Miami At Dallas Tonight at 8:30

The Heat are on the road in Dallas tonight for what should be a very tough game. Miami has had a hard time against the better teams in the league thus far, and Dallas has had a hot start at 11-4. However, I am pretty sure Miami is still  pretty pissed at the comments Mark Cuban had made a few weeks ago (If you don't know what happened, read the article "Mark Cuban Calls Out Heat"). The Heat may have struggled from time to time, but these guys are not going to let an owner talk about them without doing anything about it.

I expect Wade to have a solid game tonight. He is now out of his slump and made some great plays in the closing minutes of last night's game. We know Wade also has a history with Dallas, so look for him to perform.

Bosh is going to be crucial in this game. He needs to crash the boards and hit some major buckets. He has been shooting well, so I expect him to get between 15 and 20 points. Also, if he could grab around 10 rebounds, it would put Miami in great position to win.

LeBron should go out there and take over this game if need be. He has been incredibly consistent, and got into the lane whenever he wanted to last night. I have some high expectations for him tonight, so he will get at least a double double. I expect him to score between 25 and 30 points, with at least 10 assists.

I want to see the bench get involved tonight. Although the Heat won last night, the bench really did not perform that well. Either Jones or House should get around 10 points tonight. Good perimeter shooting by these guys will spread the floor and make LeBron and Dwayne's job a whole lot easier.

If Kidd and Dirk get going, they will be very hard to stop. I want to see Miami's lock down defense tonight so that these two cannot build any momentum. If you take these two out of the game, the rest of the line up falls apart.

Overall, this is going to be a close one to call. Either team has the potential to run away with this game, and Dallas has the advantage of playing very good basketball so far this season. However, LeBron, Wade, and Bosh have the unique ability to take the game into their hands whenever they please. On top of that, LeBron and Wade are not too fond of Dallas, so you know they are going to play that angry basketball we love. The intensity from Miami tonight will be off the charts.

I expect Miami to go out there tonight, take care of Dallas, and show Mark Cuban that this is not the team he was making fun of a few weeks ago.

Get em.

Heat Are Ready For Mark Cuban and Dallas

Tonight, Miami heads to Dallas to take on the Mavericks. In an earlier post, I spoke about how Mark Cuban called out the Heat and said how much he loved that they were struggling. My advice to Mark Cuban is, you probably shouldn't had made LeBron angry.
I will be posting my pre game analysis a few hours before the game. In the mean time, lets all get ready for  a very exciting game in Dallas tonight.

Get em.

Wade Bounces Back As Heat Close Out Sixers 99-90

Now this is the kind of basketball I'm talking about. Miami had a great performance from the big 3, who combined for 71 points, and the Heat were able to close out Philadelphia in the final minutes of the game to get the win. I know it is just the Sixers, but this game was huge for Miami. Losing this game would have been a nightmare for the front office in South Beach, and I am glad that they were able to pull this one out.

I like how Wade led the charge here. With 23 points, he seemed like he was back to himself. He was clutch in the fourth quarter and did what he had to do to close out the Sixers. I really liked his play.

Bosh added close to a double double tonight with 18 points and 9 rebounds. I liked his aggression and how he was able to get himself into the lane early and often. He set the tone early, and was able to give Miami the foundation they needed to get the win.

LeBron went out and did his thing tonight, as usual. With 20 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists, he filled the state sheet yet again and got others involved. He did his job to set the pace in the game and sped up the tempo at all the right times. Another good game for the King.

You have to love Miami's intensity tonight. They pressure was on and they performed. Everyone is calling for Coach Spo's head, and Miami gave him another chance by winning tonight. The Heat knew that losing this game lead to all kinds of problems, and it showed in their game play. Even when Philly made some runs, it was more than obvious that Miami was NOT going to let this game slip away.

I really like that Arroyo got involved tonight as well. He did his job with 17 points and helped get others involved. He is slowly, but surely, becoming the guard the Heat need him to be.

