Game Thread: Miami Heat Game Thread for January 20th-25th

[Paolo305613]

Games in this stretch will feature OKC at home,Hornets on the road, Pacers at home and at the Bulls

 

[Paolo305613]

Can Miami Heat get more out of Luol Deng? - Sun Sentinel
Why can't Luol Deng score 25 points every night? -- Stuart.

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it's stinky in here
HELIUM
AT 8:31 AM JANUARY 17, 2015
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A: First, because that's not who he is, not who he tries to be, not who the Heat need him to be. But what was comforting about Friday's performance was that when Dwyane Wade again had to sit out, Deng was able to step up his game. But that's not why he is here. He was added to play off of Wade and off of Chris Bosh. What made him particularly effective Friday was the way he played on the move. That's when he's at his best, including moving to his preferred shooting spots. But that means that teammates have to find him in those spots. It is not by coincidence that Deng plays his best when the Heat are playing their best. He is wonderful at moving to the rhythm of the game. Friday, the Heat dictated that rhythm. There's an interesting symbiosis there. When Deng plays well, the Heat play well; when the Heat play well, Deng plays well.


Q: I was real distressed to hear that Josh McRoberts was floated as a possible trade candidate. Please tell me it was only as enticement for Charlotte, since they really miss him, and that he is not being shopped (would be kind of hard, I would think, given his current status). I still really like him. -- Bruce, Boca Raton.

A: I, too, was surprised, considering Erik Spoelstra has spoken so frequently about how the absence of McRoberts has compromised the Heat's rotation. Considering the four years the Heat extended to McRoberts, it would seem awful hasty to give up after a single month on the court. But we know that Pat Riley is partial to centers, and Brook Lopez has had his eye since the 2008 draft. Or maybe in the brief time McRoberts was on the court, the Heat hierarchy did not necessarily see what they envisioned in the offseason.

Q: So does Shabazz Napier keep starting? He's 1-1 as a starter. That's better than the Heat's overall winning percentage. -- Jack.

A: Well, I'm not sure that when Dwyane Wade gets back that Erik Spoelstra is going to be willing to play Mario Chalmers in reserve (although that would help ease the Heat's issues at backup shooting guard, a role that Chalmers thrived in early). Because Dwyane plays with the ball in his hands so often, what he needs is a shooter alongside. That's something that Chalmers has been over the years, something that's not exactly a comfortable role for Napier. And I'm not sure Spoelstra wants to have Wade as a 3-point shooter. Like most things Heat these days, it mostly will come down to chemistry.

 

[Paolo305613]

Its sad, yet not surprising that days after an article mentioned how the Heat could not afford to have DIVA sit out more games for no reason, he decides to SIT OUT another last night. It goes to show the pussy just does what he wants regardless of the team. The article mentioned how he was starting to realize he couldnt afford to sit out more games, yet he does it again... Him missing games has nothing to do with anyone other than himself just not wanting to play.

 

[Paolo305613]

Is Miami Heat lack of depth at shooting guard dangerous? - Sun Sentinel

I'm not surprised that the Heat can't find a decent backup shooting guard. It's the thinnest position in the league right now. The league's top shooting guard, James Harden, doesn't play defense. Klay Thomson got a (near-)max contract. And old geezers like Dwyane Wade and Kobe Bryant rank in the top five. Beyond those names are a lot of flawed shooting guards who either can't play defense or can't shoot. The reality for the Heat is that their best option at backup shooting guard is to play two scoring point guards together or to play a small forward out of position. -- David.

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A: I'm not talking about needing a great backup shooting guard, just someone at the Jordan Crawford level. And that shouldn't be too hard to find. The Heat's lack of a true backup shooting guard compromises the entire rotation when Wade sits out. Look, I know I first pushed for a third point guard, then for a third center. But you can have 15 players under contract, so three of everything kind of makes sense. The reality is that if Danny Granger was more productive or James Ennis more polished, this wouldn't be an issue. But you shouldn't have to go into an NBA regular-season game with Mario Chalmers, Ennis and Tyler Johnson as your only choices at shooting guard on the nights Wade sits, especially when it's apparent that Wade will sit a lot.

cComments
I think Pat Riley sat down SoSlowSpo and said, "Where the phock is the reinvention!!" He told him smallball is dead, his headless-chicken defense had to go, and to play the new guys ... or else. The result has been significant improvements on both ends of the court. Many of us have...
JOSH22
AT 10:41 AM JANUARY 18, 2015
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Q: I'm beginning to feel this team has not figured out how to win regularly with Dwyane Wade on the floor. In n way am I suggesting that they are better without Wade. But much like when LeBron James was here, the team gave the ball to the star. The Heat need to become a better team with Wade on the floor, much like the win against the Clippers. -- Chet.


