Showing posts with label Miami Heat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miami Heat. Show all posts
Monday, May 16, 2011
DOY: Taj Gibson!
I really think I need to go to the gym when I watch sports because something cool happens all the time. This happened in the gym, and the Big Cat working out next to me, I went absolutely bananas. Big Cat looked at me like I was a Leper. Seriously, just an awesome dunk. I love Dwyane Wade's attitude about the whole thing saying "I have done that 90 times to people, and it happened to me once." "I will take the 90 to 1 ratio."
-Charlie.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Heat-Bulls Preview
If you were to rank the NBA Playoffs right now from the best teams to the worst remaining, BCS style, would the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat get the top spots? I mean it might be crazy to think but if a team like Memphis or Oklahoma City gets into the NBA Finals, I will believe whoever loses this series got robbed at an opportunity to play for the Larry O'Brien Trophy. People have jumped back on the 'Heat are unstoppable bandwagon,' and some are even calling for a quick series. I don't see that, and nor do I think the Heat are winning this series as I am taking the Chicago Bulls in seven games.
The first reason is obvious, Derrick Rose. The Heat has no point guard that can keep up with D-Rose in an enduring playoff series such as this one. Dywane Wade will do his best, but I do think a la Paul Pierce, his offensive numbers will fall off by exerting so much on the defense. Even though Wade is a top notch defender, Rose is so much quicker than anyone else on the court and find his way to the basket efficiently. I think he learned a lot after losing game four by shooting over 30 times that he needs to do his best to get everyone involved in the offense.
While I was wavering on who to pick for this expected great series, Michael Wilbon of ESPN and noted Chicago fan made a great point about Luol Deng and Keith Bogans. He said 'They are defensive-minded guys first, Deng and Bogans would rather being doing that then scoring on offense.' That earned a complete co-sign from me and think Chicago's man to man defense is going to cause the role players of the Heat to step up in ways we haven't seen all year. If the Heat's much criticized bench lives up to this challenge, they deserve to win because as I have said before, I will doubt something until you make me a believer.
The point about Deng and Bogans also means Chris Bosh needs to play at another level in this series for the Heat to win. We haven't seen it out of Bosh all playoffs, but with the Bulls' only defensive liability in Carlos Boozer, Bosh might get his opportunity to put his stamp on this team. Also trust that the Bulls will give him his shots, just like no one forgets the kid who peed his pants in the 6th grade, no one forgets Bosh's woeful 1 for 18 performance against the Bulls earlier this season. I assume the Bulls attempt to shut down LeBron and DWade, and make the other players beat them. Call it the Anti-Dwight Howard if you will.
The Heat are playing at the highest level, so are the Bulls, this usually equates to a great series. I think you are going to see LeBron get his chance to close out a pivotal game (Game 5 did speak volumes to me personally). You also will see a bunch of great defense, and I will be shocked if either team gets over 100 points in regulation. There is a lot of things to like in this series and I for one cannot wait for tip off in the Windy City tonight.
-Charlie.
The first reason is obvious, Derrick Rose. The Heat has no point guard that can keep up with D-Rose in an enduring playoff series such as this one. Dywane Wade will do his best, but I do think a la Paul Pierce, his offensive numbers will fall off by exerting so much on the defense. Even though Wade is a top notch defender, Rose is so much quicker than anyone else on the court and find his way to the basket efficiently. I think he learned a lot after losing game four by shooting over 30 times that he needs to do his best to get everyone involved in the offense.
While I was wavering on who to pick for this expected great series, Michael Wilbon of ESPN and noted Chicago fan made a great point about Luol Deng and Keith Bogans. He said 'They are defensive-minded guys first, Deng and Bogans would rather being doing that then scoring on offense.' That earned a complete co-sign from me and think Chicago's man to man defense is going to cause the role players of the Heat to step up in ways we haven't seen all year. If the Heat's much criticized bench lives up to this challenge, they deserve to win because as I have said before, I will doubt something until you make me a believer.
