Personally, I think this is easily the coolest player intro video in the entire league.
Archive for the 'Heat' Category
Heat 99 | 76ers 94
Wade All Day!
I must admit, I’m really loving this new look Heat. I think they have the ability to put up the points, and their ability to steal the ball makes them that much more dangerous. D-Wade put up 33 points on the night, but it was really Quinn who sealed the game with the free throws in the final 25 seconds.
They were able to come back this evening after being behind by 10 with 5 minutes to go and you have to believe that these early season tests are going to prove helpful in the end.
Good Times //
Heat 99 | 76ers 83
Whoa! Two games with the Heat holding an opponent to 83 points. And a winning record for the Miami Heat. Another big night for D-Wade [33 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists] and and even bigger night for the psyche of the Heat as they are now sure to gain confidence in themselves and their ability to defeat an opponent down the stretch.
Okay, Chalmers [2 points] and Marion [4 points] didn’t give me much on the night, and the starters spent way too much time on the floor and will probably be spent for their game against the Hornets tonight, but, I still have to say that I am beginning to feel the Heat again.
Just a few points of reference:
- Our backup guards are beginning to show us something – Both Quinn [15 points] and Cook [10 points] had solid nights, with Deaquan putting up some timely 3′s to seal the game.
- Miami is a steals machine – The game against the Sixers was 18-8 in favor of the Heat, and Last night the Heat had an 11-2 advantage against the Spurs. This could be a theme, as the Heat have logged more steals than their opponents in every contest so far this year. Key – More steals, more fast break opportunities, more points.
Heat 106 | 76ers 83
Okay, it was a good night on a couple of fronts for the Miami Heat;
- Miami Has scored over 100 points in 3 of its 4 games
- Miami, after winning Last night, is now at .500. 2 down, only 13 to go to match last years total.
- D-Wade is continuing to play like A Man! He his doing his part certainly [29 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists] and is only going to get better as the team gets more familiar with each other.
- No one reached the 40 minute mark, in fact, Beasley logged the most minutes [37:25]
Heat 87 | Bobcats 100
Okay, let’s be honest, I didn’t get a chance to catch most of the game, as I was at a wedding, but here’s what I did catch….
Michael Beasley had his best game yet as a Heatian, netting 25 points and 4 rebounds. Not too bad.
Heat 103 | Kings 77
Okay, I will have to disregard this particular game on the count that it is a real blowout. I thought that the team as a whole played extremely well, breakin’ out a can on the Kings on opening night at the triple-A.
The key to tonight’s game is the idea that ultimately the Heat starters only had to play 30 minutes each, which should definitely help in a back-to-back scenario with The Bobcats tomorrow night.
If D-Wade can do what he did tonight in 26 minutes [20 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists], I would have to think that this season is beginning to look like a major turnaround season for my Miami guys. The one sore spot for Wade, and the Heat in general, was Free throw shooting, with Wade going 6-11, and the team as a whole shooting a horrible 59%. Add that to the fact that the Kings went 17-20 (85%), and we lose games like this if they’re close. But, that’s a point I’m sure they’ll look to correct against the Bobcats.
Now, I really do love the bench play. Further, if the bench can be competent night in and night out, then we are almost certain to be a playoff team in ’08.
Beasley…. Well, he played a whole lot better tonight [17 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block], but I’m still waiting to see him make an impact early with the starting guys still out on the court.
Chalmers came back to earth with his performance tonight, but was still effective, netting 4 steals on the evening.
Overall, I’m pleased with what I saw tonight, and Hope they can expand on this win and get something going. Fundamentally, they have a run-n-gun style team that I like, and If they can couple that with the defensive mentality they’ve had, they can be a formidable opponent on most any night. Of course, they’re still a little small down low, but in today’s game, you can get away with that if you have the speed and grit that both Marion and Haslem possess.
Good Times //
Heat 115 | Knicks 120
Well…..
Overall, you gotta like what you saw from the Heat tonight. I personally think that the Heatians will win at least 40 this season and if that’s the case, the winning will need to begin this Friday.
The Good
- Wade looks awesome again – Man, what can I say about Wade? He was back to his old self and almost helped us pull it out tonight before he was thrown out with his 6th foul on the evening. I’m really liking the plan to utilize Wade and Chalmers in the backcourt and hope that they both stay healthy throughout this season.
- Mario Chalmers is a (mini) beast – For all the talk of the Derrick Rose debut, Mario Chalmers was every bit as good this evening, and played an intricate role in helping us stay in the game late. I’m excited to see that we have possibly found our point guard starter for the season in M.C., though i’m going to reserve a judgment until I can see more of Shaun Livingston. BTW, What’s up with Shaun? I think we might have a future all-star on our hands.
- The Matrix and U-Do both had double-doubles on the evening – I said previously that in order for the Heat to be successful this season, Shawn Marion and Udonis would have to step up big. They Did! I really liked how Udonis made the big grabs and how Shawn Marion did all the little things. Hopefully they’ll begin to mesh more down low and build that brick wall style of play where the low post is always protected.
The Bad
- Michael Beasley was underwhelming – I mean, he was the only starter for the Heat not to reach double digits (9 points). But, it wasn’t just the points, but more the fact that he just looked lost in the scheme of things. I would’ve given him a pass on the basis of first game jitters if it weren’t for the fact that Chalmers gave us 17 & 8 (assists). Let’s see how he does in the home opener.
- Okay, I couldn’t really find another sore point – Overall, they played well. I mean, you could go with the whole low 3-point percentage argument, but they really did show a lot of grit tonight, putting up 40 points in the 4th quarter to pull within 3 points.
The Analysis
It’s going to be a decent season if the heat can get the ball rolling on this whole run-and-gun style they used to close out the game
Good Times
I’m beginning to feel really good about the 08-09 Miami Heat. For one, we’ve got Wade back, and that’s already good for at least 15 extra wins if he’s healthy. Secondy, I think the idea of the Heat being this horribly bad is simply unthinkable. If you look at Pat Riley’s tenure in Miami, he’s always been able to deliver the goods. And the years he couldn’t… Well;
- 2002 – (36-46, Missed Playoffs) – overall forgettable season. But, what do we get for all of our pain? Caron Butler.
- 2003 – (25-27, Missed Playoffs) – Another disappointing season. Caron was a bright spot, but overall we were pretty terrible, but then comes draft night and we get a guy named Wade.
- 2008 – (15-67, Missed Playoffs) – Really, the pain is just beginning to subside. But, as a consolation prize, we do have Michael Beasley.
I mean, I would never for one second doubt Pat Riley who has, time and time again, shown that he is an intelligent Team President and very capable of bringing another championship to Miami.