A: Look, they are better in so many ways, including, as Hassan Whiteside pointed out, the ability of Wade to draw defenders from the paint and create the possibilities of those alley-oops. But I do think that when Chris Bosh talks after the Kings game about the quality ball movement, it is code for that the ball has to move all the time, no matter who is in the lineup. At the outset of the season, Bosh was the focus of the offense, and things were going well. The reality is the Heat always win when Bosh scores 30 or more. But I also think there are times when Wade looks around on the perimeter and see no better options. And usually he's correct.

Q: A week ago, Shabazz Napier is in Sioux Falls, finishing up his second stint with the D-League in a month even though he plays behind arguably the least-accomplished set of point guards in the league (Lakers fans may disagree). Tuesday, he is all of the sudden asked -- by the same coach who didn't think him qualified to take any of Norris Cole's minutes -- to play all 12 minutes of the fourth quarter in a contested game. A day later, the same coach starts him against the league's leading MVP candidate. This is no way to develop a young player. It's one thing to throw him into the deep end; it’s another to spend a month telling him you don't think he can swim, and then throw him into shark-infested waters. This is silly stuff from a coach who, however skilled he is as a game manager and an Xs-and-Os guy, has shown very little by way of patience or perseverance in developing young talent. Now we have Hassan Whiteside, who, I can only imagine, Spoelstra plans to play behind Justin Hamilton for two weeks before starting him in Chicago at the end of the month. -- Ian, Miami.

A: So how do you really feel? The one thing I will say about when rotations take such wild turns, such as Spoelstra's, is that it often is a case of the talent not being good enough, which leads to the relentless searching. Some of your concern might actually be addressed to Pat Riley. So many of the Heat's pieces are flawed. That, in turn, makes some of the decisions come off as flawed.

 

[Paolo305613]

Heat not lacking depth at shooting guard. They just need to find a starting SG that isnt such a fucking pussy.

 

[Paolo305613]

Can Shabazz Napier coexist alongside Dwyane Wade? - Sun Sentinel
Shabazz Napier's ballhandling and assists remind me of a younger Steve Nash. No one else on the team has his handle and quickness with the ball. Are the Heat working with him on his shooting to complete the package offensively? -- Andrew, Coral Gables.

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A: Yes, and if you show up early before Heat games, you can see assistant Dan Craig working with him on a variety of shots. Because of his thin build, I think, as with Nash, defense will remain a challenge for Napier, especially when it comes to being pin-balled off screens. But there also is a greater issue at play: Can Napier succeed alongside Dwyane Wade? Among the reasons that Erik Spoelstra has started Napier the past two games is that Wade has been out. For Wade, it could take yet another sacrifice, of again getting off the ball. Beyond that, because of Napier's inconsistent shooting, a starting backcourt of Napier and Wade would leave the Heat with Chris Bosh as the lone true 3-point threat in the starting lineup. It's a dilemma for the Heat. On one hand, Napier could be the team's point guard of the future. On the other, he might not be the optimal fit with Wade.


Q: What the Heat needs most of all is the aggressive Chris Bosh who showed up for the Kings game, the same Bosh that showed up for the first four games of the season. When Bosh is aggressive, Luol Deng plays off his aggressive play and the Heat gel. Whenever Bosh goes into Big Three mode, the Heat struggle -- Paul, Fort Lauderdale.

A: Which also has us turning our eyes to Wade. Dwyane went out of his way the previous three seasons to make it work with LeBron James. He seemed to be accommodating Bosh the same way at the start of the season. Then Wade began to put up big scoring totals and evolved into the focus of the offense before his recent injury. I agree that the Heat are at their best when they're at least working the ball through Bosh, provided Bosh is at least setting up in the mid-post. But, again, that comes down to how much Wade is willing to cede. It's a tough call, and a difficult one for Spoelstra or even Pat Riley to suggest. Dwyane has been scoring and shooting at a high rate this season. But this could be a case where less proves to be more.

Q: Isn't it about time we see more of Udonis Haslem. -- Roland, Portland.

A: He certainly provided a spark against the Kings. But with Hassan Whiteside emerging, about the only way Haslem works into this rotation is to take some of Chris Andersen's minutes. The problem is that when either Whiteside or Birdman aren't on the court, the Heat have no deterrence at the rim. And with opposing point guards consistently working their way into the lane, the entire second line of defense is then reduced to Haslem's ability to draw charges.

 

[Paolo305613]

Ah, yes, Ira pointing out our young-gun assistant coaches contributing to the success of our young gun players success. Still, the problem with Napier is defense, and that is reason not to yet start him - his ball handling is improving but still needs work.

