Zo All-Time Heat Scorer

Alonzo Mourning, aquired from the Charlotte Hornets back in 1995 for Glen Rice, has now surpassed Rice in Heat lore once again - this time as the all-time leading scorer.

Zo tied "G-Money" in the loss to Toronto, but scored 4 points in the win tonight over the Timberwolves to go to 9,252 points scored in a Heat uni - 4 more points than Rice's 9,248 career total with the Heat.

This latest accomplishment solidifies Zo among the rest of the Heat's constellation of players. He is a champion, and now all-time franchise leader in scoring - hopefully two prerequisites to a hall of fame nomination.

Regardless, this puts things in proper perspective for Zo who had to overcome a critical kidney disease that sidelined and almost ended his career. To get to where he is now after that black October in 2000 is truly miraculous. Congratulations, Zo, on becoming the all-time franchise leader - and on being one heck of an icon for this team and its fans.

Three Point Shooting Bad Trend for Heat

"Our problem is when we're off shooting, we keep shooting. We just can't keep shooting until it's too late."

"We need to get a little bit more movement. We have to find something."

The numbers don't lie, and neither do Shaq or Riley, respectively. When the Heat lose, they have a tendency to get lazy and settle for three point shots. Over their last 6 games the Heat are 2-4, suffering losses to teams they should beat but don't.

Right now, teams are doing something simple - they are packing the lanes and daring the Heat's shooters to beat them while fouling the hell out of Shaq every chance they get.

Here is a chart of the last 6 games the Heat have played and their subsequent three point shooting attempts:

Heat's 6 Game Three Point Attempts

Opponent	Three Point Attempts	Result
Orlando	4-22	L
Atlanta	5-18	W
Indiana	4-25	L
Philadelphia	6-27	L
Atlanta	6-13	W
Toronto	11-28	L

As we can see, the Heat have only two wins - against the same team, the Hawks - and in each loss the Heat have attempted over 20 three point shots in the game. Those attempts could be better spent by creating ball movement or penetrating. The problem is, the Heat are settling for three point shot attempts instead of moving the ball inside. Also, opposing teams are starting to crowd the paint by doubling on Shaq and having a "cheater" defender lumping into the paint as well.

This is the difference that a Dwyane Wade makes for this team - his ability to penetrate and create, draw fouls and score inside is what makes this Heat team an elite team. Jason Williams was doing his best to replace Wade, but he can't do it consistently every night and is obviously not the same type of player Wade is.

Still, the Heat have enough weapons here to make do and win games. They have to cut down on the three point attempts and focus more on penetration or setting screens to create jumpers on the wing.

The Heat have two tough games coming up here on the "Mini Road Trip of Integrity" that will see the Heat take on the TWolves and the Pistons, their Eastern rivals. It will be interesting to see how Riley reacts and if he can right the ship here.

Loss to Raptors Tough to Take

It isn't the end of the season by any stretch, but losing to the Raptors tonight was not an easy pill to swallow for the Heat.

The Heat were alone in first place over the Wizards, and then tied with the same record going into tonight's game with the Raptors. A win, and the Heat would kill two birds with one huge basketball - they would reassert their #1 spot in the SE division while also creating some more seperation from the Raptors in the standings. Which means homecourt advantage against either of those teams once the playoffs start.

All the Heat needs to focus on now, other than just getting Wade back, is getting the #1 spot in the SE division over the Wizards and getting a better record than the Raptors.

On the positive side, the Heat will have another meeting against the Raptors on April 3rd, this coming Tuesday. If the Heat can cobble a few wins together during that time, they will effectively reduplicate the opportunity they had tonight. Yet that feat won't be easy to do since they are playing the Timberwolves in Minny (30th) and at Detroit (April 1st). 1-1 is most likely, but stealing a win in both buildings would be a great feat considering the Heat have had a few more let downs of late than perhaps they deserve.

That is the real reason why tonight was a wasted opportunity - the Heat got blasted in the first quarter scoring only 15 points while watching the Raptors explode for over 30 points to start the game. The Heat could never catch up.

This team doesn't seem to like it any other way than the hard way. We'll just have to see what happens next, eh?

