The Fourth Degree

I May Throw Up

2010-10-25T09:16:00.001+01:00

Dan LeBatard : For The Love of the Game

What a load of unadulterated crap.

We are talking millions of dollars here.....millions......MILLIONS!

34 millions to be precise......in these times of austerity, sports stars would do well to shut up about how magnanimous they are in giving part of their gruesome fortunes to other players so that they can still be "brothers".

And I know that these NBA stars put lots back into their communities.....it's still grotesque the amount of money that sports stars the world over generate.....pay them well, yes....but let's get some perspective on it here.

Football (soccer!!!) is the same....particularly in the UK where Wayne Rooney has just realised he cannot live on £150,000 per week.....PER WEEK!!!??

Shame on all of you.

Sadness....Nothing but Sadness

2010-07-09T16:25:00.002+01:00

Y'know...this is really troublesome.

There are those of you out there who will find what I have to say unbelievable given what has happened in the last 24/48 hours. There are those of you who, in all honesty, deserve this amazing earth-shift....those guys who have been with Miami through all the lean times....

Me? Well I've sort of become hung up specifically on this whole Michael Beasley issue and generally on Miami's policy as regards developing the talents of young players. It's fairly clear that Pat Riley is about delivering rings NOW....RIGHT NOW....and I don't really like that way of operating......Miami have spent the second half of the first decade in this new millenium nursing the hang over from 2006.

Still, if LeBron and Bosh feel the only way they are going to win a championship is by teaming up with Wade then good luck to them. I think it says something about them. I don't hand me any stories about them all playing for less money....less money? Everything is relative...we're talking multi millions here....none of the three is going to end up destitute soon.

Going back to what Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan said...in a similar vein, I remember when I was growing up we'd play "bounce games" of soccer for hours and hours but it always started by picking teams. The best two players always went on opposing sides and picked the teams so that the teams ended up relatively even.

Things may not turn out as rosy as you expect down South Beach way.

Right...That's That.

2010-04-29T20:07:00.000+01:00

Miami........I'm out of here.

It's been.....well......all about Wade.

Regardless of what 2010/11 brings you......you deserve him.

Inspiration?

2010-04-27T20:03:00.000+01:00

See this?

This is this....

This ain't something else...

This is this.

From now on, you're on your own.

I've been reading today of Coach Spoelstra's inspirational qualities and how he uses well turned phrases to help his team zone in on what matters before every game.....by his own admission he keeps these messages short and to the point because if they get too long or too many in number he loses their attention ( yeah that made me laugh too).

Anyway, after D-wade's virtuoso performance on Sunday I thought that Robert De Niro's classic mini speech from the Deer Hunter was just the ticket......pin it up on the whiteboard, Coach, beside a photograph of D-Wade holding out a basketball.

This is this.......the biggest game of the year for the Miami Heat......let's find a way to win it.

Nobody said it would be easy.

Game #4 Boston Celtics 92 - Miami Heat 101 (Celtics lead 3-1)

2010-04-25T23:00:00.000+01:00

Finally....finally....finally.

Just when it seemed that this may end up with the Miami Heat being swept by the Boston Celtics the Heat find a way to win. It came as no surprise really to find that the way was created by Dwyane Wade who had an exemplary scoring game with 46 points. This was a night when the threes were dropping and Wade didn't look like he was going to miss...ever.

Miami topped and tailed this game 18-31 in the first quarter...15-30 in the fourth....In between Boston came on strong and ended the third quarter with a six point advantage after some poor clock management by Wade.

From there on in it was all about #3.....although he did have decent support namely in the shape of Udonis Haslem, Joel Anthony and Dorrell Wright.

Coach Spoelstra told sideline reporter, the delectable Lisa Salters that going into he fourth it would be all about..." Our own mental toughness going down the stretch." How many of you winced when he said that?

Anyway, we should have known, shouldn't we?

It rained threes from Wade's right hand...four of them in the run in.... all of them over Ray Allen who missed two crucial free throws at 92-96. This was emulated by Kevin Garnett at 92-98.

So on we go for at least one more game. That is obviously he strategy of choice now....one game at a time.

I must admit I found myself shouting at the computer screen this evening as I became as frustrated as the ABC commentary team with Mike Beasley's unwillingness to attack the rim in traffic. This kid has a smooth stroke and some nice moves but he does need to start dunking a bit in the lane and not just when he has a clear lane......this kind of thing....a bit more often.

Game #3 - Boston Celtics 100 - Miami Heat 98 ( Celtics lead 3-0 )

2010-04-24T09:19:00.001+01:00

Ultimately heartbreak.

But come on guys, how many of you realistically thought that Miami would fight their way back into this one. When Boston ended the third quarter up by 8 points I had a kind of sinking feeling. Boston were just out of reach....basically the Heat had no answers to Ray Allen and Paul Pierce.....and throughout this game the experience of the Celtics told. They showed patience and justified arrogance despite good defensive pressure from the Heat, executing on countless occasions at the shot clock buzzer.

Then with the experienced players ailing or sitting on the bench.....the youngsters finally ignited and gave us a glimpse of what they can do......Dorrell Wright and Michael Beasley both made significant contributions and all of a sudden the Heat found themselves in a game at 98-98.

Then came Pierce......I really shouldn't go into this.....in fact I won't.

Then came Pierce.....game, series, season?

Beasley Being Hung out to Dry......By His Own People

2010-04-21T21:56:00.001+01:00

I am a huge Michael Beasley fan.

That is a tough place to be at the moment.....but hey....someone has to root for this kid.

No way is he as bad as people and particularly the hatchet men of the press making out.....but I suppose they have to fill column inches.....and he is bombing, spectacularly, in front of millions.....

I said, in a fit of anger, during the last trade window that they should have moved him on...if it were possible....as he was being constantly mishandled by the Coach and most of the senior players.....to me it would have been a sensible move for for Michael and possibly a kick start for his career. However such ideas were completely rubbished by the Heat front office. Pat Riley unequivocally stated that #30 was going nowhere, he said that Beasley reminded him of James Worthy....bold claim that....Worthy was awesome. So what does he see in Mike that isn't being replicated on the court?......what does he see that is Worthy-esque?.....what is causing the #2 overall draft pick to be such a "box of chocolates"?

It is an interesting question if nothing else.....I mean, let's be serious for a minute.....Riles knows a player when he sees one.

Something isn't right....It's been fairly polarising all season long.....and the gutter press are doing an excellent job of stirring unrest. They won't be happy until Mike is toast.

I found this posting on a blog somewhere and thought it was a fairly decent point of view......agree or disagree as you will.....some of us have made our beds

Winderman is the biggest **** in the world. He is constantly on Beasley for not being a 20/10 guy on a mostly veteran team. The problem is that he uses the success of Rose and Brook Lopez to say that Beasley isnt cutting it. Neither one of those players has superstars on their team to defer to and no real veteran presence. Does he watch the games. The Heat do not run plays for Beasley or anyone else except Wade and O'Neal. Beasley has had to become a number two option on a veteran filled team and he is surprised that Beasley isnt an all star. The Heat has always been slow to develop young talent. Wright has been on the team for almost six years before he made a contribution, Cook never plays and Chalmers who seems to play ok doesnt get a great deal of playing time. The fact that Winderman believes that Haslem is better than Beasley speaks for itself. He might be underachieving but he is not devoid of talent. The Heat need to learn from the Thunder and just let the young guys play.

Miami Heat 77 - Boston Celtics 106 ( Celtics lead 2-0 )

2010-04-21T07:49:00.000+01:00

Humiliation?.....Feels worse.

Not a pleasant feeling.....that was so painful to watch that when the NBA tv people switched to the Portland v Phoenix game for a long period during the fourth quarter and I really didn't mind.

I made quite a few notes during this game but really they are all immaterial....if you want to sit and dissect a second quarter display that amassed 10 points then go right ahead.....it was absolutely woeful.....and I cannot be arsed, to be honest.

The upshot of all of this?

Well, let's see.........Coach Spoelstra turned to his assistant Coaches at the beginning of the fourth and asked..."Any other ideas?".........Any, effing, other ideas?????.....we're in a thirty point hole and unless you decide to nuke the building it's a bit late for "Any other ideas".

The "told you so" brigade are out in force today.........all the ones who didn't want Boston in round #1......I didn't want Boston in round #1 but guess what, we've got Boston in round #1.....there's no point whining about it now......it's reality. I just wanted Miami to put in a good shift and last night was, quite frankly, insulting.

How any of them.....any one of them.........can hold their heads up today is beyond me.

Michael Beasley and Udonis Haslem BOTH outplayed by Glen Davis?... Give me a break......

J.O was obviously off....I mean "OFF!".....yet he rumbled on and on and on and on....like an old, knackered, sweaty work-horse....I ended up feeling quite sorry for him.

Oh and I'm also getting sick of this "Wade is begging for help" nonsense........He is a cut above (there's no doubt about that ) but separating Wade like this and absolving him from any blame is devisive and heaps more and more pressure on the team......Wade only took something like 8 shots in the entire first half......that's not a team leading performance.....it's almost perverse.....also he loaded up on three pointers again when the game was already in Boston's back pocket.

They should all be in it together.

Please....at least some grit and determination

I just paid $79.95 for that?........hmmmmmmmmmm.

I'm in...

2010-04-20T20:38:00.000+01:00

Yes....it has finally happened.

I have caved in to the pressure of the play-offs and this charged up first round match up between Boston and Miami. Just paid whatever the pound sterling equivalent of $79.95 is to NBA TV.

What the hell....at least it means I can get up early tomorrow morning and watch the game before going to work...I cannot cope with 1am tip offs anymore.....my allegiance has been tested severely on illegal streams this season.

So here I am. Fully paid up and ready to feast upon the play-offs.

At the moment I'm watching the rerun of Denver - Utah ( Game #2)....if I were to support a Western Conference team it would be Denver.....my all time hero, Adrian Dantley, has stepped in during George Karl's illness.....guess the Nuggets have got a lot to play for....hope they do well in the West and that George battles his way to a full recovery.

Sometimes you need a little perspective.

Much.....

2010-04-19T21:57:00.000+01:00

....is being written about the "altercation" at the end of Game #1.

What I have found little reportage on is just why Paul Pierce was rolling about on the parquet like he'd been shot with a high velocity rifle.....that's the trouble here.

Pierce is trouble.....I heard it described brilliantly, today as an "over dramatic gene".....I prefer the term "cheat" myself......but he's done it too often now to have the respect of anyone.....apparently he's getting "treatrment" on his shoulder but expects to be "OK"......well, well.....who'da thought.

In soccer ( football !!!!!!) simulating injury in order to get players on the opposing team in trouble can lead to a caution....throw floppers like Pierce out of the game....he's a lousy role model.

Nice Post

2010-04-19T20:51:00.002+01:00

I thought this was a really good post from Celtics Town.

It kinda sums up Mike pretty well....." a box of chocolates"....nice

Nonetheless the Beantown fans believe that......

"Michael Beasley could be a problem for Celtics in Game 2"

I hope he's a problem for them.....I really do.

Boston Celtics 85 - Miami Heat 76 (Celtics 1-0)

2010-04-18T10:48:00.000+01:00

I think the score stood at 61 - 47 Miami, about 4 minutes into the third quarter....that's when Miami started to think about winning this game and that's when they lost it.

Suddenly there was a confusion. Dwyane Wade who'd started like a whirlwind, swooping and slashing to the rim started shooting threes and all his team mates just stood and watched....hoping that something would fall. The Boston defense sensing the cautiousness, regrouped and clawed its way back into a game that was sneaking away from them.

This game was a microcosm of the regular season for Miami....red hot and ice cold at the same time.......22 turn-overs.......from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Wade summed it up perfectly..."They bullied us," he said afterwards.

However, thankfully, there are two guys on this Miami team who will not be bullied and who just may have altered the course of his series.

Quentin Richardson and Udonis Haslem.