 

[bksballer89]

Seems like Wade should be a go tomorrow

 

[bksballer89]

 

[Paolo305613]

.@DwyaneWade and Chris Andersen were full participants in practice today. Wade is listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game.

Per Miami Heat twitter page. I guess its as noteworthy when Diva fully practices a day before a game as much as it is noteworthy when he decides he is going to sit out a game about 24 hours before game time.

 

[Paolo305613]

Jason Lieser ✔ @PBPjasonlieser
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Over last 2 weeks, Heat are 4th in the NBA in opponent FGs at 41.1% and 4th in defensive efficiency at 95.9 pts per 100 poss.
1:52 PM - 19 Jan 2015

Always great when the players do their job and execute the game plan - But also sad, laughable, yet not surprising when this lousy fan base fails to give the coaching staff praise for doing their job just as they would trash them if they didnt perform to the liking of this lousy fan base.

 

[Paolo305613]

Tom Washington, Courtney Kirkland, James Williams your referees for tonight's Heat-Thunder, 7:30 p.m., AmericanAirlines Arena (Sun Sports).

 

[Paolo305613]

Should (could) Miami Heat push to trade for Reggie Jackson? - Sun Sentinel
Wouldn't you agree the Heat's immediate needs are point guard and shooting guard? I was thinking of Reggie Jackson, who is available. The hardest part is finding a third team, which is what it's going to take. I would be willing to part with Luol Deng at this point. -- Bryan, Davie.

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Scoring 59 points is not necessarily a good thing. How many assists did he have? Assists show an awareness of other team members. When LeBron lazily got picked off dribbling the ball, where were the other Cavaliers warning him and stopping the fast break? They were not PROACTIVE to help him out...
NYHEAT
AT 6:45 AM JANUARY 20, 2015
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A: First, from what I can tell, the Heat would be reluctant to part with Deng, who was among those requested when the Heat and Nets were talking about Brook Lopez. I agree that Reggie Jackson is intriguing, and we know he was a player who caught Pat Riley's attention going into that draft. Plus, with Jackson approaching free agency, this tends to be a time when Sam Presti takes stock with his assets. But what the Thunder would want, prospects and picks, are not what the Heat have to offer. Yes, Jackson is the type of scoring distributor who would make sense for the Heat. But he also would make sense for teams that arguably have more to offer.


Q: It's amazing to see Norris Cole (Train) derailing right before our eyes. It looked so promising with that first game against an All-Star, I might add, in John Wall, to today, where he is now the third point guard. What happened? Do you see him being traded? -- Bryan, Fort Lauderdale.

A: The shots stopped falling and the confidence began faltering. I'm also not sure that the Heat bypassing an extension, with that deadline coming two days after the Heat faced the Wizards in the season opener, wasn't also a factor. Then again, there were times we thought Mario Chalmers either was going to be dealt or not re-signed, and he remains a franchise mainstay. I think Cole's fate by the Feb. 19 trading could come down to Shabazz Napier's development by that point.

Q: Why not bring Michael Beasley back? -- Eddie.

A: Hmm, so you saw Beasley scored 59 Sunday in the Chinese Basketball Association All-Star Game? But you may want to look back at that tape, with lack of defense in such exhibitions obviously an international phenomenon. The reality is that Beasley might have found the proper canvas for his game, in China. But it also looks like his team there will not make the playoffs, so he could be eligible to return in February. And for all that Beasley failed to grasp with the Heat, the reality is that Danny Granger hardly has offered much defensively, either, as his replacement, and also has struggled with his offense to a degree beyond Beasley's offerings a year ago.

 

[avalon2423]

I think McRoberts, Chalmers, Cole, Granger, Birdman and possibly Deng should be on the trading block. Im still ok with going younger and seeing what we have. But i wouldnt be opposed to making some trades for some guys who can help us this year as well.

 

[bksballer89]

Trading deng makes no sense...just gives us another weakness.

The others I'm fine with being traded

 

[Paolo305613]

Deng GTD with illness - became sick when learning of the possibility of diva SITTING OUT another game for no reason. However, Diva did go through full practice this morning - But that means nothing.

 

[bksballer89]

So we are wearing new uniforms tonight. Google Miami heat black tie uniform to see it

 

[Paolo305613]

They will be wearing a variation of the previously used back in black jerseys.

Are you preparing a rant about the jerseys being part of the reason they may lose tonight along with your usual baseless blames on the coach and his staff?

 

[Paolo305613]

Spoelstra says Wade (hamstring) will warm up with intention to play. Deng (illness) is in building, but Spoelstra not sure if Deng will play

Per Ira Winderman

 

[Paolo305613]

Per Ira Winderman, Luol Deng out in warmups looking like he will play tonight