The point about Deng and Bogans also means Chris Bosh needs to play at another level in this series for the Heat to win. We haven't seen it out of Bosh all playoffs, but with the Bulls' only defensive liability in Carlos Boozer, Bosh might get his opportunity to put his stamp on this team. Also trust that the Bulls will give him his shots, just like no one forgets the kid who peed his pants in the 6th grade, no one forgets Bosh's woeful 1 for 18 performance against the Bulls earlier this season. I assume the Bulls attempt to shut down LeBron and DWade, and make the other players beat them. Call it the Anti-Dwight Howard if you will.
The Heat are playing at the highest level, so are the Bulls, this usually equates to a great series. I think you are going to see LeBron get his chance to close out a pivotal game (Game 5 did speak volumes to me personally). You also will see a bunch of great defense, and I will be shocked if either team gets over 100 points in regulation. There is a lot of things to like in this series and I for one cannot wait for tip off in the Windy City tonight.
-Charlie.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Only Acceptable Heat Rant
I don't like the Miami Heat whatsoever. If you read my work on the NBA, you know that. But this is epic. Dan LeBatard did something along these lines for the New York Jets, but this is even better. He just comes at with line after line. One word to say to you on this Friday... BAM!
-Charlie.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
NBA Semifinals Predictions
The NBA Playoffs have been terrific so far. Every series had one or two nail biters, we have a Cinderella team, and a couple great series to look forward to in the upcoming weeks. I myself misfired on the Portland-Dallas series, Orlando-Atlanta series, and of course, Memphis-San Antonio. I thought the Grizzles would give them a series, but I didn't expect them to win the series.
1.) Chicago versus 5.) Atlanta- I am personally surprised to see the Hawks playing in the second round, and hopefully, they will give a better effort this season compared to past years. Not having Kirk Heinrich will definitely hurt them because the guy has been a catalyst on offense, but he is just another body to guard Derrick Rose on defense. I think the Hawks' big men could make a difference, but Rose will once again be too good to stop on a nightly basis. Chicago in six.
2.) Miami versus 3.) Boston- Some please explain to me how Boston can look completely dead in the last two months of the NBA season, and now look like an entirely different team? I feel like Ashton Kutcher should come out of hiding and tell me I have been Punk'd. So many interesting story lines in this series, whether it's LeBron vs. Boston, Chris Bosh v. Kevin Garnett, old crown vs. new royalty. Remember how Michael Jordan took down Detroit finally after two unsuccessful tries? That's what LeBron needs to do with Boston to take that next step, or this season is a complete failure plus we have to reevaluate LeBron's ceiling in the NBA. I expect a knock down drag out fight in each game with LeBron finally coming up big in a clutch moment. Miami in seven
Western Conference
4.) Oklahoma City versus 8.) Memphis - The Grizzlies and Thunder find themselves in a new position, the second round. Zach Randolph will have to find ways to score against the twin towers of Kendrick Perkins and Serge Ibaka. I think this has to be Russell Westbrook series for the Thunder to win. In my opinion, Kevin Durant will not have much success against Tony Allen who is a top notch defender, and Westbrook will be forced to put this team on his back for at least a couple games. This will be a very competitive, exciting series. Oklahoma City in six
2.) Los Angeles versus 3.) Dallas- The Lakers seemed to find their swagger in games five and six against New Orleans, and Dallas did the same thing against Portland. It's unreal we haven't seen a Kobe Bryant vs. Dirk Nowitzki series, and I can guarantee we will have one game where both of the guys will just go absolutely bananas trading buckets with each other. I will also tell you Pau Gasol is going to have a hell of a time with Tyson Chandler, same goes for Andrew Bynum. Shawn Marion will need to find his old defensive self because the Mavs might be some trouble with who is guarding Kobe. Even though Boston-Miami has a chance to be great, I think this will be the best series of them all. Los Angeles in seven.
First game starts at noon tomorrow, should be special.
-Charlie.
Friday, April 15, 2011
NBA Eastern Conference First Round Predictions
We are on to the Eastern Conference where I think for the first round, it's much more easier to pick and feel most of the series will not be long lasting in my opinion. I actually hope there are no upsets because the second round will be absolutely bananas. If you missed the Western Conference picks, you can check those out here.
1.) Chicago Bulls v. 8.) Indiana Pacers- This brings back memories of the late 90s with the great Bulls-Pacers playoff matchups where they fought down to the wire. Sadly that will not happen this season. No one can guard Derrick Rose on the Pacers, and the Bulls have enough defensive weapons to keep up with Danny Granger and friends. Hopefully fans show up for Game 3, the Pacers are currently last in the NBA in fan attendance, ouch. Ugly series though, don't expect a ton of scoring. Bulls sweep.
