Another old friend returns

It seems that Steve Smith will spend his final NBA days in a Heat uniform after all. The rumor started to grow only a few days ago, but now it seems that Malik Allen will be shipped to Charlotte for the sharpshooter.

Smith, 35, will give the Heat another veteran off the bench but also another 3 point threat. Damon Jones has been the most consistent three point threat thus far this season.

This seems a bit puzzling to me because Wesley Person also is known as a three point sharp shooter but hasn't even gotten the chance to get off the bench practically all season long. Also, the Heat have Rasual Butler and Eddie Jones whom, although inconsistent, is still a threat that teams have to respect (EJ is #13 on the all time list after all). And Allen was adding to our front court depth and has pretty good skills at the PF position.

Strange move, in my opinion, but welcome back Smitty!

Wade better than Kobe

Ok, maybe the title is a little misleading and should say, 'will be'. Right now, I think you can defer to Kobe, but not by a whole lot. Sure, Kobe has a whole collection of highlights and clutch performances - most of those coming at the side of the Daddy. But his individual talent is not to be denied as Kobe is surely one of the top - if not the best - guards in the league.

But Wade is right there.

Did you see his 38 point performance against Indiana? Without Shaq? It isnt just his points that are impressive. Wade shot 13-24, while the rest of his team, without the surging Damon Jones, shot just .286 (12-42). Of those 12 shots made, Wade got 8 assists. He also had 5 steals.

But even those numbers, which Wade produced after having a scary tumble while flying to the hoop, are not as impressive as how Wade got them. Wade has recently been putting on display more and more his jumper. A very lethal jumper in which he just stops and pops - totally indefensible. He was 8-16 on jumpers, several of them of the quick strike variety just mentioned. If he can incorporate this aspect of his game more frequently, following in the footsteps of another guard known for driving to the hole with ferocity but taking a nightly beating - Michael Jordan, then this Wade kid might just be allright. Not that you could tell anything is wrong with him - no indication he is playing with tweaked ankles, bruised and strained ribs. He is tough. Allen Iverson tough. And mentally? Wade is sharp and plays the game like a 10 year veteran, not like a 2nd year kid just starting to get acclimated to the NBA lifestyle - let alone the shock playing with Shaq must bring to the system.

And yes, like Kobe, Wade is going to benefit huge from Shaq's presence. It will speed up Wade's development - something that we did see flashes of last season. Flash, after all, did hit a clutch shot against the Hornets in the playoffs. Flash also dunked all over Indiana's lesser O'neal model. Got the poster on my wall to prove it.

But how does this make Wade better than Kobe and not just equal? Well, if you value something like team chemistry and test of character, you see Dwyane Wade also takes that from Kobe. Just ask Shaq: he has played with both. And although he may be biased it does seem that a kid Shaq had to, as he claims, drag out of bed at the All Star fesitivities is much more appealing on several levels. For one, the reason why Shaq had to go and grab his all-star partner was because he was exhausted from the season thus far. Wade leaves it out on the court - he doesnt cheat anyone. Not his teammates, not his fans. No one.

As the talent grows, everyone should just enjoy watching Dwyane Wade develop. Well, everyone except opposing coaches. Last night was just a glimpse of how this kid is growing - the Heat may have lost last night, but Wade gave them a fighting chance against one of the arguably better (though currently disappointing) teams in the league. He did it with Shaq on the bench. His game continues to soar to the heights of which Kobe has raised his. And once he is there, Wade will prove to be a better teammate to Shaq. And better than Kobe.

Trade Deadline is here

The NBA trade deadline is today, 3pm. When the dust settles, the Heat can expect to find Alonzo Mourning back, but will there be another new guy in town? That remains to be seen: mentioned in rumors have been Donyell Marshall, Steve Smith, even mumblings of Abdur Rahim from Portland. I wouldnt be surprised if Riley did nothing or dug up a guy from some other teams' bench and dusted him off. Jamal Mashburn seems like an intriguing idea, but his health concerns make pundits scared. Of course, playing in New Orleans may give Mash 'health concerns'.