The fourth quarter flare up could be the catalyst that the Miami Heat require to get themselves back into this tie. As I've told you, dear reader ( I think I have one that drops in from time to time ), on many occasions, I dislike Paul Pierce. To my mind this guy is undoubtedly a faker, which, in my book makes him a cheat. He was up to his usual histrionics last night, falling into the crowd clutching his right shoulder as though he'd been taken out by a sniper's bullet.....

When Q-Rich strolled over to tell "The Truth" the truth, Kevin Garnett (who had been niggling the Heat players all night) decided to take matters into his own hands and popped an elbow directly into Richardson's chops.....for a split second you could see the notion of retaliation flash across Q's eyes but he maintained his cool, reaching forward trying to drag the idiotic Pierce back to the vertical.....first on the scene was Udonis Haslem who (agree with you Dos) was just looking for a reason to lay waste to Garnett. Jamaal Magloire did Garnett a favour by picking him up and throwing out of the scrum.....It all got a bit heated........."handbags at dawn."

The upshot of everything was an ejection for Garnett and "Ts" all round....in Garnett's case deservedly so.....I would have ejected Pierce too, for cheating, if it were possible.....he continually does this and Q-Rich was right to call him out in the post-game press conference.

If we can take anything positive from this game it is that we need not fear this Boston team.....we can beat them....we have shown them that, after this evening, bullying will no longer be an option.

All we need are contributors....the time is now.

Rondo in Hospital

2010-04-16T21:39:00.000+01:00

Mosey on over to the Celtics Hub for the latest news

It would appear that Rajon Rondo has been taken to hospital with flu-like symptoms?

Smoke and mirrors?

You decide. (click here)

The Rising

2010-04-16T20:19:00.000+01:00

Why I love Greg Cote

It's true, y'know, this Heat team has prevailed in spite of us.....but hey you have to admit that once Spoelstra got Wade to buy into the "team" thing....everything started looking rosier and that's when consistency started to occur. So the two individuals that I had the most gripes with through the 82 got it sorted....you get the feeling that the Heat are no longer lining up behind a player who is driven by personal acclaim...but a player who is leading from the front in order to make his team better.

Another thing that has made me laugh slightly was constant blathering about the Heat having a "soft" end of the season....are these the same people who called the Heat roster "talentless"? Or are there degrees of talentlessness.....go figure.

Whatever. We must now get behind the team.

Good luck to them........black is back!

Game #82 New Jersey Nets 86 - Miami Heat 94

2010-04-15T18:33:00.000+01:00

Well that's a wrap.

82 games down and a record of 47-35, which is in the vicinty of how the Fourth Degree called it at the start of the season. The regular season didn't quite go the way that many of us expected but what the hell.

The Miami Heat are in the mix as number 5 seed matching up against their nemesis, this term, the Boston Celtics who finish in the 4 spot. Boston definitely have the drop on the Heat....finding ways to win in every regular season game....cleaning up the series 3-0.

The main difference has been Rajon Rondo and efficient and safe as he has been there is no way on this green earth that Carlos Arroyo can keep him in front of him... Mario Chalmers either. I kind of like the talk that Dorrell Wright may be utilised to put the hammers on Rondo a bit....that may just work. We'll have to wait and see.

I feel that there may just be a glimmer of hope over seven games.

I didn't think it was very smart of Michael Wallace to promote the idea that the key to the series could be the Beasley-Garnett match-up....oh dear....that just isn't helpful from a Beasley point of view....Garnett on the other hand will be licking his lips. You've got a developing talent against a wealth of experience....it could go either way and if I were Michael Wallace (which I'm not) and rooting for Miami ( which he is ) I'd have left that one alone and just watched it pan out....

You look at the Boston side and you just know that there are individuals there who aren't shy in the clutch...Pierce, Garnett, Ray Allen, Rondo, Rasheed....boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!

However they don't have a Dwyane Wade and if he can light it up and drag the others along with him we could be in for a tasty series. I'd love to see us win and am backing the Heat to do so BUT if we are to be "one and done" let's, at least, go out fighting.

Game #81 Miami Heat 107 - Philadelphia 76ers 105

2010-04-13T08:21:00.001+01:00

One word.....Three syllables....U...DO..NIS.
Got to agree with those lovely people at Dos Minutos though.....how often have the Heat run that play? Millions?

Ah well, it matters not. Haslems signature effort iced this game for a Miami Heat team that did enough to see off a spirited Philly side.

Funnily enough it wasn't one of U.D's better games which just goes to show how focused and reliable he is in crunch time.....still the Heat had a good spread on the scoring chart with five players, other than Wade (who had his 30), scoring in double figures....Richardson, Beasley and Arroyo all contributed 15 whilst Wright and Haslem chucked in 12 apiece. That's the kind of balance that makes Miami a tricky proposition for anyone.

Atlanta took care of Milwaukee which propels the Heat back into fifth spot with one game to play.....the ball is now firmly in Milwaukee's court.....they play Boston on Wednesday whilst the Heat finish the season against the NJ Nets.

We could be up to our knees in shamrocks soon.....more of this would be just fine.

Game #80 Miami Heat 111 - New York Knicks 98

2010-04-13T08:05:00.000+01:00

I've just gone back to work after our Spring break here in the Old Country.

I did watch about three quarters of this game but couldn't keep my eyes open for the rest....it looked to me at the time that the Heat were taking charge and it turned out that way.

Glad to see that D-Wade was okay after his tumble....my, my, he certainly likes a bit of drama does ol' Dwyane.

The collective holding of breath was palpable.

Better spread of scoring in this one....that's what the Heat needs to have.

J.O is toiling. That is a real shame for him as he was hitting a rich seam of form.

Nearly there now.

Game #79 Detroit Pistons 106 - Miami Heat 99

2010-04-10T17:44:00.000+01:00

This was supposed to be easy, right?

Oh well, as many writers and bloggers have been saying today it had to come to an end at some point.

Too many players off colour and some smoking hot shooting from Ben Gordon put this one to bed.

I dunno, it's maybe just as well that this run streak ran out of steam prior to the play-offs.......it's bound to make the Heat sit up, take notice and evaluate their position....in short, start from scratch.

I applaud Coach Spoelstra for sticking with Michael Beasley for as long as he can.......Mike continues to stink up the court but needs to play through this....you can't get much lower than rock bottom.....the onus is squarely on his young shoulders at the moment, faith is being shown in him.

It's driving some people crazy....I kinda like that.

Team!

2010-04-09T18:34:00.000+01:00

Looking at the notes on today's game with the Pistons it would seem that at least half of their roster is questionable through injury. This should be a walk in the park for Miami and hopefully D-Wade will get plenty of time off his feet......Jermaine O'Neal will hopefully get time on his.....hope he ditches that stupid brace.

Michael Beasley, too, needs to get busy.....

It's very much a case of damned if you do, damned if you don't in these last few games against teams who are well out of the running. If he loads up on Detroit tonight, as he did last time, it'll be because that's what is expected and they are garbage.....if he doesn't show any kind of interest in this game he will be hung, drawn and quartered.

What cracks me up in all of this is that there seems to be so many people lining up to do the deed.

Really, honestly what is the big problem?

The Heat are on a ten game unbeaten run....there's a good chance that they may finish the regular season undefeated, which will springboard them nicely into the play-offs.........BUT you can be guaranteed..lose in round #1 and thousands will say, "Told you so".....win, and thousands will say, "Told you so".

What a bunch of opinionated whiners we are.

I know that using "war" analogies are frowned upon in this day and age but a little while back I wrote about Coach Spoelstra needing to build a kind of "seige mentality".........y'know the very kind that Udonis Haslem is talking about at the moment.......whatever has happened within that dressing room it's starting to gather momentum....only Michael Beasley is having difficulty deciphering the small print.

It was unfair, earlier this season, for Ira and his cronies to label this Heat roster "talentless beyond Wade"....there is no shortage of talent in Miami, it needed harnessed and it needed a change in mind-set from Dwyane to kick-start the whole process.....Game #70 was a water-shed moment, where Wade struggled on scoring but excelled at everything else.....team win after team win rolled in with the odd sparkle from #3.

Okay, I'm not trying to say that this Heat team is anything like the finished article....they aren't......but please give them credit.....talent only gets you so far....it's team work that matters.....and it should not be undervalued

That's why we shouldn't sweat Beasley's horror show in the past weeks. He knows his team-mates have his back and will find his way out of the doldrums soon.

Game #78 Philadelphia 76ers 95 - Miami Heat 99

2010-04-08T09:06:00.002+01:00

The Heat move to a 44-34 record with a squeaky win against the 76ers.

The most important thing here is the letter "W"....and more importantly is that the Heat now need to keep on trying to achieve "W's". If there is one thing we know about this team it is that the confidence which has been building nicely can quite easily be unceremoniously snuffed out between now and whoever we face in the play-offs. I agree with D-Wade in this respect...they just need to keep playing all the way to 82 and see what happens....there are too many teams jostling for places now....it's going to be what it'll be.

The Heat seemed a bit uneasy last night?

I'm going to go right out on the limb here and say that Jermaine O'Neal in a leg brace doesn't do anyone's confidence any good. Prior to his hyper-extension he was playing his best ball of the season and was a major part of the Heat offense and defense.....and when he went down the adjustments made by the team were superb......I understand wanting to get him minutes and make him play-off ready, we all want J.O on the court.......but this win streak is very significant and needs to be maintained, if possible, for the rest of the regular season.

Leg braces aren't psychologically positive and if he needs to wear one he isn't fit to play.

Throw it away or sit down.

What The Hell...

2010-04-06T13:33:00.003+01:00

Couple of days off so why not add in this video of the Fabulous Miami Heat Dancers in action....they are just the best....no question.

Watching this doesn't make you a bad person....does it?

Hard Luck for Bogut

2010-04-04T16:34:00.001+01:00

I know this is a Heat blog and that Milwaukee are one of our biggest rivals in the play-off chase but no sane person takes any pleasure from seeing the kind of ugly incident involving Bucks centre Andrew Bogut,last night.

Not nice.

Bogut has been the stand-out in a very, very good Milwaukee team this year and now his season is in tatters with a dislocated elbow, sprained wrist and broken hand.

To the Bucks' credit they continued to play superbly, sans Bogut, against the form team in the West - Phoenix and ended up 89-107 winners. This could work two ways for them.....

(a) They'll miss the big Aussie too much and start to slide....or
(b) They'll try to channel the disappointment and use it motivationally

Whatever....just hope the big guy heals well.....I enjoy watching him play.

Game #77 Miami Heat 97 - Minnesota T-Wolves 84

2010-04-04T08:38:00.000+01:00

This win streak now reaches eight games and, yes, temper that with the fact that the Heat are dredging through the flotsam and jetsam of the NBA....but which would you rather....an easy run in where you might build up a head of steam...or a tricky one, like the Celtics have?

As I mentioned yesterday I didn't think I would be able to stay awake for the 2am tip off....I was right....it was "lights out" at about 11pm...so what did I miss?

Another stellar display from Mr.Wade, who again judged the mood before switching on the afterburners.....only 39 points last night. Four other Heat players pitched in with low teens on the scoring chart whilst Udonis Haslem had a huge rebounding game, pulling down 17. Carlos Arroyo contributed 9 assists.

People are now busy looking for the next polarising argument.......The Michael Beasley saga is likely to roll on until he either gets traded or plays flawlessly every night....so let's skim over that.....no, the new hot topic is Atlanta or Boston?

I'd prefer Atlanta.....the reason?.......Rajon Rondo.......might not happen though if the Heat keep on winning.

Game #76 Miami Heat 105 - Indiana Pacers 96

2010-04-03T16:24:00.000+01:00

I was worried during this game....the Pacers were playing well and you could have been forgiven for thinking that Larry Bird had found a way to bottle his particular magic and had, pre game, sprinkled some of it over Troy Murphy's head....okay that's a stretch....of anyone's imagination....but the boxscore doesn't lie....Murphy put the Heat to the sword in the first half.....ofcourse Michael Beasley will shoulder the blame for that, and the famine in Africa, the global recession and the melting polar ice-caps....etc,etc.

Anyway.....the upshot of it all is that I was worried.....The Pacers looked as though they had our measure.

