Hello all,
Thanks for all of your continued support. I recently was contacted by someone who works for the independently-owned sports Web site, Most Valuable Network. I was offered the position to write about the Miami Heat, and I have agreed to write for them.
The new blog will be located here. I will continue writing my normal articles, only in a different place with more opportunities.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Marion to go North of the Border?
In a column published yesterday, Miami Herald beat writer Israel Gutierrez gives a number of strong convictions regarding the oft-mentioned possibilities of trading Shawn Marion.
Gutierrez, among other things, writes, "the chances of Shawn Marion remaining with the Heat for the balance of this season are quite slim," also adding that, "Marion badly wants to be traded," and that, "Marion's agent constantly is talking with management from other teams, attempting to gauge their interest."
Gutierrez goes on to say that "league sources" have told him Heat President Pat Riley is considering making a trade for Jermaine O'Neal, the six-time NBA All-Star. With O'Neal's contract giving him about $44 million over the next two seasons, Shawn Marion would have to be a part of the deal in order to satisfy the NBA's trade rules.
Is this credible information? League sources apparently told Yahoo! Sports that a trade involving Marion in exchange for Anderson Varejao and Wally Szczerbiak was brewing. High officials for both Miami and Cleveland quickly shut down that rumor. If no one says anything about this, then the rumor may lead to a move right before the trade deadline.
Toronto, expected by some to challenge Boston in the Atlantic Division, is currently at 16-24 and the 12th best team in the East. There is no doubt that Raptors owner Brian Colangelo wants to make a move. Jermaine O'Neal has missed the past nine games with a knee injury, and is putting up sub-par numbers of 14 points and seven rebounds per game. Colangelo, who was invovled with the Phoenix Suns, however, may like the idea of playing again with Marion.
Marion, who has contributed two straight double-doubles, hardly plays like a player who "badly" wants out of Miami. He recently spoke of his willingness to get more involved in the Heat's offense. While he has posted career lows across the board in his contract year, it has seemed as though Marion is beginning to get more accustomed to the half-court style of offense.
Is Marion in Miami's long-term plans? No. If Riley makes a trade for Jermaine O'Neal, will he be in Miami's long-term plans? No. The move to acquire O'Neal would probably be to add some size to this team over the next one-and-a-half seasons and part ways with him before the anticipated summer of 2010.
As I have said repeatedly, I don't see Riley moving Marion until he gets more of a read on James Jones. Daequan Cook is only 6-foot-5 and moving him into the starting lineup would significantly hurt Miami's bench production. Michael Beasley, while standing at 6-foot-9, does not have the lateral movement to keep up with players such as LeBron James; and would also hurt Miami's bench production. On ESPN, people are talking about the San Antonio vs. Los Angeles Lakers game. And both teams have one of their key contributors, Manu Ginobili with the Spurs and Lamar Odom with the Lakers, coming off the bench.
Therefore, we could see Riley pressure Coach Erik Spoelstra to get Jones into the rotation with the trade deadline 35 days away. Jones is a player who can fit right into the starting lineup if he works his way back from his injury. Throughout his five-year career, he has shot three-pointers at a 39.8 percent clip. Additionally, his long arms could give Miami some perimeter defense; and Riley may have found the closest thing to another James Posey.
O'Neal is due about $21 million at this season's end. Marion's expiring contract will give him approximately $17 million this season. That still leaves $4 million that Miami has to give in order for this trade to work.
Last season, the Shaquille O'Neal for Shawn Marion deal also needed a throw-in to work. Phoenix General Manager Steve Kerr agreed to add Marcus Banks in the deal. Well, this time Banks could find himself again as a throw-in in a deal involving the other O'Neal. Banks is owed $4.2 million, and his contract goes beyond the 2009-10 season. A deal involving Banks and Marin for O'Neal does satisfy the trade rules.
Shaun Livingston is reportedly leaning towards a Miami return, according to an Arizona Republic article. If Riley still feels there is an investment to be made in Livingston, this trade may give Livingston an opportunity, seeing as Chris Quinn will be a free agent this summer. Of course, there still remains the prospect of signing Alonzo Mourning, as well as the prospect of dipping into the luxury tax.
Looking strictly at the trade, though, it appears as though O'Neal is suited for a half-court style of offense and Marion is suited for a full-court type of offense. Both are 31 years old and both are looking to play as they used to perform a few years ago. From that standpoint, it looks like a pretty even-handed trade.
Not many stars are washed up when they are in their late 20s, but O'Neal has gotten that thrown around at him as many as three seasons ago, and some would argue even longer. Since 2004, the 6-foot-11 forward/center has missed 133 games. For the early years of the 2000's, O'Neal was a consistent 20-point, 10-rebound threat. Now, he averages about two rebounds less than Marion does.
O'Neal averages 14 points for the Raptors, and a moderate increase will be as good as one can hope for the South Carolina-native gets traded to Miami. At best, we'll see someone who will average around 17 points, eight rebounds and two blocks per game. That's not the ideal sidekick for Wade. As I said, O'Neal won't be in Miami's plans for more than a one-and-a-half seasons. But if it's the best thing Riley can get for Marion, it makes a whole lot more sense than letting his contract expire and signing Carlos Boozer (not even a center) or Mehmet Okur (a perimeter player) in the off-season.
We'll see if this is merely speculation or something more. But you can count me tentatively on the bandwagon for this trade.
Gutierrez, among other things, writes, "the chances of Shawn Marion remaining with the Heat for the balance of this season are quite slim," also adding that, "Marion badly wants to be traded," and that, "Marion's agent constantly is talking with management from other teams, attempting to gauge their interest."
Gutierrez goes on to say that "league sources" have told him Heat President Pat Riley is considering making a trade for Jermaine O'Neal, the six-time NBA All-Star. With O'Neal's contract giving him about $44 million over the next two seasons, Shawn Marion would have to be a part of the deal in order to satisfy the NBA's trade rules.
Is this credible information? League sources apparently told Yahoo! Sports that a trade involving Marion in exchange for Anderson Varejao and Wally Szczerbiak was brewing. High officials for both Miami and Cleveland quickly shut down that rumor. If no one says anything about this, then the rumor may lead to a move right before the trade deadline.
Toronto, expected by some to challenge Boston in the Atlantic Division, is currently at 16-24 and the 12th best team in the East. There is no doubt that Raptors owner Brian Colangelo wants to make a move. Jermaine O'Neal has missed the past nine games with a knee injury, and is putting up sub-par numbers of 14 points and seven rebounds per game. Colangelo, who was invovled with the Phoenix Suns, however, may like the idea of playing again with Marion.
Marion, who has contributed two straight double-doubles, hardly plays like a player who "badly" wants out of Miami. He recently spoke of his willingness to get more involved in the Heat's offense. While he has posted career lows across the board in his contract year, it has seemed as though Marion is beginning to get more accustomed to the half-court style of offense.
Is Marion in Miami's long-term plans? No. If Riley makes a trade for Jermaine O'Neal, will he be in Miami's long-term plans? No. The move to acquire O'Neal would probably be to add some size to this team over the next one-and-a-half seasons and part ways with him before the anticipated summer of 2010.
As I have said repeatedly, I don't see Riley moving Marion until he gets more of a read on James Jones. Daequan Cook is only 6-foot-5 and moving him into the starting lineup would significantly hurt Miami's bench production. Michael Beasley, while standing at 6-foot-9, does not have the lateral movement to keep up with players such as LeBron James; and would also hurt Miami's bench production. On ESPN, people are talking about the San Antonio vs. Los Angeles Lakers game. And both teams have one of their key contributors, Manu Ginobili with the Spurs and Lamar Odom with the Lakers, coming off the bench.
Therefore, we could see Riley pressure Coach Erik Spoelstra to get Jones into the rotation with the trade deadline 35 days away. Jones is a player who can fit right into the starting lineup if he works his way back from his injury. Throughout his five-year career, he has shot three-pointers at a 39.8 percent clip. Additionally, his long arms could give Miami some perimeter defense; and Riley may have found the closest thing to another James Posey.
O'Neal is due about $21 million at this season's end. Marion's expiring contract will give him approximately $17 million this season. That still leaves $4 million that Miami has to give in order for this trade to work.
Last season, the Shaquille O'Neal for Shawn Marion deal also needed a throw-in to work. Phoenix General Manager Steve Kerr agreed to add Marcus Banks in the deal. Well, this time Banks could find himself again as a throw-in in a deal involving the other O'Neal. Banks is owed $4.2 million, and his contract goes beyond the 2009-10 season. A deal involving Banks and Marin for O'Neal does satisfy the trade rules.
Shaun Livingston is reportedly leaning towards a Miami return, according to an Arizona Republic article. If Riley still feels there is an investment to be made in Livingston, this trade may give Livingston an opportunity, seeing as Chris Quinn will be a free agent this summer. Of course, there still remains the prospect of signing Alonzo Mourning, as well as the prospect of dipping into the luxury tax.
Looking strictly at the trade, though, it appears as though O'Neal is suited for a half-court style of offense and Marion is suited for a full-court type of offense. Both are 31 years old and both are looking to play as they used to perform a few years ago. From that standpoint, it looks like a pretty even-handed trade.
Not many stars are washed up when they are in their late 20s, but O'Neal has gotten that thrown around at him as many as three seasons ago, and some would argue even longer. Since 2004, the 6-foot-11 forward/center has missed 133 games. For the early years of the 2000's, O'Neal was a consistent 20-point, 10-rebound threat. Now, he averages about two rebounds less than Marion does.
O'Neal averages 14 points for the Raptors, and a moderate increase will be as good as one can hope for the South Carolina-native gets traded to Miami. At best, we'll see someone who will average around 17 points, eight rebounds and two blocks per game. That's not the ideal sidekick for Wade. As I said, O'Neal won't be in Miami's plans for more than a one-and-a-half seasons. But if it's the best thing Riley can get for Marion, it makes a whole lot more sense than letting his contract expire and signing Carlos Boozer (not even a center) or Mehmet Okur (a perimeter player) in the off-season.
We'll see if this is merely speculation or something more. But you can count me tentatively on the bandwagon for this trade.
Cook Bails Out Heat
If only everything was as economical as the Daequan Cook bailout plan.
Cook was coming off a scoreless performance in Miami's win against Minnesota. But Dwyane Wade continued to trust his young teammate. The former Marquette Golden Eagle usually finds Cook for open three-pointers after driving to the hoop, and it was no different Wednesday night.
And Wade needed Cook to step up.
In a rough return to Wade's college town, Cook stepped up and connected on his first six triples before ending up with a career-high 24 points on 7-of-11 shooting in 27 minutes of action. Cook's lethal three-point shooting helped Miami get back in the game after Milwaukee jumped out to an 18-8 lead. His free-throw shooting helped the Heat stave off a late Bucks surge.
Wade's collection of missed jumpers and turnovers allowed Milwaukee to take advantage, eventually cutting the once 13-point second half lead to 97-95 with 86 seconds remaining. Both teams turned the ball over before the Bucks had a chance to tie the game with 30 seconds left. Richard Jefferson attempted a runner in the lane, but Shawn Marion blocked the shot before Cook grabbed the ball. Jefferson intentionally fouled Cook, and the former Ohio State Buckeye knocked down two free throws.
Joe Alexander's layup with 16 seconds left on the clock made it a 99-97 lead for the Heat. After Michael Redd fouled fellow Olympian Wade, and the League's leading scorer connected on one free throw. Luke Ridnour's runner made it a 100-99 game for Miami with just nine seconds to go, but the Heat fed the hot hand, Cook, who calmly connected both free throws. Alexander's three-pointer to tie the game got nothing but air as the clock expired.
Wade was only 5-for-20 from the field for 17 points and turned the ball over four times, but dished out 13 assists.
In addition to Cook's resurgence, Beasley also picked up the slack for Wade. The talented rookie out of Kansas State had 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting, four rebounds and just one turnover in 28 minutes of play. Cook and Beasley, Miami's usual spark-plugs off the bench and Wednesday night's leading scorers for the Heat, combined for 45 points on 15-for-22 shooting.
Wade had no problem sharing the wealth, and five Heat players attempted 11 or more field goals. Udonis Haslem shot 8-of-13 from the field for 18 points while also collecting eight rebounds. Shawn Marion contributed 14 points on 7-of-13 shooting, 10 rebounds and the aforementioned key rejection.
Coach Erik Spoelstra opened the second half with Chris Quinn and Jamaal Magloire taking the places of Mario Chalmers and Joel Anthony, respectively. It worked for the Heat, as Miami put up nine unanswered points to start the third quarter. To me, these were a couple of common sense Spoelstra moves. Anthony did have three blocks last night, but Spoelstra went with more size in Magloire. And Chalmers has had a brutal road trip, with two scoreless nights in his last three games, so it makes sense for Quinn to get more minutes.
Quinn, however, struggled with a one-for-five shooting performance from the field. The 6-foot-2 guard out of Notre Dame also let Luke Ridnour constantly beat him off the dribble, who scored a game-high 25 points. Spoelstra couldn't go to Marcus Banks late in the game, who was again in street clothes. If Banks isn't back on the active list after Chalmers' continued struggles and Quinn's defensive liabilities exposed against Minnesota and now Milwaukee, I don't know what will.
James Jones did not even get off the bench last night. Spoelstra opted to play Yakhouba Diawara for seven minutes, and it appears that Jones' return will be a slow process.
Miami is now 3-2 on its seven-game road trip with a hurtin' Houston team up followed by the lowly Oklahoma City Thunder. The Heat, a team that has beaten top teams and lost to lowly ones, knows that every game is up for grabs. Nonetheless, it's possible that Miami could make a run at the Pistons for the fifth seed. Detroit, which occupies the fifth seed, is only one-and-a-half games above Miami and in the midst of a three-game losing streak. Atlanta, the fourth seed and only two games above Miami, has lost four of its last five games.
Cook was coming off a scoreless performance in Miami's win against Minnesota. But Dwyane Wade continued to trust his young teammate. The former Marquette Golden Eagle usually finds Cook for open three-pointers after driving to the hoop, and it was no different Wednesday night.
And Wade needed Cook to step up.
In a rough return to Wade's college town, Cook stepped up and connected on his first six triples before ending up with a career-high 24 points on 7-of-11 shooting in 27 minutes of action. Cook's lethal three-point shooting helped Miami get back in the game after Milwaukee jumped out to an 18-8 lead. His free-throw shooting helped the Heat stave off a late Bucks surge.
Wade's collection of missed jumpers and turnovers allowed Milwaukee to take advantage, eventually cutting the once 13-point second half lead to 97-95 with 86 seconds remaining. Both teams turned the ball over before the Bucks had a chance to tie the game with 30 seconds left. Richard Jefferson attempted a runner in the lane, but Shawn Marion blocked the shot before Cook grabbed the ball. Jefferson intentionally fouled Cook, and the former Ohio State Buckeye knocked down two free throws.Joe Alexander's layup with 16 seconds left on the clock made it a 99-97 lead for the Heat. After Michael Redd fouled fellow Olympian Wade, and the League's leading scorer connected on one free throw. Luke Ridnour's runner made it a 100-99 game for Miami with just nine seconds to go, but the Heat fed the hot hand, Cook, who calmly connected both free throws. Alexander's three-pointer to tie the game got nothing but air as the clock expired.
Wade was only 5-for-20 from the field for 17 points and turned the ball over four times, but dished out 13 assists.
In addition to Cook's resurgence, Beasley also picked up the slack for Wade. The talented rookie out of Kansas State had 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting, four rebounds and just one turnover in 28 minutes of play. Cook and Beasley, Miami's usual spark-plugs off the bench and Wednesday night's leading scorers for the Heat, combined for 45 points on 15-for-22 shooting.
Wade had no problem sharing the wealth, and five Heat players attempted 11 or more field goals. Udonis Haslem shot 8-of-13 from the field for 18 points while also collecting eight rebounds. Shawn Marion contributed 14 points on 7-of-13 shooting, 10 rebounds and the aforementioned key rejection.
Coach Erik Spoelstra opened the second half with Chris Quinn and Jamaal Magloire taking the places of Mario Chalmers and Joel Anthony, respectively. It worked for the Heat, as Miami put up nine unanswered points to start the third quarter. To me, these were a couple of common sense Spoelstra moves. Anthony did have three blocks last night, but Spoelstra went with more size in Magloire. And Chalmers has had a brutal road trip, with two scoreless nights in his last three games, so it makes sense for Quinn to get more minutes.
Quinn, however, struggled with a one-for-five shooting performance from the field. The 6-foot-2 guard out of Notre Dame also let Luke Ridnour constantly beat him off the dribble, who scored a game-high 25 points. Spoelstra couldn't go to Marcus Banks late in the game, who was again in street clothes. If Banks isn't back on the active list after Chalmers' continued struggles and Quinn's defensive liabilities exposed against Minnesota and now Milwaukee, I don't know what will.
James Jones did not even get off the bench last night. Spoelstra opted to play Yakhouba Diawara for seven minutes, and it appears that Jones' return will be a slow process.
Miami is now 3-2 on its seven-game road trip with a hurtin' Houston team up followed by the lowly Oklahoma City Thunder. The Heat, a team that has beaten top teams and lost to lowly ones, knows that every game is up for grabs. Nonetheless, it's possible that Miami could make a run at the Pistons for the fifth seed. Detroit, which occupies the fifth seed, is only one-and-a-half games above Miami and in the midst of a three-game losing streak. Atlanta, the fourth seed and only two games above Miami, has lost four of its last five games.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Wade Out-duels Foye, Wolves
In a must-win game of sorts for the Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade was his usual self and carried the Heat past the Minnesota Timberwolves, a team that didn't have enough to win its sixth straight game.
Rodney Carney's jumper with four minutes and 23 seconds left in the game put Minnesota up 91-86. But on Miami's ensuing possession, Wade made a fade away jumper, while also receiving contact from Kevin Love. Wade made the free throw, and it was suddenly a two-point game. After the Timberwolves came up short on the offensive end, Wade found rookie sensation Michael Beasley for a jumper to tie the game with about three-and-a-half minutes left. On Miami's next possession, Wade turned the ball over, but Beasley took it right back. Miami's 6-foot-9 sixth man gave the ball to Shawn Marion, who lobbed it up for an easy Wade dunk. The Heat had taken the lead and the momentum from Minnesota.