4.) Orlando Magic v. 5.) Atlanta Hawks- The rumblings have begun that the Hawks gave up on another coach, and I hope that's not true for their fanbase. If I am Joe Johnson or Al Hortford, I want to make a statement in the first game after getting embarrassed by the Magic last season. I am throwing a big elbow, or putting someone on their ass to show this year is different. But the crazy thing is I think the Hawks don't care once again therefore the Magic are going to make quick work of the Hawks. Orlando in five.
3.) Boston Celtics v. 6.) New York Knicks- A very excited series, and I look forward to Game 3 at Madison Square Garden in a couple days because it will probably be the best atmosphere in the first round. Originally, I said the Knicks would beat the Celtics in six games and was ready to stick to my word. But after listening to Bill Simmons' podcast where six, count them six NBA analysts said there is no chance this will happen, I started to get nervous. I hate to go against my word, but it's hard not to trust the C's even with their struggles. I do think this will be a slugfest that goes the distance. Celts in seven.
2.) Miami Heat v. 7.) Philadelphia 76ers- The Heat played very well in the final month, and I think they might be hitting their stride at the right time. The Sixers played inspired all year under Doug Collins, and I see them winning one game in the city of Brotherly Love due to the good play of Andre Igoudala. But the Sixers do not have the talent to keep up with both Dwyane Wade and LeBron James on a nightly basis. Heatles in five.
-Charlie.
1.) Chicago Bulls v. 8.) Indiana Pacers- This brings back memories of the late 90s with the great Bulls-Pacers playoff matchups where they fought down to the wire. Sadly that will not happen this season. No one can guard Derrick Rose on the Pacers, and the Bulls have enough defensive weapons to keep up with Danny Granger and friends. Hopefully fans show up for Game 3, the Pacers are currently last in the NBA in fan attendance, ouch. Ugly series though, don't expect a ton of scoring. Bulls sweep.
4.) Orlando Magic v. 5.) Atlanta Hawks- The rumblings have begun that the Hawks gave up on another coach, and I hope that's not true for their fanbase. If I am Joe Johnson or Al Hortford, I want to make a statement in the first game after getting embarrassed by the Magic last season. I am throwing a big elbow, or putting someone on their ass to show this year is different. But the crazy thing is I think the Hawks don't care once again therefore the Magic are going to make quick work of the Hawks. Orlando in five.
3.) Boston Celtics v. 6.) New York Knicks- A very excited series, and I look forward to Game 3 at Madison Square Garden in a couple days because it will probably be the best atmosphere in the first round. Originally, I said the Knicks would beat the Celtics in six games and was ready to stick to my word. But after listening to Bill Simmons' podcast where six, count them six NBA analysts said there is no chance this will happen, I started to get nervous. I hate to go against my word, but it's hard not to trust the C's even with their struggles. I do think this will be a slugfest that goes the distance. Celts in seven.
2.) Miami Heat v. 7.) Philadelphia 76ers- The Heat played very well in the final month, and I think they might be hitting their stride at the right time. The Sixers played inspired all year under Doug Collins, and I see them winning one game in the city of Brotherly Love due to the good play of Andre Igoudala. But the Sixers do not have the talent to keep up with both Dwyane Wade and LeBron James on a nightly basis. Heatles in five.
-Charlie.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
NBA Regular Season & Playoffs From The Only Writer Who Knows The NBA

My predictions at the beginning of the NBA regular season proved to be completely wrong. Both the Heat and Lakers failed to break the Chicago Bulls 72 win season record. I failed to take into account the complacency factor for the Lakers, and I believed the Heat would gel far more quickly. That being said, the regular season was extremely entertaining. Here are some of the highlights from what I witnessed:
- The rejuvenation of the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs is truly remarkable. The Spurs fizzled out at the end, but their start to the season was record-breaking. They achieved their success without significant play from Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, and their defensive prowess reminds me of their dynasty days. The Chicago Bulls' success surprised all of us. Everyone knew that the addition of Boozer and Korver would help this team, but to have the best record with the amount of early injuries they had is a testament to the season Derrick Rose had. Which leads me to.....