Then came half time.

Then came Dwyane Wade.

This was as startling a performance as there has been all season from the Heat's #3. Everyone has been praising his all round game recently and Wade has shown that the Heat ARE a viable proposition without him monopolising the scoring....not last night.

What D-Wade did last night was the most perfect piece of judgement I've seen from him this season and he looked nothing short of spectacular.

With his teammates struggling slightly but hanging in, Wade carried the offense to a new height and blitzed the Pacers defense with a barrage of mind boggling plays in the third quarter....turning a 10 point half time defecit into a 3 point lead going into the fourth.....scoring a massive 18 points in the process.

For all that, Indiana bounced back to force OT.

In the extra 5 minutes of play there was only one player who had all the answers with two dagger, back to back treys to seal the game. This was a night where Wade needed to rescue his team as a rejuvenated Pacers went for the jugular....brilliant......I'm glad I stayed awake to watch it.

Minnesota is the next stop and that game tips off ( for me) at a little after 2am.....don't think I'll make it. Hopefully D-Wade will be helped out by his team-mates tonight, they owe him.

Erik Spoelstra - Getting It

2010-04-02T09:07:00.000+01:00

"Getting It"

This is a phrase that the Heat Head Coach has used often this season as regards Michael Beasley and the stop/start development of his star power forward.

I, not too tentatively, suggested that Erik wasn't "getting it" and that he and the rest of the franchise needed to wrap their wings around Michael and help him every step of the way. Now, It's patently obvious that there has been a change in mind-set since the Heat has gone on it's terrific run through the month of March...(D-Wade has been nothing short of spectacular but in a team sense.....veterans like Haslem, Richardson, Arroyo and O'Neal have been instrumental in helping the surge and consistency).....yet Michael Beasley has remained stone cold.

The main difference was that you got a feeling from the rest of the players that they actually cared, instead of jumping on him they carried him.....this was spear-headed by the Head Coach who consistently sprang to Beasley's defense throughout that dreadful run of games which terminated at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Wednesday evening.....and when the break-out happened Spoelstra dealt with it perfectly, speaking generally about the team and (you could say) specifically about Beasley at the same time...

“The only thing possibly gained is overconfidence,” Spoelstra said, “and we don’t want that.”

What I have often forgotten, this season, is that Erik Spoelstra is on that "steep learning curve" (the one that everyone keeps talking about?) too. Agreed, the guy has made some howlers, some totally mystifying decisions and spluttered a fair deal of meaningless rhetoric but it's slightly prejudiced of me to plead for patience as regards Beasley yet totally vilify the Head Coach.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, the picture is becoming clearer for Erik Spoelstra. He has obviously striven to get his particular work ethic across and all the players are finally buying into it......the record in March speaks for itself......There is stability at last. Spoelstra is definitely "getting it " and he is bringing his group of players to the boil at just the right time.

I'm off for a thin slice of humble pie.

Congratulations Coach, on your award, it is thoroughly deserved.....it just gets harder now.

Game #75 Miami Heat 98 - Detroit Pistons 81

2010-04-01T09:02:00.000+01:00

Surely this winning feeling must be a better feeling than a losing one.

It has to be?

With a win streak that now stands at a season's best six games the Miami Heat are rolling along nicely. Okay let's apply a modicum of perspective to the proceedings...we all realise just how far the once mighty Detroit Pistons have fallen...they are rank rotten and the Heat handed them their ninth loss in a row and another loss at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Still, it was a good win for the Heat for a few reasons.

You needed that Mike....oh boy did you need that.....very pleased for him this morning and let's not totally dilute this 28 and 9 effort by degrading the Pistons....if your head isn't right you are going to struggle....you will struggle against anyone...just ask D-Wade who seemed weighed down by off-court pressures on his way to a 10 point night. So, good, positive effort by Michael Beasley....

.....and by Dorrell Wright who managed to shut out the distraction of another embarrassing week by latching on to a 17 point display, including 4-6 on three pointers. This was only bettered by Q-Rich who continued his fine streak of shooting from downtown with a 4-5 performance on his way to 16 points....

....and our second best player in the month of March, Jermaine O'Neal, was sitting on the bench nursing a sore knee for the second straight game....if the rest of the guys keep playing like this it'll mean that J.O can come back well healed and ready for the play-offs.

So all in all a very good night and a great way to begin this mini road trip.

My least anticipated game comes up on Friday evening at the Conseco Field-House....I'll feel a whole lot better when that one's behind us.....may even try to stay awake for it.

If The Play-Offs Started Today..

2010-03-31T23:21:00.000+01:00

Nice little mock-up by the people at the NBA website giving us the low down on what would or could happen if the Play-offs were to begin as of today.

I'm still hoping for Atlanta.

Rondo is too big a concern and has proved it several times this season....okay so the Heat are playing well defensively...hmmmm.....I just think the Hawks are the better option.

Can't help but think the Celtics would have too much savvy. Anyway it's all hypothetical at this juncture. First of all a win in The Motor City is called for.

The Run In....

2010-03-30T16:22:00.000+01:00

Detroit Pistons - Lost 8
Indiana Pacers - Lost 1
Minnesota T-Wolves - Lost 16
Philadelphia 76ers - Won 2
New York Knicks - Lost 2
New Jersey Nets - Won 1

I don't like Indiana....that's the one that's bugging me.....It'd be nice if we could win them all but then again we may need to do a bit of ducking and diving to get the seed we want in the first round.

Anyway I'm pleased with my start of season prediction....a bit adventurous...I admit....but who knows? It may end up being close enough.

Perspective?

2010-03-30T14:39:00.000+01:00

Okay.....even I am finding it hard to defend Michael Beasley's recent run of performances....."sub-par" doesn't seem to cover it somehow....it's confounding.One thing is for sure Michael Beasley doesn't enjoy playing badly and is constantly looking to other, more experienced players, for direction. This is where Udonis Haslem, Alonzo Mourning and now Dwyane Wade are so important....to my mind these guys are trying to make Michael feel that he is needed and that he has a responsibility not only to the team but to himself to live up to his potential.....this wasn't always the case.....but I concede now.....Beasley is well supported.

Most players go through slumps.......Mike is having his most noticeable one when the team is starting to produce their best basketball of the season....that's got to hurt....every time he shoots it's like throwing a bomb onto a fire....and now sections of the media are stoking up the fire to have him demoted to the bench and Haslem re-instated at the PF position.

Counter-productive? I think so.....I've been going on and on about how the kid needs to make his mistakes in the spotlight....fair play to the Coach here....he's kept him in as long as he conceivably can but in order to maintain the momentum that the Heat now have under them he's made the right choices.

Udonis Haslem understands what he has to do....this isn't about him v Beasley.....it's about the team. U.D knows that he doesn't have the capacity to bring big numbers every night but he will give his heart and soul to see his team win.....he'll be Beasley's main mentor through this slump.....he'll pull the kid through it.......and eventually U.D will be the one that makes the biggest sacrifice for the team, without complaint....that sacrifice being himself.

Udonis Haslem is a hero at the AAA. He is the guy the epitomizes the home-grown everyman....the kid from the Miami streets who has risen to super-stardom without forgetting his roots and staying firmly anchored in reality.

If I were Michael Beasley.....I'm not......but if I were, I'd be busting a gut to start writing my own legacy here in Miami because if and when #40 leaves there are going to be lots and lots of questions asked......and a sizeable jersey to fill.

Time to stand up kid.....you can do it......I'm running out of excuses.

Game #74 Toronto Raptors 94 - Miami Heat 97

2010-03-29T11:58:00.000+01:00

The Miami Heat broke the forty win barrier last night with a hard fought home win over the Raptors.

I've been very tired recently and just couldn't stay awake for the second half.....of course that's when all the action took place...ah well.

Second half comebacks behind the indomitable Udonis Haslem aren't out of the ordinary.......but this one was extremely significant.....Toronto must have thought that they had things all sewn up jumping out to a 17 point lead in the third and with Michael Beasley playing the way that makes all his detractors happy (1-10...Mike? You're making it difficult now...just be thankful the team are winning).

Never mind.....D-Wade, Haslem and Arroyo took this game by the scruff of the neck and epitomised the fighting spirit that will need to be channelled frequently as we barrel towards the sharp end of the season.

Let's also put a shout out to Joel Anthony who has stepped up for Jermaine O'Neal......Joel has his limitations but no-one can doubt his attitude and dependability.

Go to work Zo.

2010-03-28T02:10:00.000+01:00

Why would I do this?

http://www.nba.com/history/players/worthy_bio.html

Pat Riley.....cold

Game #73 Miami Heat 87 - Milwaukee Bucks 74

2010-03-27T08:29:00.000Z

Last night the Bucks were held to 31.5% from the field...the night before Chicago fared little better with a 32.9% effort.

The Miami Heat are finding an intensity at just the right time and for once it seems as though an interim antidote has been discovered for Mr.Hyde.

From here on in it shouldn't be too much of stretch as all of the games are against teams with losing records but anyone who follows the Heat closely will know that collapses can occur in a heartbeat.....so under no circumstances will we assume that any of our wild-fowl be present before they emerge from their shells.

Then again......Jermaine O'Neal "hyper-extends" his right knee....dear god! Any part of is body but his knees please!! Great shame and I hope he manages to heal quickly, similarly Carlos Delfino whose head was inadvertently trodden on by Udonis Haslem.

Haslem snatched 18 rebounds.....giving Michael Beasley another night off........Michael will be blamed for this win, no doubt.

Dorrell Wright is providing some quality minutes from the bench......Wade - unstoppable just now.

Milwaukee are now within reach and seem to be creaking a bit. I imagined when their record stood at 39-30 that they would move away...but to be fair to Scott Skiles he was never fooled by that record and knew there could be leaner times still lurking up the road.....they'll need Bogut back rapidly to hang on.

Game #72 Miami Heat 103 - Chicago Bulls 74

2010-03-27T08:01:00.000Z

Make no mistake about it, the Heat were very good in this game.....like 63 -33 at half-time, good.

To say the Bulls were bad would be true also but the Heat, behind a peerless dime-dishing first half performance by D-Wade were long gone by the time the buzzer went.

How pleasing it is.

Being from Scotland I don't get a chance to regularly tune into TNT...I have watched their highlight programmes now and again and have followed "Tito-Gate" with a small amount of interest but in general I just don't like to listen to, class clown, Charles Barkley...he may have been a great player but, for me, he's just white noise, if that's possible?
Someone needs to tell me if part of TNT's style is to "sound" as though they are off-air and that you are eavesdropping on stuff you shouldn't be hearing, during time-outs etc.....like Barkley ogling the women in the front row and the rehearsing of what they intend to say next...or is this something you only hear on internet streaming?

Barkley said, prior to the game.....during what sounded like idle chatter, before any official welcome was made by E.J

"This is like a fight between two ugly women - one of them gotta win, man!".........

Okay, it's funny.....if it was broadcast......if it wasn't then I'd say Barkley, as D-Wade suggests, has lost his relevance.

In short, if Miami are offended by anything Barkley says they aren't thinking about their jobs......and I suppose he's IS doing his?

Anyway the Heat were much too good for the Bulls and had contributions from all over the floor.....this is good news for Michael Beasley who continues to come up short. Two early fouls saw him sit early and he never really got into the flow again. Smooth operating from J.O and post up madness from Q-Rich were the highlights as was the resurgent D-Wade who is passing the ball like a dream.......the Bulls were never in it.........so that makes them "uglier".

Last Night's Results

2010-03-25T08:10:00.001Z

A couple of really interesting results in there last night involving rivals of the Miami Heat in the play off race.

Orlando 84 - Atlanta 86....could Atlanta close that 4 game gap? I really don't think we want them to but then again I reckon this season has shown that there really isn't too much of a gap between the teams ( excepting The Wizards) in the South East. Charlotte, Miami, Atlanta and Orlando are all capable of beating each other....with this win The Hawks keep the pressure on Boston.....and like him or love him that dunk from Josh Smith was awesome.