With Webber already moved to Philly and a possible Micheal Redd deal in the works, we may see something the NBA hasnt seen in a while. For all the latest from the Heat's perspective, visit: MiamiHeatZone.com

WIth Shaq down, Heat must reassess

With an odd landing on top of Othella Harrington, Shaq's left knee gave way and may seemingly do the same for a now quieted Heat championship hope. Shaq had to be helped off the court with the help of trainer Ron Culp and was quickly taken to get x-rays of the Daddy's knee. The left knee showed no damage and came back negative, although it remains to be seen if there is any further structural damage. X-rays do not show ligament and tendon damage, so Shaq was put on the shelf, for now, with a left knee strain. He is obviously doubtful for tonight's game against the Pacers - a game the Heat might have been targeting as a bit of a revenge game considering they lost to the under-manned Pacers back in Miami earlier in the season.

There is hope though, Shaq left a note in the locker room saying he'll be ok, "Period".

But the ramifications of this incident seem to be sending shock waves throughout the Heat organization.

With the trade deadline's date of February 24th fast approaching, it seems any possible deals the Heat were involved in - Donyell Marshall, Shareef Abdur Rahim, whoever - have to be entirely re-evaluated.

Alonzo Mourning is expecting to return, in an official capacity, on Thursday. But now, with Shaq down the Heat must re-consider any deals that may have involved Micheal Doleac - as he is the Heat's lone back up center. Well, unless you consider Zhi Zhi to be an option - who, admittedly, played admirably in last night's loss to Chicago (11 pts., 2 rebounds). There was a rumor that Doleac was involved in a possible deal for Donyell Marshall. Proof that this may have taken a turn away from the Heat's grasp is illustrated by the Pacer's sudden involvment with the Raptors' forward.

This is precisely the scenario the Heat feared. And it is precisely too early to tell what is going to happen here with Shaq. And, it is precisely too late to reel from this and make personnel moves in order to recover if this situation turns out for the worst. There is no reason to hit the panic button, yet. Maybe Zo will return now, when the Heat needs him more than ever, and spell this team while Shaq is out. The Heat are pretty much set for the playoffs and all they really need is to get in with a healthy Shaq. They do have to get there first, but there is no reason why this team couldnt do so even without Shaq. They played admirably last night on the road in their overtime loss to the Bulls.

But what has to happen now is the Heat have to stand Pat. And yes, the pun is intended. Riley has to stick with the current team he has - along with the addition of Alonzo - and let it ride this out. There is plenty of ammunition. In some ways, it is a very compelling situation as Zhi Zhi played very well last night. He displayed his lack of physical toughness but made up with it by flashing his offense skills and quickness. The telling sign, one would think, is the lack of playing time for Person last night. But the Heat needed front court help - as Doleac and Haslem were in foul trouble. And, the Palm Beach Post reports that the Heat have assured Person is staying on board for the rest of the season. So, who is going to be moved for Zo? What is Shaq's status and how will the Heat deal with it?

Heat Nation, hushed, waits to see if its championship hopes indeed fell to the floor last night.

Why Zo will work

The Heat will be adding Alonzo Mourning to their roster today. He cleared waivers at 10 am this morning, and will join the Heat in an official capacity on Monday after the All Star Break.

The speculation has been mounting all season as everyone, from Zo to his agent to the media, has been expecting him to obtain a buyout and then re-sign with the Heat in order to finally get the chance to win a championship. That dream becomes tangible now.

With the Heat, Zo joins the team with the best record in the East and with Zo the argument can now be seriously made that the Heat are an elite team. Not that they weren't before, but with Zo the Heat is a hard team to ignore. Even Detroit, the most talented team in the East, has to take notice. They are finally kicking into high gear - something the Heat has been able to maintain all season despite a learning curve the size of Shaq.