Podcast: Miami Heat Fastbreak 03/26/07

Following a season's best win streak, the Heat have fallen back to earth, struggling to stay above water amidst injuries to star guard Dwyane Wade and others. Can they stay afloat in their race to win the Southeast division and homecourt advantage in the first round, or will age catch up to them down the stretch?

Phil Latzman discusses all things Heat with the Miami Herald's Michael Wallace in this week's edition of Miami Heat Fast Break.

Another great installment of the Miami Heat Fast Break podcast. Enjoy Heat fans!



Crosspostage over on SporTech

Shaq is Pissed...Float Like a Butterfly

This happens once a year. Shaq starts getting on a roll, this year happens to be the best roll he has been on in a while, then the refs start clamping down on ticky tack fouls against the big fella. Now mind you the other night Shaq was in foul trouble for a second straight game and it led way to the monster game from Michael Doleac, including causing the Atlanta Hawks announcers to have a jaw dropping reaction (a must hear) to his posterization jam. Shaq has said he has a solution to the problem but I'm not so sure I agree with him...

''I told myself a long time ago when it gets like this, I'm just going to stop playing defense,'' O'Neal, a 7-1, 325-pound center, said. "Every time I touch somebody, [referees] are going to call something. So I have to go back to my mantra. Just stand there.''

I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I've really enjoyed the defensive resurgence from the big fella, as well as the rest of the Heaters. What Shaq needs to do is refer to the advice his father game him during last seasons playoffs, when fouls were being handed out more then free condoms at the high school nurses office. Phil Harrison suggested his son ditch the power game, and O'Neal did, to a degree. He mixed finesse and power, producing a collage of turnarounds and jumpers and drop-steps and dunks. Shaq used this method against the Bulls last season and poured in 30 and 20...

"I knew coming into the game that I was going to my finesse game," said O'Neal, who was 13-of-24 from the field. "I wasn't really trying to use the power because I was going to go to my jump hooks, turnarounds, fadeaways. I came in with the mind-set I was going to stay out of foul trouble — don't help, don't commit any silly fouls."

So Shaq. Do us all a favor and listen to your father. Use the force, but use it wisely. Your playing at an all time high and are in the best shape you've been all season, use the finesse and dominate the paint.

Heat Need a Win Against Hawks

The Heat have a real chance to take charge of their playoff destiny tonight - yes, against the Hawks.

For starters, the Heat are now half a game in back of the Wizards - who are taking on the Seattle Supersonics at 10:00pm tonight EST. A win for the Heat and a loss for the Wiz leaps the Hot in front by a half game.

Yes, the Hot - if the Heat can keep on rolling without Wade like they have been, they are no longer the Heat but simply what they are: the Hot.

And all our Heaters have to do is beat the Hawks in the ATL tonight who are on that 1 game win streak, and 5-5 over their last 10 games. They might still be without Joe Johnson, who has been out since March 7th with a deep thigh bruise. A win on the road for the Heat would help.

Also, the Heat could benefit from their friends the Dallas Mavericks as they take on Eastern conference "powerhouse" (Oh man! I almost peed myself typing that!) the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight. Cleveland is 4.5 games in front of Miami for the #2 spot, as they are the non-leadered conference team with the best record (huh?) and will get a better seeding over the division leaders since they have a better record.

In other words, Miami would grab the #3 spot from Washington tonight, while also moving a game closer to Cleveland's #2 spot if everything plays out right tonight.

So, go Heat and go Mavs tonight. If it works out, the Heat could be in sole possession of the SE division (where they belong) and getting closer to the Cavs' lofty #2 spot.

In all honesty, the Heat grabbing and keeping the 3 spot would be enough as it would prevent a potential matchup with Detroit until the ECF - which is where we want to be - but also keep them out of the Bulls' hair for a while.

It remains to be seen what kind of player Wade will be when he returns, so those concerns over matchups and seedings are warranted.

So yeah, a win against the Hawks makes it that much easier for the Heat coming down the stretch. Besides, do you really want to have a two game losing streak that consists of the Magic and the Hawks? The Heat need to be taking advantage at this time of year, despite the injuries.