- Derrick Rose had himself an MVP season. He took the 8th team in the East to a 60-win season basically by himself. The Bulls star showed throughout the season he can get to the rim against every team, and his improved shooting skills trumped any defense the league put in front of him. He may not have a personality, but his talent and will is something to behold.
- For the first time in Kobe Bryant's career, I think he realizes the success of the Lakers flows through Gasol, Bynum, and Odom, not himself. He should be the runner-up MVP for the regular season. Watching Kobe spread the ball to his bigs through the triangle offense, is the epitome of offensive efficiency. The Lakers were complacent at times, but at their best, no team will be able to beat them.
- Blake Griffin's dunks thrilled and excited every person who watched the woeful Clippers. (who failed to make the playoffs......Charlie)
- This is the first time that I can remember where the NBA Trade Deadline wasn't about saving cash, but about obtaining premium talent. Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks makes New York a credible threat in the East for the next couple of years. Deron Williams to the Nets satisfies The Communists need for a star player.
- The importance of having a great point guard has surpassed the importance of having a great big man. We are in the Year of the Quarterback and the Year of the Point Guard. Derrick Rose, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Rajon Rondo, and Russell Westbrook are coveted assets by their organizations.
- Dwight Howard had himself a great season, but he needs to get out of Orlando. If I were the coach of the Magic, I would take an entire regular season, and focus my entire offense through Dwight Howard. Right now, the Magic are 50% Howard, 50% three-pointers. If I were the coach, I would scrap a regular season to develop a complete Dwight Howard that would terrorize a league for multiple regular seasons. Keep feeding him the ball on every possession. He still hasn't reached his full potential, and I don't think he will reach that point in Orlando.
- Kevin Durant's high caliber season of 2009-2010, never transferred over to 2010-2011. Durant is an extremely good player. He is a terrific scorer who can get buckets from anywhere on the court. But, his game has an exploitable flaw that I have stated countless times. He does not look for teammates. For a player who has the ball as much as he does, his inability to spread the ball hinders the Thunder's offense. This fact will be the downfall of a promising season for the Thunder.
- And Finally............
- The Miami Heat failed to live up to my lofty expectations; however, I have never had so much fun watching an NBA team (see kicked down door). Wade and Lebron consistently carried Chris Bosh. Bosh was not ready for the start of the regular season. He wasn't ready for the intensity and hatred, and he wasn't ready for all the expectations. Wade and Lebron's friendship seems to be genuine, and their games actually compliment each other at times. Erik Spoelstra failed miserably at the beginning of the season. His offensive game plans were woeful, and he commanded no respect from his team. But, he prevailed. The success of the Heat stems from his ability to place Wade as the go-to-guy in the clutch, and use Lebron and Wade in pick-and-roll situations. The Miami Heat needed two more weeks of training camp, but I still consider their season a success.
NBA Playoffs
I have never been this excited for the NBA Playoffs to begin. Think about all the great matchups. Durant vs. Bryant. Lebron vs. Rose. Rondo vs. Wade. Howard vs. Entire East. I mean, Good Lord! Plus.......No Gus Johnson and ALL CHARLES BARKLEY BABY!!!!!
Here are some of my predictions for these immaculate NBA playoffs:
- Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls had a great NBA regular season. I do not think this will translate over to a NBA Finals berth. The Bulls remind me too much of the Cleveland Cavaliers of the last 3 years (Best record, MVP, Role Players a plenty, Defensive Minded Head Coach, Probably Coach of the Year). Rose will constantly be double-teamed and triple-teamed and it will be up to the role players to carry this team. If Korver, Boozer, and Deng can make shots, the Bulls will ruin my prediction. But, those players couldn't do it in Utah, and I don't think they are ready to do it in the hostile East.'
- The San Antonio Spurs won't make it to the Finals either. They are actually "too old." The Boston Celtics are old, but the Spurs are "too old." Tim Duncan is the greatest power forward of all-time, and I believe that this is his last relevant playoff run. It's unfortunate, but the passing of the torch needs to come sometime.