The pundits seem to be up in arms over this decision. Most agree that adding Zo makes the Heat a very deep and dangerous team but there are those out there who question whether or not two egos like Zo and Shaq can co-exist. Can they? The answer is simple, 'yes'.

Shaq has said it himself. He wants to win and he knows he needs Zo's help. He has admitted as much even acknowleding that if this happened when the Daddy was younger, he would have a hard time with it. Things change though, over time. These two once-bitter rivals, are now joining forces to win a championship. Zo knows that he needs Shaq and he needs this team to get him to the promised land. He also has been humbled by his disease and understands - all too well - that his playing time is limited because of his disease. Necessity creates the situation in which these two colossals of the game must interact.

It is epic in the basketball universe. It may not seem so now, but the alignment of forces like Shaq and Zo - two of the best centers to ever play the game - is like two superheroes joining up. Shaq has already dubbed Dwyane Wade 'Flash', so it is an appropriate analogy to liken Zo and Shaq to a Batman and Superman hook up. Both bring different looks to the Heat and only deepen the team's strength. Zo brings intensity, fire. Shaq brings confidence and domination.

The only question that should be asked, and indeed the only one that remains is, how can any opposing team have a chance against such a duo? They more than likely won't be on the floor at the same time, but Shaq and Zo will create something the likes the NBA has probably never seen: get ready for 48 minutes of hell.

The Rise of the Miami Heat

You can mark Sunday's game against the Spurs as the official day that the Heat came out this season as a championship contender. The words have been buzzing around this team from the second they acquired Shaquille O'Neal in that summer trade. But the phrase was usually followed with a question mark. Now, you can replace that with a period and soon, possibly, an exclamation mark.

Sure, the Heat defeated the Spurs in a tight game on a nationally televised stage - a game in which neither team built up a lead of more than 6 points. A game that had the hype of being a potential preview of the Finals. A game being watched by an incognito Alonzo Mourning, donning a blue bandana and sunglasses - looking more like a Hell's Angel than a possible champion enforcer for the Heat.

But amidst all the surroundings and various story lines in this 96-92 win, it was the Heat's defense that was showcased. They held the Spurs to 39% shooting - while the Heat themselves shot 56% from the field. This going up against a team in the Spurs that has the #2 defense in the NBA in terms of field goal percentage allowed (.421).

The Heat's defense was also very effective, despite the numbers, on the Spurs backcourt duo of Parker and Ginobili. Parker scored 15 first half points but score 0 in the 4th quarter. Manu had to hit some circus shots just to keep his team in it, but that is not a sign of deficiency for the Heat's defense.

The Spurs, also noted for being a deep team, watched the Heat's bench outproduce their own. The Heat's bench outscored the Spurs 16-10 and had arguably more productive games across the rest of the board, notably with a rebounding advantage of 11-6 from the Heat reserves.

Popovich pulled out all the stops - going small with a lineup of guards and Horry. But Stan Van Gundy countered and the Heat weathered the storm. Seeing as the Heat won this game but lost the first meeting without Wade, the Heat look pretty good against the Spurs - noted as the favorites in the West.

So, are the Heat finally considered contenders? "No, not yet," Shaquille O'Neal said. Although cautious, even Stan Van Gundy has to feel good, "That's the best I've felt about our team in a long, long time. Not just to get a win against a great team, but the way we got it. It was a very hard-fought game."

The Heat has risen to the task. Only time will tell how far they will go.

Heat begin playoff surge

You heard it from Shaq - that he was coasting until the playoffs. Then, like Emeril, kicks is up a notch (bam!).

Well, this dish is being concocted by none other than the master chef himself, Pat Riley. With the jawdropping offseason trade for Shaquille O'neal (benefitting from something anyone in their right mind would never do - actually trade Shaq) everything seems to be falling in place. Stan Van Gundy is keeping this team focused and the chemistry has been excellent - despite a little bump in the road in mid January when suggestions were being made that Shaq was calling out Eddie Jones. All Easy Ed did was respond in kind, as he always does, and put together nights of solid efforts. Wade has developed into a superstar - and he has yet to have his official coming out party (check back during the playoffs).