Welcome, JonDigital!

Dear fellow Heatians...

You may have noticed that we now have a new addition to the blog here at Miamiheatwave.com. That's right, it is none other than Sportech Matter's JonDigital!

JD, as we like to call him, is a big time sports fan from South Florida, and his site covers all the teams in our beloved SFL - but there is more. JD's site dives in to more than just the boxscores, but also examines how the South Florida market interacts with their teams. Not to mention, JD is up on all the latest internet media that can enhance interactivity.

We just want to take this opportunity to extend a big welcome to JD and we look forward with great anticipation to his contributions! Once again, welcome aboard, JonDigital!

Miami Heat Fastbreak 03/16/2007

Hello everyone. I'm JD and I'm the newest member of the MHW family! I will be stopping by to post here and there and do some cross posting on my own blog, SporTech Matter. Hope everyone enjoys what I have to offer. Let's get it started.

Just when you thought things were looking grim for the defending champs without their best player, the Heat are suddenly playing their best basketball of the season. Phil Latzman and Miami Herald NBA writer Michael Wallace talk about how the resurgent Heat have catapulted themselves back into playoff position and are now poised to win their division, plus the latest on Dywane Wade's injured shoulder in this week's Miami Heat Fast Break.

Another great installment of the Miami Heat Fast Break podcast. Enjoy Heat fans!




Crossposted on SporTech Matter.

Wizards Choke, Heat Surge - Did Anyone Expect Otherwise?

I just don't get it. Call me crazy, call me arrogant, or call me the biggest "homer" of them all but I just don't get why a few weeks ago everyone was burying this Heat team.

Even before the Wade injury, there was questions about the Heat's ability to get out of the East and even to beat the Pistons. Are you serious?

Then the Wade injury happened. All of Miami went black - the beaches were abandoned, the music stopped at the clubs. I-95 was a barren stretch of concrete as everyone clamored inside their homes, in mourning of the Heat's seemingly endless streak of bad luck. Then pundits started to seriously question whether the Heat would be able to get on their horse and ride to the playoffs.

Again, are you serious?

The re-surgence of Shaq has caught most people by surprise, which surprises me. You see, Shaq is 7'2", 3,012,000 lbs. Only the Sun generates a stronger gravitational pull and orbiting around Shaq are 4 championship trophies at the moment. I see something in the distance that looks like a 5th, but it's too far away to tell at the moment.

Anywho, good ol'Shaq has reverted to the Shaq of old, yes. How couldn't he? He hasn't even played in 30 games yet this season. He spent the first half of the season coming back from knee surgery yet stayed in fantastic shape while doing so. So, the old fella has fresh legs while most of his peers are breaking down.

In fact, this was the sole reason to not doubt the Heat after Wade went down - Shaq was still Shaq and was going to demand attention from opposing defenses. Shaq is still the best center in the game, and there is no counter-balance to his presence unless you can't Yao Ming. And that would be a stretch considering Yao is now coming back from injury himself and still doesn't seem to have that mental toughness to check Shaq.

Let us not forget also the addition of Eddie Jones. This is a veteran NBA scorer who has done it everywhere he went - except Memphis and that was only due to personnel choices more than ability. EJ has provided stifling perimeter man defense, picking up for Wade while he has been out by being one of the best on-ball defenders on the team and sticking the three point shot. What makes Eddie so crucial is that he is the Heat's best post entrance passer - Riley has stated in the past how much the Heat would miss his touch. With Shaq, this makes EJ more dangerous as Shaq can kick it back out to Eddie when the double comes and EJ can shoot it or pass it or take it to the rim.

As Shaq has confessed, keeping the game simple has enabled them to win games: pass it inside to Shaq or Zo, if the double comes then kick it out.

With the Heat's talent and depth, did anyone really expect them to shut it down and hunt for lottery balls? Did anyone really see Shaq not playing the way he is playing with Wade sporting a business suit on the sidelines? Did anyone really think that adding Eddie Jones, a Florida native and heart-broken Heatian, would not contribute to this team? This is a team that he felt was good enough to win it all BEFORE he was traded away, now that he is back he can help spark them to a repeat.