Utah 113 - Toronto 87....Toronto looked as though they were wearing lead boots in this one as the Jazz danced all over them..

Philadelphia 101 - Milwaukee 86....Milwaukee have finally pulled out their "tired" card as they are humiliated by the lowly 76ers. If this is the case then the run in may be a bit of a slippery slope for them. To be fair to Philly they have "owned" the Bucks in recent meetings, winning 7 of the last 8.

Minnesota 95 - Charlotte 108......The Bobcats keep on rolling with Jackson finding his scoring touch again....37 points from him and 23 from Gerald Wallace was too much for Minnesota who have, let's not forget, lost their last 14 games

An Ill Wind? Nah, Don't Think So....

2010-03-24T13:45:00.000Z

Well let's not dwell on things too long or be pessimistic as it hasn't really got us anywhere this season so far.

The Chicago Bulls who, above everything else, have an extremely large erection for D-wade are the Heat's next opponent. So let's get down to it.

Having lost 10 games in a row the Bulls have arrested that slide with wins against the 76ers and the Rockets in recent days.

It will doubtless be a tetchy affair with Hinrich going after Wade in his customary fashion.....so that'll leave the door open for others to score. Wade has been peerless recently in his distribution and defense and has started to look like one of the most complete players in the league again.....he is certainly adopting a more team-based approach which shows that he appreciates the leader-ship role he now has to play.

The Heat will win this scrap, even without UD.

Look for balanced scoring again.

Game #71 Miami Heat 99 - New Jersey Nets 89

2010-03-23T07:51:00.001Z

Didn't see this game, so living off scraps today and will keep things brief.

Team win.

After a sluggish start which saw the Heat cough and splutter through the first half, things improved after the break and a 27-14 third quarter put paid to any notion that the Nets had of holding on to this game.

Significant contribution from Jermaine O'Neal who has started to look like his old self. Okay, at this stage of the season ankle sprains need to be treated as though they are compound fractures....guys like O'Neal and Haslem require to be wrapped in cotton wool as their presence will be essential come play-off time.

Q-Rich had a quieter night but Dorrell Wright took up the slack.

Carlos Arroyo is beginning to assert himself and find his swagger as some kind of on-court general...no problems with that either...means he gives a sh*t....he could easily have turned his back on things after being dumped on the bench behind Alston and Chalmers.

Wade did what Wade does and Beasley was in there at the end...okay Udonis was missing but the more often Michael is in there the more used he'll become to it.

Milwaukee took Atlanta by three....they are gone.... in fifth....unless there is a collapse of biblical proportions.

To-night.....to-night.....

2010-03-22T21:42:00.001Z

Tonight is a big game that The Heat must put away.

The Nets have lost 7 of their last 7 games.....the Heat have won 1 of their last 1.

Fills you up with confidence doesn't it?.....that is why I predict another close game with Miami coming out on top. It'll be great to see D-Wade ( shot-blocker supreme ) forcing another seven footer to swallow the ball. Hopefully Beasley will keep mixing it up and get some success and Q-Rich will still have the hot hand.

I fancy Dorrell to make a mark....don't ask me why.

We'll be happy in the morning......songs of joy and tears of laughter.

From this far out I reckon it's Boston ar Atlanta.....what's your poison?

Game #70...Charlotte Bobcats 71 - Miami Heat 77

2010-03-21T09:43:00.000Z

When Q-Rich has his sights set correctly from the three-point district you kinda assume that Miami are going to have a profitable night offensively.....such has been the case recently.

Richardson's 18 first half points, all from beyond the arc, should have had the Heat on easy street but others were struggling to get points on the board....namely D-Wade and Michael Beasley.

We shouldn't have worried though....even with Jermaine on "safari."

Beasley found some form in the second half and it was encouraging to see him drive the ball to the hoop...even though the tactic ended in rejection on a few occasions....he stuck to his task. Zo needs to keep a foot on his throat...you don't let up here....Beasley is a 24/7 (365/12) project at the moment.

Wade on the other hand gave another "team leader's" performance...struggling with his shot he contributed 9 assists and a masterclass in defense with 5 rebounds and 5 massive blocks.....nothing short of awesome.

Udonis Haslem, AGAIN, took a huge charge in the fourth quarter which changed the flow of play just when it looked as though Charlotte were pouring the pressure on and clawing their way back into it.

Poor offensive game from both teams but the Heat won and..to be honest.. that's all that matters right now.

Game #69 Orlando Magic 108 - Miami Heat 102 (OT)

2010-03-20T07:40:00.000Z

Say what you want about Charles Barkley....I don't particularly like the guy......but he made the ground-shakingly perceptive comment during the T-Mobile half -time report that Orlando would win the game because they had "more weapons".......ya think, Charles?

First prize for stating the obvious.

After half time the Heat came out cold and Orlando assumed control...then the game kinda swung back and forth.....until after another Heat fight-back the score stood poised at 95-95....Mario Chalmers is inbounding the ball after a time-out...the Heat are going for the win.....can you guess the rest?

What happened in that time-out?

What was the master stroke of imaginative coaching genius that emerged from that time-out?

Throw the ball to Wade and hope for the best.

This isn't the first time and I kinda think that opposing teams have gotten the hang of it by now. You may be sitting there reading this and saying "C'mon Faither, does Spo really have an option ?" Well with 3 seconds left D-Wade was trapped in the left court corner, closed down by Barnes and Howard......at that same moment Jermaine O'Neal was on the free throw line, confronted by Jameer Nelson.....I'd fancy J.O to get that high percentage shot off.....Dwyane did three pirouettes and threw up a brick from behind his right ear.

This is NOT a criticism of Wade....who again needed more help from a worryingly subdued Michael Beasley amongst others.......not unless he demanded that he be given the ball.......which I suppose is a possibility, given the track record of our Coach in such situations.

When it went to OT it was clear that the horse had already bolted......but let's blame Beasley, anyways, for not guarding Rashard Lewis....that's the easier option.....isn't it.

.....the Bobcats loom extremely large, they lost in a squeaker @ Atlanta last night....hope they're tired because we haven't even worried them this season.

Sorry, Haven't I Met You Before?

2010-03-18T09:28:00.000Z

There's a strange ring of familiarity about this micro series of games........

The Heat go six straight at home.....then lose "big time" to the Spurs, at home.......the Spurs then go on to Orlando who absolutely pummel them at the Amway.....then the Magic come to the AAA and get beaten by the Heat who suddenly discover how to play basketball again.

That's the way I see it unfolding.....oh yeah.....then they forget again as Charlotte come and kick our butts on Saturday.

Milwaukee are closing down fifth and Toronto have started winning again....big home win against Atlanta last night.

The only evidence of any urgency, by the Heat, this season was when Wade punched Beasley.

We are first round, exit bound, at best.

Game #68 San Antonio Spurs 88 - Miami Heat 76

2010-03-17T16:51:00.001Z

Business as Usual.......No Answer To Los Spurs

Pick me out one Heat player that played well........okay.....find that hard?

Not great............ and it bursts what was developing into a promising home record. It's kinda being glossed over today...we never beat the Spurs...really....ever....so it's okay to lose to them......aye right!!

So what went wrong?

What was it that upset the delicate infrastructure the Heat have been assembling over the past 6 home wins?

Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra offered this....I added the italics....for the subtexters amongst you

"They were sharp." (we weren't sharp...we were as sharp as a very blunt thing)

"They came into this game ready. You could tell." (we came into this game wholly unprepared. You could tell...we obviously hadn't watched enough videos or attended enough seminars)

"They jumped us." (we woke up too late...which is basically back where we started off, this season)

Genius.

Please.....enough.....and be thankful that Indiana did us a turn.....Gotta love Manu Ginobli.

Game #67 Philadelphia 76ers 91 - Miami Heat 104

2010-03-15T09:49:00.000Z

Six straight at home....pretty soon spectators may start to return......if the Heat maintain the run.

With Michael Beasley out for a second consecutive game and Jermaine O'Neal binned for a silly altercation with Samuel Dalembert it meant that others had to pick up the slack.....which they did.

Once again the Heat were facing an opponent with little to play for and who are on a slippery slope.

Still got to do the job and behind Wade's 38 points and Haslem and Arroyo's double doubles this was achieved with gas to spare. I only watched the highlights of this one and it seems to me that Wade is moving in fast-forward.....man, he's getting quicker. What about Carlossssssssssss, James Jones, and Jamaal Magloire...big ups.

Massive week this one....The Spurs, The Magic and then at the weekend The Hornets. The six game home streak will be severely tested. If (and it is a big IF) the Heat can get through the first two, this will set them up nicely for Charlotte.....there are lots of potential W's in the run in thereafter.....for this particular Heat team that manifests itself as a huge yellow banana skin.

Lets hope, this time, we don't fall on our a*ses.

Game #66...Chicago Bulls 95 - Miami Heat 108

2010-03-13T07:43:00.000Z

With Q-Rich strolling through this purple patch and shooting the lights out from three-point land it's little wonder that the Heat (short-handed as they were) had too much for close rivals in the Play-Off race, The Chicago Bulls (more significantly short-handed).

Beasley, Wright and Alston don't exactly equate to Rose, Deng and Noah.

Still, the Bulls were there or there-abouts for quite a while and things got typically testy with sparky flagrant fouls and ejections to the fore in the fourth. Hinrich was ejected for being a muppet.

Performance of the evening - Jermaine O'Neal....he's like one of those classic sports cars....when it's running smoothly it's a beautiful thing to behold....irreplaceable......you do live in fear, however, that something might go wrong with it....it may just break down, for no apparent reason.....and if that happens you're never totally convinced you'll be able to lay your hands on the appropriate spare parts. Lets keep our fingers crossed that the big guy stays healthy because he seems to be getting stronger, more agile and generally better as the season unravels.

Sixers next.....don't underestimate them....they pushed the Cavs, with the King, last night.

Game # 65 Los Angeles Clippers 97 - Miami Heat 108

2010-03-11T19:23:00.000Z

Black/white.......night/day........up/down.......Miami/Heat.

Or so the story goes. Tonight we got a supporting role from the bench and a of toothless display from The LA Clippers. The Clips have disappeared so far out of the play-off picture in the West that they've already picked their holiday destinations

That is not to discredit the Miami Heat, who, I am lead to believe, have plenty to play for.

That makes four straight home wins and with the schedule stacking up 11 out of the next 13 at the AAA well...that's got to be good....hasn't it?

As long as we beat Chicago eh?

We have come, you and I, to a point where nothing is taken for granted.....where the great Miami rollercoaster keeps on making its circuit and we keep jumping on and off.....sometimes we feel exhilarated - sometimes we feel sick - sometimes we get utterly bored - sometimes we jump off, forget what the ride was like then jump back on later and find it's still basically the same.

You know what? I still don't know after 65 games what this season is all about...it is totally baffling.

Reading this...it seems I'm not the only one.

Great article Ethan....you are absolutely spot on.

Game #64 Miami Heat 78 - Charlotte Bobcats 83

2010-03-11T18:53:00.000Z

Oh please....12 points in the fourth quarter.

I am not going to say anything.

When Quentin Richardson....etc etc

A True Mr. Hyde...

2010-03-08T08:59:00.000Z

David, that is, (or is it Dave) of the Sentinel....eager to jump on #30's shortcomings but not one word of encouragement when he does do something well.

Exhibit #1 from March 5th

OK, this quiets the Michael Beasley debate, right? Beasley lost the ball on a turnover with 2:10 late in the third quarter and was replaced by Haslem at the next whistle with 1:56 left. That was the end of his night. In the fourth quarter and overtime, Haslem had six points (of his 10) and four rebounds (of his 11). Thursday's win verifies what Erik Spoelstra is trying to do: Win games. Beasley is a mess. He played 22 minutes Thursday with five rebounds and six points (on 3 of 7 shooting).Beasley has a role on the team. It's just not what a lot of us had hoped on a night-to-night basis.

Anything for a story.......and not a cheep regarding the 4th quarter display on Saturday.

If Beasley plays well it doesn't interest the vultures.

Let's hope he keeps playing well....and D-Wade keeps on being a true leader.