- The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers are the only two teams in the West who I believe have a shot at making the finals. With the addition of Kendrick Perkins to the Thunder's lineup, the Thunder can now compete physically with the Lakers. The Lakers triangle offense and big man prowess will ultimately carry this team to the Finals. Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson want this title badly. Phil wants to go out on top, and I believe he will inspire Artest, Fisher, Brown, and Odom to step up like they did last season.
- The Boston Celtics are the wild-card in these NBA playoffs. Before the Perkins trade, the Celtics were the easy choice for the Finals. Now, they seem like they will be lucky to get out of the first round. I believe the Celtics will pony up and make one more run, but their lack of skilled size in the middle will ultimately be their demise in the East. Sorry Bill Simmons, but your Celtics have no shot of winning an NBA title this year.
- The New York Knicks don't play defense. You don't win championships without defense.
- The Denver Nuggets' coach George Karl is the only challenger for Tom Thibodeau for Coach of the Year. Their success is totally out-of-left-field. They lose their two best players and then have one of the best records in the league since.
- And Finally...........
- The Miami Heat on the verge of being a dynasty. Lebron, Wade, and Bosh are playing well together. They have stifling defense at times. Their role players step up at times. They have experience, they have the pedigree, and I believe they will make the NBA Finals, and win their first championship together. I don't know if the Heat will struggle in the half court offense. I don't know if their role players can live up in the extreme pressure of the playoffs. I don't know if they can defend Derrick Rose. But, I do know that the will of the two superstars of Lebron and Wade will push this team harder than any team in recent memory. The Chicago Bulls succeeded because they feared Michael Jordan's retribution. The Miami Heat will succeed because Lebron and Wade won't let them fail.
Prediction: Heat vs. Lakers
Heat in 6 games!
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Go Crazy Cleveland! Go Crazy!
If there is one bright spot in a Cleveland sports fan's life in 2011, it will be that they beat LeBron once and getting Derrick Williams in June. I find insignificant for the Miami Heat, and I thought the issues with LBJ/Cleveland got petty by the middle of this season. It is still awesome to beat your favorite enemy.
-Charlie.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
DOY: Rodney Stuckey
I hope there can be about 100 posters of the 'Handsome Brontosaurus' Chris Bosh getting dunked on like he did last night in Detroit. This probably will be the highlight of the Pistons' worthless seasons. My dream for playoffs is Derrick Rose right over Bosh. I will buy a poster asap.
-Charlie.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
You Roast The Ones You Love....This Should Be Short

I haven't written for the prestigious SnoTap in awhile. So, before the "excitement" of the opening NCAA games, I thought I would give you a taste on my thoughts about the world of sports as of this moment.
That's it for me. Enjoy the tournament. I will be annoying Charlie with constant criticism.
- When a girl backs up your point on a sports-related argument, you should just concede your point to your opponent. You've lost.
- Mario Chalmers and Mike Bibby/Carlos Arroyo are the reason why the Miami Heat lose games. Look at the teams Miami has consistently lost to this season: Bulls and Celtics. Both have two point guards that destroyed Miami's defense. The Spurs handed Miami their largest loss with a healthy Tony Parker in the lineup, and lost in a blow out when Parker was ailing from a recent injury. Miami needs to magically develop a lock down defender at the point or they will be out of the playoffs in the second round.
- Donald Trump's Roast on Comedy Central may be one of the best comedy programs of the year. The Situation bombed, I found a new comedian in Anthony Jeselnik, and a Lisa Lampanelli joke always livens up the spirit. Best joke: (looking at the deaf woman on the dais) "Are you even listening to me?"
- Pau Gasol is the ugliest human being on earth; however, he is getting some stiff competition from Sheldon Williams, Turkoglu, the Pitt center who shall remain nameless for to speak his name is to develop instant rashes across your face, and of course Joakim Noah.
- The NFL needs to settle this whole lockout situation. Peyton Manning only needs 89 more starts to break ole' dick flasher's consecutive starts record, and with a skipped season, he would need to stick around to 41 in order to break it. "The mooner" would then surpass "The flasher"
- If you haven't been able to catch "The Association", a program following the Boston Celtics' season, you are missing out completely. The Celtics must put their fans through constant twists and turns. For the life of me, I do not know how a human being could dislike Ray Allen, or adore someone like Kevin Garnett. The loss of Kendrick Perkins will ultimately destroy any chance of the Celtics winning a title, and the way the players reacted afterwards, Danny Ainge may have lost his team as a general manager.