In the midst of all this curious doubt are the Wizards. They are on top of the Southeastern division, the NBA equivalent to the A-10, and everyone is all excited and saying crazy things like, "Gilbert Arenas is an MVP candidate" and "Wow, Arenas isn't mental at all". Proof, once again, for entropy.

The true MVP of that Wizards team is Antawn Jamison, yet another star with a misspelled first name. Even Eddie Jordan, endlessly in over his head, stated as much when Jamison went down saying his team needed to play smarter and prepare more on defense. Agent Zero Brains, of course, took exception to that. Funny, Kobe and Jordan would probably agree in that Arenas has no concious when it comes to shot selection.

The big thing is, as the true contenders of the East - the Bulls, Pistons, Heat and, ok, fine, the Cavaliers - have all won 7 of their last 10 the Wizards are sputtering, losing 7 of their last 10. The Heat have won 6 straight while the Wizards, still trying to pull the rabbit out of the hat, have lost 3 straight.

The Wizards have some nice talent - Arenas, Jamison, Butler - but they are not a contender. They lack the dominating post presence or even the consistent defensive focus to win. They will shoot, shoot shoot. In some ways, they are reminiscent of the old Heat team of 2003-2004, Wade's first season. In place of Odom is Jamison, Butler is Butler, but Arenas is not the transcendental talent that Wade is. Never will be.

As Arenas goes, so goes the Wizards. Before last night in his last game against Miami, Arenas only had 15 points - in front of his home crowd. Last night he scored, but couldn't get over the hump. He also has an unusual chance to tie the game with free throws, thanks to questionable officiating. Yet, he did the same thing recently against the Warriors, which got Don Nelson ejected.

Nice, Gilbert, nice. Looks like you didn't choke - tonight, anyway - but your team did.

Say what you want about the Heat but always keep in mind that the ONLY time this team has been healthy and together was on Feb. 21st against Houston. Then that went to crap once Wade dislocated his shoulder trying to steal a ball from Battier. They still aren't healthy and are coming for that #1 spot in the SE.

Meanwhile, the Wizards struggle and play bad basketball. They choke. They were just keeping the Heat's seat warm for them until it mattered. Should anyone really have expected otherwise?

Heat Rollover Wizards; Three Straigh 100+ Performances

The Miami Heat continued their hot home streak on Sunday, beating the Wizards 106-104 in a nailbiter.

At least, for us Heat fans, it seemed to be a nailbiter. For the Heat, is just seems like business as usual.

Running off their newfound defensive identity, the Heat have now scored 100+ points in three straight games - each time out the Heat have won. Yet, over the past two games the Heat scored 100+ points in lopsided victories, running away early with the game. Tonight, the Heat had to dig.

Udonis Haslem's 10 footer saved the Heat, as he dropped in the basket to give the Heat their 106th point. "We just wanted to get a look at it," Riley said. "And Udonis got a look at it. He made a Dwyane Wade shot."

Indeed he did.

What is more impressive about this team? It's ability to play stifling defense or its growing offensive efficiency? Either way, this team is responding to adversity and showing the league that the champ is not dead.

The Heat built up a 16 point lead in the first half only to drown in the 3rd quarter, after the Wizards scored 38, and be down by 12. The Heat rallied, winning their 6th straight in a row and their 12th straight win at home.

Oh yeah, and they are only one game in back of the division title, which Washington seems to be only keeping warm until the Heat snatch it back.

Make no mistake, this was a huge win for the Heat. The Wizards put forth a great effort, but they just didn't have enough to knock the champs out. This win will serve as validation for the Heat as they stake their claim to get back to the Finals, something pundits were largely discounting given the injury Dwyane Wade suffered back on Feb. 21st.

The Heat is finding new ways to win, with new stars each night. Yet the recipe seems extremely simple, as Shaq has even noted. The thing that has impressed Shaq the most to this point, actually, is how simple they have been keeping the game - dump it inside to Shaq or Zo, if the defense doubles, kick it out. Game, set, match. Win. The Heat have been doing plenty since Wade has gone down. Just ask the Wizards who are definetly feeling the heat now. Pun, intended.

