Pat Riley still has his work cut out for him, even after making a blockbuster trade.

For those of you that are worried about whether Shawn Marion will stay in Miami, considering he has an early termination option on his contract in just a few months, which expires at the end of the 2008-09 season, I highly doubt Marion would opt out. He wouldn't be able to get $17 million anywhere else and he is also young enough to seek out a maximum contract at the end of next season.

One player that you should not overlook is Marcus Banks. Some people think he is just going to be an expensive, marginal backup point guard for the Heat. Keep in mind that Banks averaged 12 points per game in 2005-06. Also keep in mind that Banks has been learning and growing under one of the best point guards of all time: Steve Nash. He may not be the point guard of the future for Miami, but he may be a spark off the bench.

Where do the Heat go from here? The buzz around the NBA is that Pat Riley is not done making moves, and may even make a trade before the Feb. 21 deadline. If I was Riles, I would try to get Elton Brand in Miami. Yes, Brand, Wade, and Marion come at a hefty price just between the three of them, but Riley alluded to Boston rebuilding so quickly. The Celtics are paying three men over $16 million and one $23.7 million. Assuming the Heat were to acquire Brand, their highest-paid player would be Shawn Marion, who would be making $17 million next season.

A trade of Udonis Haslem, Ricky Davis, and Dorell Wright in exchange for Elton Brand will work according to the provisions of the salary cap. Personally, I would do this trade in a New York minute. Brand can be Miami's low-post scorer and a defender down low, while Wade and Marion can take care of things on the perimeter and slashing to the hoop.

If Miami were to do this trade and assuming Smush Parker would opt to test free agent waters this summer, the Heat would have a salary for next season of about $60.9 million, less than all but five squads. More importantly, the Heat would return to the upper echelon of the League's best. A starting lineup of Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion, Elton Brand, and Mark Blount is viable against any team in the League.

The question would now be where Wade and Co. would get his three-point shooters and depth. Marcus Banks is a solid shooter from beyond the arc. Looking at the free agent pool for this summer, Tony Allen, Walter Herrmann, Daniel Gibson, Maurice Evans, Bostjan Nachbar, James Jones, Mikael Pietrus, Juan Dixon, and Gordan Giricek as well as former Heatians Keyon Dooling and James Posey are all solid shooters that will be available. Pietrus has said he'd love to play for Miami, but picking up one or two more shooters wouldn't hurt.

Many columnists and sportswriters say that this is such a good trade for Miami because they simply get rid of a boatload of money. The success of this trade will be determined by what actions the Heat take after the trade. Will Pat Riley be aggressive and surround Wade and Marion with good players? Or will he drop the ball, just like he did in the 2007 offseason?

Go West, "Young" Man

Yesterday, it was announced that four-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal has been traded to the Phoenix Suns for four-time NBA All-Star Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. What does this trade mean for Shaq? What does it mean for the Heat? What does it mean for Dwyane Wade? I'll answer the first question now.

Believe it or not, this is a great move for the Suns. Is this an overreaction to the Pau Gasol acquisition? Maybe. Nonetheless, the Suns have come up short with their same nucleus time and time again. They're fun to watch, but they've never been gotten a whiff of the NBA Finals. Obviously, a change needed to be made. I've heard people say that Shaq won't be able to keep up with the run-and-gun offense. Of course he isn't. However, the Suns won't need him to do that. They are going to need him to get the rebound and start the fast break; and step up to be the low-post presence when necessary.

Phoenix can get any seven-footer to grab the rebound, but there is a reason why they got Shaq. Shaq is playing on a team with athletic, young players, and three-point-shooters. However, the best perk for Phoenix is that they've got two big men in Shaq and Amare Stoudemire.

People can say what they want to say about Shaq, but if you give him single-coverage, he's going to kill you. If you double-team him, Amare Stoudemire is going to kill you, and vice versa. There isn't one team with this type of power rotation in the League. This is something people haven't seen since Duncan and Robinson. Amare is going to make Shaq look good, and Shaq is going to make Amare better. David Robinson was at the tail-end of his career, like Shaq, and Duncan was able to lead him to two championships.

I know people are saying that if Shaq complained about getting shots in Miami, he's going to yap even more in Phoenix. What people fail to realize is this: if you list Miami's roster with Phoenix's roster, who is supposed to be getting the shots on Miami? Ricky "Turnover" Davis? Jason "Can't Make a Layup" Williams? I would complain if I was Shaq. In Phoenix, you've got great players surrounding Shaq. He won't mind taking a back-seat if he's going to win another ring.

Another argument is that Shaq is going to be injured. Shaq has said that the media is making him angry. And when he gets angry, he does stuff like winning championships. I have very seldom seen Shaq not rise to the occasion. Being around an already great team makes things all the better for O'Neal. When Shaq comes back healthy, it will be a great deal for the Suns.