I would had liked to see more help from the bench, but tonight's play was definitely an improvement. The bench combined for 17 points, which was all they needed to get the win.

Overall, this was the type of game Miami needed to get on the right track. They have a big game against Dallas tomorrow, and this game was a good warm up. Lets hope Miami keeps up the intensity and closes out big D, and more importantly, shuts Mark Cuban up.

Get em.

Heat Look to End Losing Streak Against Sixers

The 3-12 Sixers head to Miami tonight. Miami has lost 3 straight and are in serious need of a team like Philly so they can get back on the right track. This should not be a tough win for the Heat, but lets not get ahead of ourselves. We all saw what the Pacers did to Miami, and that game was supposed to be a blowout.

Miami's entire focus for this game should be to do anything they have to in order to win. They shouldn't be working on sets or trying to run plays if they do not feel confident in them. Just play tough defense, good offense, get out and run if need be, and win the game.

LeBron has held his end of the bargain so far. Look for him to have another solid night (as he has), and score between 25 and 35 points with a handful of assists and rebounds.

Bosh has been improving, and should also score around 20. He may have some problems in the glass, so his rebounds might not be as good as they can be. Still, expect him to perform.

Wade creates in issue. He just has not been himself lately. Dwayne is not one to go into slumps, so look for him to break out of it tonight against a weaker Philly team. If he does not perform, there may be more wrong with him physically than we think.

I need the bench to come up big in this one. Guys have to come off the bench and give good, solid minutes. I would like to see Chalmers get some more time, and we need quality minutes from everyone else.

My X factors here are Jones and House. These guys have the potential to come of the bench and add about 15 points each, so that is what I want to see tonight. LeBron is going to give them the looks, but they have to knock down the shots.

So come on Miami, its a new day. Go out there and run your stuff the right way and get a solid win that can set us back on the right track.

Bosh is Happy Heat Are Being Challenged

In last night's post-game interview, Bosh stated that he is happy with the fact that they are not undefeated right now. He went on to say that if Miami were to have gone undefeated, they would think that it was going to be cake all the way to the championship (when in reality, it is not). 

I agree with Bosh's statement. He made a good point. If the Miami Heat were to go all the way to the playoffs uncontested, they would run into some serious problems. With the Heat struggling early, they can have their weaknesses exploited. Because they will be able to see their problems, they can work much harder to improve them and work towards a better Miami Heat team.

Many people took this statement the wrong way, but quite frankly, when does anyone on the Miami Heat get to say anything that ISN'T taken the wrong way. The media just keep digging and looking for flaws, and this has probably been the most over analyzed season for one team in the history of sports. Give these guys a break. This is not NBA 2K where you can create a fantasy team and put greats next to each other and have it work. This is reality, and it takes time and practice for guys to get on the same page. I personally am more than satisfied that they are over .500 at this point. 

This season is a learning experience. I still do believe that they will end this season with a championship, but why do they have to be so good so early? Lets give Miami time, let them develop, and see what happens. Lets not forgot that they don't need to be the first seed in the playoffs to win the title, they just have to make it there. We all know what the Heat are capable of, so lets let them keep on plugging. 

Be a true Heat fan, ignore the analysts. We know the Heat are going to win a title this year, so what they say doesn't matter.

Cleveland Police Department Prepares for LeBron's Return

I know there are a few games between now and next Thursday, and I will be addressing them. But next week, LeBron is returning to Cleveland for the first time. This will not be a pretty picture.

Fans are still extremely upset over LeBron's departure, and it is no surprise that the police will be taking extra precautions. Officers will be stationed around Miami's bench, at the door, and throughout the arena. All signs will be removed, and all crude T shirts will be replaced by a Cavaliers shirt designated by the Arena's management. This is a good start, but you may need a little more security than that for this game. We have seen how insensitive and vicious these fans have been when LeBron is NOT around, I can't imagine what they will be like when he is.

This game could potentially be the most hostile game in sports history. When Brett Favre returned to Green Bay, he got a mixed reaction. There will be NO mixed reaction for LeBron. Anyone who tries to say they still love him will probably be mauled by an angry mob of Cavalier fans.