But the game wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
Randy Foye, who finished with 29 points, nailed a three-pointer to put the 'Wolves up 96-95 with just under two minutes to go. After some sloppy execution by both teams, Marion drew a shooting foul on Ryan Gomes.
And so, Coach Erik Spoelstra was counting on free throws from a player who brings the ball up to his chin before releasing a shot to deliver clutch free throws. Fortunately, Marion made both free throws to give Miami a 97-96 lead with 22 seconds to go.
Minnesota coach Kevin McHale set up a play to feed the hot hand, Foye, who made 12-of-21 shots from the field and 5-of-10 attempts from downtown. This time, Wade made a clean block on Foye's jump shot with 13 seconds left. After an errant Carney three-point attempt, Minnesota was forced into a fouling mode. Wade and Beasley hit a pair of free throws to close out the game.
Wade had 31 points on 15 shot attempts, was 13-of-16 from the free throw line, eight assists, three steals and three blocks. Foye nearly matched Wade's numbers, but he couldn't shake free of the League's leading scorer when he went up for a shot with 13 seconds left.
Beasley had 14 points and seven rebounds in 23 minutes. But what was most impressive was that Beasley had six points and five rebounds in the fourth quarter, a stanza he played all 12 minutes in. The talented rookie out of Kansas State out-dueled fellow rookie Kevin Love, who finished with eight points and nine rebounds.
Udonis Haslem and Marion each contributed a double-double for Miami. Haslem finished with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting and 10 rebounds while Marion had 16 points on five-of-nine shooting, 11 rebounds and a pair of clutch free throws to put the Heat up for good.
James Jones only played six minutes against Minnesota, and still has not scored his first points as a member of the Heat. This allowed Yakhouba Diawara to play 15 minutes off the bench, who finished with eight points and two connections from beyond the arc.
Rookie Mario Chalmers had another tough night, going just one-for-nine from the field in 30 minutes. Chris Quinn got 18 minutes of playing time, and added seven points off the bench for Miami. Quinn's defensive liabilities were magnified, however, against Minnesota.
Does this mean we'll get another go-around with Marcus Banks? Banks had to wear street clothes last night. But keep in mind that Quinn came out of the rotation for a couple of weeks because Jordan Farmar took him apart in the Lakers' visit to Miami. It's more likely that Quinn will stay in the rotation because of his shooting and steadiness, but a return for Banks is certainly plausible.
Spoelstra had his team play Al Jefferson well, holding him to nine points on 4-of-14 shooting. The Heat did allow Minnesota to connect on 11 three-pointers, but Jefferson's high-percentage shooting around the basket is a key component to Minnesota's offense. Last night, Miami was able to take that away.
Joel Anthony and Jamaal Magloire combined for 16 minutes and 12 seconds of action, and Spoelstra instead went with a three-forward lineup of Marion, Beasley and Haslem late in the game. I still see Beasley coming off the bench as the punch of Miami's second unit, but he will be on the court in crunch time.
Daequan Cook, who was tied in sixth place for three-pointers made at 82, went scoreless last night.
Miami improved to 2-2 on its seven-game road trip and will face Milwaukee tonight at 8. The Heat earned its 20th win of the season and is two games behind Atlanta for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta is in the midst of a four-game losing streak, and Miami can take advantage. Two of Miami's next three games are against below-.500 teams; and the one team above .500 is Houston, who will be without Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest.
Rodney Carney's jumper with four minutes and 23 seconds left in the game put Minnesota up 91-86. But on Miami's ensuing possession, Wade made a fade away jumper, while also receiving contact from Kevin Love. Wade made the free throw, and it was suddenly a two-point game. After the Timberwolves came up short on the offensive end, Wade found rookie sensation Michael Beasley for a jumper to tie the game with about three-and-a-half minutes left. On Miami's next possession, Wade turned the ball over, but Beasley took it right back. Miami's 6-foot-9 sixth man gave the ball to Shawn Marion, who lobbed it up for an easy Wade dunk. The Heat had taken the lead and the momentum from Minnesota.
But the game wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
Randy Foye, who finished with 29 points, nailed a three-pointer to put the 'Wolves up 96-95 with just under two minutes to go. After some sloppy execution by both teams, Marion drew a shooting foul on Ryan Gomes.
And so, Coach Erik Spoelstra was counting on free throws from a player who brings the ball up to his chin before releasing a shot to deliver clutch free throws. Fortunately, Marion made both free throws to give Miami a 97-96 lead with 22 seconds to go.Minnesota coach Kevin McHale set up a play to feed the hot hand, Foye, who made 12-of-21 shots from the field and 5-of-10 attempts from downtown. This time, Wade made a clean block on Foye's jump shot with 13 seconds left. After an errant Carney three-point attempt, Minnesota was forced into a fouling mode. Wade and Beasley hit a pair of free throws to close out the game.
Wade had 31 points on 15 shot attempts, was 13-of-16 from the free throw line, eight assists, three steals and three blocks. Foye nearly matched Wade's numbers, but he couldn't shake free of the League's leading scorer when he went up for a shot with 13 seconds left.
Beasley had 14 points and seven rebounds in 23 minutes. But what was most impressive was that Beasley had six points and five rebounds in the fourth quarter, a stanza he played all 12 minutes in. The talented rookie out of Kansas State out-dueled fellow rookie Kevin Love, who finished with eight points and nine rebounds.
Udonis Haslem and Marion each contributed a double-double for Miami. Haslem finished with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting and 10 rebounds while Marion had 16 points on five-of-nine shooting, 11 rebounds and a pair of clutch free throws to put the Heat up for good.
James Jones only played six minutes against Minnesota, and still has not scored his first points as a member of the Heat. This allowed Yakhouba Diawara to play 15 minutes off the bench, who finished with eight points and two connections from beyond the arc.
Rookie Mario Chalmers had another tough night, going just one-for-nine from the field in 30 minutes. Chris Quinn got 18 minutes of playing time, and added seven points off the bench for Miami. Quinn's defensive liabilities were magnified, however, against Minnesota.
Does this mean we'll get another go-around with Marcus Banks? Banks had to wear street clothes last night. But keep in mind that Quinn came out of the rotation for a couple of weeks because Jordan Farmar took him apart in the Lakers' visit to Miami. It's more likely that Quinn will stay in the rotation because of his shooting and steadiness, but a return for Banks is certainly plausible.
Spoelstra had his team play Al Jefferson well, holding him to nine points on 4-of-14 shooting. The Heat did allow Minnesota to connect on 11 three-pointers, but Jefferson's high-percentage shooting around the basket is a key component to Minnesota's offense. Last night, Miami was able to take that away.
Joel Anthony and Jamaal Magloire combined for 16 minutes and 12 seconds of action, and Spoelstra instead went with a three-forward lineup of Marion, Beasley and Haslem late in the game. I still see Beasley coming off the bench as the punch of Miami's second unit, but he will be on the court in crunch time.
Daequan Cook, who was tied in sixth place for three-pointers made at 82, went scoreless last night.
Miami improved to 2-2 on its seven-game road trip and will face Milwaukee tonight at 8. The Heat earned its 20th win of the season and is two games behind Atlanta for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta is in the midst of a four-game losing streak, and Miami can take advantage. Two of Miami's next three games are against below-.500 teams; and the one team above .500 is Houston, who will be without Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Suggestions for Spoelstra
The Miami Heat currently stand at 19-17, and is only one-and-a-half games above the New Jersey Nets for the sixth seed. Fortunately for Miami, three of the team's four games to close out its season-long seven game road trip are against below-.500 teams.
Except the Heat's opponent tonight, the Minnesota Timberwolves, is on a five-game winning streak; and Miami's next opponent will be against the Milwaukee Bucks, a team the Heat failed to defeat at home in December.
Tonight's game against Minnesota is a must-win. And although Miami played tough against the Los Angeles Lakers Sunday night, it is 2-4 in January and 1-2 on this road trip. Moral victories just don't do it.
Coach Erik Spoelstra has done a fantastic job with his team, already four games better than last season's 15-67 abomination. But he needs to make a few changes.
Joel Anthony has been non-existent recently. We knew that he never had an offensive game, but his defense has now wavered (a product of his frequent foul trouble, maybe). After limiting Andrew Bynum to four points in Miami's first meeting with the Lakers, Anthony gave Bynum everything he wanted at Staples Center. The undersized, undrafted center for the Heat is a hard worker, but he doesn't deserve his starting spot anymore.
Jamaal Magloire, on the other hand, deserves to be the starting center for Miami. In his past two games, Magloire grabbed 16 rebounds in 31 minutes. He is 6-foot-11 and 265 pounds, easily the Heat's biggest player in the rotation. He isn't afraid to get his hands dirty and will give the Heat some toughness in the middle. Like Anthony, Magloire doesn't have an offensive game, but his rebounding and toughness is what should put him in the starting lineup.
Al Jefferson, a man in the company of Dwight Howard and Tim Duncan as the only players who average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds per game, will be a challenge for the Heat. I'm not saying that Magloire will lock Jefferson down, but he will be physical with him and he will never back down.
Staying with bench players, Michael Beasley should be playing more. Against Sacramento and L.A., as well as in the first quarter in Denver, Beasley has shown flashes of stardom. There is no question that Miami's first round pick has untapped potential. Wade can form a dynamic duo with Beasley in the future. Beasley can undoubtedly put up better numbers for the Heat than Shaquille O'Neal did in his first two seasons with Miami. Wade needs some help to carry the offensive load for the Heat, and the 6-foot-9 Washington, D.C.-native can do a bulk of the scoring.
I am not necessarily opposed to the idea of Beasley coming off the bench. Every successful team needs a punch coming from its bench and I have no qualms about Bealey as that role for the Heat. What I am opposed to is playing Beasley just over 20 minutes for Miami. How can he and Wade form chemistry if Beasley isn't even on the court for half the time? Shawn Marion should not be playing 37 minutes per game with the sub-par season he's had so far.
Spoelstra should, in certain situations, play Beasley as a three. This would allow the talented rookie to go to his post-up game against people who are giving up an inch or two on him. I view Beasley as more of a power forward than a small forward, and hope he will continue to get stronger. But I'd like to see the former Kansas State standout to develop his post game so that it will come more naturally to him when he does it as a four against some of the bigger players in the NBA. It's a move for the development of Beasley's game, but it shouldn't hurt the team when it is used in specific positions that will not allow the opponent to exploit Beasley's lack of lateral movement and defense.
Those were the two main things Spoelstra should adjust. I'd like to see James Jones' minutes continue to increase, though. In his two games with the Heat, Jones' playing time has gone up from three minutes to seven. At this point, it's difficult to say whether Spoelstra is working Jones into the rotation or simply giving him token minutes.
Heat News
Several teams, including Minnesota and Atlanta, have inquired into Udonis Haslem's availability. I don't see Pat Riley making any type of move with his forwards until he sees what James Jones can do. Additionally, with Shawn Marion's plausible departure this coming summer, is the Heat willing to give away its starting forward lineup? Haslem won't get Al Jefferson in a Heat uniform.
The New York Knicks offered a deal for Shawn Marion that included center Eddy Curry. The deal was swiftly declined by Riley, who doesn't appear willing to let go of Marion for center with questionable work ethic and a contract that goes beyond the 2009-10 season.
Except the Heat's opponent tonight, the Minnesota Timberwolves, is on a five-game winning streak; and Miami's next opponent will be against the Milwaukee Bucks, a team the Heat failed to defeat at home in December.
Tonight's game against Minnesota is a must-win. And although Miami played tough against the Los Angeles Lakers Sunday night, it is 2-4 in January and 1-2 on this road trip. Moral victories just don't do it.
Coach Erik Spoelstra has done a fantastic job with his team, already four games better than last season's 15-67 abomination. But he needs to make a few changes.
Joel Anthony has been non-existent recently. We knew that he never had an offensive game, but his defense has now wavered (a product of his frequent foul trouble, maybe). After limiting Andrew Bynum to four points in Miami's first meeting with the Lakers, Anthony gave Bynum everything he wanted at Staples Center. The undersized, undrafted center for the Heat is a hard worker, but he doesn't deserve his starting spot anymore.
Jamaal Magloire, on the other hand, deserves to be the starting center for Miami. In his past two games, Magloire grabbed 16 rebounds in 31 minutes. He is 6-foot-11 and 265 pounds, easily the Heat's biggest player in the rotation. He isn't afraid to get his hands dirty and will give the Heat some toughness in the middle. Like Anthony, Magloire doesn't have an offensive game, but his rebounding and toughness is what should put him in the starting lineup.
Al Jefferson, a man in the company of Dwight Howard and Tim Duncan as the only players who average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds per game, will be a challenge for the Heat. I'm not saying that Magloire will lock Jefferson down, but he will be physical with him and he will never back down.
Staying with bench players, Michael Beasley should be playing more. Against Sacramento and L.A., as well as in the first quarter in Denver, Beasley has shown flashes of stardom. There is no question that Miami's first round pick has untapped potential. Wade can form a dynamic duo with Beasley in the future. Beasley can undoubtedly put up better numbers for the Heat than Shaquille O'Neal did in his first two seasons with Miami. Wade needs some help to carry the offensive load for the Heat, and the 6-foot-9 Washington, D.C.-native can do a bulk of the scoring.
I am not necessarily opposed to the idea of Beasley coming off the bench. Every successful team needs a punch coming from its bench and I have no qualms about Bealey as that role for the Heat. What I am opposed to is playing Beasley just over 20 minutes for Miami. How can he and Wade form chemistry if Beasley isn't even on the court for half the time? Shawn Marion should not be playing 37 minutes per game with the sub-par season he's had so far.
Spoelstra should, in certain situations, play Beasley as a three. This would allow the talented rookie to go to his post-up game against people who are giving up an inch or two on him. I view Beasley as more of a power forward than a small forward, and hope he will continue to get stronger. But I'd like to see the former Kansas State standout to develop his post game so that it will come more naturally to him when he does it as a four against some of the bigger players in the NBA. It's a move for the development of Beasley's game, but it shouldn't hurt the team when it is used in specific positions that will not allow the opponent to exploit Beasley's lack of lateral movement and defense.
Those were the two main things Spoelstra should adjust. I'd like to see James Jones' minutes continue to increase, though. In his two games with the Heat, Jones' playing time has gone up from three minutes to seven. At this point, it's difficult to say whether Spoelstra is working Jones into the rotation or simply giving him token minutes.
Heat News
Several teams, including Minnesota and Atlanta, have inquired into Udonis Haslem's availability. I don't see Pat Riley making any type of move with his forwards until he sees what James Jones can do. Additionally, with Shawn Marion's plausible departure this coming summer, is the Heat willing to give away its starting forward lineup? Haslem won't get Al Jefferson in a Heat uniform.
The New York Knicks offered a deal for Shawn Marion that included center Eddy Curry. The deal was swiftly declined by Riley, who doesn't appear willing to let go of Marion for center with questionable work ethic and a contract that goes beyond the 2009-10 season.
Monday, January 12, 2009
In Thriller, Lakers Get Best of Heat
The Miami Heat failed to become the first team in the NBA to defeat the Los Angeles Lakers twice this season, but sure put up a fight.
The Lakers went up by 13 with three minutes left to go in the third quarter on a Derek Fisher three-pointer. But the Heat went on a 13-4 run to close out the third period, including two three-point plays, to make it a 73-77 game heading into the final stanza of play.
Dwyane Wade's finger roll with 7:24 left to play made it an 84-88 game, but it would be Wade's last points of the game. It is hard to believe that one of the League's best fourth-quarter performers would not score for the final seven minutes of a tough ball game, but Miami's superstar guard still made an impact in other ways.
An example? Wade's transition alley-oop pass to Michael Beasley gave the Heat a 90-89 lead with 5:32 left to go. The Lakers made a mini-run to make it 100-93 with just under three minutes to play. But when Wade didn't score, it was Beasley picking up the slack for him. That's something you want out of a sidekick.
Beasley scored Miami's next 10 points to pull within 100-102 with less than a minute to go. On the Lakers' ensuing possession, Wade stole the ball from Kobe Bryant after he tried to set up a pick-and-roll play with Pau Gasol. Udonis Haslem dove towards the hoop for a slam that tied the game at 102 all with 38 seconds left. Coach Erik Spoelstra's team could force a miss and have a chance to win it at the buzzer, if only one red shirt could grab a rebound.
Bryant missed a shot with 18 seconds left to give L.A. the lead, but Andrew Bynum's long arms tipped the ball back in to put the Lakers up 104-102.
Wade got a first step on Bryant and drove into the paint. The L.A. defense collapsed on Wade, and the 6-foot-4 guard out of Marquette dished it to a wide open Chris Quinn in the corner. Quinn's attempt to give Miami a 105-104 lead with seven seconds left went off the rim. Haslem intentionally fouled Vladimir Randamovic, and the L.A. 6-foot-10 forward sunk both free throws. It was a four-point game with six seconds left.
Daequan Cook nailed a triple two seconds later to make it a 105-106 game with four seconds to go. The Lakers got the ball to the reigning season MVP, Bryant. He made both free throws after Haslem intentionally fouled him; and Cook's contested three-pointer to tie the game at the buzzer got nothing but air to end the game with a 108-105 decision.
Wade finished with 27 points on 10-of-22 shooting, five rebounds, nine assists, two steals and two blocked shots. Beasley added 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting, five rebounds and two steals in only 22 minutes. I would have liked to see more of Beasley than just 22 minutes, and feel that he is playing well enough on both sides of the court to start.
Cook finished with 17 points on five-of-nine shooting from three-point range. Shawn Marion added 12 on 6-of-12 shooting, eight rebounds and two steals. Mario Chalmers struggled offensively, getting into early foul trouble and only playing nine minutes. Therefore, Quinn played major minutes (32 in all) and finished with 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting, just one turnover and seven assists. That three-pointer to potentially give Miami the lead, however, will be what most people remember from Quinn last night. Defensively, the athletic Jordan Farmar was injured, and Quinn's defensive liabilities were masked.