Dorrel Wright Should Start

This is a plea for sanity. Pat Riley, you paying attention?

Look, it isn't that I don't love what you have done with the place, but it is time to tweak things just a bit more. The funny thing is, you don't really have a choice.

Dwyane Wade is out. He will rehab and I sense he will only come back to the Heat if he thinks it is really worth it. Sounds like an audition? Well, it is.

Jason Kapono, in the midst of a huge slump, twists his ankle and is going to be out for the meantime. It might be 5 games, it might be more. Strangely, I don't feel that bad about it because it seems Wade made Kapono the player he is more so than Shaq was going to. Just look at Kapono's recent games: in his last 6 games, he has only scored double digits twice (17 against Cleveland, 24 against the Knicks). Before that, you would have to go back 1 month to catch a game where the Kap'n didn't drop double digits on a team.

So, here Riley sits behind his desk, the shades drawn close to keep the light from entering. Dark, dank, Riley, hands on his forehead supporting his head over his desk while he stares at his roster. Now what? Now who? What will work?

The Heat are 3.5 games in back of Washington for the division lead. The Heat are in sole possession of the 6th spot in the standings and only 7.5 in back of Detroit for the #1 spot. Things couldn't be better considering.

Yet, the Heat are going to have to rely on an older team to get them into the playoffs. Shaq, drawing rave reviews around the league, is the Shaq of old, and at 35 that seems like no minor accomplishment. Yet, let's not forget that the Diesel has only played in 19 games this season.

This is precisely the reason now is the right time for Dorell Wright. The Heat have a veteran heavy team, and although two of them -- Shaq and Eddie Jones -- have seen lighter action, the rest of them have not.

Dorell Wright is a better solution for a starter over Walker and Posey. Why? Well, Walker is just horribly inconsistent - some nights he's on, some nights he never gets out of his warmups. Or at least he shouldn't.

As for Posey, he is the energy guy in this lineup. He seems more comfortable coming off the bench and giving the Heat a boost when they need it. He is the Red Bull of this team, just pop him open and let him go.

Wright presents an interesting possibility to the Heat's starting lineup. For starters, he can play the 2 guard or small forward, but considering Riley is starting EJ for Wade, it seems Wright would be mostly at SF.

Wright has long arms, and can defend smaller or bigger players. He is an excellent rebounder - bringing a dimension that Kapono doesn't. He can also handle the ball and bring it up over the half court - if Riley wanted to cut JWill loose for a moment. Wright can score inside or outside - his shot is coming along and maturing. Plus, Wright has shown more poise on the court and understands what to do at certain times offensively.

If this kid is going to develop and be a part of this franchise, Riley has to let him go loose out there. Now is his chance. The crazy thing is, Riley doesn't have much choice.

To roll Walker out as the starting SF would be to kill the bench's potential for scoring - which has scored 30+ points in the last two contests. And with the premium on scoring with this team already, you might not want to mess with the rhythm.

Sure, Wright doesn't have the range that Kapono has or even Posey, but that isn't the thing the first unit needs as much. EJ is serving Shaq the ball in the post, which was helping keep team defenses honest from doubling Shaq. Yet, EJ's stroke isn't quite there yet, but he can make that three off of a Shaq re-post or kick -- Kapono wasn't being given that chance by Riley anyway. So, Wright would replace Kapono and that dynamic suffers nothing.

The other thing to consider is Wright can create with his dribble. If Shaq is having a hard time in the post, kick it out and around to Wright who could penetrate and create - something Payton is not having much success doing.

Wright adds another dimension of athleticism, of speed, heck, of youth to this team. If this team is going to get deeper into the playoffs, they might as well have everyone sharpened and ready to go.

It's the Wright time for Wright.

Wade Will Return and Opts for Rehab

No More Wading

Some good news today for the Miami Heat -- Dwyane Wade addressed the media after the Heat's practice this morning and announced he would return to the Heat this season and opt for surgery in the offseason.

"My decision is for the next two to three weeks to rehab, with the possibility of coming back, but with no guarantee and to see if I have the confidence in my shoulder to play at a high level," Wade said at the conference this morning after practice.