And....then....hopefully, we can get back to talking about basketball.

Game #63 Atlanta Hawks 94 - Miami Heat 100

2010-03-07T12:29:00.001Z

FOUR...LITTLE...WORDS...(and a punch to the sternum)

" I need you, man"

To me that says it all...and Coach Spoelstra had better listen to it.

The only nagging doubt in the back of my head is that Jermaine O'Neal was out injured at that juncture. Had he been fit it is HIGHLY likely that Beasley would have been picking splinters out of his butt as usual. Now, this gives Spoelstra a conundrum......maybe the "puppy" has teeth after all.

Wade asked for it (physically and verbally) and he got an answer...he got a response...finally Beasley felt like the coach and the "team leader" valued him and needed him.

For me, this is as big a step up for Dwyane as it is for Michael.

As I have said on countless occasions....this is NOT a basketball issue.....it is one of trust.

By the way...if Quentin Richardson scores 22 points and pulls down 11 boards...the Heat win.

Glauc 45 - My New Best Mate.....

2010-03-05T22:37:00.001Z

I'm totally in agreement....and I'm glad that, just for once, it isn't only me bleating in defence of Mike Beasley.

Please read

Glauc 45 I hear you.

I recently shared these thoughts with the author of a better, more informed blog than this sad effort....

Here's the 2008 draft top ten, which player would you say has made most improvement? Rose? maybe Lopez?

1. CHI -- Derrick Rose

2. MIA -- Michael Beasley

3. MIN -- O.J. Mayo

4. SEA -- Russell Westbrook

5. MEM -- Kevin Love

6. NYK -- Danilo Gallinari

7. LAC -- Eric Gordon

8. MIL -- Joe Alexander

9. CHA -- D.J. Augustin

10. NJN -- Brook Lopez

Rose is averaging 19.8 on 36 mins .......Beasley 15.5 on 30 mins ( which makes Mike more productive in scoring )........Rose more assists and Beasley more rebounds (naturally).....Beasley's FTM% is slightly higher.....much as such from 3 point range. Lopez's numbers are in about here too, in fact he's 18.8 on 36.6

They stack up against each other and there isn't much to choose between the three......yet Beasley is the one who takes all the flak......and he has to get points off D-Wade and isn't trusted to play in fourth quarters....in Chicago Rose is the man and is made an All Star.......Lopez does his thing in a hellish team.....what more can Beasley do?

The only players averaging less minutes than Beas are Kevin Love ( who has only played in 30 or so games), Joe Alexander who has done a disappearing act and not featured at all and D.J Augustin who doesn't start.....The rest are all 35+ mins.....and yet statistically he matches up.

I admit these numbers may have changed slightly but hell, he is doing okay.

Not enough for some people.

Ira Winderman asked for no Beasley gripes today.....yeah right.

Game #62 Los Angeles Lakers 111 - Miami Heat 114 (OT)

2010-03-05T08:39:00.000Z

Let's be honest if Quentin Richardson scores a season high 25 points, including 7 triples...Miami are going to win, no matter who they are playing.....he's either been "it" or "sh*t", basically.

L.A were miserable from the free throw line (60%) and only 6-23 (26%) from downtown.

This game means absolutely nothing....there is too much inherently wrong within the Heat organisation for this to be any kind of springboard....The Heat always show up to play The Lakers.....don't get too excited.

Interesting to note

Mario Chalmers 18 mins
Dorrell Wright 19 mins
Michael Beasley 22 mins

Hang in boys.

Game #61 Golden State Warriors 106 - Miami Heat 110

2010-03-04T09:18:00.002Z

Been trying to gather my thoughts over the past few days.

Trying to calm down a bit....it isn't easy.

The wave of negativity that surrounds the Miami Heat is palpable.

All the wrong things are being said by the wrong people and again I would suggest that Dwyane Wade is front and centre in this respect. What a careless...and I repeat careless comment he made to the press regarding Michael Beasley and his recent "slump"

“First of all,” Wade said, “with a guy like that, you know that he’s young. You just want to make sure that his mind is not cluttered. When you’re a guy like Michael, and you can score the way he can, and he’s had games like he’s had, that means his mind is cluttered. He’s thinking about other things. Think about basketball.”

Don't say that to the press, you lunatic.....if you say that to the press it's like taking a 40 gallon drum of gasoline, pouring it over Mike's head and saying, "here's a match buddy." Take the kid aside and have a word in his ear....that's what a real leader would do.

The other side of that argument, ofcourse, is that Dwyane has devoted hours and hours of time to developing a relationship with Michael and is getting nothing in return for all his efforts.....you going "all in" on that one?

Wade has his personal difficulties to deal with and he seems to be able to "de-clutter" his head......surely Beasley can learn from him.

As I've repeatedly said, the key to the future is the relationship between these two. If there is nothing there at this stage of the season, and Wade's comments would suggest that, then there's no point in pursuing it any farther.

Hopefully Michael will be at least a trading chip and get a move in the summer......and Wade will get his dynasty......I won't be around The Heat to watch it though.

Game #60 Miami Heat 80 - Orlando Magic 96

2010-03-01T09:04:00.000Z

Oh my goodness, like 1 point and 1 rebound is a true reflection of it all......you could see that one coming from miles away......not surprising to note that he looked "completely lost" on Sunday.

All the baiters will be happy now.......well done you guys, job done.

Anyone with a morsel of common sense will deduce that there is something very, very rotten at the core of this club.

There is no plan.....no-one knows ( including Spoelstra ) what the hell we are supposed to be doing this season.......everything is a mess......it's completely facile to blame the kid.

More Beasley Baiting

2010-02-28T21:08:00.000Z

Now David Hyde joins in....it's absolutely scandalous....tell you something, I now realise that they actually "eat" the young in Miami.

Disgraceful.

Miami Heat's Michael Beasley Continues To Shrink In The Spotlight

You'd assume, from the reaction, that Michael is actually trying to play poorly. I never really imagined that some of the Miami fans and press could be so vociferous in their condemnation of a 21 year old boy.

Fair play to Michael Wallace who sees it for what it is.......a collective shambles.

Game #59 Milwaukee Bucks 94 - Miami Heat 71

2010-02-28T10:53:00.001Z

Beautiful quote from Ira's blog yesterday......when asked if Spoelstra was indeed a 0.500 Coach or if he could cope with a Championship Team, Ira ( oh my) responded with....wait for it...

You coach to the level of your team. I think Erik so far has done that. He coached the Heat to a competitive playoff series last season. My only concern is the players don’t always seem to be following his lead, breaking off a significant number of plays.

Let's not forget, I am, to all intents and purposes, an "innocent bystander" someone who doesn't have a wealth of basketball knowledge or 250,000 years of watching the Miami Heat under my belt. However, even to my untrained eye, that statement beggars belief.

YOU COACH TO THE LEVEL OF YOUR TEAM????

Tell that to every underdog that ever existed in the history of any sport. That is truly defeatest.

It is the job of the Coach and his staff to get that team ready to play by whatever means necessary. Watching that game last night...no-one was ready....the funk is back. What on earth happens? A few shots don't drop and collectively the shoulders slump the defense disappears and players that you expect more from seem to evaporate.

Now, I know that I may be an apologist for Mike Beasley ( incidentally, I make no apologies for that ) and he has had 3 horrendous games on the trot which apparently puts him in line for a dawn execution but I get no feeling from Spoelstra that he really values Michael. Why not maybe one or two throw-away lines to the media saying how good he thinks the kid is, even if he doesn't really believe it. Maybe defend him, as I'm doing now, when evidence to the contrary is stacked up so high you can't see the top. Maybe build in a little siege mentality, like Alex Ferguson does at Manchester United.

Wait....Stop!, Now there's a coach......Alex Ferguson. One game away from the bullet at Manchester Utd and now thirty years on still in the hot seat having built them into the most rich and powerful soccer ( there you go ) teams on the globe. Want to know how he did it?

He coached the kids......Manchester has one of the most advanced youth academies in football with scouts all over the planet.....BUT he started with British kids, coaching them from the age of 8, 10, 12 years old - David Beckham I'm sure you've heard of?

Spoelstra has his Beckham....he just doesn't know what to do with him.

Do you think if Ferguson had settled to coach at the "level of his team" he would be where he is now?....no neither do I.

Last night's game was crap, again......and the rhetoric was back.

Here Comes The Summer

2010-02-27T12:01:00.000Z

Trawling around the NBA websites and blogs ( as I do ) you find some brilliant articles. Being a basketball fan in the north of Scotland means that I have very few people to chat and argue with. So I find solace in the world wide web. Sad? yes but I could be doing worse things....I suppose.
Take, if you will, this snippet from "Miami Sports Generation"..........

This blame-all-fault on Coach Spoelstra is just one of many weak attempts at pinpointing the Miami Heat's struggles this season. In a previous article, factors relating to the Heat's woes were discussed at length, hinting at other significant elements that deserved blame beyond the coach. And it's not to say that Spo is the next coming of Red Auerbach, but clearly the man has not had an opportunity to prove his coaching skills in terms of success.

Take this into account, on April 24, 2004, Doc Rivers was named Boston Celtics Head Coach. In his first three seasons, the Celtics win count progressively declined from 45 to 33 to 24. In that 2006-07, 24-win season Boston held the second worst record in the league behind the Memphis Grizzlies. Similar to the Heat, Boston had their star in Paul Pierce, but was unable to build a contending supporting cast around him. Thus, the questions began to pour in: is Doc Rivers fit for head coaching?

The following season, with ample cap room and nifty trading chips, Boston acquired Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. With the 2007 NBA Champions banner hoisted up at TD Garden Arena, the rest is history.

So, was it a matter of Doc Rivers inability to coach that the Celtics performed poorly in his first three seasons, or was it just a lack of talent? The latter seems to be the most accurate answer.

The same can be said about Coach Spoelstra.

So smile everyone.....once we BUY a team in the summer everything will be fine.......that is the mark of sporting greatness the world over.

It makes me sick to my stomach.

Game #58 Minnesota T-Wolves 91 - Miami Heat 88

2010-02-24T16:20:00.000Z

Yes folks, you've guessed it. Heat drop their second game on the bounce and Michael Beasley is solely responsible for both defeats.....or so you would think.

Yeah okay, he hasn't played well in the last two games....that's hangable?

Why get into it really.....I noticed Dos Minutos saying he just didn't "jump".....well he did...at least 9 times to lead the team on rebounds....so I'm afraid that some of the others need to learn to "jump" too.....obviously?

Bad night, bad result, bad feeling returning........and we still are no closer to understanding WHY this happens......peaks and troughs.....it has become an illness.

Oh one more thing.....and I'm with Ira on this one......what the hell was that last play Coach?

Game #57 Miami Heat 91 - Dallas Mavericks 97

2010-02-21T09:07:00.002Z

It warms my heart when you see the Miami Heat compete. As others have written today (and last night) this game , earlier in the season , would have turned into a blow out with the Heat's baggage sitting courtside so they could make a quick getaway. Last night but for a torrrid thrid quarter where they scored on 12 points, the Heat hung in and gave the Mavericks a game.

Things started brightly for Michael Beasley but he faded badly and only shot 3-11 from the field...be prepared for another wave of negativity....I think Michael Wallace called it right.....it's a "trying too hard" thing. Big night for Daequan Cook (22), who was the team leader on scoring and now seems to be getting the 3-point stroke back. Another big game from J.O. How often have we said that this season. Another double/double 18 points and 13 rebounds....okay, you can say what you want about the knees and that he isn't the player he used to be but what a competitor...he has the odd off night but his attitude is exemplary. This was a decent display taking into consideration the fact that Friday's double overtime game must have left a residue of fatigue in the legs.

Compete....that is all we ask.

So the Heat now turn for home and have only two games next week, both at home against the T-Wolves on Tuesday and the Bucks on Saturday afternoon. This will give D-Wade more time to recover.

Let's start another "win" spike.

Thought the NBA stat card made interesting reading. As I said to someone recently....stats don't lie do they? Well when you consider that the Mavericks took 33 foul line shots and the Heat only 10 you get a better picture of proceedings.........funny old game.