Riley has assembled quite a team that goes out every night and answers the call. A cast consisting of several characters that add to the strength of this team behind the scenes. There is the oft-traveled Damon Jones, the hyper and tenacious Keyon Dooling, the strong post play of Michael Doleac, a re-energized Christian Laettner, the veteran leadership of Shandon Andersen, Rasual Butler - growing into a deadly marksman off the bench - all of these players have contributed and lend themselves to the success of this team. The lead in the Southeastern conference has swooned to 6.5 games over a surprising Washington team. The Heat hold a commanding 6.5 game lead for home court advantage over the defending world champ Detroit Pistons.

The scary thing is, this team has not played up to its potential as of yet. They continue to win, but show spurts of greatness - not the consistent kind found in a team like San Antonio - whom the Heat will face off with this Sunday. Against the Bulls on Saturday, we did see a Heat team that played up to its potential. Shaq dominated the paint with dunk after rim-rocking dunk. He brought energy to his defense - even diving on the floor for a loose ball at one point.

We have not seen this Heat team at its best, yet. But with the stretch run coming up after the All Star break - which will feature Heat players all weekend - what better time than now to make their rise. The Heat are also expected to make a deal in the coming weeks before the February 24th trading deadline - the rumors are flying over Donyell Marshall and possibly an Alonzo Mourning return. Wesley Person, redundant due to the shooting of Butler, and the Jones' boys, is expected to be moved. The future gleams bright as well with Dorell Wright finally getting to play and with Qyntel Woods learning the system.

So as the temperature in Miami gets hotter, so will the Heat. Shaq will continue picking up the pace while Dwyane Wade pushes the break. The pieces are falling into place, and Pat Riley stands by and watches as this team grows and his dreams become more and more tangible.

Be ready.

Heat beginning to assert itself?

Miami squares off tonight against the Dallas Mavericks, a team which embarassed the Heat - at their house - last time these two teams met. In fact, other than the first quarter against the Suns, the Heat have never been blow out all season.

The Heat, coming off a very strong team showing against the Rockets, may be starting to right the ship after a bumpy January. They have won 6 of their last 10 and have been doing it with a hobbling, beat up Wade, a sick Eddie Jones, an injured Laettner and Allen, and a Houdini-like Damon Jones who has been performing his disappearing act at each game. Until recently, anyway. Throw in a little finger pointing in the press and some frustration over team performance and philosophy, and you have a 'debacle'. But, the Heat seem to be emerging, and none too soon.

What about the other powers in the East? It seems the Heat are not doing all that bad in comparison. Detroit has won 6 of their last 10 and like Miami, has won 3 in a row. But with their team underperforming and Larry Brown doing his best imitation of a classic Clash song, "Should I stay or should I go", what can be expected of this team? They are the world champs and have yet to perform up to the level they are capable. As for the Heat, now is the perfect time to begin a run and avoid Detroit's run - should they be able to make one.

Then there is Indiana. A team that came into Miami and beat a Heat team that just kept finding ways to take itself out of the game. Still, the Pacers won with great efforts from Tinsley and Jermaine O'neal. Then, they got Stephen Jackson back. Now, they have lost 5 in a row and are currently 20-23 and on the outside looking into the playoffs (currently at #9). The Cavs are playing very well - without LeBron James - which does not bode well for the Pacers. Without Artest and in the midst of a losing streak, will this team start to fold in on itself and all too conveniently start making excuses?

Time will tell. As for the Heat, a win tonight will keep them on the right path. This team just needs to continue to grow and assert itself on each game it plays. The effort level is up and the team is playing more and more like a team as it deals with various injuries, foul troubles, and shooting droughts. Starting to perform like a champion? Not yet, but the heat is definetly on.