- I was always a staunch UNC supporter, but I am picking Duke to win it all. Coach K is probably the single greatest basketball coach in the history of the game. Yup. He took a program from nothing, without violations, in the most competitive environment possible (UNC is 8 miles down the road), with extremely high academic standards, and turned it into a powerhouse. No other coach in basketball could do that. He could surpass Bobby Knight this tournament, and he deserves everything that has come his way.
- I hate the first two rounds of the tournament because I hate that small schools get treated like they are better than the pile of crap they are. The same feelings I have for BCS non-qualifiers, I have for the VCUs, San Diego States, Bucknells. These small school "everybody deserves a chance" systems doesn't follow our capitalistic, American, ideals.
That's it for me. Enjoy the tournament. I will be annoying Charlie with constant criticism.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
As The Heatles Turn
(Found this on Barstool Philly, great from Chris Webber)
I did not want to touch on the Miami Heat for the second time in three days. But, after they lost to the Portland Trail Blazers last night by the tune of 105-96, there was a very interesting quote from LeBron James. James said "Crazy thing is if we lose the rest of our games, we will still be in the playoffs." I posted this on Facebook, and the reaction was like if I made fun of Justin Bieber in front 100 teenage girls. The funny thing is LeBron is absolutely right no question about it, but it's nothing that should be said from their star player.
I posted this on Facebook because I believed it made the Heat look like a team, once again, that is mentally defeated. I wouldn't look that much into it, but Dwyane Wade shares the same sort of 'aww shucks' 'look at me' 'feel bad for us' persona. I called them mentally weak, which is an extreme comment for their careers, but right now, they have a losing mentality.
Jon, a Brewers Daily blogger and a passionate sports fan disagreed with me saying that quotes are overrated in sports. I thought about this for awhile today. Sometimes, yes, they do get overblown. But I bet this is the first quote every journalist at that game uses in their story. Quotes add to the reasons why we love sports. We always look for nuggets from the best in the business like LBJ, Brett Favre, Alex Rodriguez, and Kobe Bryant. Everyone hopes for the rants from the various players and coaches to quote for the next month or even year. A lot of the people covering the Heat need to make these inferences because if they don't, the radio will or the fans will. Quotes revolve around our sports life and other aspects like politics, and entertainment (e.g. Charlie Sheen).
Jon also mentioned that this true statement by LeBron is fine because 'seeding doesn't matter'. I had my O RLY?! face on and went to do some research on the topic. Here's how it breaks down as to what seed represents the NBA's Eastern Conference in the last 30 years.
1 seed: 18/30- 60 percent of the time
2 seed 7/30- 23 percent
3 seed 4/30- 13 percent
4 seed 1/30- 3 percent
5 seed never
6 seed never
7 seed never
8 seed 1/30- 3 percent (the lockout year as an fyi)
To say seeding doesn't matter is false. There is an obvious correlation to teams needing to have at least one home playoff series, and increased success, if they have two or more home series. You can say the Heat do not have fans and all of that jazz about Miami, but being home means not living out of a suitcase amongst other things. I am beyond interested to see what happens with the red-hot Los Angeles Lakers coming to South Beach on Thursday. The Heat need to win, the Lakers want to make another statement, should be a good one.
-Charlie.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Coach Spo' Needs To Go
There is definitely a problem in South Beach. No longer do we have people talking about if the Miami Heat are going to win 70 games, or if they were going to sweep through the Eastern Conference playoffs. No, people are starting to wondering if this team can make it through the second round of the playoffs at best and they do not look as scary. They are team without direction. With about five weeks left in the NBA season, the Miami Heat are in complete flux.
After seeing the Heat struggle mightily in late game situations as of late, I believe the Heat do not listen to Head Coach Erik Spoelstra because there is no sign of an offense at any point of the game. I doubt that Spoelstra is inept as a coach, I just think he lost his team especially against the good teams. When a lot of the discussion about the Heat earlier this season came up, questions were raised whether if players listen to Spoelstra? Many people believed they were not. Then Heat railed off a 20-2 record in the coming weeks so people left it alone.