Overall, the Heat played good defense. Kobe Bryant shot just 5-for-14 from the field and Pau Gasol shot 4-of-15 from the field. Already without Lamar Odom, one could argue that the Lakers' three best players did not play well. Unfortunately for the Heat, Radmanovic hit four triples and Bynum took advantage of Miami's lack of size. The Lakers out-rebounded the Heat 53-38.
I would have liked to see more of Jamaal Magloire in this game. The Heat's tallest, biggest player grabbed seven rebounds in just 16 minutes. When he played last night, Miami was + 7. With Joel Anthony's productivity diminishing steadily, there is no question as to who should be starting at center for the Heat. If Spoelstra doesn't want to go with a three-forward lineup, he should at least get some size and rebounding with Magloire in the starting unit.
James Jones only played seven minutes last night, attempting only one shot. It was a three-pointer from the right corner that barely grazed the rim. It is not be overstated, even with Jones' preseason wrist surgery. Jones' minutes should steadily increase, and his production will be a key factor in where Shawn Marion will end up after the trade deadline.
The Heat will get a day off before engaging in its only back-to-back sequence of the seven-game road trip, starting Tuesday in Minnesota.
Heat News
Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson said that Dwyane Wade gets an assist from officials after his team's win over Miami. He specifically spoke of traveling and carrying violations that, he says, the referees turn a blind eye to.
"What he's really been able to do is that pick-up move, that the Europeans really have brought in," Jackson said. "We all would consider that a walk move: Pick up the ball, take two steps, that's two and a half steps. And he's been able to get a long distance on that.
"His ability to carry the ball right now, he's getting away with that. He [carries] left to right, right to left, but he just does it fast, so nobody sees it, I guess."
Jackson, of course, coached Michael Jordan, who was also accused of taking an extra step or two during his Chicago championship days.
The Lakers went up by 13 with three minutes left to go in the third quarter on a Derek Fisher three-pointer. But the Heat went on a 13-4 run to close out the third period, including two three-point plays, to make it a 73-77 game heading into the final stanza of play.
Dwyane Wade's finger roll with 7:24 left to play made it an 84-88 game, but it would be Wade's last points of the game. It is hard to believe that one of the League's best fourth-quarter performers would not score for the final seven minutes of a tough ball game, but Miami's superstar guard still made an impact in other ways.
An example? Wade's transition alley-oop pass to Michael Beasley gave the Heat a 90-89 lead with 5:32 left to go. The Lakers made a mini-run to make it 100-93 with just under three minutes to play. But when Wade didn't score, it was Beasley picking up the slack for him. That's something you want out of a sidekick.
Beasley scored Miami's next 10 points to pull within 100-102 with less than a minute to go. On the Lakers' ensuing possession, Wade stole the ball from Kobe Bryant after he tried to set up a pick-and-roll play with Pau Gasol. Udonis Haslem dove towards the hoop for a slam that tied the game at 102 all with 38 seconds left. Coach Erik Spoelstra's team could force a miss and have a chance to win it at the buzzer, if only one red shirt could grab a rebound.
Bryant missed a shot with 18 seconds left to give L.A. the lead, but Andrew Bynum's long arms tipped the ball back in to put the Lakers up 104-102.Wade got a first step on Bryant and drove into the paint. The L.A. defense collapsed on Wade, and the 6-foot-4 guard out of Marquette dished it to a wide open Chris Quinn in the corner. Quinn's attempt to give Miami a 105-104 lead with seven seconds left went off the rim. Haslem intentionally fouled Vladimir Randamovic, and the L.A. 6-foot-10 forward sunk both free throws. It was a four-point game with six seconds left.
Daequan Cook nailed a triple two seconds later to make it a 105-106 game with four seconds to go. The Lakers got the ball to the reigning season MVP, Bryant. He made both free throws after Haslem intentionally fouled him; and Cook's contested three-pointer to tie the game at the buzzer got nothing but air to end the game with a 108-105 decision.
Wade finished with 27 points on 10-of-22 shooting, five rebounds, nine assists, two steals and two blocked shots. Beasley added 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting, five rebounds and two steals in only 22 minutes. I would have liked to see more of Beasley than just 22 minutes, and feel that he is playing well enough on both sides of the court to start.
Cook finished with 17 points on five-of-nine shooting from three-point range. Shawn Marion added 12 on 6-of-12 shooting, eight rebounds and two steals. Mario Chalmers struggled offensively, getting into early foul trouble and only playing nine minutes. Therefore, Quinn played major minutes (32 in all) and finished with 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting, just one turnover and seven assists. That three-pointer to potentially give Miami the lead, however, will be what most people remember from Quinn last night. Defensively, the athletic Jordan Farmar was injured, and Quinn's defensive liabilities were masked.
Overall, the Heat played good defense. Kobe Bryant shot just 5-for-14 from the field and Pau Gasol shot 4-of-15 from the field. Already without Lamar Odom, one could argue that the Lakers' three best players did not play well. Unfortunately for the Heat, Radmanovic hit four triples and Bynum took advantage of Miami's lack of size. The Lakers out-rebounded the Heat 53-38.
I would have liked to see more of Jamaal Magloire in this game. The Heat's tallest, biggest player grabbed seven rebounds in just 16 minutes. When he played last night, Miami was + 7. With Joel Anthony's productivity diminishing steadily, there is no question as to who should be starting at center for the Heat. If Spoelstra doesn't want to go with a three-forward lineup, he should at least get some size and rebounding with Magloire in the starting unit.
James Jones only played seven minutes last night, attempting only one shot. It was a three-pointer from the right corner that barely grazed the rim. It is not be overstated, even with Jones' preseason wrist surgery. Jones' minutes should steadily increase, and his production will be a key factor in where Shawn Marion will end up after the trade deadline.
The Heat will get a day off before engaging in its only back-to-back sequence of the seven-game road trip, starting Tuesday in Minnesota.
Heat News
Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson said that Dwyane Wade gets an assist from officials after his team's win over Miami. He specifically spoke of traveling and carrying violations that, he says, the referees turn a blind eye to.
"What he's really been able to do is that pick-up move, that the Europeans really have brought in," Jackson said. "We all would consider that a walk move: Pick up the ball, take two steps, that's two and a half steps. And he's been able to get a long distance on that.
"His ability to carry the ball right now, he's getting away with that. He [carries] left to right, right to left, but he just does it fast, so nobody sees it, I guess."
Jackson, of course, coached Michael Jordan, who was also accused of taking an extra step or two during his Chicago championship days.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Wade, Beasley Lead Heat Past Kings
In a dramatic showdown in Sacramento, Dwyane Wade and Michael Beasley continued to look more and more like a duo, combining for 64 points in a 119-115 overtime win.
For the first three quarters, this game looked eerily similar to the game against Denver. Miami again played poor defense in the first half, allowing 62 points through the first 24 minutes. The Heat managed to make a few mini-runs in the third quarter, but a late surge by Sacramento to close out the quarter had Miami down eight entering the final stanza of play. Former Florida Gator John Salmons made two free throws to start the fourth quarter, putting Miami down by 10 with just under 12 minutes to play.
Beasley, who turned 20 years old Friday, scored eight unanswered points before finding Jamaal Magloire for a nice dunk. Within 1:58, the once 74-84 deficit was only 83-84. It seemed as if this game would go down to the wire until Miami opened up a 99-94 lead with with 115 seconds to go after Wade made a nice dish to Udonis Haslem for a layup. But Bobby Jackson nailed a three, cutting the lead to 99-97 with 68 seconds left, still anybody's game. The Heat would need to dig a little bit deeper for this win.
Mario Chalmers has hit contested threes in crunch time. This time he did it again, but in a red Miami uniform. The rookie out of Kansas State nailed a triple with Jackson all over him with 46 seconds to go. With 12 seconds left and the score at 102-99, Wade picked Kevin Martin's pocket for a steal. He was immediately fouled, and could've given the Heat a 104-99 lead.
But he didn't.
Wade made only one of two free throws. Spencer Hawes hit a three on Sacramento's ensuing possession to make it 104-103 with just 10 seconds to go. Mario Chalmers was fouled and made one of two, and Hawes made another jumper to force overtime.
Wade made the first two field goals of overtime to give the Heat a four-point lead. Unfortunately, Magloire was charged with a flagrant foul on Sacramento's ensuing possession. Hawes hit both free throws, and Sacramento would retain possession. Kevin Matin got free for a wide open jumper to tie the game up. Miami's 6-foot-11 center did a good job on the glass, but that flagrant foul ended up as a four-point possession for the Kings.
Wade and Haslem hooked up for a pick-and-roll that ended up getting the 6-foot-8 power forward a three-point play. But Hawes' reverse layup with 2:14 left to go cut the Heat lead to 111-110. On Miami's next possession, Wade's teammates were able to get him an open lane to the bucket before Hawes came over and pummeled Miami's superstar guard to the ground. Wade immediately grimaced and grabbed his right elbow, and took a few moments to get back up.
Hawes was assessed with a flagrant foul, and Wade connected on one of two. The Kings got possession after a Beasley miss. Daequan Cook was called for a foul on a Martin three-point attempt that didn't have much contact at all. Nonetheless, Martin made all three shots from the line to give Sacramento a 113-112 lead. After Wade turned the ball over, Hawes hit another jump shot to give the Kings a 115-112 lead with just 56 seconds to go.
Those were the last points scored by Sacramento. Miami would go on to score seven.
Wade made a contested three-pointer to tie the game at 115 all (and he did it just after getting a blow to his right elbow). After good Miami defense that forced a 24-second shot clock violation, Wade took another hard foul, but this time, he hit both free throws. The Heat had a 117-115 lead with just five seconds left to go.
Hawes missed on a jumper with .8 seconds left to tie the game. Cook leaped for the rebound and was subsequently fouled. The sophomore guard out of Ohio State sunk both free throws to ice the game for Miami.
Wade struggled early on, missing 11 of his first 16 shot attempts. But the League's leading scorer connected on six of his final 10 field goal attempts on his way to 41 points, 24 trips to the foul line, five rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocked shots. Wade knew exactly when to take over the game, but had help from Beasley to spark Miami's comeback in the fourth quarter.
The 6-foot-9 forward out of Kansas had his second double-double this week with 23 points on 10-of-19 shooting, two connections from beyond the arc and 10 rebounds. Throughout the first two months of the season, Beasley hadn't managed a double-double. I was pleased that Coach Erik Spoelstra stuck with Beasley in crunch time. The talented rookie played 35 minutes for the Heat.
Another player off the bench got major minutes Friday night. It was Cook, back from his knee injury that held him out against Denver. While he didn't have the best offensive game, he played tough defense on Martin. During the crucial 24-second violation the Heat forced, Cook stayed his ground and forced Sacramento's leading scorer into an air-ball.
Udonis Haslem had 11 points and eight rebounds while Magloire grabbed nine rebounds, four of which were offensive, in just 15 minutes. All of Magloire's rebounds came in the fourth quarter, highlighted by a sequence in which the 6-foot-11 center from Kentucky stayed with his shot, grabbed two of his own misses before earning a trip to the foul line. Although Joel Anthony had six quick points for the Heat, he got in early foul trouble (again). I don't see Anthony's starting position safe right now.
The biggest news before the opening tip was that James Jones was back on the active roster. Jones, a free-agent acquisition last summer, had wrist surgery on his shooting hand Oct. 18 and was finally back. The former Miami Hurricane played three minutes, with a foul and turnover. It was good to see Jones back, though. He's going to have to continue to work his way into the rotation. Hopefully Pat Riley will see the small forward who is a dead-eye three-point shooter and can provide lengthy defense on the other end of the court for the Heat.
Miami (19-16) will head down to Los Angeles to meet with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers Sunday night.
For the first three quarters, this game looked eerily similar to the game against Denver. Miami again played poor defense in the first half, allowing 62 points through the first 24 minutes. The Heat managed to make a few mini-runs in the third quarter, but a late surge by Sacramento to close out the quarter had Miami down eight entering the final stanza of play. Former Florida Gator John Salmons made two free throws to start the fourth quarter, putting Miami down by 10 with just under 12 minutes to play.
Beasley, who turned 20 years old Friday, scored eight unanswered points before finding Jamaal Magloire for a nice dunk. Within 1:58, the once 74-84 deficit was only 83-84. It seemed as if this game would go down to the wire until Miami opened up a 99-94 lead with with 115 seconds to go after Wade made a nice dish to Udonis Haslem for a layup. But Bobby Jackson nailed a three, cutting the lead to 99-97 with 68 seconds left, still anybody's game. The Heat would need to dig a little bit deeper for this win.
Mario Chalmers has hit contested threes in crunch time. This time he did it again, but in a red Miami uniform. The rookie out of Kansas State nailed a triple with Jackson all over him with 46 seconds to go. With 12 seconds left and the score at 102-99, Wade picked Kevin Martin's pocket for a steal. He was immediately fouled, and could've given the Heat a 104-99 lead.
But he didn't.
Wade made only one of two free throws. Spencer Hawes hit a three on Sacramento's ensuing possession to make it 104-103 with just 10 seconds to go. Mario Chalmers was fouled and made one of two, and Hawes made another jumper to force overtime.
Wade made the first two field goals of overtime to give the Heat a four-point lead. Unfortunately, Magloire was charged with a flagrant foul on Sacramento's ensuing possession. Hawes hit both free throws, and Sacramento would retain possession. Kevin Matin got free for a wide open jumper to tie the game up. Miami's 6-foot-11 center did a good job on the glass, but that flagrant foul ended up as a four-point possession for the Kings.
Wade and Haslem hooked up for a pick-and-roll that ended up getting the 6-foot-8 power forward a three-point play. But Hawes' reverse layup with 2:14 left to go cut the Heat lead to 111-110. On Miami's next possession, Wade's teammates were able to get him an open lane to the bucket before Hawes came over and pummeled Miami's superstar guard to the ground. Wade immediately grimaced and grabbed his right elbow, and took a few moments to get back up.
Hawes was assessed with a flagrant foul, and Wade connected on one of two. The Kings got possession after a Beasley miss. Daequan Cook was called for a foul on a Martin three-point attempt that didn't have much contact at all. Nonetheless, Martin made all three shots from the line to give Sacramento a 113-112 lead. After Wade turned the ball over, Hawes hit another jump shot to give the Kings a 115-112 lead with just 56 seconds to go.
Those were the last points scored by Sacramento. Miami would go on to score seven.
Wade made a contested three-pointer to tie the game at 115 all (and he did it just after getting a blow to his right elbow). After good Miami defense that forced a 24-second shot clock violation, Wade took another hard foul, but this time, he hit both free throws. The Heat had a 117-115 lead with just five seconds left to go.
Hawes missed on a jumper with .8 seconds left to tie the game. Cook leaped for the rebound and was subsequently fouled. The sophomore guard out of Ohio State sunk both free throws to ice the game for Miami.
Wade struggled early on, missing 11 of his first 16 shot attempts. But the League's leading scorer connected on six of his final 10 field goal attempts on his way to 41 points, 24 trips to the foul line, five rebounds, seven assists, three steals and two blocked shots. Wade knew exactly when to take over the game, but had help from Beasley to spark Miami's comeback in the fourth quarter.
The 6-foot-9 forward out of Kansas had his second double-double this week with 23 points on 10-of-19 shooting, two connections from beyond the arc and 10 rebounds. Throughout the first two months of the season, Beasley hadn't managed a double-double. I was pleased that Coach Erik Spoelstra stuck with Beasley in crunch time. The talented rookie played 35 minutes for the Heat.Another player off the bench got major minutes Friday night. It was Cook, back from his knee injury that held him out against Denver. While he didn't have the best offensive game, he played tough defense on Martin. During the crucial 24-second violation the Heat forced, Cook stayed his ground and forced Sacramento's leading scorer into an air-ball.
Udonis Haslem had 11 points and eight rebounds while Magloire grabbed nine rebounds, four of which were offensive, in just 15 minutes. All of Magloire's rebounds came in the fourth quarter, highlighted by a sequence in which the 6-foot-11 center from Kentucky stayed with his shot, grabbed two of his own misses before earning a trip to the foul line. Although Joel Anthony had six quick points for the Heat, he got in early foul trouble (again). I don't see Anthony's starting position safe right now.
The biggest news before the opening tip was that James Jones was back on the active roster. Jones, a free-agent acquisition last summer, had wrist surgery on his shooting hand Oct. 18 and was finally back. The former Miami Hurricane played three minutes, with a foul and turnover. It was good to see Jones back, though. He's going to have to continue to work his way into the rotation. Hopefully Pat Riley will see the small forward who is a dead-eye three-point shooter and can provide lengthy defense on the other end of the court for the Heat.
Miami (19-16) will head down to Los Angeles to meet with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers Sunday night.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Heat Can't Find Gold in Denver
When the Miami Heat flew to Denver to play the Nuggets, the team must have been happy that Denver's leading scorer, Carmelo Anthony, was out with a fractured hand.
Maybe a little bit too happy.
That was the case Wednesday night against Denver. From the get-go, Miami played atrocious defensive effort and allowed 59 points in the first half against a team without its leading scorer. A couple of standoff second-half quarters ultimately ended with a 98-107 loss at the Pepsi Center, an arena Miami hasn't won in since 2002.
Not even the commentating of Hall-of-Famer Dick Vitale could get the Heat to play with some effort, as Denver constantly took Miami defenders off the dribble and took wide open jumpers. The Nuggets also employed a full-court type of offense. The Nuggets outscored Miami in fastbreak points, 35-13. While the Heat is a half-court team, there is no excuse why the players could not get back on defense. Miami's roster is filled with young, athletic guys that should be able to run to the other side of the court quickly. Unfortunately, Linus Kleiza, Chauncey Billups and J.R. Smith scored 21 points each, mostly off of defensive breakdowns on Miami's part. For the second consecutive game, the Heat has allowed 30 points from beyond the arc.