Some people have asked me if Shaq will win a championship in Phoenix. Of course, it's too early to call. However, if I had to go out on a limb, I would say yes. And it will happen this year.

Super Tuesday Recap

After Super Tuesday, there were some minor surprises, but all in all, things went the way they were predicted to go in the Democratic side: no clear winner was decided. Despite the fact that Hillary Clinton won more delegates last night, the fact that Clinton was leading these polls by 20, 30 points a month ago showcases the fact that Obama is closing the gap. And that's what the Obama campaign wanted to do: continue to catch up.

Personally, I would like to see this race play itself out. Everyone says that this is a historic election, and it is, so why not let it unravel? The advantage for Barack Obama is that he has the money and the momentum. Acquiring over $30 million in January WITHOUT the help of lobbyists is shocking. Many people are starting to get the message that Obama can bring about the most change and can unite the country the best.

One thing that I was scratching my head at was why they were calling states when they had 2% or 3% reported. I watched it on MSNBC, and I don't know how CNN or some of the other stations handled it. It was interesting to see Hillary take charge in Missouri, and then Obama storm back to take the edge in Missouri. However, both will take 30 delegates from the state.

I was disappointed by the results in Massachusetts and Arizona. Obama got the endorsements of Deval Patrick, the governor of Massachusetts, and the two Senators, Ted Kennedy and John Kerry. However, Obama only got 37 delegates in Massachusetts. Clinton, by comparison, was able to garner 54 in Massachusetts. In Arizona, where Obama had the support of Governor Janet Nopolitano, also ended up on the short end of the stick.

Hillary Clinton routed Obama in California, which was surprising to me. Some of it may have to do with the fact that a sizable portion of the California population voted early, before Obama began to make this big comeback. Nonetheless, I would have hoped that Obama would have garnered more of the delegates in California.

This was not a bad night for Obama by any stretch of the imagination. Winning Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Georgia, as well as the caucus states was a statement for Obama. Remember, this race is far from over. Over half of the delegates are yet to be grabbed. Assuming Obama will continue to take this momentum, he will be the next President of the United States of America.

I know some people are probably wondering why I am not posting about Shaquille O'Neal's move to Phoenix. Forgive me if I prioritize the next President of the United States over a trade in the NBA. I will post about the Shaq trade later this week. For now, I'm going to peace-out.

Super Tuesday Preview

Super Tuesday is getting closer and closer, and the candidates are racking up endorsements and drawing in crowds as they criss-cross the country before the largest single-day delegate grab.

Of course, the pot of gold is California. Oprah Winfrey, a supporter of Sen. Barack Obama, will be in Los Angeles on Sunday. Oprah has the uncanny ability to draw crowds from people who might not be interested in politics. Having Oprah on the campaign trail bodes well for Obama. In addition, the L.A. Times, one of the most-read newspapers in the United States, endorsed Obama. This all points to Barack possibly grabbing the 370 delegates. However, Clinton has been a longtime favorite in Califorina. At this point, it's too close to call.

In New York and New Jersey, the advantage clearly goes to Hillary Clinton, barring any sudden turnaround. This makes things difficult for Obama, as he has to pick up several states in order to cut even with Clinton or take a slight advantage.

Illinois is probably going to be in the bag for Obama. I used the word "probably" because it could still be up in the air, especially considering Illinois is Clinton's birthplace. However, Illinois is Obama's Senate base. Assuming Barack takes Illinois, it would be his biggest big-state win.

Massachusetts and Missouri are any body's guess. Count on Clinton and Obama heavily courting those two states.

Connecticut, Georgia, and Alabama all could go Barack's way. Of the three states, I would say Connecticut is the one that is susceptible to a Clinton surge. Meanwhile, I would expect Obama to grab a hold of Georgia and Alabama.

Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Arkansas are states that Obama will do very poorly in. Clinton will definitely have these in the bag. Kansas, a caucus state, is up for grabs, but Obama is hoping the fact that his mother was born in Kansas can help him there.

Overall, I do not anticipate a clear-cut winner coming out on Wednesday. Clinton is still slightly ahead in the Gallup polls, and Obama must either win or come close in order to stay in the race. However, the longer this race goes on, the more it favors Obama. Obama has the money and the momentum going his way.

If Obama takes the majority of the states on Super Tuesday, it immediately brings back the hemorrhage that Clinton suffered after Obama cleaned her clock in South Carolina -- except a much, much, larger hemorrhage. After being ahead by 20% in the polls, Obama coming all the way back, and being put in the rear-view mirror, Clinton's downhill run on Super Tuesday could be one of the most astounding in recent history. Which is why Clinton is going to do everything in her power to stop that from happening.

Quote of the Day: "If by a "liberal" they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties — someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a "Liberal," then I'm proud to say I'm a liberal. - John F. Kennedy.

Influential Video of the Day: "Yes We Can" Song