Game #56 Miami Heat 100 - Memphis Grizzlies 87 (2ot)

2010-02-20T08:56:00.000Z

Beasley's Career Best 30 Helps Heat Win Double Overtime Game

Is what most of the headlines are saying today but there was much more to this victory than that. Yes it's great to see Michael perform like this but there were significant contributions all over the floor in what is another gutsy, resilient (words that we did not associate with the Heat 2/3 weeks ago) road win.

Without starters Dwyane Wade and Rafer Alston there was a high possibility that Miami could be up against it at the FedEx Forum....and it turned out that way........but significantly they persevered and they won.

For me, the after game chit chat made for interesting reading....I'm still trying to get a handle on "Rhet"-Erik Spoelstra......he keeps going on about how Michael Beasley is "getting it" more and more....fair enough....but maybe what he doesn't realise is that he (Spoelstra), himself, is getting it more.

Y'know, give the kid a bit....a bit, mind you......more responsibility and he'll give you spades in return......I cut this from Scott Cacciola's article on NBA.com

Beasley, often criticized for not playing to his potential, was as quiet during the pre-game chalk talk as Spoelstra could recall. Spoelstra joked that he would have to show Beasley the film of the session so he could replicate it before the Heat visits the Mavericks on Saturday.

"I like seeing that progress," Spoelstra said. "He's the 11th youngest player in the league and everyone expects it to happen right now. But there's a growth process. And he knows that with Dwayne out, there's going to be more opportunities. His body language out there is great."

Where does Erik imagine this new found focus and growth have come from? Yes this is a "growth process but (and it 's a big BUT ) this, as he correctly states, is a direct response to D-Wade sitting on the sidelines. So Coach, what's going to happen when #3 comes back....as many of us have been bleating on and on and on and on about all season....someone...somewhere...has to find a way of getting these two to play together.

Maybe D-Wade, as he sits and watches will be starting to think, "Hey, we might just have something worth keeping here."

It'll also be interesting to see if Beasley's form and focus, (his numbers obviously will drop) is maintained when Wade returns and whether he sees a bit more of the ball.

Possibly, Wade's minor injury is the best thing that could have happened this season.....I do hope he comes back soon though and we get the 1-2 punch we've been seeking!

Game #55 Miami Heat 87 - New Jersey Nets 84

2010-02-18T19:36:00.002Z

The Heat played most of this game without Dwyane Wade, who left with four and a half to go in the first.

You might be thinking...
"Lights out," right?

On the other hand you might be saying....
"Faither, be realistic, these Nets are just plain bad... the Heat, even without their stellar guard, should cope"

....I would retort,
"Excuse me isn't D-Wade the only talented player on this roster?

In my book, that kinda makes the Nets favourites....doesn't it? Remember they are fresh from a win against the Bobcats - in, I hasten to add, Bobcatland....where few teams record wins these days....a dangerous animal.....and they do have Brook Lopez....we've only got that undersized, under-strength, slow, left-handed, untrade-able, kinda dopey....guy?

....and now The Heat without Wade....

A wise old philosopher once said....

"One swallow does not make a summer, neither does one fine day; similarly one day or brief time of happiness does not make a person entirely happy. "

Whatever......I Still love that kid....the Heat are back in credit.

Game #54 Miami Heat 105 - Philadelphia 76ers 78

2010-02-17T19:13:00.001Z

The good people who trundle along to the Wachovia Centre don't have a lot to cheer at the moment. Philly are playing pretty poorly....AI is non-existent, Elton Brand is ineffectual and even the sparky Andre Iguodala is suffering.

An even match up then for this "rag,tag and bob tail" team of Miami No-Hopers??.....lets not forget the Heat have lost six straight in this arena.....and D-Wade is surrounded by absolute dross for team-mates.

Turns out that the All-Star Snooze-a-thon did nothing to dampen the Heat's focus and they picked up where they left off....dropping lots of points on an opponent. Amazing really, don't you think reader?

And it was good that some of the less talentless got a rest before tonight's MONSTER game against the rampant New Jersey Nets who improved to a 5-48 record with a 103-94 road win in Charlotte....not many teams win in Charlotte.

The Heat have reached the 0.500 pinnacle again and may take fright at moving back, once more, into credit.

I know, I know....it's the lowest form of wit.

Wouldn't it be great if the Heat could extend this run and gain more momentum and confidence? Still no real reason why this mini-renaissance has occured.....maybe we shouldn't over-think it....heaven forefend!

Is It Because I Is Scottish?

2010-02-16T19:36:00.005Z

Oh my!

I just do not get the All-Star game....in fact the whole weekend.

Don't try to explain...I don't think I'm very interested.

What does amaze me is the credence that some people place on Dwyane Wade winning the MVP.....good lord...it's utterly meaningless.

Anyway trade runours continue to swirl and it now looks as though "That's Amar'e!" could be headed to at least 20 different clubs with Cleveland dangling a very enticing "come play with LBJ and possibly win a title" carrot....you know, I say "good luck" to him.

The Phoenix Suns apparently don't want Michael Beasley because he's got "troubles" and basically "isn't very good"....So what now Pat Riley?

What rabbit will be pulled out of the hat in order to placate #3?

Or do we wait?......

Enough of that, more importantly I got a really cool message from a Chinese reader....his blog is entitled
IT IS FINE.

Attempting to explain Phoenix’s issue with Amare Stoudemire | Fanster.com - All Sports. All Phoenix.

2010-02-12T20:43:00.000Z

Attempting to explain Phoenix’s issue with Amare Stoudemire | Fanster.com - All Sports. All Phoenix.

There are interesting parallels between Stoudemire and Beasley here.....especially the "Who's a child's worst critic?" question.

Both have been with their teams since infancy....Beasley apparently is just learning to walk and talk at the moment.

Amar'e has walked the walk and talked the talk for seasons now so I guess that's why the Phoenix fans are upset about 20 and 8 when it could be 30 and 11.

Hope Miami get their man.

Whoever that may be?

Time for Answers?

2010-02-12T18:23:00.001Z

Seems others are as confused as I am regarding the direction this season has taken....and what the plan was at the outset?

Go Ethan...

Miami Heat: What was learned before the break?

by: Ethan J. Skolnick February 10th, 2010 | 10:54 PM

1. The team still doesn’t trust Michael Beasley when it matters. OK, so who is “the team” in that sentence? It’s hard to say. Is it Pat Riley, Erik Spoelstra or Dwyane Wade, or all of the above? Someone (or something) is keeping him off the floor at the conclusion of close contests. When Beasley was a rookie, I was on board with making him truly earn those minutes, by showing some maturity. But what exactly is this season about? Playing marginal vets on expiring contracts, most of whom are unlikely to return next season, in a desperate effort to get a sixth seed, and an almost-certain early exit? Everyone knew this was not a championship contender. It would seem to me that nothing is more important than finding out whether Beasley and Wade can play together, and off of each other, in crunch time….. if Beasley is part of the long-term plan. Which is really the question. Is he? We may find out very soon.

....go read it.

It's patently obvious that Wade isn't interested in finding anything out....recently he said..."We need Michael on the court...it's the Coach's decision"....cop out?

The more I read, the more I get the feeling that Beasley is on his way and Amar'e is coming in.

Common Ground

2010-02-11T22:25:00.000Z

This flew in on a hot tweet from Ira.

Beasley Remains Driven As Peers Pass Him In The Fast Lane

I'll tell you....Beasley has his detractors.....The lovely people at Dos Minutos would drop him like a hot turd if they had even the slimmest chance of say an Amar'e ( oh,oh.... Cantare oh oh oh oh ) and claim most of the league reckon young Mike is .....

one dimensional,
too small,
under-athletic, and
not competitive enough

Words that really, if the truth be known, I find hard it hard to argue with at the moment. However reading Ira's article has made me wonder, what if the Bulls had actually opted for Beasley over Rose? Would Derrick be lining up in the All-Star game this weekend....okay, okay....different circumstances....but what if?

I think playing with Wade has been a big struggle and I think Derrick would have felt that pressure too.......Wade dominates....many say because he has to....well maybe.....but it's been partially detrimental to development of Beasley.....no doubt in my mind......and in a season where the aspirations are what, exactly? Oh I forgot, the dizzy heights of 0.500, as everyone keeps reminding me....what the hell was there to lose?

Not Wade anyway. Wade leaving Miami will result in something akin to a total nuclear meltdown....the whole of South Florida will turn to ash and the sky will never be blue again.....so the front office will do exactly what he wants them to do....and sign the players to make him stay....obviously?

Beasley's transgressions are well documented and possibly the Heat staff feel the need to really be on his case in order to know that they have his undivided attention....maybe they are teaching him some kind of lesson....helping him to see what an opportunity he has been handed and reinforcing the point that he shouldn't p**s it all away.....make him earn it, then he'll want it more.....fair enough, but we're on game #53 now....he's made adjustments, he's played hard and well in at least 75% of those games......

"Their teams just threw them the keys and they learned to drive alone," Beasley said. "Me? I'm going through driving class and I've got to sit through long lectures and stuff like that."

So all in all maybe Dos Minutos are right - bundle him up and ship him out, quick - his career might just get to actually start then......man I'd like to see him play with Nash?

......Super-Cool.....and he'd probably get to the play-offs too......it's all good.....now that IS funny.

Game #53 Miami Heat 94 - Atlanta Hawks 76

2010-02-11T08:43:00.001Z

"Talentless" Heat Rumble On....
Okay, there is a precedent for this.
Remember last season's ugly first round series? It's not unusual for the Heat to beat up the Hawks, especially a Hawks team without Jamal Crawford but hey, I'm not going to feel sorry for them....no chance of that. Any win over one of the big four is to be applauded because it means that the Miami Heat have caused an upset.

Daequan Cook is sparking to life.....anyone got any ideas on what brought this about?

The Heat bench, behind a truly brilliant Udonis Haslem, is stepping up......anyone got any ideas on what brought this about?

Rejoice everyone!....the inconsistent Heat are definitely back.....striking a blow for talentless players everywhere.

Winning streak stands at two.....that damned All-Star break now gets in the way....hope the focus is still there after the circus.

Stoudemired

2010-02-10T23:02:00.004Z

Please tell me this isn't going to happen......

It seems the rumours are rife that Riley has a serious h**d-on or Amar'e and is willing to put up the complete "talentless" roster if needs be...

Ludicrous to the point of insanity.
I'm not alone in thinking this either......

So....What Do We Know Now?

2010-02-10T19:23:00.000Z

Well one thing is for sure.....for the time being the bad Heat has gone....so that must mean the inconsistent Heat is back?.....or is that the good Heat?

Y'know what.....it really doesn't matter....no, honestly, it doesn't.

We've been here before and we will be here again unless the picture changes. What motivated the players and made them turn up and play so aggressively??....if it was the negative press they have been receiving then this up-swing, like so many others will end....tonight.....because that kind of reaction isn't sustainable.

If we are to believe the media hacks there's bad chemistry between the Coach and his star guard......no matter how vociferously they try to deny it these two are at loggerheads. They don't share the same philosophy, (to be honest, I'm slightly with Wade on that one) and that can only mean one thing....Spoelstra will keep doing it his way and Wade will become more and more disinterested.....

I suppose it's all about fine balances.

I'm just VERY disappointed in what the Heat saw as their main priority this year....By now Michael Beasley should be the one who can take the pressure off Wade....Mike's progress has been good but not great....he's going to be a star this boy and he doesn't get to be on court at the end of games.....I'm not sure if that's down to Spoelstra or Wade so I'll hold them both responsible.

A win in Atlanta? Who the hell can tell....

Game #52 Houston Rockets 66 - Miami Heat 99

2010-02-10T08:37:00.000Z

The Miami Heat owed it's people that performance.....big time.

I notice I've been mentioned over at Casa Dos for giving Erik Spoelstra pelters ( that's royal and ancient vernacular for "verbal abuse" )....can't think why I've been singled out....but thanks anyway my friends. As you'll no doubt guess I am NOT going to get all wet and sticky over this win......surely no sensible Heat fan will.