Simply put, Miami's effort wasn't there. The Nuggets out-hustled the Heat, highlighted by a second-quarter sequence in which Denver grabbed two offensive rebounds before getting a three-pointer. There weren't any defensive rotations, and there were too many times when a Nugget had an easy two points. Joel Anthony got into early foul trouble (he had two fouls in the first 44 seconds of play), only to have Jamaal Magloire commit five fouls in 11 minutes of play.
The closest the Heat got in the second half was cutting Denver's lead to three in the third quarter off a Shawn Marion hook shot. The Nuggets came right back and strung together eight unanswered points. Whenever the Heat would get the lead to five or six points, Denver would just make a mini-run and it was back to square one.
There were some silver linings in the game, though. Dwyane Wade had 31 points on 13-of-23 shooting and two blocks last night. Wade did give Vitale the "dipsy-doo dunkaroo" he promised the ESPN announcer before, but his highlight of the night came off a contested turnaround three-point shot as the shot-clock expired early in the third quarter. The 6-foot-4 guard out of Marquette did, however, finish below his average in both rebounds and assists, only made it to the free-throw line four times and turned the ball over four times. Wade's backup, Daequan Cook, did not play Wednesday night after his knee bruise against San Antonio, leaving Wade to play 45 minutes. Coach Erik Spoelstra went really small, with a backcourt of Chris Quinn and Mario Chalmers, but the rookie coach couldn't leave that tandem on the court for too long.
The fifth pick of the 2003 NBA Draft only had a deuce through the first 12 minutes of play. The Nuggets followed the lead of other recent Heat opponents and doubled Wade constantly. Fortunately for Wade, Joel Anthony's two quick fouls gave way to Michael Beasley early on. The second pick of the 2008 NBA Draft had 10 points in the first quarter alone. Beasley's offensive aggression, therefore, gave Wade more room to operate. The 6-foot-9 forward out of Kansas State got in foul trouble later on and only scored two points after the first quarter.
Shawn Marion continued to assert himself offensively, scoring 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting to go along with 13 rebounds and two steals. I liked that the 6-foot-7 forward out of UNLV looked to create his own shot, something we have not seen from Marion in a long time. And even though Denver did run a fast-break offense, most of Marion's points came in the half-court setting. A good thing about Miami's offense was that it did not get caught up in the fast style of the Nuggets.
Mario Chalmers added 12 for Miami, and hit two of four shots from downtown last night (he also had a career-high seven turnovers against Billups). Udonis Haslem added 10 on 5-of-10 shooting, thriving off of open looks as the defense sucked into the paint on Wade's drives. The Heat's problem wasn't the offense, though. Miami put in a respectable 97 points. The Heat's problem was its defense, which was non-existent, especially in the first half.
If this loss has proved anything, it is that Miami cannot come into games thinking that it will be a cakewalk. Hopefully, this team will not come out lackadaisical Friday night against Sacramento. And 1-3 in the month of January, this is a game the Heat needs badly. After Friday's meeting with the Kings, the Heat goes down to Los Angeles to face off against the Lakers.
Heat News
In my last post, I stated that Heat guard Shaun Livingston was released after Monday's loss to San Antonio. That is essentially true; Miami has traded Livingston to the Memphis Grizzlies and cash for a conditional 2012 second-round pick. The pick is protected until the last five picks of the '12 Draft, meaning Memphis would need to be one of the five best teams in 2011-12 for the Heat to get the pick. The move puts the Heat about $400,000 below the luxury tax because Livingston was traded before the NBA's guarantee deadline.
Hours after Memphis acquired the lanky 6-foot-7 guard, the team released him.
The added luxury-cap flexibility on this deal has Alonzo Mourning's name written all over it. The longtime Heat center knows that the Heat is a rebuilding team, but doesn't want to end his career limping off the court, even if it was better than being carried off a stretcher.
Jamaal Magloire's contract, meanwhile, became guaranteed for the rest of the season.
Heat forward James Jones said he could return to the active roster as soon as Jan. 12 or somewhere around that time. Jones has been rehabbing for the past few months after undergoing wrist surgery on his shooting hand in October.
Daequan Cook is expected to return against Sacramento.
Maybe a little bit too happy.
That was the case Wednesday night against Denver. From the get-go, Miami played atrocious defensive effort and allowed 59 points in the first half against a team without its leading scorer. A couple of standoff second-half quarters ultimately ended with a 98-107 loss at the Pepsi Center, an arena Miami hasn't won in since 2002.
Not even the commentating of Hall-of-Famer Dick Vitale could get the Heat to play with some effort, as Denver constantly took Miami defenders off the dribble and took wide open jumpers. The Nuggets also employed a full-court type of offense. The Nuggets outscored Miami in fastbreak points, 35-13. While the Heat is a half-court team, there is no excuse why the players could not get back on defense. Miami's roster is filled with young, athletic guys that should be able to run to the other side of the court quickly. Unfortunately, Linus Kleiza, Chauncey Billups and J.R. Smith scored 21 points each, mostly off of defensive breakdowns on Miami's part. For the second consecutive game, the Heat has allowed 30 points from beyond the arc.
Simply put, Miami's effort wasn't there. The Nuggets out-hustled the Heat, highlighted by a second-quarter sequence in which Denver grabbed two offensive rebounds before getting a three-pointer. There weren't any defensive rotations, and there were too many times when a Nugget had an easy two points. Joel Anthony got into early foul trouble (he had two fouls in the first 44 seconds of play), only to have Jamaal Magloire commit five fouls in 11 minutes of play.
The closest the Heat got in the second half was cutting Denver's lead to three in the third quarter off a Shawn Marion hook shot. The Nuggets came right back and strung together eight unanswered points. Whenever the Heat would get the lead to five or six points, Denver would just make a mini-run and it was back to square one.
There were some silver linings in the game, though. Dwyane Wade had 31 points on 13-of-23 shooting and two blocks last night. Wade did give Vitale the "dipsy-doo dunkaroo" he promised the ESPN announcer before, but his highlight of the night came off a contested turnaround three-point shot as the shot-clock expired early in the third quarter. The 6-foot-4 guard out of Marquette did, however, finish below his average in both rebounds and assists, only made it to the free-throw line four times and turned the ball over four times. Wade's backup, Daequan Cook, did not play Wednesday night after his knee bruise against San Antonio, leaving Wade to play 45 minutes. Coach Erik Spoelstra went really small, with a backcourt of Chris Quinn and Mario Chalmers, but the rookie coach couldn't leave that tandem on the court for too long.
The fifth pick of the 2003 NBA Draft only had a deuce through the first 12 minutes of play. The Nuggets followed the lead of other recent Heat opponents and doubled Wade constantly. Fortunately for Wade, Joel Anthony's two quick fouls gave way to Michael Beasley early on. The second pick of the 2008 NBA Draft had 10 points in the first quarter alone. Beasley's offensive aggression, therefore, gave Wade more room to operate. The 6-foot-9 forward out of Kansas State got in foul trouble later on and only scored two points after the first quarter.
Shawn Marion continued to assert himself offensively, scoring 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting to go along with 13 rebounds and two steals. I liked that the 6-foot-7 forward out of UNLV looked to create his own shot, something we have not seen from Marion in a long time. And even though Denver did run a fast-break offense, most of Marion's points came in the half-court setting. A good thing about Miami's offense was that it did not get caught up in the fast style of the Nuggets.
Mario Chalmers added 12 for Miami, and hit two of four shots from downtown last night (he also had a career-high seven turnovers against Billups). Udonis Haslem added 10 on 5-of-10 shooting, thriving off of open looks as the defense sucked into the paint on Wade's drives. The Heat's problem wasn't the offense, though. Miami put in a respectable 97 points. The Heat's problem was its defense, which was non-existent, especially in the first half.
If this loss has proved anything, it is that Miami cannot come into games thinking that it will be a cakewalk. Hopefully, this team will not come out lackadaisical Friday night against Sacramento. And 1-3 in the month of January, this is a game the Heat needs badly. After Friday's meeting with the Kings, the Heat goes down to Los Angeles to face off against the Lakers.
Heat News
In my last post, I stated that Heat guard Shaun Livingston was released after Monday's loss to San Antonio. That is essentially true; Miami has traded Livingston to the Memphis Grizzlies and cash for a conditional 2012 second-round pick. The pick is protected until the last five picks of the '12 Draft, meaning Memphis would need to be one of the five best teams in 2011-12 for the Heat to get the pick. The move puts the Heat about $400,000 below the luxury tax because Livingston was traded before the NBA's guarantee deadline.
Hours after Memphis acquired the lanky 6-foot-7 guard, the team released him.
The added luxury-cap flexibility on this deal has Alonzo Mourning's name written all over it. The longtime Heat center knows that the Heat is a rebuilding team, but doesn't want to end his career limping off the court, even if it was better than being carried off a stretcher.
Jamaal Magloire's contract, meanwhile, became guaranteed for the rest of the season.
Heat forward James Jones said he could return to the active roster as soon as Jan. 12 or somewhere around that time. Jones has been rehabbing for the past few months after undergoing wrist surgery on his shooting hand in October.
Daequan Cook is expected to return against Sacramento.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Heat Can't Spur to Victory
Get back Shawn Marion, and his shot? Check.
Dwyane Wade and Michael Beasley (finally) look like a tandem of the future? Check.
Hold Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili to sub-par games? Check.
Sweep the San Antonio Spurs for the 2008-09 season? Well...
The Miami Heat was close but no cigar Monday night against the championship-contending San Antonio Spurs. Miami was right in the game for about 46 minutes of the game before a late surge by the Spurs put the nail in the coffin against the Heat, leading to a 91-84 loss at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Shawn Marion's transition dunk with 44 seconds left in the third quarter tied the game at 60 apiece. But Matt Bonner made a three-pointer 13 seconds later to push the lead back up to three. After a poor offensive play for Miami that resulted in an errant hook shot attempt by Jamaal Magloire, Manu Ginobili's driving layup just before the buzzer sounded made it a five-point game heading into the final stanza of play.
The Heat was quickly able to tie the score, off of a jumper by Beasley and a triple by Chris Quinn. From then on, the San Antonio lead always stayed between three to five points, with Miami missing on several opportunities to cut into the deficit.
With 96 seconds to go and Miami down 81-84, Wade stole a pass by Tony Parker and looked for a transition bucket. He managed to get his layup attempt over Parker, but Ginobili came out of nowhere and repelled the shot to the half-court line. Roger Mason hit a jump shot six seconds later to extend the lead to 86-81 and all but diminish the Heat's morale. Beasley would only score again on the Heat, on a three-pointer with just 13 seconds left.
Even before the blocked shot, it wasn't Wade's night. He missed 16 of 26 field goal attempts, made it to the free throw line five times and turned the ball over five times. The 6-foot-4 guard out of Marquette was constantly doubled after a pick-and-roll. Wade did have 12 assists, but his teammates could've shot better from the field.
Udonis Haslem, who frequently sets picks for Wade, converted on only four of ten shots from the field. Magloire was zero-for-five from the field, hardly showing any offensive upgrade over Joel Anthony. And Marion missed all three of his attempts from downtown.
That's not to say that Marion didn't have a good game. He had one of his better offensive games, with 14 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Marion was really aggressive with the ball, but also converted on a couple of jump shots.
Miami's too rookies also showed up to play last night. Mario Chalmers looked to be more aggressive with the ball after going cold from beyond the arc, finishing with nine points on four-of-seven shooting, five assists, no turnovers and a nice block on Spurs forward Bruce Bowen. Michael Beasley, meanwhile, finished with a double-double of 15 points on 7-of-14 shooting and 12 rebounds in just 30 minutes. As I mentioned, Wade and Beasley looked like the duo of the future for the Heat. Having two offensive weapons on the court makes things tougher for the opposing team.
But that gets to the reality of it all. The Heat is rebuilding, looking to form that chemistry between Wade and Beasley. The Spurs have a goal of winning an NBA Championship, a plan San Antonio has had for the past decade.
The three-point shooting by the Spurs hurt the Heat the most. In total, San Antonio had 30 points from downtown. Matt Bonner and George Hill each knocked down three triples for the Spurs. If you don't follow basketball closely, you probably haven't heard of those two. But it was the role players who did the most damage from beyond the arc.
Inside the arc, Tim Duncan had his way with Anthony and Magloire, finishing with 19 points and nine boards, four of which were offensive rebounds. Anthony didn't know Duncan's moves and Magloire wasn't quick off his feet. I wouldn't have minded to see Udonis Haslem on the 6-fott-11 power forward out of Wake Forest a little bit more. Haslem has guarded Duncan in for the past few years and could've brought that knowledge, something Anthony simply didn't have. He's giving up three inches and 25 pounds to the four-time NBA champion, but he would've contested every shot.
The Heat has lost three of its last five heading into the start of a seven-game road trip. All those losses came against either Cleveland, Orlando or San Antonio, three of the League's dominant teams. But each game had a fourth quarter full of missed opportunities. Coach Erik Spoelstra will try to get his team ready against the Denver Nuggets Wednesday night at 9 p.m. on ESPN, with Dick Vitale commenting. Carmelo Anthony is not expected to play, with a broken bone in his shooting hand.
Injury Report
Daequan Cook left the game in the second quarter after bruising his left knee. X-rays were negative, but Cook did not return and was held out of today's afternoon practice. He is listed as a game-time decision for Wednesday's game.
A spokesperson for the Heat announced earlier today that the team had released Shaun Livingston, the 6-foot-7 guard originally drafted No. 4 overall in 2004. Livingston is still recovering from a gruesome knee injury he sustained in Feb. 2007 that left him with three torn ligaments and a dislocated kneecap.
I, for one, don't think this was purely a salary-cap move. Some were envisioning a point guard future of Chalmers and Livingston. But the lanky guard hasn't shown that he still has promise in the limited minutes he has received, with reduced mobility and confusion. But this was, surely, also a salary-cap issue. If President Pat Riley released the player whom he wanted to, it would probably be Mark Blount, but his contract is so bloated that it makes a buyout difficult. Livingston's contract only guarantees him $370,000 this season, keeping the Heat below the dollar-for-dollar luxury tax. The vacant spot on Miami's roster can be filled by two-time Defensive Player of the Year Alonzo Mourning, who has spoke of his willingness to return to the Heat.
Dorell Wright will not travel with the team during the seven-game road trip after surgery in November to clear loose cartiledge from his knee. James Jones, however, will travel with Miami. Spoelstra has been mum on whether the three-point specialist will get off the injured list during the trip.
Dwyane Wade and Michael Beasley (finally) look like a tandem of the future? Check.
Hold Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili to sub-par games? Check.
Sweep the San Antonio Spurs for the 2008-09 season? Well...
The Miami Heat was close but no cigar Monday night against the championship-contending San Antonio Spurs. Miami was right in the game for about 46 minutes of the game before a late surge by the Spurs put the nail in the coffin against the Heat, leading to a 91-84 loss at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Shawn Marion's transition dunk with 44 seconds left in the third quarter tied the game at 60 apiece. But Matt Bonner made a three-pointer 13 seconds later to push the lead back up to three. After a poor offensive play for Miami that resulted in an errant hook shot attempt by Jamaal Magloire, Manu Ginobili's driving layup just before the buzzer sounded made it a five-point game heading into the final stanza of play.
The Heat was quickly able to tie the score, off of a jumper by Beasley and a triple by Chris Quinn. From then on, the San Antonio lead always stayed between three to five points, with Miami missing on several opportunities to cut into the deficit.
With 96 seconds to go and Miami down 81-84, Wade stole a pass by Tony Parker and looked for a transition bucket. He managed to get his layup attempt over Parker, but Ginobili came out of nowhere and repelled the shot to the half-court line. Roger Mason hit a jump shot six seconds later to extend the lead to 86-81 and all but diminish the Heat's morale. Beasley would only score again on the Heat, on a three-pointer with just 13 seconds left.
Even before the blocked shot, it wasn't Wade's night. He missed 16 of 26 field goal attempts, made it to the free throw line five times and turned the ball over five times. The 6-foot-4 guard out of Marquette was constantly doubled after a pick-and-roll. Wade did have 12 assists, but his teammates could've shot better from the field.
Udonis Haslem, who frequently sets picks for Wade, converted on only four of ten shots from the field. Magloire was zero-for-five from the field, hardly showing any offensive upgrade over Joel Anthony. And Marion missed all three of his attempts from downtown.
That's not to say that Marion didn't have a good game. He had one of his better offensive games, with 14 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Marion was really aggressive with the ball, but also converted on a couple of jump shots.
Miami's too rookies also showed up to play last night. Mario Chalmers looked to be more aggressive with the ball after going cold from beyond the arc, finishing with nine points on four-of-seven shooting, five assists, no turnovers and a nice block on Spurs forward Bruce Bowen. Michael Beasley, meanwhile, finished with a double-double of 15 points on 7-of-14 shooting and 12 rebounds in just 30 minutes. As I mentioned, Wade and Beasley looked like the duo of the future for the Heat. Having two offensive weapons on the court makes things tougher for the opposing team.
But that gets to the reality of it all. The Heat is rebuilding, looking to form that chemistry between Wade and Beasley. The Spurs have a goal of winning an NBA Championship, a plan San Antonio has had for the past decade.
The three-point shooting by the Spurs hurt the Heat the most. In total, San Antonio had 30 points from downtown. Matt Bonner and George Hill each knocked down three triples for the Spurs. If you don't follow basketball closely, you probably haven't heard of those two. But it was the role players who did the most damage from beyond the arc.
Inside the arc, Tim Duncan had his way with Anthony and Magloire, finishing with 19 points and nine boards, four of which were offensive rebounds. Anthony didn't know Duncan's moves and Magloire wasn't quick off his feet. I wouldn't have minded to see Udonis Haslem on the 6-fott-11 power forward out of Wake Forest a little bit more. Haslem has guarded Duncan in for the past few years and could've brought that knowledge, something Anthony simply didn't have. He's giving up three inches and 25 pounds to the four-time NBA champion, but he would've contested every shot.
The Heat has lost three of its last five heading into the start of a seven-game road trip. All those losses came against either Cleveland, Orlando or San Antonio, three of the League's dominant teams. But each game had a fourth quarter full of missed opportunities. Coach Erik Spoelstra will try to get his team ready against the Denver Nuggets Wednesday night at 9 p.m. on ESPN, with Dick Vitale commenting. Carmelo Anthony is not expected to play, with a broken bone in his shooting hand.