Surgery is a necessity, and Wade is opting to put it off for now in the hopes that he can perform for his team down the road:

"It could have been easy for me just to shut it down," he said. "It's tough, because I don't know if I can attack. But my body is my body; I'll find out after the rehab...You would hope to think you could come back to play a couple of games. My spirits are high. I'm excited to go forward and do the therapy."

Wade can't do any further damage to his shoulder, revealing he tore his labrum.

Eddie Jones suffered a similar shoulder injury back in 2001, around this time of the season actually. In fact, he missed a total of 15 games that season, but with rehab was able to make it back to the court. Jones seems to think that Wade can also do it with rehab, and to his benefit, Wade will be allowed to wear shoulder protection that extends beyond his uniform. Udonis Haslem wore equipment very similar to what will be offered to Wade during last season's playoff run.

It is unknown, at least to the public, whether or not Wade's dislocation and tear of the labrum was aggravated by his tumble on February 13th against the Trailblazers, although it is a good bet that his aggressive style of play only enhanced his ability to get injured. It seems that the decision is to put off surgery for now and hope that the rehab will strengthen the muscles around the bone and keep it from popping loose again.

Other players have pushed for Wade to get rehab, humorously most of those players come from opposing teams. The current rehab regimen will take approximately 4 to 6 weeks.

A Tale of Two Cities

Miami. Detroit.

Rivalry?

Both teams have some pretty good recent history, and at the expense of one another. The Heat came onto the scene noveau riche back in 2005-2006 as they were starting their run on the heels of the Shaq trade. The Pistons, then, were the established power in the East sporting a world championship and the backing of the media. Hailed as the ultimate team with championship poise, the Heat were not expected to knock off the juggernaut, but the Heat were too busy forming themselves into the new kids with dreams of granduer.

And they would have, arguably, if not for a key injury to Wade and the lingering effects of bruised thighs slowing Shaq down.

Detroit escaped Miami, and went on to the Finals.

Flash forward to last season, where the Heat and Pistons once again squared off for the second straight season in the Eastern Conference Finals. The anticipated playoff showdown showed fireworks, but mostly those of the Heat which took the series in 6 games. Revenge was served and the Heat went on to win their first title.

A lot has changed since then. Ben Wallace left for Chicago and was replaced by Nazr Mohammed. Well, that latter part didn't happen, but instead the Pistons fished for a familiar name, and grabbed Chris Webber off the trash heap, as he was released by the Sixers to go their seperate ways. Webber actually was considering Miami at the time, along with the Lakers, but opted for Detroit as the potential for more playing time in his home town was just too strong to resist.

Detroit has remained on top of the East and has kept up their part of the bargain. Most of the season, however, they have had the good fortune of being a healthy team and with that nucleus that knows how to play together, they have the chemistry that would make a Stanford lab technician envious.

Miami, on the other hand has been up and down to say the least. With more drama packed in this season than every season of CSI Miami and Miami Vice combined, it has been hard for the Heat to gain a grip of where they need to be - in the top spot of their division, let alone in the East. Injuries, coaching changes, a lack of effort, too much championship hangover -- whatever the reason, the Heat have struggled and are now trying to get it together while losing Dwyane Wade, arguably one of the best players in the league and the most vital piece to the Heat's attack.

Yet, this veteran championship team is not ready to lie down and die. They have too much soul, too much experience, too much pride. They also added another old face, Eddie Jones, who was a part of that Heat team that lost in the ECF to the Pistons.

This will be EJ's first game against the Pistons as a member of the Heat since that defeat -- and maybe he will be seeking to avenge himself for that series.

All of it comes to a head tonight. In Miami, at the scene of the crime. A tale of two cities -- how Detroit has reclaimed its mantle as the best of the East while Miami has faltered and is looking to dust themselves off again and get back in the race.

All of it happens tonight. Will Miami rise again with a new brand of stingy defense and a power game? Or will Detroit keep its pace with a more wide-opened offensive attack?

We will know a bit more about both teams after tonight's game. If the Heat are going to challenge again for a playoff push, this is a good game to make a statement. For the Pistons, there is not much more to be gained than a tough road win.