Is this the "way" that the Coach spoke about?

Ah....I see, we wait....until we come up against a team who are struggling and clobber them senseless......because we, as everyone knows, have no talent.......?

Dorrell Wright and Daequan Cook were given some responsibility last night and seemed to answer the call...pleased for Cook. Wright, as we've all been saying should be getting more minutes....he's long, he's disruptive, he's energetic, he'll knock down jumpers, he'll defend his basket.

Atlanta next.

Game #51 Miami Heat 91 - Chicago Bulls 95

2010-02-07T09:26:00.001Z

Miami lose "must win" game

Losing streak slips out to 5 and things won't be getting any easier soon........more rhet-erik after last night's loss.......

"We have lost our way,'' Spoelstra said."We will find our way again. More than anything, there has to be a mindset change. When you get into a malaise like this, you forget your way."

I'll let you into a wee secret Erik....The Miami Heat haven't lost their "way"....that implies, correct me if I'm wrong, that we had a "way" in the first place. One thing this Miami Heat team hasn't had all season long is a "way" or to use another of the Coach's favourite terms an - "identity".

I've tried so hard, believe me, to stay off Coach Spoelstra's back but now it is becoming very apparent that he has no voice with this particular group of players. It's always easy to blame the Coach but the evidence continues to stack up. He cannot control Wade who continues to play one-on -five, he doesn't often react to what is happening/unfolding before his eyes, his rotations remain rigid to the point of petrification and he cannot seem to motivate anyone on this roster.

Would you like to be Daequan Cook going to the three point contest?

One thing Spoelstra is 100% correct about......... it is time for change.........Wade to Chicago anyone?

Game #50 Miami Heat 86 - Cleveland Cavaliers 102

2010-02-05T07:37:00.000Z

Miami hung around for three quarters in this one, which is an improvement, I suppose, on most second nights of "back to backs" this season....at least the game wasn't done and dusted before the buzzer went to end the first quarter.

LeBron James took 21 foul shots - scored on 17.....Wade took 2 ( yes 2!) scoring on 50% of those....the entire Heat team combined for 10-14 from the charity stripe.

Nice 21-12 for Beasley, clearly still not 100%.

Something has to occur in the constipated bowels of the AAA.

Soon.

Game # 49 Miami Heat 102 - Boston Celtics 107

2010-02-04T10:54:00.000Z

Cut and pasted from NBA.com....

In beating the Miami Heat, 107-102, Wednesday night, the Celtics were a team while the Heat were simply Dwyane Wade.

Couper Moorhead must have written that for a reason...no?

Down, Down, Deeper and Down

2010-02-03T19:56:00.001Z

The time has come to fall out with Ira Winderman....sorry to say that....but there you go.

I'm sure Ira won't really care as he doesn't even know that I exist but there are one or two Heat fans who pop into TFD now and again and it would be really interesting to get their "take" on things.

I take exception to Ira's constant be-littling of the Heat roster.....it seems to me that he thinks there is Wade and then all the rest is just filler. To be fair to Ira there are a great many people who agree....this team is 0.500....that's it....end of...get over it.

If that is the case why do we even bother......this great game has absolutely sold out.

Okay call me naive...that's fine....I can handle that......but answer me this... Don't these players have an obligation to turn out every game night and "compete" Doesn't the management team and coaching staff have an obligation to ensure that the product on the floor has teeth.

This has NOTHING, I repeat NOTHING to do with lack of talent....it has EVERYTHING to do with lack of heart, lack of application and lack of team spirit.....THAT is what makes so many fans on my side of the fence so unhappy.

It should be an honour to wear that uniform. Each and every player from the lowest paid to the brightest star should be made aware of that fact and react accordingly.

Wade's shadow is far too vast and overbearing at this franchise....he needs to begin accepting the so called "lesser mortals" on this roster and treat them with trust. This might be the first step in him blossoming into something that resembles a ltrue eader (as he likes to call himself).

Just my opinion....I don't expect many of you to agree......but I'm entitled to it.

Rant concludes

Game #48 Milwaukee Bucks 97 - Miami 81

2010-02-02T20:26:00.001Z

That one was for all of those who think that Miami are a .500 team......call me irrational but I think they are better than that. There is something deeply, deeply wrong with either the chemistry or the respect that this roster of players have for their coach and more importantly themselves. They aren't bad players....as they have proven when playing against some of the best.

It grieves me to think that the Miami Heat are just coasting towards obscurity this season......I mean, I asked the question last season and I have already asked it earlier in this one......what is Spoelstra's brief?

What is it that is preventing him from getting the message across?

We are led to believe that Miami are endeavouring to be a competitive team this season.....this is now a sick ball club. We are pushing water up hill......things are becoming a struggle and injuries are rearing up.....I give Beasley his one ( we all saw it ) but O'Neal and Wade are just "at it" I'm afraid.....back spasms????

The broken record continues.......if they are injured get them off the bloody court.......we'd be better to lose without them and allow them time to recover than lose convincingly WITH them, possibly aggravating their "so-called" spasms. It would also allow some of the others to try and recapture their games.....Daequan Cook has been asleep longer than Rip-Van-Winkle for God's sake!!!

AM I WRONG? AM I WRONG?

Game #47 Miami Heat 84 - Milwaukee Bucks 95

2010-02-01T21:07:00.000Z

Again Wade plays injured.....is it worth it? I mean, is it REALLY worth it?

Almost a Good Question.

2010-01-30T15:49:00.001Z

I cut this out of Ira's Q&A section today.

Q: Let's say we acquire a top-tier free agent that's not named LeBron James in the offseason. Will we still have to suffer the agony of watching an offense that allows Wade to play 1-on-5? Believe it or not, he ball hogs and this disrupts the flow or rhythm for his teammates. It's no surprise that they miss open threes or outside shots. All they do is just stand there, because Wade is a complete ball hog. -- James.

A: Whoa. Think back to those Beijing Olympics for a moment, when Dwyane played wonderfully off the ball. Dwyane respects talent. So, to answer a question with a question: How much respect should he have for the balance of this current roster?

Now I'm not saying I entirely agree with the question BUT there is a salient point.......and Ira counters with the inference that D-Wade is SO good and his team SO bad that he cannot rely on, or show respect for ANY of them?

I don't think Wade is a hog....however, I think he does put inordinate pressure on his team-mates to "perform."

Nothing wrong with that? Well, maybe not....but there are players on this roster who aren't playing to their potential.......if you push me on it I'll suggest that Daequan Cook and Dorrell Wright spend every waking minute wanting to impress D-Wade......both played well with Wade off the court last night. It's a case of Dwyane helping these guys relax into their games .....the Heat roster isn't as bad as people make out.....there's just something preventing some of these guys breaking out.

Wade is a wonderful basketball player.....I'm not convinced he's a leader.

Maybe Spoelstra, given time, can unlock it?

Game #46 Miami Heat 92 - Detroit Pistons 65

2010-01-30T12:48:00.000Z

Very close now to coming out of my funk.

Detroit are dreadfully bad....and I don't mean "BAD"......I'm sure those guys cannot believe what they are seeing, in fact I'm sure Rodman, even now, would play better defense than any of those guys.

This Miami performance showed character....without Beasley, with Wade and O'Neal ailing.....hello Daequan....hello Dorrell.

Hmmmmm. Double header with Milwaukee before two monsters.

Game #45 Miami Heat 103 - Toronto Raptors 111 (23-22)

2010-01-29T20:03:00.000Z

I can live with that too.......at least the effort is there, if not the execution.

Game # 44 Cleveland Cavaliers 92 - Miami Heat 91 ( 23-21)

2010-01-26T09:09:00.000Z

Finally a close one. Even though it was down to crunch time errors, you can stomach that.....or at least....I can.

Game #43 Sacramento Kings 84 - Miami Heat 115 (23-20)

2010-01-24T08:57:00.000Z

Game #42 Miami Heat 112 - Washington Wizards 88 (22-20)

2010-01-23T15:36:00.001Z

For those that don't read the comments.....

2010-01-22T13:56:00.002Z

Here's the first person calling me "the rat leaving the sinking ship".........not the case brothers.

Henry said...

Don't give up on your team. This is from the very start, a .500 team. It's just being what it is. .500 teams do exactly what the Heat does. It shows up or it doesn't, 50-50. Remember, this is also the same team that almost beat the Lakers and the Celtics. Don't leave your team during the hard times so that when the good times come, you will deserve all the elation it gives you.

January 22, 2010 9:46 AM

Faither said... Sorry but you're wrong Henry.

I haven't given up on my team....they have given up on me.

Another thing, I haven't stopped supporting them, I'm choosing not to write any more negative things at the moment because it's making me feel unhappy....who needs another another moaning Heat fan? There's no shortage of them.....quite justifiably.

If you are happy with the current displays and feel that using 0.500 as an excuse is okay then fair play to you. I just thank my lucky stars that I live where I do because if I lived in Miami I would be a season ticket holder. As a consumer you have a right to complain.

At the moment some of their performances are a joke and that is disrespectful to many, many fans who have shelled out hard earned cash to watch something that is supposed to be entertaining or at the very, very least competitive.

If you can't win, at least try or give the impression that you are trying....surely that isn't beyond the realms of possibility.

I'd prefer to see this team "try" and find its feet than to to watch a "bought" team succeed....but that is what makes me Scottish I suppose

I am a Heat fan.........or will be, until they trade Mike Beasley........which hopefully will be never.

kfa444@gmail.com.

That Says It All

2010-01-21T08:31:00.002Z

There are several other teams around this league with "similar" talent on their roster and they seem to be able to find some cohesion and at least be competitive in games....right at this moment the Miami Heat are a disgrace to their outfits. I will continue to look in from afar and return later but right now I'm angry and I need to shut this down.

I'll continue to read you all with interest.

What Did I Say?

2010-01-21T00:28:00.001Z

Michael Wallace said recently "You know which Miami team you're going to get midway through the first quarter." If that is so then we are in deep shit.

This isn't fun any more.....

Fighting Off The Bobcats

2010-01-20T22:00:00.001Z

The best news I received today....Gerald Wallace is only "probable".....if there is any chance this guy doesn't play the Miami Heat catch a huge break. Wallace is a destroyer.

But even though my love affair with Wallace continues and the Bobcats are damn near invincible on their home court I fancy the Heat to give them something to think about tonight.

Why?

Well, the Heat totally confound the form book. The Bobcats are the hottest team in the Eastern Conference, in fact the entire NBA...they are an experienced outfit with a wily, battle scarred Head-Coach ( please excuse the use of war imagery.....no offence intended ). Who better to beat?......honestly, this game is tailor made.

AND there's always D-Wade, isn't there....finding his game, playing his way to greatness again, shedding the petulance and snarling for a steely determination and looking for his team-mates to give a positive response. I think, on a night where many will be expecting the Bobcats to keep their steamroller rolling, the Heat may just find an answer if they stand strong behind Wade.

Hey c'mon.....I'm trying to be positive......let's do this.

Game #40 Indiana Pacers 83 - Miami Heat 113

2010-01-20T09:15:00.001Z

Okay let's be serious about this one....there's dreadful, there's abominable and then there's the Pacers.

This game couldn't have come at a more opportune time, especially with Toronto having to go head to head with the Cavs on the same night....and losing.

I'm back at work now and can't operate on the early morning tip-offs. Looks like I'm going to have to part with some cash and get the NBA broadband league pass so that I can watch the games at my own convenience ( thanks for the offer Tommy but it looks like things just aren't going to work.....ah well).

Anyway onto last night's annihilation of Indiana.....oh boy are they bad.....almost like bad Miami and they were put to the sword early by a Heat team that shot 56.2%. Wade, continuing to look like the player we know he is poured on another 30+ display and Beasley moved stealthily to another 20 and 10 ( with a 3 point stroke which looks super smooth ).

Breathing room, for the moment.

Be prepared for one hell of a game tonight..... 68.4% from the charity stripe and 15 turn overs won't get it done against Charlotte....at least all of the starters got a good rest......so fatigue should not be an issue in this particular back-to-back.