Injury Report
Daequan Cook left the game in the second quarter after bruising his left knee. X-rays were negative, but Cook did not return and was held out of today's afternoon practice. He is listed as a game-time decision for Wednesday's game.
A spokesperson for the Heat announced earlier today that the team had released Shaun Livingston, the 6-foot-7 guard originally drafted No. 4 overall in 2004. Livingston is still recovering from a gruesome knee injury he sustained in Feb. 2007 that left him with three torn ligaments and a dislocated kneecap.
I, for one, don't think this was purely a salary-cap move. Some were envisioning a point guard future of Chalmers and Livingston. But the lanky guard hasn't shown that he still has promise in the limited minutes he has received, with reduced mobility and confusion. But this was, surely, also a salary-cap issue. If President Pat Riley released the player whom he wanted to, it would probably be Mark Blount, but his contract is so bloated that it makes a buyout difficult. Livingston's contract only guarantees him $370,000 this season, keeping the Heat below the dollar-for-dollar luxury tax. The vacant spot on Miami's roster can be filled by two-time Defensive Player of the Year Alonzo Mourning, who has spoke of his willingness to return to the Heat.
Dorell Wright will not travel with the team during the seven-game road trip after surgery in November to clear loose cartiledge from his knee. James Jones, however, will travel with Miami. Spoelstra has been mum on whether the three-point specialist will get off the injured list during the trip.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Heat Escape Late Against Nets
Coming off a disheartening fourth quarter performance against the Orlando Magic Friday night, a Miami Heat fan would have hoped that the team would play like a bat out of hell and run away with against a Devin Harris-less New Jersey Nets team.
Well, things don't always go as planned.
The Nets went up by as many 16 in the first quarter. New Jersey was getting everything it wanted, while Joel Anthony had Miami's lone field goal over the first 5:40 of play. But this young Heat team came all the way back and completed its biggest comeback victory of the season.
Miami slowly but surely cut into the Nets lead, eventually cutting the deficit to two at the end of three quarters of play on a three-pointer by newcomer Yakhouba Diawara, who finished with a season high 19 points. Coach Erik Spoelstra had his team withstand the run, but it would take 12 more minutes of good basketball for the Heat to come away with a win.
Or 17.
Miami and New Jersey see-sawed the lead throughout the final period in regulation, but Dwyane Wade made two free throws to put the Heat up, 85-83 with just 32 seconds left. It seemed like Miami would win it when Wade blocked a potential game-tying layup by Vince Carter with 17 seconds left. New Jersey retained possession, however, and Keyon Dooling made a floater with eight seconds left to tie the game. Wade missed a jump shot just inside the arc as the buzzer sounded. The game would go into overtime.
Wade and rookie Michael Beasley did it all for Miami early on in the extra period. After Beasley converted Miami's first two field goals of overtime, the NBA's leading scorer took it in his own hands. Wade made a bank shot while taking contact from New Jersey's Yi Jianlian. Wade completed the three-point play, and the Heat would take a 96-88 advantage with just 37 seconds left to go.
The Nets managed to make one late last run, cutting the lead to two with just 10 seconds left on a pair of free throws by Dooling after Wade had missed his pair just moments ago. But Miami's two rookies, Mario Chalmers and Beasley, made three key free throws to give the Heat a 101-96 victory.
Wade finished with 29 points, eight rebounds, six assists, three steals and four blocked shots.Three blocked shots came in the fourth quarter and overtime, highlighted by a block on Brook Lopez's attempted dunk. The 6-foot-4 guard out of Marquette did shoot 8-for-23 from the field and committed four turnovers, but made it to the free throw line 17 times, converting 13 of them. Wade had two points on one-of-four shooting through the first quarter, but delivered when it mattered for Miami.
Leading rebounder Shawn Marion was in street clothes against New Jersey. The four-time NBA All-Star suffered from back spasms early Saturday morning and the Heat medical staff decided that it would be best for Marion to sit out on the second night of a back-to-back. He is expected to be available Monday night against San Antonio.
Sophomore Daequan Cook started in place of Marion, and finished with 15 points on 5-of-12 shooting and three-of-seven shooting from beyond the arc. Cook fouled out after 38 minutes of play, but it was Diawara and Beasley who got the most minutes due to Marion's absence.
And they both delivered.
The French-born reserve made five of eight attempts from downtown and grabbed five boards, keeping Miami in it while Wade was off with his shot. Additionally, Diawara spent a lot of time on Nets star Vince Carter, who struggled through a 5-of-21 shooting, five turnover night. The second overall pick in last June's NBA Draft, meanwhile, logged a career high 41 minutes. Beasley didn't look timid or confused, he just played basketball. It worked out well for the first-round rookie, who finished with an economical 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, seven rebounds, two steals and a late block on Lopez.
While Miami shot just 40.8 percent from the field, Spoelstra's supporting cast did a lot for the Heat. Udonis Haslem grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds for the Heat. Chalmers had six rebounds, five assists, two steals and late free throws that iced the game. Chris Quinn was back as the backup point guard and finished with seven points on three-of-five shooting and only one turnover in 18 minutes of action.
Even against a below-.500 team without its leading scorer, this was a big win for the Heat. After going 1-2 over its last three games, Miami needed this win before a Monday night meeting with San Antonio before going on a seven-game road trip. Though it wasn't always aesthetically pleasing, the Heat got the job done. And that's all that matters.
Well, things don't always go as planned.
The Nets went up by as many 16 in the first quarter. New Jersey was getting everything it wanted, while Joel Anthony had Miami's lone field goal over the first 5:40 of play. But this young Heat team came all the way back and completed its biggest comeback victory of the season.
Miami slowly but surely cut into the Nets lead, eventually cutting the deficit to two at the end of three quarters of play on a three-pointer by newcomer Yakhouba Diawara, who finished with a season high 19 points. Coach Erik Spoelstra had his team withstand the run, but it would take 12 more minutes of good basketball for the Heat to come away with a win.
Or 17.
Miami and New Jersey see-sawed the lead throughout the final period in regulation, but Dwyane Wade made two free throws to put the Heat up, 85-83 with just 32 seconds left. It seemed like Miami would win it when Wade blocked a potential game-tying layup by Vince Carter with 17 seconds left. New Jersey retained possession, however, and Keyon Dooling made a floater with eight seconds left to tie the game. Wade missed a jump shot just inside the arc as the buzzer sounded. The game would go into overtime.
Wade and rookie Michael Beasley did it all for Miami early on in the extra period. After Beasley converted Miami's first two field goals of overtime, the NBA's leading scorer took it in his own hands. Wade made a bank shot while taking contact from New Jersey's Yi Jianlian. Wade completed the three-point play, and the Heat would take a 96-88 advantage with just 37 seconds left to go.
The Nets managed to make one late last run, cutting the lead to two with just 10 seconds left on a pair of free throws by Dooling after Wade had missed his pair just moments ago. But Miami's two rookies, Mario Chalmers and Beasley, made three key free throws to give the Heat a 101-96 victory.
Wade finished with 29 points, eight rebounds, six assists, three steals and four blocked shots.Three blocked shots came in the fourth quarter and overtime, highlighted by a block on Brook Lopez's attempted dunk. The 6-foot-4 guard out of Marquette did shoot 8-for-23 from the field and committed four turnovers, but made it to the free throw line 17 times, converting 13 of them. Wade had two points on one-of-four shooting through the first quarter, but delivered when it mattered for Miami.Leading rebounder Shawn Marion was in street clothes against New Jersey. The four-time NBA All-Star suffered from back spasms early Saturday morning and the Heat medical staff decided that it would be best for Marion to sit out on the second night of a back-to-back. He is expected to be available Monday night against San Antonio.
Sophomore Daequan Cook started in place of Marion, and finished with 15 points on 5-of-12 shooting and three-of-seven shooting from beyond the arc. Cook fouled out after 38 minutes of play, but it was Diawara and Beasley who got the most minutes due to Marion's absence.
And they both delivered.
The French-born reserve made five of eight attempts from downtown and grabbed five boards, keeping Miami in it while Wade was off with his shot. Additionally, Diawara spent a lot of time on Nets star Vince Carter, who struggled through a 5-of-21 shooting, five turnover night. The second overall pick in last June's NBA Draft, meanwhile, logged a career high 41 minutes. Beasley didn't look timid or confused, he just played basketball. It worked out well for the first-round rookie, who finished with an economical 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, seven rebounds, two steals and a late block on Lopez.
While Miami shot just 40.8 percent from the field, Spoelstra's supporting cast did a lot for the Heat. Udonis Haslem grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds for the Heat. Chalmers had six rebounds, five assists, two steals and late free throws that iced the game. Chris Quinn was back as the backup point guard and finished with seven points on three-of-five shooting and only one turnover in 18 minutes of action.
Even against a below-.500 team without its leading scorer, this was a big win for the Heat. After going 1-2 over its last three games, Miami needed this win before a Monday night meeting with San Antonio before going on a seven-game road trip. Though it wasn't always aesthetically pleasing, the Heat got the job done. And that's all that matters.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Wade Pulls Disappearing Act
Fresh off receiving Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors, Dwyane Wade was doing it all for Miami. He had 33 points on 16-of-22 shooting through three quarters and was the sole reason the Miami Heat was keeping it a battle with the Orlando Magic.
But then, Wade missed his last seven field goals and went scoreless in the fourth quarter, and the Heat only scored 11 points in the final 12 minutes of play en route to a 86-76 loss in a possible playoff preview.
This time, Wade's teammates were not there for him like they were against Cleveland. Mario Chalmers, who shot six-for-seven from downtown just three nights ago, shot one-for-seven from downtown tonight and 1-for-11 overall. Shawn Marion did not continue to be more aggressive with the ball, instead going one-for-five from the field for just four points.
Wade started a fourth quarter in which Miami was down two on the bench. Coach Erik Spoelstra usually has his star guard rest at the commencement of the fourth quarter, but broke from that in the home game against Cleveland. Spoelstra, however, stuck with his usual rotation and watched Orlando jump out to a quick five-point lead early on.
Even with Wade in the game, Miami's offense either hoisted up a prayer or turned the ball over. By the midway point of the fourth quarter, Hedo Turkoglu extended Orlando's lead to eight on a pair of free throws. And while Daequan Cook hit a three-pointer with 5:30 remaining to make it a 72-76, Miami couldn't get much offense after that. Orlando shot 32 percent from the field in the fourth quarter, but its defense simply stifled the Heat.
It is beyond my knowledge why Spoelstra did not put in Michael Beasley after seeing Wade struggle. Orlando did a good job of defending the pick-and-roll, and closed out nicely to open shots by Udonis Haslem and Cook. Why wouldn't Spoelstra put another offensive threat on the court to make things easier for Wade? Beasley's offense would have been useful in Miami's fourth-quarter scoring drought.
Beasley finished with eight points on four-of-nine shooting in 13 minutes.
Udonis Haslem had 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting and eight rebounds, but his shot went cold late in the game. Wade never forced anything in the final stanza of play, and found Haslem for open looks. Haslem didn't deliver, and maybe Wade made a mistake by deferring to his teammates so much.
Cook was the only other Heat player to score in double figures, with 10 points on four-for-nine shooting. Cook has worked hard to get the "streaky" label off him as a shooter this season. Chalmers, however, will have to keep that label with him, after he followed a great night with a deplorable one.
Joel Anthony and Jamaal Magloire did a good job on Dwight Howard, holding him to 15 points, five below his season average. Rashard Lewis, however, made Miami pay for leaving him open, with four triples and 17 points in total. And although Turkoglu had a rough shooting night, he did make it to the free throw line eight times. Wade, by comparison, only made two trips to the foul line. Orlando as a whole shot 30 attempts from the line, while Miami only went for freebies 10 times.
Marcus Banks may have gotten the backup point guard role just recently, but he may have given it up tonight. The 6-foot-2 journeyman shot zero-for-two from the field, committed two fouls and turned the ball over two times. With 11 seconds to go in the fourth quarter, Banks fouled Jameer Nelson about five feet away from the three-point line. Only the Heat didn't have a foul to give, and Nelson went to the line for a pair. I know Chris Quinn couldn't get past half-court and couldn't contain Jordan Farmar against the Los Angeles Lakers two weeks ago, but at least he could offer some shooting and steadiness.
The Heat will have little time to regroup after this loss, as the team will fly down to Miami to host the New Jersey Nets. Miami has beaten New Jersey twice, albeit barely both times, this season. And this is a win the Heat needs, with San Antonio coming up next, followed by a seven-game road trip. With Detroit on a five-game winning streak and Atlanta already 10 games above .500, this wasn't a good way to start January for the Heat if they want to go up in the standings.
But then, Wade missed his last seven field goals and went scoreless in the fourth quarter, and the Heat only scored 11 points in the final 12 minutes of play en route to a 86-76 loss in a possible playoff preview.
This time, Wade's teammates were not there for him like they were against Cleveland. Mario Chalmers, who shot six-for-seven from downtown just three nights ago, shot one-for-seven from downtown tonight and 1-for-11 overall. Shawn Marion did not continue to be more aggressive with the ball, instead going one-for-five from the field for just four points.
Wade started a fourth quarter in which Miami was down two on the bench. Coach Erik Spoelstra usually has his star guard rest at the commencement of the fourth quarter, but broke from that in the home game against Cleveland. Spoelstra, however, stuck with his usual rotation and watched Orlando jump out to a quick five-point lead early on.
Even with Wade in the game, Miami's offense either hoisted up a prayer or turned the ball over. By the midway point of the fourth quarter, Hedo Turkoglu extended Orlando's lead to eight on a pair of free throws. And while Daequan Cook hit a three-pointer with 5:30 remaining to make it a 72-76, Miami couldn't get much offense after that. Orlando shot 32 percent from the field in the fourth quarter, but its defense simply stifled the Heat.
It is beyond my knowledge why Spoelstra did not put in Michael Beasley after seeing Wade struggle. Orlando did a good job of defending the pick-and-roll, and closed out nicely to open shots by Udonis Haslem and Cook. Why wouldn't Spoelstra put another offensive threat on the court to make things easier for Wade? Beasley's offense would have been useful in Miami's fourth-quarter scoring drought.
Beasley finished with eight points on four-of-nine shooting in 13 minutes.
Udonis Haslem had 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting and eight rebounds, but his shot went cold late in the game. Wade never forced anything in the final stanza of play, and found Haslem for open looks. Haslem didn't deliver, and maybe Wade made a mistake by deferring to his teammates so much.
Cook was the only other Heat player to score in double figures, with 10 points on four-for-nine shooting. Cook has worked hard to get the "streaky" label off him as a shooter this season. Chalmers, however, will have to keep that label with him, after he followed a great night with a deplorable one.
Joel Anthony and Jamaal Magloire did a good job on Dwight Howard, holding him to 15 points, five below his season average. Rashard Lewis, however, made Miami pay for leaving him open, with four triples and 17 points in total. And although Turkoglu had a rough shooting night, he did make it to the free throw line eight times. Wade, by comparison, only made two trips to the foul line. Orlando as a whole shot 30 attempts from the line, while Miami only went for freebies 10 times.
Marcus Banks may have gotten the backup point guard role just recently, but he may have given it up tonight. The 6-foot-2 journeyman shot zero-for-two from the field, committed two fouls and turned the ball over two times. With 11 seconds to go in the fourth quarter, Banks fouled Jameer Nelson about five feet away from the three-point line. Only the Heat didn't have a foul to give, and Nelson went to the line for a pair. I know Chris Quinn couldn't get past half-court and couldn't contain Jordan Farmar against the Los Angeles Lakers two weeks ago, but at least he could offer some shooting and steadiness.
The Heat will have little time to regroup after this loss, as the team will fly down to Miami to host the New Jersey Nets. Miami has beaten New Jersey twice, albeit barely both times, this season. And this is a win the Heat needs, with San Antonio coming up next, followed by a seven-game road trip. With Detroit on a five-game winning streak and Atlanta already 10 games above .500, this wasn't a good way to start January for the Heat if they want to go up in the standings.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Will January Cool Heat?
A month ago, I said that December should be a pick-me-up month for the Miami Heat. Although the Heat lost to two teams with losing records, Memphis and Milwaukee, Miami finished 9-4 in December and is now 17-13 on the season. The month was highlighted by wins over the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers, two of the best teams in the NBA.
Miami, one-and-a-half games behind Detroit for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, has reason for confidence heading into the New Year. For the better part of the first two complete months of the NBA season, the notion that when star guard Dwyane Wade struggled, the team followed was held firm. But when Wade shot 7-for-23 from the field against Cleveland, four other players had double figures as the Heat managed to upend the Cavs.
Now, five players average double-figure points for Miami: Wade, Michael Beasley, Shawn Marion, Udonis Haslem and Mario Chalmers. Moreover, Daequan Cook is right on the cusp, with an average of 9.9 points per game. That's an encouraging sign for the Heat offensively. And Coach Erik Spoelstra has done a good job of getting his team to play chaotic defense, most recently a zone defense against the Cavs.
It could all change for the worse in January. Miami will start Jan. 2 with a back-to-back sequence, starting at Orlando and then against New Jersey. The Heat will have one day off before hosting San Antonio, the third-best team in the West. The team will then have to go out for a seven-game road trip, six of those games against Western Conference-teams. Miami will start the road trip with a nationally-televised game at Denver before facing Sacramento, the Lakers, Minnesota, Milwaukee, Houston and finally Oklahoma City to finish up the road trip. The good news is that in the road trip, the Heat will only have one set of back-to-backs, visiting the Timberwolves and then the Bucks.
With that being said, it doesn't necessarily get better after the road trip. The Heat will host five of the last six games of the month. Miami will, however, face Boston, Orlando, Atlanta and Dallas to end January. All four of those teams have better records than Miami's.
All in all, the Heat will play 16 games in January, nine against teams with records better than 17-13. It's good that Miami took care of business in December, because the Heat can go 7-9 next month and still be over .500. On the other hand, the Heat's upcoming schedule will certainly test its mettle. And Miami will not only need to overachieve in the future, but get some help from other teams in order to get the four-five match-up in the playoffs.