I don't think anyone realizes how bad this game is going to be. I know the Q is doing their job to protect LeBron, but they are going to need a lot more officers there to ensure he is safe. There is a still a whole week left before this game, and the Heat have quite a few games in between. All I am saying is to check your rear view window, because it is going to sneak up on us faster than we know it.

Heat Extend Losing Streak to 3 Games in Orlando Loss

It happened again. The Heat have dropped 3 straight, and people are beginning to worry. Lets take a look at what happened this game.

The Heat were out rebounded. I say this every time because it is a necessity. The Heat need rebounds to win games, and they are not getting them. In every loss they have had this season they have been out rebounded, and this pattern will only continue.

The Heat got no help from the bench. The bench did not score, again. Someone on that bench has to take charge and start putting up points. Jones and House participate from time to time, but they need more help than  that. The bench needs to produce some sort of bench play if they want to win games.

Jameer Nelson did what he wanted. The Heat could not contain him, and he was allowed to get everyone else involved early. It was apparent that Arroyo could not handle him. Late in the game he did whatever he wanted.

The big 3, however, played pretty solid basketball(besides Wade, who is continuing to struggle). They are not the problem. The problem is that Miami has no one else that will take charge after the Heat. No one wants to step up and take charge, and everyone waits around to see what Miami is going to do. This type of bench play is unacceptable.

Miami misses Haslem. He was the Heart and soul of the defense, and his absence is a gaping hole in the Heat bench. Without Haslem, the energy and consistency goes down 3 notches.

To spite all this, Miami still has a winning record. It is still a young season, and there is still plenty of room to be the best in the league. However, there are some issues that the Heat need to work out. Rebounding, team work, and intensity are not consistent. If Miami wants to be the best in the league, they need to work out some of the fundamentals and go back to square one.

After all this, Miami can still turn it on at will. I have said it before and I will say it again. There is NO ceiling on Miami Heat basketball this season.

James is a born leader, and sooner or later, he will lead this team to the promised land. Keep your heads up Heat fans, there is a lot of basketball left.

Magic Vs. Heat: Round Two

So Miami and Orlando tip off for the second time this season. Miami played great ball against Orlando the first time around, but have suffered some tough losses since. Miami suffered the worst loss of the season in their last game against the Pacers, so they should be trying to redeem themselves.

On paper, this game looks to be all Orlando. They have the best center in the game, they shoot the ball well, and they have a solid record. On top of this, they play some great basketball at home. This is going to be a tough battle for Miami, but I wouldn't count them out just yet.

The Heat are always in any ball game for 3 reasons: LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh. Any of these guys can have a huge game at any time, and LeBron tends to take charge of the squad in the second half. The Heat have the potential to pull this one out, if they can prove to be a resilient team. The Pacer's definitely put the Heat in a bad mood, and they should come into this game with some serious intensity.

The Heat NEED to rebound tonight. Dwight Howard is a big guy, and you know he is going to be crashing the boards. The Heat have to shut him down ad grab as many rebounds as possible and try to turn them into fast break opportunities. This is a huge game for Miami, and a loss here would lead to a media frenzy (as most losses do).

Look for LeBron to lead the charge in this game. He knows how important it is to beat Orlando. He has bumped heads with them quite a few times, and understands the offence very well. Look for him and Dwayne to try and get Howard in foul trouble and reduce his minutes. If Miami can keep Howard in check, their odds of winning this game significantly increase.

This game has too many factors for me to predict points or a winner. I would like to see LeBron fill the stat sheet, because that means other players are getting involved. Bosh and Wade need to score and grab boards. Hopefully, in the process of driving the lane and crashing the boards, they can get some Orlando guys in foul trouble.

The Heat need to come out strong and grab this win. They killed Orlando before, and it would be great if they could shut them out again.

Lets see LeBron go out and have some fun at the expense of Orlando tonight.
Get em.