Is it Just Me?..........

2010-01-19T08:32:00.000Z

This from Ira's blog today.

Coach Spoelstra on how tight the NBA is becoming.....

"We have to take the next step in consistency," Spoelstra said Monday. "But we're not the only team struggling with that right now. If you look across the NBA, even today, you look at the last ten games, it seems like every team is 5-5, 4-6, 6-4. There are only a handful of teams that have had a better stretch than that."

Like I said, is it just me or are two of the teams having a better stretch Toronto (7-3) and Charlotte (8-2)? Let's chew on that for a little while.....whilst free falling.

Wooooooooosh!

2010-01-18T22:35:00.003Z

Did you hear that?

That was Charlotte zooming past into third spot in the South East and fifth in the Conference.....

Love that Gerald Wallace.....one tough dude

Chicago are currently level with GSW and if they win they come even closer into the frame.....it's getting harder to breathe.

Bosh to the Thunder?

2010-01-18T09:19:00.002Z

Nice article from Art Garcia on NBA.com.....talks about the possibilities of Miami target(?) Chris Bosh being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder before the 18th of February deadline.....this would entail Toronto getting a crop of talented young players in return.

Worth a read.

I like the bit where he says that OKC are, this season, concentrating on development.....the wins are gravy....apparently.

Hmmmmmm that's some tasty gravy, 22-18 in the West is not to be sniffed at....the addition of Bosh would elevate them no end.

It'll be interesting to see what he does.

It's more or less inevitable that Dorrell Wright is going to the Grizzlies.....purely money.

That's The Century....

2010-01-17T17:50:00.001Z

The 100th post of a blog that I swore I would never begin.....thanks for that Dos Minutos.

So...time to take stock of proceedings. How's the East looking now guys? Let's take a look.

1. Cleveland (31-11)
2. Boston      (27-11) GB 2.0
3. Atlanta      (26-13) GB 3.5
4. Orlando    (26-14) GB 4.0
5. Miami       (20-19) GB 9.5
6. Toronto    (20-20) GB 10.0
7. Charlotte (19-19) GB 10.0
8. Chicago    (18-20) GB 11.0

Do you reckon these are the 8 teams that will cement play off places or will NYK, Milwaukee or even Detroit make a run at things? Miami are top of the second tier but only just and with the 6th, 7th and 8th seeds all jamming up behind we look as though our position is a bit precarious to say the least. Charlotte ( a team that I really admire ) and Chicago are both surging and are currently in the midst of winning runs which stand at 4 games.....did you hear THAT Miami Heat fans?......4 games......the things that dreams are made of.

Toronto and Dallas are currently on court.....if the Raptors win that one everything changes again.

Maybe I'll ask you all for your predictions soon.

Game #39 Miami 80 - Oklahoma City Thunder 98

2010-01-17T09:20:00.001Z

Incidentally Charlotte trashed Phoenix to go 19-19 last night.

I've been very tired over the past few days and haven't really felt inclined to seek out those seedier NBA streaming sites. Well, on a western road trip it's a no brainer, it would turn out to be like doing voluntary night-shift and who does that? Not I.

Can't say I regret not having viewed the last 6 games......3-3 on the road isn't too bad I suppose...I really did think there might have been a bit of fire in the belly last night going in against the Thunder.....I was obviously mistaken....again. Michael Wallace summed it up perfectly today in his "On the Beat" blog when he said....

HEAD-SCRATCHER: Another blowout loss brings the total to 11 games this season Miami has loss by a double-digit margin. It continues a disturbing trend in which the Heat either wins or doesn't show up at all and gets blown out. And it's become predictable. You pretty much know which version of the Heat team you're going to get by the midway point of the first quarter. This team has to shake this stigma. It basically goes back to the first-round series against Atlanta last season, when the Heat cruised in three victories and was crushed in the other four losses.

Michael Beasley, who always seems to be allowed to score when games are totally blown away, was the top Miami scorer with 28 points. At the end of the third quarter OKC were up by 17........67-84....Beasley had scored 26 of his 28......you're thinking, this game is gone it'll be nice for the kid to finally get a 30+ night....nope. Obviously Michael has built that 30 point barrier too high in his head as he connected on only 1-5 in the fourth.

Kevin Durant, however, has no difficulty in reaching these heights.......he is playing at the top of his game and has an extra year on Michael. Miami have had no answer for him this year.

So the road trip ends with another blow out loss...back to the AAA which will be half full when Indiana come calling. They currently sit bottom of the Central Division with a 14-26 record and are 1-9 in their last ten road games.

Do We Dare To Assume....

2010-01-16T19:21:00.000Z

No matter how much I want to I'm avoiding becoming too excited about this evening's game.

This season we've had more false dawns than I care to remember but right now the signs look good. In the last two victories the Heat have allowed their opponents to score 100+ points, earlier in the season this was a sure-fire sign that the they would lose the game but with a pair of 115s they have prevailed in both contests....so is the identity changing?

I'll be honest, does it really matter?

Wade is playing well and playing smart.....the rest of the guys are contributing.

I pray to the basketball Gods that this time the Heat are finally going to go on some kind of a run.....

Tommy Wade

2010-01-16T14:07:00.000Z

I received a message on a post from "Tommy Wade" offering me access to his NBA broadband. This was extremely kind as Tommy is obviously aware that I am struggling to follow the action and that the league pass will allow me to watch the games the following day..it would also save me a fair bit of green.

So this post is for you Tommy......I thought I'd replied to you but obviously hadn't......if you need to contact me you can email me at kfa444@gmail.com.

Thanks.

Game #38 Miami Heat 115 - Houston Rockets 106

2010-01-16T09:42:00.022Z

Wade Ignites Heat Again...Big Road Win in The Lone Star State

Make no mistake about it the Houston Rockets have been pretty good on their home court recently, extending a winning streak out to 8 games before last night's encounter with the Heat (yes, I'm tentatively using their "good" name for the moment). So? Yes.....you guessed it......The Miami Heat not only snapped that winning streak but more importantly they started to play like a team again.

We are all learning to enjoy these moments when they come along as they don't seem to last for any great length of time......so well done to the guys.....especially Coach Spoelstra who is developing a new line in "media-speak"....... ....I like that.
"This is still a business trip" he told reporters.

Fair play to you Coach......I understand that completely......it's good to try and keep a lid on things as this Heat squad seem to get a little inflated when they manage to string some victories together.On the playing side D-Wade, once more reigned supreme.....he racked up his points then started dishing. What we are seeing, especially in the last two games, is that the supporting cast have learned their lines.....56% from the field against the Warriors.......53.6 % last night.....another big factor was that the turn-over count was almost halved.....that's got to be good. All five starters scored in double figures. Wade's 37 was the foundation stone, Jermaine O'Neal contributed 16 and 13, Skip-to-my-Lou a big 17, Q-Rich 15 and Michael Beasley a quiet but effective 12.We cherish nights like these as you feel, deep down in your gut, that it might not last for long......I said 4-2 before the road-trip started but to be honest there was some blind optimism attached to that....the Heat now stand on the brink of going home to Miami with a very successful haul under their belts. It's OKC tonight....we owe them one....don't we?

Game #37 Miami Heat 115 - Golden State Warriors 102

2010-01-14T08:02:00.002Z

Miami Keep Heads Above Water With Solid Win Behind Wade.

Heat fans must have tuned in, if they managed to stay awake, to last night's game at the Oracle Arena in Oakland wondering which of their teams was going to turn up. Warriors fans must have wondered if a team was going to turn up at all as they are beset by injuries to several key players at the moment.

So a weakened GSW against a less than impressive Miami.....yummy!

Well, in the end it basically all boiled down to Dwyane Wade again (35 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists)......if his wrist is injured it didn't seem to hamper him excessively and he did play a team high 35.01 minutes so he must be okay, right?

Last night he was ably assisted by Jermaine O'Neal (who took Golden State in the paint for 24 points) and Michael Beasley who got off to his customary fast start (14 first half points) and then finished as the invisible man again (19 points). Collectively, the Miami Heat shot 56% from the field and D-Wade hit all 15 of his free throws.

So that's 2-2 on this road trip. I did suggest that we could come away with 4-2 prior to the team setting off.....anyone agree with me now?

Houston and OKC, back to back, next.........

Erik's World....

2010-01-13T16:30:00.001Z

So, Erik Spoelstra didn't conform and provide the members of the press their firework display they expected in Utah. He's an intelligent, caring guy.......you can show that you care in many different ways.

However being nice and using jargon isn't working at the moment.

I would implore Coach Spoelstra to bare his teeth, just a little.

He continues to sound wishy-washy and sometimes incomprehensible in the press.....

"We're all disappointed, angry but we also have to keep perspective and get back to the connection and purity we had just 72 hours ago, after the Phoenix game."
"In this league, you have to keep perspective. It is not as bad as all of us feel right now, nor was it as good as we felt after the Phoenix game. And we have to go back to work."

"Connection", "Purity" sorry, did I miss something?

If it isn't bad as we feel and isn't good as we felt....what is it?

0.500 is what it is, with Charlotte coming up behind like a juggernaut.

It's always easy to have a swipe at the Head Coach....at Miami there is, most definitely, collective culpability.

Here Come The Hornets

2010-01-13T09:28:00.000Z

I did say.....on the tails of a 43 point display by Stephen Jackson the Charlotte Hornets beat the Houston Rockets last night to put them 17-19 and a game behind Miami.

You look at the box score for the Hornets and although Jackson stands out the guys around him are working so hard and contributing significantly......especially on the boards.

They are going to come steaming past us very soon.....because they are consistent and playing hard every game now.

Game #36 Miami 89 - Utah Jazz 118

2010-01-12T09:16:00.000Z

Not having seen this performance ( one of the perks of living on this frozen rock ) and having read other blogs etc from around the web, I think it may be prudent to keep this very brief.

Miami (using the parlance of our times, Dude) were abysmal again.

All of a sudden the Phoenix game seems like it was a wet dream and the road ahead seems very, very long.

0.500......where most people feel we belong.....I wonder where we'll be after we've played the Thunder?

Are We Not Men?

2010-01-11T21:18:00.000Z

I enjoyed Dwyane Wade's sound byte after the dreadful display against the Clippers.

"This is the sign of the two teams we have been all year -- Miami and the Heat," said Wade. "Today it was Miami."

Couldn't have put that any better myself.....but understanding that the Miami Heat (let's use that just now for easiness) are, seemingly, schizophrenic and saying so to the world's media suggests that there would be no solution to this persistent problem anywhere on the horizon.

The Heat operate at both extremes of the spectrum. Some bloggers and journalists who have a much deeper insight and knowledge of the game of basketball than me insist that we shouldn't really expect anything else. The Miami Heat are a 0.500 team, the rotations need to be fluid because there is a severe lack of depth and consistency.

Oh well, fair enough.

Game #35 Miami Heat 84 - Los Angeles Clippers 94

2010-01-11T08:36:00.000Z

Again....not the defeat but the manner of it.

That's Just About All I Can Take

2010-01-10T22:38:00.000Z

End of the third, down by 21 points.

Wade on his own....completely....and for once I feel for him.

This is just despicable....absolutely hellish.

There will nothing to add tomorrow.....I don't care if they mount an unlikely come back.

An early night is called for........business as usual.

Half Time Report

2010-01-10T22:00:00.000Z

Miami Heat 41 - Los Angeles Clippers 56

We have three point guards on this team......so far, in this half, they have played a little under 16 minutes between the three of them........I have only five syllables for Coach Spoelstra...

CON...TI....NU....I....TY

Incidentally, there have been nine turn-overs for the Heat in that half......that's much, much higher than the recent average........and Carlos has yet to set foot on the court....and probably won't.

Let's see how the second half transpires and whether they sort something out in the locker room.

Oh, if you're looking for consistency, Mike Beasley is out there again, 15 points at the half....will he get it going in the third and fourth quarters? Wade looks like he may be warming to the task a bit. All is not lost....yet.