Keep in mind that Miami has beaten San Antonio, Phoenix, the Lakers and Cleveland this season. This team has proven it can compete, but the question now is whether this young, small team can be a good enough team that it isn't hovering over the .500 mark.
Miami, one-and-a-half games behind Detroit for the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, has reason for confidence heading into the New Year. For the better part of the first two complete months of the NBA season, the notion that when star guard Dwyane Wade struggled, the team followed was held firm. But when Wade shot 7-for-23 from the field against Cleveland, four other players had double figures as the Heat managed to upend the Cavs.
Now, five players average double-figure points for Miami: Wade, Michael Beasley, Shawn Marion, Udonis Haslem and Mario Chalmers. Moreover, Daequan Cook is right on the cusp, with an average of 9.9 points per game. That's an encouraging sign for the Heat offensively. And Coach Erik Spoelstra has done a good job of getting his team to play chaotic defense, most recently a zone defense against the Cavs.
It could all change for the worse in January. Miami will start Jan. 2 with a back-to-back sequence, starting at Orlando and then against New Jersey. The Heat will have one day off before hosting San Antonio, the third-best team in the West. The team will then have to go out for a seven-game road trip, six of those games against Western Conference-teams. Miami will start the road trip with a nationally-televised game at Denver before facing Sacramento, the Lakers, Minnesota, Milwaukee, Houston and finally Oklahoma City to finish up the road trip. The good news is that in the road trip, the Heat will only have one set of back-to-backs, visiting the Timberwolves and then the Bucks.
With that being said, it doesn't necessarily get better after the road trip. The Heat will host five of the last six games of the month. Miami will, however, face Boston, Orlando, Atlanta and Dallas to end January. All four of those teams have better records than Miami's.
All in all, the Heat will play 16 games in January, nine against teams with records better than 17-13. It's good that Miami took care of business in December, because the Heat can go 7-9 next month and still be over .500. On the other hand, the Heat's upcoming schedule will certainly test its mettle. And Miami will not only need to overachieve in the future, but get some help from other teams in order to get the four-five match-up in the playoffs.
Keep in mind that Miami has beaten San Antonio, Phoenix, the Lakers and Cleveland this season. This team has proven it can compete, but the question now is whether this young, small team can be a good enough team that it isn't hovering over the .500 mark.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Balanced Attack Withstands Cavs
With the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers in a "mini-playoff" series of sorts with a home-and-home sequence, the Heat took care of its home court advantage and withstood several late Cleveland surges to hold on to a 104-95 win.Miami built up a 16-point lead by halftime as the Cavs shot a miserable 31 percent from the field. But as the Heat saw against Cleveland just two days earlier, the game was far from over. LeBron James did much more against Shawn Marion than he did on Sunday; finishing with 38 points on 12-of-24 shooting and 11-for-14 from the foul line. A three by James, who celebrated his 24th birthday in Miami, cut the lead to 78-77 with just under nine minutes left.
The Heat simply ran away with the game from that point on, building the lead back up to 14 with 4:52 left in the fourth quarter before Daniel Gibson made two triples that were simply too little, too late.
Rookie guard Mario Chalmers shook off a hamstring injury he sustained in his last game with Cleveland and really turned it up for the Heat. The second-round pick out of Kansas had eight points in the dicisive Miami run to finish with 21 points on six-of-seven shooting from beyond the arc, eight assists, three steals and no turnovers. Chalmers' point total was only matched by Wade on the Heat and registered a career-high in three-point field goals. Chalmers also did a good job on Maurice Williams defensively, as Williams shot just two-for-eight from the field.
On the offensive end, it did not matter that Wade only had two points in the fourth quarter. Daequan Cook and Chalmers made Cleveland pay for double-teaming Wade. The sophomore out of Ohio State had 11 of his 17 points in the final quarter and did it on five-of-nine shooting from the field. Cook even hit five straight points for Miami to give Miami its 14-point lead midway through the fourth quarter. Udonis Haslem and Shawn Marion each had double-doubles, combining for 27 points and 21 rebounds. I was happy that Marion looked to dunk the ball more as opposed to shooting his point-blank floaters. And Udonis Haslem's jump shoot is still there, a positive sign for Miami.
In the fourth quarter, Spoelstra went to a zone defense. Cleveland was stifled by Miami's zone defense, and never had another run when the Heat went to it. This allowed LeBron James to have different guys thrown at him, not just Marion. Even Wade was seen guarding James in the latter stages of the game.
The best thing about Miami's win tonight was that its ball movement was flawless in the fourth quarter, and its defense was confusing for Cleveland. Outside of Wade, the entire Heat only committed eight turnovers. Wade finished with 21 points on an abysmal 7-for-23 shooting from the field. However, Wade did have 12 assists. As I said, it did not matter that Wade was off on his game; others stepped up for him.
Joel Anthony was much more active against Zydrunas Ilgauskas, even making the 7-foot-3 Lithuanian product play some defense. Anthony played Ilgauskas to a near standoff, coming up just short in a 7-8 match-up. Ilgauskas scored six points below his season average of 14.
Michael Beasley struggled offensively, going just one-for-five from the field in 13 minutes. Beasley, however, did make it the foul line six times and sank all of them and grabbed five rebounds in his limited time. Spoelstra sat him on the bench in the fourth quarter after the Kansas State product played more than 24 minutes in his past two games.
Miami has a tough January ahead, with games against Orlando, Boston, San Antonio, the Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta, among other teams. But this Heat team, fresh off a horrendous 15-67 season, has beaten San Antonio and Phoenix on the road and the Lakers and now the Cavaliers at home. There has got to be some confidence heading into the challenging road of the New Year.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Cavs Shock Heat
The Miami Heat did what only one other team in the NBA has done: carry a lead into the final quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. Unfortunately, Miami could not do what no other team in the NBA has done: beat Cleveland at home, as Miami gave up a 10-point fourth quarter lead to lose, 93-86.
Dwyane Wade struggled in the first half, shooting just 3-for-11 in the first 24 minutes of play. The star guard for Miami turned it up in the third quarter, with 13 points and stifling defense as the Heat went into the fourth quarter with a nine-point advantage.
Coach Erik Spoelstra did what he normally does, rest Wade at the beginning of the fourth quarter. However, LeBron James was on the court at the beginning of the final stanza of play; and the first overall pick in the 2003 Draft found Zydrunas Ilgauskas for a crowd-pleasing three to cut the lead to four just two minutes and ten seconds into the game.
Wade immediately came in and hit a jump shot to extend the lead to six. On Miami's next possession, Michael Beasley dunked the ball with authority even as Ilgauskas fouled him. That would, however, seemingly be Miami's last graceful moment as the Cavaliers ran away with this game because of open jump shots, tough defense and lots of foul shots as the Cavs went into the bonus with 8:19 left to go in the fourth quarter.
This was a tough loss for Miami. The Heat had the game within its grasp before it slipped away. Miami played horrendous defense in the fourth quarter, making careless fouls early on and letting Cleveland put up 35 points in the fourth quarter. Miami also committed five turnovers in the final quarter. Udonis Haslem and Shawn Marion could not hold on to the ball, combining for eight turnovers in the game.
Wade finished with 29 points on 12-for-25 shooting from the field and five-for-seven from the foul line. The 6-foot-4 guard out of Marquette added four rebounds, eight assists and two steals on the game, but only had six points in the fourth quarter and could not take over the game
Haslem added 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting and nine rebounds, but those turnovers hurt Miami. Haslem would set a pick for Wade and the Miami native would let a guard take the ball from this hands after diving to the hoop. Still, I have to give credit to Haslem for coming back to play after bleeding profusely from his head after an inadvertent blow by James in the fourth quarter. And Haslem has re-gained his shooting touch, and the Cleveland defense could not load up on Wade as much.
Cook added 12 for Miami on four-of-eight shooting from the field. The former Buckeye nailed a three to keep the game to within 86-90 with 28 seconds left, a good sign of not giving up. Cook even took on the defensive assignment of guarding James, even while giving up three inches and 40 pounds to the star forward. He and Marion did a good job on the 6-foot-8 forward out of Saint Vincent-Saint Mary's High School, who made some incredibly tough shots.
The problem is that no one outside of those three and Beasley had more than two field goals for Miami. Mo Williams made mincemeat out of Mario Chalmers, making him take tough shots while making the rookie out of Kansas State pay for leaving him open. Marion continued to aimlessly attempt his point-blank floaters that usually bounce off the rim. When will the four-time All-Star try to bank it in?
Joel Anthony could not match up with the 7-foot-3 Ilgauskas. I add part of the blame to Spoelstra. He should have known that a player should never front a bigger player with no one guarding the basket. Jamaal Magloire did a nice job backing Anthony up, with six rebounds by halftime. This is the second consecutive time Spoelstra has used Magloire against bigger centers. Do not be surprised if Magloire gets more playing time in the future, especially with Cleveland and Orlando next up for Miami.
Marcus Banks is officially the backup point guard for Miami. Is it to showcase the player whose contract goes beyond 2010 or a common-sense move to get more defense? Time will tell, but Banks had good floor vision, with five assists in 14 minutes of play. Banks, however, did commit a senseless eight-second violation before looking at the official as if he had never heard of the rule before.
Miami played tough defense through three quarters, keeping the Cavs to just 40.8 percent shooting. Unfortunately, the early fouls really plagued the Heat in the fourth quarter. The Heat will attempt to get even on the series with Cleveland Tuesday night in Miami.
Joe Smith to Miami?
Sources have said that Pat Riley is interested in trading for Joe Smith, the 6-foot-9, 13-year veteran for the rebuilding Oklahoma City Thunder. Although the power forward position is not an area of need for Miami, I can see why Riley is interested. If it meant giving up Banks' aforementioned long contract, it would allow the Heat to rent Smith for the rest of the season, start the Shaun Livingston experiment and get more money coming off the books for 2009.
Dwyane Wade struggled in the first half, shooting just 3-for-11 in the first 24 minutes of play. The star guard for Miami turned it up in the third quarter, with 13 points and stifling defense as the Heat went into the fourth quarter with a nine-point advantage.
Coach Erik Spoelstra did what he normally does, rest Wade at the beginning of the fourth quarter. However, LeBron James was on the court at the beginning of the final stanza of play; and the first overall pick in the 2003 Draft found Zydrunas Ilgauskas for a crowd-pleasing three to cut the lead to four just two minutes and ten seconds into the game.
Wade immediately came in and hit a jump shot to extend the lead to six. On Miami's next possession, Michael Beasley dunked the ball with authority even as Ilgauskas fouled him. That would, however, seemingly be Miami's last graceful moment as the Cavaliers ran away with this game because of open jump shots, tough defense and lots of foul shots as the Cavs went into the bonus with 8:19 left to go in the fourth quarter.
This was a tough loss for Miami. The Heat had the game within its grasp before it slipped away. Miami played horrendous defense in the fourth quarter, making careless fouls early on and letting Cleveland put up 35 points in the fourth quarter. Miami also committed five turnovers in the final quarter. Udonis Haslem and Shawn Marion could not hold on to the ball, combining for eight turnovers in the game.
Wade finished with 29 points on 12-for-25 shooting from the field and five-for-seven from the foul line. The 6-foot-4 guard out of Marquette added four rebounds, eight assists and two steals on the game, but only had six points in the fourth quarter and could not take over the game
Haslem added 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting and nine rebounds, but those turnovers hurt Miami. Haslem would set a pick for Wade and the Miami native would let a guard take the ball from this hands after diving to the hoop. Still, I have to give credit to Haslem for coming back to play after bleeding profusely from his head after an inadvertent blow by James in the fourth quarter. And Haslem has re-gained his shooting touch, and the Cleveland defense could not load up on Wade as much.
Cook added 12 for Miami on four-of-eight shooting from the field. The former Buckeye nailed a three to keep the game to within 86-90 with 28 seconds left, a good sign of not giving up. Cook even took on the defensive assignment of guarding James, even while giving up three inches and 40 pounds to the star forward. He and Marion did a good job on the 6-foot-8 forward out of Saint Vincent-Saint Mary's High School, who made some incredibly tough shots.
The problem is that no one outside of those three and Beasley had more than two field goals for Miami. Mo Williams made mincemeat out of Mario Chalmers, making him take tough shots while making the rookie out of Kansas State pay for leaving him open. Marion continued to aimlessly attempt his point-blank floaters that usually bounce off the rim. When will the four-time All-Star try to bank it in?
Joel Anthony could not match up with the 7-foot-3 Ilgauskas. I add part of the blame to Spoelstra. He should have known that a player should never front a bigger player with no one guarding the basket. Jamaal Magloire did a nice job backing Anthony up, with six rebounds by halftime. This is the second consecutive time Spoelstra has used Magloire against bigger centers. Do not be surprised if Magloire gets more playing time in the future, especially with Cleveland and Orlando next up for Miami.
Marcus Banks is officially the backup point guard for Miami. Is it to showcase the player whose contract goes beyond 2010 or a common-sense move to get more defense? Time will tell, but Banks had good floor vision, with five assists in 14 minutes of play. Banks, however, did commit a senseless eight-second violation before looking at the official as if he had never heard of the rule before.
Miami played tough defense through three quarters, keeping the Cavs to just 40.8 percent shooting. Unfortunately, the early fouls really plagued the Heat in the fourth quarter. The Heat will attempt to get even on the series with Cleveland Tuesday night in Miami.
Joe Smith to Miami?
Sources have said that Pat Riley is interested in trading for Joe Smith, the 6-foot-9, 13-year veteran for the rebuilding Oklahoma City Thunder. Although the power forward position is not an area of need for Miami, I can see why Riley is interested. If it meant giving up Banks' aforementioned long contract, it would allow the Heat to rent Smith for the rest of the season, start the Shaun Livingston experiment and get more money coming off the books for 2009.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Sweet 16
When the Miami Heat traded Shaquille O'Neal for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks last February, it was looked at as letting go of a future Hall-of-Famer to a championship contender as Miami, meanwhile, would rebuild its team.
Well, not many would have guessed that one-third of the way into the season, the two teams would have identical records.
But earlier today, Miami topped the Chicago Bulls in a 90-77 decision to give Miami its 16th win, a feat never accomplished by this same franchise a year ago. And the Heat and Suns each stand at 16-12, Miami within percentage points of Detroit's fifth seed in the Eastern Conference while Phoenix is barely holding on to the eighth seed out West.
It did not look very pretty for Miami, playing through three lackadaisical quarters to a 64-64 standoff at home. Fortunately for Miami, the Heat played tight defense as the Bulls only scored 13 points in the final stanza of play. However, it was the sensational offense of Dwyane Wade, Daequan Cook and Michael Beasley that pulled the game away from a Bulls team without Kirk Hinrich, Drew Gooden and Luol Deng, who got injured in the third quarter.
Beasley hit Miami's first two field goals in the fourth quarter while Wade sat on the bench. The rookie out of Kansas State then found Daequan Cook for a three before hitting both free throws after a hard foul by Andres Nocioni to stretch Miami's lead to 73-69. Cook hit a triple on two of Miami's next three offensive possessions before Wade's off-balance jump shot with two minutes and thirty-two seconds left iced the game for the Heat.
Wade shook off early foul trouble to finish with 28 points on 11-for-23 shooting, three rebounds, a steal and just one turnover. The star guard out of Marquette was just five-for-nine from the free-throw line, though. Wade, a 76 percent free-throw shooter, held his groin and grimaced in the second quarter. That injury may have affected the knees in Wade's free-throw attempts, as a lot of them were well short.
Beasley, who was rewarded playing time in the fourth quarter, played better than Derrick Rose. The second overall pick in last June's Draft had 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting, six rebounds and two blocked shots. The first overall pick had just 10 points on 3-of-14 shooting with three assists and five turnovers.
Beasley's offense was on full display, as he drove to the rim and hit jumpers in 24 minutes of action. More importantly, Beasley played well defensively. He stayed with Nocioni when he shifted to the three and played tough defense as a four, rejecting a potential shot from both Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas.
Mario Chalmers also outplayed Rose. The second-round draftee who the Heat had to trade with Minnesota to acquire proved his worth again. Chalmers had 16 points on six-of-nine shooting, five rebounds, six assists and two steals on the night. The rookie out of Kansas played tough defense on Rose and even Ben Gordon, who went quiet in the second half after scoring 11 points on three-for-three shooting from beyond the arc in the first 24 minutes of play.
Cook was, well, cooking. The second-year guard out of Ohio State had three of his four triples in the fourth quarter. Shawn Marion, by contrast, spent most of the night around the rim. The four-time NBA All-Star had 10 rebounds and had a lot of garbage points, and could have finished with more than eight points. Marion, however, did find himself on the bench in the fourth quarter, as Coach Erik Spoelstra (rightly) decided to go with Beasley.
Another smart move by Spoelstra was to get Jamaal Magloire in the game. Joel Anthony had four blocks and five rebounds in 27 minutes, but Spoelstra needed to get some more size. While Anthony came over to block a shot, the 7-foot Aaron Gray would just get the rebound and put back an easy layup. Gray had 12 points and 11 rebounds, five of the them offensive, but when Magloire came in the game, Gray did not score another point.
Spoelstra continued to use Marcus Banks as the first point guard off the bench against the athleticism of Chicago's guards. Banks not only contributed to Rose's off night, he drove to the rim for a layup once he came into the game. When Wade is not on the court, Banks is one of the few guys that can keep Miami from being a jump-shooting team.
The Heat has not played East division leaders Boston, Cleveland or Orlando this season. That will change Sunday, when Miami and Cleveland will engage in a home-and-home sequence. The first of two will be at the Quicken Loans Arena, where the Cavaliers have been a perfect 15-0.
Another Score
Dwyane Wade unwrapped a Christmas present for a Miami resident a little early. Wade's foundation, Wade's World, donated a fully furnished house, clothes and gifts to Dawn Smith after her house was accidentally burnt down by her nephew Christmas Eve. The NBA's leading scorer just scored again.
Well, not many would have guessed that one-third of the way into the season, the two teams would have identical records.