When the Heat made that impressive run they only faced six playoff teams, and twice against New York pre-Carmelo. The two losses the Heat had were against Dallas and the Los Angeles Clippers on the road. The Heat's record stood at 30-10, since then they are three games under .500. Not what you want heading into the stretch run to the playoffs. Spoelstra does not know how to manage this team, which was something the critics worried at the beginning of the season.
I cannot blame Spoelstra for not being able deal with all of these superstars, I mean what if I got Bill Simmons, Jason Whitlock, and Michael Smith to all write for Sports News On Tap, how do I deal with all their collective egos? I cannot say I would be able to do it, nor I am not sure Spoelstra can. I believe during the recent struggles, it is being put on display. If it comes out that Spoelstra told LeBron James to stop shooting in late game situations, and that role belongs to Dwyane Wade instead. Then somehow it becomes public, who looks like the asshole? Not Lebron, totally 100 percent Spoelstra. He has no clout whatsoever with the players, and goes about trying to get it in all the wrong ways.
The crying comment is unneccesary, you do not call out your team for crying. I can just see Kevin Garnett rattling their cage, same with the Bulls, and other teams in the league. It's one more distraction that you have to deal amongst the multiple issues that the Heat have to deal with. If I am the Heat, I would have Jamaal Magloire destroy LaMarcus Aldridge tomorrow and show some toughness. Even though I see nothing wrong with being so upset you break down in the locker room (been there done that), the Heat look soft. No one can say differently because all professional sports are filled with testosterone to the row Z of the arena.
If the Heat want to win this season, they have to get rid of Spoelstra. The National Hockey League always gets rid of the coaches like it's a revolving door, there is no reason the NBA cannot do the same. You need Pat Riley to bring back the toughness that this team lacks because Coach Spo as the Heatles want to call him is not doing them any favors.
-Charlie.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Mike Bibby Does Nothing For Me
The Miami Heat are in a point guard hell. The entire year they have been searching for the answer. The Heat tried Carlos Arroyo... nope, Mario Chalmers... a little better but nothing special, LeBron James... okay, but better on the wing, and now it's Mike Bibby... Yikes. Bibby agreed to a buyout with the Washington Wizards and according to ESPN's Chris Broussard sources, he will sign with the Heat. This doesn't put the Heat over the top by any means.
Bibby is the very poor man's Derek Fisher. He will give some good minutes with a dash of scoring although he cannot play defense to save his soul. Remember how Brandon Jennings last year in the playoffs took Bibby to the woodshed each game. Bibby could not keep up for a seven-game series. There is a reason the Atlanta Hawks got rid of Bibby for Kirk Hinrich. You have to think if Bibby was good enough, the playoff bound Hawks will keep him for the remainder of the season.
This is such a point guard driven league, which makes Bibby sticks out like snorlax wearing Baby Gap. He cannot guard Rajon Rondo or Derrick Rose, that's a huge problem even with guys like Dwyane Wade and LeBron on his side. Bibby will likely be put on a player who is bigger than him, or the Heat will have to play a zone. This solves no problems for the so-called Heatles. They will have to make unnecessary adjustments in every game.
To me, this is a panic move. The Heat know they missed out on getting a good role player at point guard during the offseason. They did not even need a guy who will start on most of the NBA rosters, rather a guy to distribute to Wade, LeBron, and Chris Bosh at a high level plus play some defense. Bibby will get the ball to the Big 3, but he will suffer a lot of the blame when it comes to concerns about the Heat's defense.
-Charlie.

This is such a point guard driven league, which makes Bibby sticks out like snorlax wearing Baby Gap. He cannot guard Rajon Rondo or Derrick Rose, that's a huge problem even with guys like Dwyane Wade and LeBron on his side. Bibby will likely be put on a player who is bigger than him, or the Heat will have to play a zone. This solves no problems for the so-called Heatles. They will have to make unnecessary adjustments in every game.
To me, this is a panic move. The Heat know they missed out on getting a good role player at point guard during the offseason. They did not even need a guy who will start on most of the NBA rosters, rather a guy to distribute to Wade, LeBron, and Chris Bosh at a high level plus play some defense. Bibby will get the ball to the Big 3, but he will suffer a lot of the blame when it comes to concerns about the Heat's defense.
-Charlie.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)