But earlier today, Miami topped the Chicago Bulls in a 90-77 decision to give Miami its 16th win, a feat never accomplished by this same franchise a year ago. And the Heat and Suns each stand at 16-12, Miami within percentage points of Detroit's fifth seed in the Eastern Conference while Phoenix is barely holding on to the eighth seed out West.
It did not look very pretty for Miami, playing through three lackadaisical quarters to a 64-64 standoff at home. Fortunately for Miami, the Heat played tight defense as the Bulls only scored 13 points in the final stanza of play. However, it was the sensational offense of Dwyane Wade, Daequan Cook and Michael Beasley that pulled the game away from a Bulls team without Kirk Hinrich, Drew Gooden and Luol Deng, who got injured in the third quarter.
Beasley hit Miami's first two field goals in the fourth quarter while Wade sat on the bench. The rookie out of Kansas State then found Daequan Cook for a three before hitting both free throws after a hard foul by Andres Nocioni to stretch Miami's lead to 73-69. Cook hit a triple on two of Miami's next three offensive possessions before Wade's off-balance jump shot with two minutes and thirty-two seconds left iced the game for the Heat.
Wade shook off early foul trouble to finish with 28 points on 11-for-23 shooting, three rebounds, a steal and just one turnover. The star guard out of Marquette was just five-for-nine from the free-throw line, though. Wade, a 76 percent free-throw shooter, held his groin and grimaced in the second quarter. That injury may have affected the knees in Wade's free-throw attempts, as a lot of them were well short.
Beasley, who was rewarded playing time in the fourth quarter, played better than Derrick Rose. The second overall pick in last June's Draft had 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting, six rebounds and two blocked shots. The first overall pick had just 10 points on 3-of-14 shooting with three assists and five turnovers.
Beasley's offense was on full display, as he drove to the rim and hit jumpers in 24 minutes of action. More importantly, Beasley played well defensively. He stayed with Nocioni when he shifted to the three and played tough defense as a four, rejecting a potential shot from both Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas.
Mario Chalmers also outplayed Rose. The second-round draftee who the Heat had to trade with Minnesota to acquire proved his worth again. Chalmers had 16 points on six-of-nine shooting, five rebounds, six assists and two steals on the night. The rookie out of Kansas played tough defense on Rose and even Ben Gordon, who went quiet in the second half after scoring 11 points on three-for-three shooting from beyond the arc in the first 24 minutes of play.
Cook was, well, cooking. The second-year guard out of Ohio State had three of his four triples in the fourth quarter. Shawn Marion, by contrast, spent most of the night around the rim. The four-time NBA All-Star had 10 rebounds and had a lot of garbage points, and could have finished with more than eight points. Marion, however, did find himself on the bench in the fourth quarter, as Coach Erik Spoelstra (rightly) decided to go with Beasley.
Another smart move by Spoelstra was to get Jamaal Magloire in the game. Joel Anthony had four blocks and five rebounds in 27 minutes, but Spoelstra needed to get some more size. While Anthony came over to block a shot, the 7-foot Aaron Gray would just get the rebound and put back an easy layup. Gray had 12 points and 11 rebounds, five of the them offensive, but when Magloire came in the game, Gray did not score another point.
Spoelstra continued to use Marcus Banks as the first point guard off the bench against the athleticism of Chicago's guards. Banks not only contributed to Rose's off night, he drove to the rim for a layup once he came into the game. When Wade is not on the court, Banks is one of the few guys that can keep Miami from being a jump-shooting team.
The Heat has not played East division leaders Boston, Cleveland or Orlando this season. That will change Sunday, when Miami and Cleveland will engage in a home-and-home sequence. The first of two will be at the Quicken Loans Arena, where the Cavaliers have been a perfect 15-0.
Another Score
Dwyane Wade unwrapped a Christmas present for a Miami resident a little early. Wade's foundation, Wade's World, donated a fully furnished house, clothes and gifts to Dawn Smith after her house was accidentally burnt down by her nephew Christmas Eve. The NBA's leading scorer just scored again.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Heat Defeat Depleted Warriors
Well, it came harder than it should have against a Golden State team without Jamal Crawford, Stephen Jackson and Corey Maggette. But the Miami Heat has now matched last season's 15-win total just 27 games into the season. Talk about being ahead of schedule.
Miami was down 21-24 after one quarter of play. The Warriors extended its lead to 11 by the eight minute mark of the second quarter. Fortunately for Miami, sophomore standout Daequan Cook hit two consecutive threes to cut the lead to five. But it was the seven consecutive field goals Miami made in the second quarter that helped the Heat always keep Oakland at bay. Cook, Haslem, Marion and Wade all chipped in to give Miami a lead it would never relinquish.
Cook finished with a season-high 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting and five-of-seven shooting from beyond the arc in just 27 minutes for Miami. The second-year guard out of Ohio State had 15 of his 20 points in the decisive second quarter to give the Heat its breathing room for the rest of the game. There is no question that Cook, shooting at 39.7 percent from three-point range, is a pleasant surprise this season.
Wade, meanwhile, was the explosive scorer tonight as he has been in seasons past. The 6-foot-4 guard out of Maquette had 32 points on 13-for-20 shooting from two-point range, eight assists, eight rebounds, three steals and three blocks. Wade also turned the ball over two times, well below his season average of 3.96 mishaps. If a blemish in Wade's game tonight could have been found, it was his zero-for-five shooting from beyond the arc and his 60 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
Udonis Haslem, who has struggled in recent games, seemed to have regained his shooting touch back. The fifth-year forward out of Florida had 16 points on 8-for-11 shooting to go along with eight boards and one block. Saturday night against New Jersey, Haslem hit a crucial jumper to ice the game for Miami. It appears as though that shot was a big confidence-booster for the 6-foot-8 forward.
Haslem's partner up front, Shawn Marion, had another nice game. On the offensive end, Marion was an uneven three-for-seven from the field. However, the veteran out of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas was a rebounding machine, leaping for 16 boards. Miami won the battle of the boards 48-41, and his rebounding was essential. Obtaining more rebounds helps a team get more shot attempts. But in this case for Miami, it helped compensate for the 21 turnovers. The Heat's point guard, Mario Chalmers, turned the ball over a shocking five times while Haslem and Marion combined for six mishaps.
With Chalmers struggling, Spoelstra went to Marcus Banks early on. Banks had one foul and one turnover before getting yanked back to the bench after three-and-a-half minutes of play. Chris Quinn was back against a Golden State point guard lineup that featured Anthony Morrow and DeMarcus Nelson, and had two assists and two rebounds in 10 minutes of action. Nonetheless, Spoelstra still went with Chalmers through 39 minutes of the game.
It would be an understatement to say that Michael Beasley has had a tough rookie season thus far for the Heat. It was no different tonight, with the 6-foot-9 forward out of Kansas State finishing with five points on two-for-seven shooting. For most of the time he was on the court, it seemed as if Beasley did not know if he wanted to score or get his teammates involved. You cannot put too much blame on the kid, partially because it is as if Coach Erik Spoelstra is giving him mixed signals. He has publicly applauded Beasley's aggressiveness, but also asked him to be aware of his teammates.
I guess the problem for Beasley is not that he can not score – he proved that he can time after time at Kansas State – but that he does not have many plays set for him like Wade does. I would suggest Spoelstra to give the rookie forward a little freedom and set some plays for him so that he can be a sidekick to Wade. Heat fans would like to forget about Wade's consistent struggles during the team's three-game losing streak, but the man is not perfect. He is going to have bad games and Spoelstra is going to need someone to step up if this team has a remote shot at winning. Beasley can be that guy.
Moreover, Beasley's post action and Cook's shooting could provide a young, dynamic duo off the bench for Miami. But it will only happen if Spoelstra is willing to invest in Beasley. And it is not a matter of balancing out the minutes of Beasley, Haslem and Marion. Both played over 37 minutes tonight while Beasley could only get 13 minutes of playing time.
The Heat will try to one-up last season's win total Friday against Chicago in a nationally-televised game.
Miami was down 21-24 after one quarter of play. The Warriors extended its lead to 11 by the eight minute mark of the second quarter. Fortunately for Miami, sophomore standout Daequan Cook hit two consecutive threes to cut the lead to five. But it was the seven consecutive field goals Miami made in the second quarter that helped the Heat always keep Oakland at bay. Cook, Haslem, Marion and Wade all chipped in to give Miami a lead it would never relinquish.
Cook finished with a season-high 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting and five-of-seven shooting from beyond the arc in just 27 minutes for Miami. The second-year guard out of Ohio State had 15 of his 20 points in the decisive second quarter to give the Heat its breathing room for the rest of the game. There is no question that Cook, shooting at 39.7 percent from three-point range, is a pleasant surprise this season.Wade, meanwhile, was the explosive scorer tonight as he has been in seasons past. The 6-foot-4 guard out of Maquette had 32 points on 13-for-20 shooting from two-point range, eight assists, eight rebounds, three steals and three blocks. Wade also turned the ball over two times, well below his season average of 3.96 mishaps. If a blemish in Wade's game tonight could have been found, it was his zero-for-five shooting from beyond the arc and his 60 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
Udonis Haslem, who has struggled in recent games, seemed to have regained his shooting touch back. The fifth-year forward out of Florida had 16 points on 8-for-11 shooting to go along with eight boards and one block. Saturday night against New Jersey, Haslem hit a crucial jumper to ice the game for Miami. It appears as though that shot was a big confidence-booster for the 6-foot-8 forward.
Haslem's partner up front, Shawn Marion, had another nice game. On the offensive end, Marion was an uneven three-for-seven from the field. However, the veteran out of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas was a rebounding machine, leaping for 16 boards. Miami won the battle of the boards 48-41, and his rebounding was essential. Obtaining more rebounds helps a team get more shot attempts. But in this case for Miami, it helped compensate for the 21 turnovers. The Heat's point guard, Mario Chalmers, turned the ball over a shocking five times while Haslem and Marion combined for six mishaps.
With Chalmers struggling, Spoelstra went to Marcus Banks early on. Banks had one foul and one turnover before getting yanked back to the bench after three-and-a-half minutes of play. Chris Quinn was back against a Golden State point guard lineup that featured Anthony Morrow and DeMarcus Nelson, and had two assists and two rebounds in 10 minutes of action. Nonetheless, Spoelstra still went with Chalmers through 39 minutes of the game.
It would be an understatement to say that Michael Beasley has had a tough rookie season thus far for the Heat. It was no different tonight, with the 6-foot-9 forward out of Kansas State finishing with five points on two-for-seven shooting. For most of the time he was on the court, it seemed as if Beasley did not know if he wanted to score or get his teammates involved. You cannot put too much blame on the kid, partially because it is as if Coach Erik Spoelstra is giving him mixed signals. He has publicly applauded Beasley's aggressiveness, but also asked him to be aware of his teammates.
I guess the problem for Beasley is not that he can not score – he proved that he can time after time at Kansas State – but that he does not have many plays set for him like Wade does. I would suggest Spoelstra to give the rookie forward a little freedom and set some plays for him so that he can be a sidekick to Wade. Heat fans would like to forget about Wade's consistent struggles during the team's three-game losing streak, but the man is not perfect. He is going to have bad games and Spoelstra is going to need someone to step up if this team has a remote shot at winning. Beasley can be that guy.
Moreover, Beasley's post action and Cook's shooting could provide a young, dynamic duo off the bench for Miami. But it will only happen if Spoelstra is willing to invest in Beasley. And it is not a matter of balancing out the minutes of Beasley, Haslem and Marion. Both played over 37 minutes tonight while Beasley could only get 13 minutes of playing time.
The Heat will try to one-up last season's win total Friday against Chicago in a nationally-televised game.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Wade Propels Heat Past Nets
Dwyane Wade continued to prove that he is back to the player he was during the 2006 NBA Finals, and arguably even better, with a 43-point performance to beat the New Jersey Nets in a 106-103 nail-biter.
This was Miami's first win on the second night of a back-to-back in six attempts, and the entire team looked upbeat to play against the highest-scoring backcourt in the league of Vince Carter and Devin Harris and the rest of the Nets. But it was Wade who was the answer, scoring 12 of Miami's last 14 points in a tight fourth quarter.
Miami's (14-12) big quarter was the second, as Wade scored 14 points to help Miami outscore the Nets 35-27 in the second period. Daequan Cook carried his hot game against the Lakers into tonight's game against New Jersey, scoring 12 points in the second. Miami led 62-56 at intermission, with both teams shooting above 58 percent from the field. But after a surge by the Nets in the third quarter, it would have to be a half-court game for the final stanza of play.
New Jersey took its first lead of the game since midway through the second quarter on a fade-away shot by Carter with eight minutes and 15 seconds to go. When Coach Erik Spoelstra put Wade into the game, he found Marion and Cook for a dunk and three, respectively, to put Miami back up. The Nets would take the lead with 2:16 left to go on a couple of free throws by Carter to make it a 97-96 game. But Wade made a reverse layup on the ensuing possession, and Mario Chalmers found an open Udonis Haslem for a wide open jumper with 14 seconds to go to ice the game for Miami.
Wade ended up tying his season high of 43 points, and did it on 13-for-22 shooting from the field and 16-for-18 from the free-throw line. Moreover, Wade also had four rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks. Wade went to the basket often, and that let his jump shot come easier to him after he had made a few shots.
Cook, Miami's second-leading scorer for the second consecutive night, finished with a season-high 17 points on four-of-five shooting from beyond the arc. Cook also spent a lot of time on Carter, who finished with a relatively quiet 21 points on 5-of-14 shooting, and did an admirable job. Teams are going to start to honoring Cook's jump shot; and when James Jones comes back, Miami will be deadly three-point threat off the bench.
The player who spent the most time on Carter, however, was Shawn Marion. The four-time NBA All-Star had another nice game with 10 points on five-of-nine shooting. Again, I like that Mario Chalmers and Wade found easy plays for him. Marion will make timely cuts to the basket if he is given a path. And the rest Wade gets for not having to guard the Kobe Bryants or Carters of the League gives the leading scorer plenty of energy for the offensive end. It is good to have a defensive presence at the three.
One of Marion's partners in the frontline, rookie Michael Beasley, had an efficient night. The 6-foot-9 forward out of Kansas State had 11 points on 5-of-12 shooting with five rebounds and a blocked shot. Beasley was very active around the rim, at one point tipping in a missed free-throw by Marcus Banks. But Miami's first-round pick only played 15 minutes tonight. He can continue to develop if Spoelstra is willing to invest in him.
It is not a usual sight to see Banks on the court. The most experienced point guard for Miami had only played in eight games leading up to tonight. But perhaps Jordan Farmar's smothering of Chris Quinn against L.A. made Spoelstra use the more defensive-oriented Banks. The 6-foot-2 guard out of UNLV did not disappoint. He played good on-the-ball defense and was able to pressure the likes of Devin Harris (who shot an uncharacteristic 5-for-15 from the field). and Keyon Dooling full-court. More importantly, however, Banks looked like a floor general. When Banks first came into the game, he found Beasley for a jump shot late in the first quarter. At the start of the second quarter, Banks drove to the rim for a nice layup before finding Beasley and Cook for field goals.
The advantage to having Quinn, who did not play tonight, off the bench is that he is a pass-first point guard who is a great shooter. Banks, by comparison, can give Miami defense and some nice drives to the basket. The seldom-used Banks had four assists in 10 minutes and did not turn the ball over tonight. He can crack the rotation if he can be a distributor for Miami.
Joel Anthony was again active for Miami. The 6-foot-9 Canadian center hit three consecutive field goals for the Heat in the first quarter and finished with eight points on four-of-five shooting, seven rebounds and two blocks.
Coming off of two nice wins, Miami will rest until Tuesday, when the Heat will host the Golden State Warriors in the highly-anticipated re-match after the first meeting between the two resulted in a 130-129 overtime Heat win.
This was Miami's first win on the second night of a back-to-back in six attempts, and the entire team looked upbeat to play against the highest-scoring backcourt in the league of Vince Carter and Devin Harris and the rest of the Nets. But it was Wade who was the answer, scoring 12 of Miami's last 14 points in a tight fourth quarter.
Miami's (14-12) big quarter was the second, as Wade scored 14 points to help Miami outscore the Nets 35-27 in the second period. Daequan Cook carried his hot game against the Lakers into tonight's game against New Jersey, scoring 12 points in the second. Miami led 62-56 at intermission, with both teams shooting above 58 percent from the field. But after a surge by the Nets in the third quarter, it would have to be a half-court game for the final stanza of play.
New Jersey took its first lead of the game since midway through the second quarter on a fade-away shot by Carter with eight minutes and 15 seconds to go. When Coach Erik Spoelstra put Wade into the game, he found Marion and Cook for a dunk and three, respectively, to put Miami back up. The Nets would take the lead with 2:16 left to go on a couple of free throws by Carter to make it a 97-96 game. But Wade made a reverse layup on the ensuing possession, and Mario Chalmers found an open Udonis Haslem for a wide open jumper with 14 seconds to go to ice the game for Miami.
Wade ended up tying his season high of 43 points, and did it on 13-for-22 shooting from the field and 16-for-18 from the free-throw line. Moreover, Wade also had four rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks. Wade went to the basket often, and that let his jump shot come easier to him after he had made a few shots.
Cook, Miami's second-leading scorer for the second consecutive night, finished with a season-high 17 points on four-of-five shooting from beyond the arc. Cook also spent a lot of time on Carter, who finished with a relatively quiet 21 points on 5-of-14 shooting, and did an admirable job. Teams are going to start to honoring Cook's jump shot; and when James Jones comes back, Miami will be deadly three-point threat off the bench.
The player who spent the most time on Carter, however, was Shawn Marion. The four-time NBA All-Star had another nice game with 10 points on five-of-nine shooting. Again, I like that Mario Chalmers and Wade found easy plays for him. Marion will make timely cuts to the basket if he is given a path. And the rest Wade gets for not having to guard the Kobe Bryants or Carters of the League gives the leading scorer plenty of energy for the offensive end. It is good to have a defensive presence at the three.
One of Marion's partners in the frontline, rookie Michael Beasley, had an efficient night. The 6-foot-9 forward out of Kansas State had 11 points on 5-of-12 shooting with five rebounds and a blocked shot. Beasley was very active around the rim, at one point tipping in a missed free-throw by Marcus Banks. But Miami's first-round pick only played 15 minutes tonight. He can continue to develop if Spoelstra is willing to invest in him. It is not a usual sight to see Banks on the court. The most experienced point guard for Miami had only played in eight games leading up to tonight. But perhaps Jordan Farmar's smothering of Chris Quinn against L.A. made Spoelstra use the more defensive-oriented Banks. The 6-foot-2 guard out of UNLV did not disappoint. He played good on-the-ball defense and was able to pressure the likes of Devin Harris (who shot an uncharacteristic 5-for-15 from the field). and Keyon Dooling full-court. More importantly, however, Banks looked like a floor general. When Banks first came into the game, he found Beasley for a jump shot late in the first quarter. At the start of the second quarter, Banks drove to the rim for a nice layup before finding Beasley and Cook for field goals.
The advantage to having Quinn, who did not play tonight, off the bench is that he is a pass-first point guard who is a great shooter. Banks, by comparison, can give Miami defense and some nice drives to the basket. The seldom-used Banks had four assists in 10 minutes and did not turn the ball over tonight. He can crack the rotation if he can be a distributor for Miami.
Joel Anthony was again active for Miami. The 6-foot-9 Canadian center hit three consecutive field goals for the Heat in the first quarter and finished with eight points on four-of-five shooting, seven rebounds and two blocks.
Coming off of two nice wins, Miami will rest until Tuesday, when the Heat will host the Golden State Warriors in the highly-anticipated re-match after the first meeting between the two resulted in a 130-129 overtime Heat win.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Heat Burn Lakers
Well, sort of. The Miami Heat built a 12-point lead in the third quarter, only to have it evaporate to only one late in the fourth quarter, but managed to sneak by the Los Angeles Lakers in an 89-87 decision after Kobe Bryant missed a shot that would have sent the game into overtime.
That is not to downplay the importance of this win. Entering the game with a three-game losing streak, Miami showed toughness throughout the game and executed some key plays down the stretch. A team as talented as the Lakers would not have gone down without a fight, and this game is a big step in the right direction for the Heat.
The third quarter, the stanza that has not been nice to the Heat on its three-game losing streak, was pivotal for Miami. The Lakers were out-scored 17-29 in that quarter, and a huge L.A. surge came up just short. The Heat went on a 16-4 run to close out the third quarter, combining good execution with stifling defense. In the waning moments of the quarter, Dwyane Wade had the ball at the top of the circle. Trevor Ariza poked it away, but Wade got the ball back and heaved it right in the basket for the deep three to give Miami a 12-point lead entering the final stanza of basketball.
The fourth quarter started off with both teams turning the ball over, and no one scored until Andrew Bynum's hook shot with nine minutes and 12 seconds to go. L.A. proceeded to cut the lead to five before Daequan Cook hit a crucial three to give Miami an eight-point lead with seven minutes left. But the Lakers got it down to two after Bryant made a turnaround jumper with 41 seconds left. And when Wade missed a jumper at the other end, Miami would need a good defensive play.
The Heat got three.
After Bryant drove to the basket and dished it off to Odom, Joel Anthony blocked his short jumper. Odom got his own rebound and put it back up, only to have his shot blocked by Wade. Then the ball got into the hands of Pau Gasol. Gasol went up, but Wade was right there to block the ball as he brought the ball up for a layup. The ball went out of bonds, and the Lakers would have another chance with just nine seconds left.
Gasol got fouled and made one of two free throws to make it a one-point game. After the ball was in-bounded to Wade, Odom got a little over-aggressive and would send Wade to the line. Miami's star guard sank one of two before Bryant's shot to send the game into overtime went in-and-out.
What made Wade score 35 points on 13-for-25 shooting and two-for-four from beyond the arc, grab six rebounds and collect three steals? I just saw a player that got his offensive rhythm back. He has been double-teamed and triple-teamed before. Tonight, Wade managed to find the little cracks in the defense to get to the basket. And L.A. put some tough defense on the 6-foot-4 guard out of Marquette. Bryant has been known for his defense for years and Ariza has long arms to use on Wade.
I have to give credit where credit is due. Shawn Marion had a great game for Miami. Gone were the times when he got the ball in the post and did not know what to do. Marion finished with 12 points on five-of-nine shooting and 11 rebounds for Miami. Tonight, Mario Chalmers recognized Marion's cuts to the basket and rewarded him. Marion got the ball from 15 feet out and drove to the rim and either got himself a bucket or found an open teammate. That is what I would like to see more of from Marion.
Marion spent much of his time guarding Bryant, with Wade taking him on occasionally. Marion did not slow down last year's season MVP, but made him take some tough shots and allowed Wade to rest on defense, guarding Ariza and Luke Walton for most of the game.
Chalmers and Cook played well for Miami. Both looked to initiate offense when Wade rested. Chalmers drove to the rim on occasions and Cook came off of screens and made big shots for Miami.
But the unsung hero for Miami was Joel Anthony. He was extremely active for Miami, with eight boards (four offensive), three steals, two blocks and four points. Anthony got Andrew Bynum into foul trouble and took him completely out of his game, but also set some nice screens for Wade to allow him to drive to the hoop.
I was disappointed with the play of Michael Beasley. Coach Erik Spoelstra gave him plenty of first-half minutes, checking into the game with 7:45 left in the first and not coming out until midway through the second quarter. The problem was that Beasley never looked to attack the rim and initiate offense. When Wade is on the court, Beasley should be aggressive and look to score for Miami.
Even with the Laker run in the fourth quarter, for Miami to beat the best-in-the-West Lakers was a good sign. Miami looked better on both sides of the court tonight, but will face a challenge tomorrow night. With the Heat and Nets deadlocked for the sixth seed in the East, the two teams will play in New Jersey at 8 p.m.
Injury Report
Friday was the fifth anniversary of former Heat center Alonzo Mourning's kidney transplant -- and the first anniversary since his season-ending knee injury against Atlanta. Mourning spoke with reporters before the game and reiterated his desire to rejoin Miami once he finishes with rehabilitation.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Was Beasley the Right Choice?
I am really glad I do not have to write about the supposed "Shawn Marion for Anderson Varejao and Wally Szczerbiak" trade that was reported by Yahoo! Sports yesterday. Numerous sources for both Cleveland and Miami have denied such discussions. With a 20-4 record, the Cavaliers probably do not want to tinker with the roster too much. And that trade would leave Miami as evident losers from the deal. Instead, I want to write about Michael Beasley. Fresh with memories of when O.J. Mayo scorched Miami earlier this week, there are already grumblings that Heat President Pat Riley should have chosen Mayo.
The numbers give the edge to Mayo. Mayo averages 20.8 points per game while Beasley only averages 14.1. The guard out of Southern California has shot 47.2 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from three-point range while the forward out of Kansas shot has shot 44.9 percent and 36 percent, respectively. The 6-foot-4 Mayo averages just nine-tenths of a rebound less than the 6-foot-9 Beasley.
But it is important to go beyond the statistics that everyone looks at. Mayo logged 38 minutes per game through 25 games. Beasley, by comparison, has averaged only 27 minutes per game. Naturally, Mayo would get more opportunities to score if he is on the court more often. Mayo shoots 16.52 shots per game. Beasley shoots 12.78 field goal attempts per game. Dwyane Wade's former workout buddy is not asked to be a second option on his team. In fact, Mayo is not even the point guard for Memphis. He usually plays the two alongside either Kyle Lowry or Mike Conley Jr. in the backcourt. Mayo would be asked to be a floor general on the floor and defer to Wade on the floor.
That is not to say that Mayo's offense is necessarily a bad thing. Miami has averaged 80.7 points per game over its current three-game losing streak, and Mayo's offense would evidently provide a high-octane offensive threat next to Wade. And we have not seen Mayo play next to Wade for one game, so it is premature to say that Mayo would be a bad fit with Wade. But Mayo is expected to do more for his team than Beasley, so the statistical disparity is to be expected.
Many people will tell you that it is too early in the season to make final verdicts on draft choices. It will take a season, if not several, to figure that out. But 24 games into the season for Miami, I feel that Pat Riley made the right decision when he selected Beasley as the second overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.
There is no player who was better offensively than Beasley was in the NCAA last year. He put up dominant numbers of 26.2 points and 12.4 rebounds per game. He shot 53.2 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from beyond the arc. Now, I realize that stardom in college does not necessarily translate into stardom in the pros. But the tiny, 2.3 field goal percentage disparity simply exists because Beasley does not get enough minutes.
I have advocated as recently as my latest post that Coach Erik Spoelstra should give Beasley more playing time. Because he and Wade are the only two players that can create their own shot for Miami, Spoelstra should always have Beasley and Wade on the court at all times when possible. I also would not mind seeing the product out of Kansas State and Miami's franchise player playing together. It would prevent other teams from clogging the driving lanes so Wade is forced into jump shots. It would give the opposition another threat to worry about. I am sure Mayo would be able to provide the same if he played for Miami. But because of his play in college and the two shooting roughly the same percentage from the field right now, I would still have made the same decision if I were Riley.
If Beasley does receive more playing time, he will develop. Spoelstra should know that no rookie develops from the bench. Dorell Wright taught him that.
The numbers give the edge to Mayo. Mayo averages 20.8 points per game while Beasley only averages 14.1. The guard out of Southern California has shot 47.2 percent from the field and 40.5 percent from three-point range while the forward out of Kansas shot has shot 44.9 percent and 36 percent, respectively. The 6-foot-4 Mayo averages just nine-tenths of a rebound less than the 6-foot-9 Beasley.
But it is important to go beyond the statistics that everyone looks at. Mayo logged 38 minutes per game through 25 games. Beasley, by comparison, has averaged only 27 minutes per game. Naturally, Mayo would get more opportunities to score if he is on the court more often. Mayo shoots 16.52 shots per game. Beasley shoots 12.78 field goal attempts per game. Dwyane Wade's former workout buddy is not asked to be a second option on his team. In fact, Mayo is not even the point guard for Memphis. He usually plays the two alongside either Kyle Lowry or Mike Conley Jr. in the backcourt. Mayo would be asked to be a floor general on the floor and defer to Wade on the floor.That is not to say that Mayo's offense is necessarily a bad thing. Miami has averaged 80.7 points per game over its current three-game losing streak, and Mayo's offense would evidently provide a high-octane offensive threat next to Wade. And we have not seen Mayo play next to Wade for one game, so it is premature to say that Mayo would be a bad fit with Wade. But Mayo is expected to do more for his team than Beasley, so the statistical disparity is to be expected.
Many people will tell you that it is too early in the season to make final verdicts on draft choices. It will take a season, if not several, to figure that out. But 24 games into the season for Miami, I feel that Pat Riley made the right decision when he selected Beasley as the second overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft.
There is no player who was better offensively than Beasley was in the NCAA last year. He put up dominant numbers of 26.2 points and 12.4 rebounds per game. He shot 53.2 percent from the field and 37.9 percent from beyond the arc. Now, I realize that stardom in college does not necessarily translate into stardom in the pros. But the tiny, 2.3 field goal percentage disparity simply exists because Beasley does not get enough minutes.
I have advocated as recently as my latest post that Coach Erik Spoelstra should give Beasley more playing time. Because he and Wade are the only two players that can create their own shot for Miami, Spoelstra should always have Beasley and Wade on the court at all times when possible. I also would not mind seeing the product out of Kansas State and Miami's franchise player playing together. It would prevent other teams from clogging the driving lanes so Wade is forced into jump shots. It would give the opposition another threat to worry about. I am sure Mayo would be able to provide the same if he played for Miami. But because of his play in college and the two shooting roughly the same percentage from the field right now, I would still have made the same decision if I were Riley.
If Beasley does receive more playing time, he will develop. Spoelstra should know that no rookie develops from the bench. Dorell Wright taught him that.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Heat Slide Continues
The Heat has been bad against Atlanta and bad against Memphis. But it all paled in comparison to how Miami was in the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks as the Heat lost its third straight game to fall back to the place it has been floating around all season long: the .500 mark.
These last three games have proven one thing. When Dwyane Wade struggles, the whole team struggles. Last night, Wade shot 5-for-16 from the field for 15 points, turned the ball over four times and committed four fouls. Moreover, Wade only made it to the free throw line six games and missed his second dunk in as many days. No one was able to step up offensively, and the Heat found itself down 56-36 by halftime.
It was here where Coach Erik Spoelstra made a huge mistake. He only played Michael Beasley 23 minutes last night. Beasley did not have a bad game. He shot 5-for-11 from the field for 13 points. The rookie out of Kansas State was the player who could put the ball in the basket the most out of all of the players in the NCAA. He and Wade are the only players who can create their own shot for Miami (12-12). Spoelstra should always try to have at least one of the two on the court at all times. And it is not an issue of foul trouble; the 6-foot-9 forward committed no fouls last night.
Do not let the boxscore fool you. Although five players scored in double figures for Miami, the Heat's offense was stymied for the better part of the game. The Heat's late surge, which included a 13-4 run to end the third quarter, was simply a classic case of too little, too late.
It's not just on offense that the Heat is out of sync. Miami has lost its identity of a scrappy defensive team that will force turnovers. Milwaukee only committed 10 turnovers last night and the patient style of the Bucks confused the Heat. And even with Udonis Haslem back, Miami lost the battle of the boards, 45-35. No player was able to grab more than seven boards. Miami's leading rebounder was Mario Chalmers, Miami's rookie point guard. Yes, you read that correctly.
Chalmers had a great game, but the loss overshadows his great play. The 6-foot-2 guard out of Kansas had 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting and 3-of-7 from beyond the arc, the seven rebounds previously mentioned and eight assists. On the flip side, Chalmers did commit five personal fouls and five turnovers. But those turnovers were mostly in the early stages of the game. The second-round pick shot and executed better as the game went along.
Can Chalmers be a guy who can score off the dribble for Miami and be a legitimiate force offensively? Every player can have one good game. I see a lot of upside in Chalmers, but I would still like to see more of Beasley on the court. Beasley knows how to put the ball in the basket and he can do that consistently when he is given the minutes.
Shawn Marion, meanwhile, has been a very big disappointment for Miami. There were hopes of, with Marion and Wade going through training camp together, Wade would feed "The Matrix" with easy baskets and layups constantly. Instead, we have seen Marion aimlessly try to put a shot up in the air he has never become efficient at. He had a good game last night, but I know a lot of people who are expecting more out of the four-time All Star.
Keep in mind that Miami's last two losses were against teams with worse records than the Heat's. This was supposed to be a pick-me-up month for the Heat, with a pretty soft schedule in December. It even started to look like that with a 4-0 start to the last month of the year. But now Miami is back to where it was in the earlier. And this team better get back in its groove before it slides even farther.
Miami currently holds the seventh seed in the East, and will rest until Friday for its next game. The probably is, the next game is against the surging Los Angeles Lakers. L.A. leads the League in offense, with an average of 108 points per game. Spoelstra is going to need to get his players ready, and quick, or else they will find themselves embarrassed on national television.
These last three games have proven one thing. When Dwyane Wade struggles, the whole team struggles. Last night, Wade shot 5-for-16 from the field for 15 points, turned the ball over four times and committed four fouls. Moreover, Wade only made it to the free throw line six games and missed his second dunk in as many days. No one was able to step up offensively, and the Heat found itself down 56-36 by halftime.
It was here where Coach Erik Spoelstra made a huge mistake. He only played Michael Beasley 23 minutes last night. Beasley did not have a bad game. He shot 5-for-11 from the field for 13 points. The rookie out of Kansas State was the player who could put the ball in the basket the most out of all of the players in the NCAA. He and Wade are the only players who can create their own shot for Miami (12-12). Spoelstra should always try to have at least one of the two on the court at all times. And it is not an issue of foul trouble; the 6-foot-9 forward committed no fouls last night.
Do not let the boxscore fool you. Although five players scored in double figures for Miami, the Heat's offense was stymied for the better part of the game. The Heat's late surge, which included a 13-4 run to end the third quarter, was simply a classic case of too little, too late.It's not just on offense that the Heat is out of sync. Miami has lost its identity of a scrappy defensive team that will force turnovers. Milwaukee only committed 10 turnovers last night and the patient style of the Bucks confused the Heat. And even with Udonis Haslem back, Miami lost the battle of the boards, 45-35. No player was able to grab more than seven boards. Miami's leading rebounder was Mario Chalmers, Miami's rookie point guard. Yes, you read that correctly.
Chalmers had a great game, but the loss overshadows his great play. The 6-foot-2 guard out of Kansas had 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting and 3-of-7 from beyond the arc, the seven rebounds previously mentioned and eight assists. On the flip side, Chalmers did commit five personal fouls and five turnovers. But those turnovers were mostly in the early stages of the game. The second-round pick shot and executed better as the game went along.
Can Chalmers be a guy who can score off the dribble for Miami and be a legitimiate force offensively? Every player can have one good game. I see a lot of upside in Chalmers, but I would still like to see more of Beasley on the court. Beasley knows how to put the ball in the basket and he can do that consistently when he is given the minutes.
Shawn Marion, meanwhile, has been a very big disappointment for Miami. There were hopes of, with Marion and Wade going through training camp together, Wade would feed "The Matrix" with easy baskets and layups constantly. Instead, we have seen Marion aimlessly try to put a shot up in the air he has never become efficient at. He had a good game last night, but I know a lot of people who are expecting more out of the four-time All Star.
Keep in mind that Miami's last two losses were against teams with worse records than the Heat's. This was supposed to be a pick-me-up month for the Heat, with a pretty soft schedule in December. It even started to look like that with a 4-0 start to the last month of the year. But now Miami is back to where it was in the earlier. And this team better get back in its groove before it slides even farther.
Miami currently holds the seventh seed in the East, and will rest until Friday for its next game. The probably is, the next game is against the surging Los Angeles Lakers. L.A. leads the League in offense, with an average of 108 points per game. Spoelstra is going to need to get his players ready, and quick, or else they will find themselves embarrassed on national television.
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