Why Miami Getting Swept is a Good Thing

And like that! Miami is done.

No more whiteout at the AAA. No more Wade. No more Shaq. No more Heat dancers.

No more hitting mute when Hubie Brown comments on Heat games. No more Sun Sports pregame hype.

No more chances to comeback and defend the title. It's over. Miami's reign as champs has come to an end.

Yet, as tough as this is for us noveau-riche Heat fans to swallow, we must remember that the franchises in the NBA that have actually won the title is very small. And of that group, the franchises that have been able to defend their title with another title is even smaller. Ultimately, Miami has ended up where other championship teams of the past have ended up - falling short.

We can go on and on about how the Heat were swept out in the first round by the Bulls, yet the details make what seems clear even fuzzier. The home court advantage. The injuries that slowed the Heat down. The missed free throws that cost them two wins at least. The list goes on and on, but it just comes down to the fact that the Bulls were almost pre-destined to win this series no matter what. Don't think so? What about Ben Wallace's 6 made free throws in a row? When has he EVER done that?

So, the Heat end up falling short of their title defense, and for the haters out there, they would only stress they fell very short of it. There is some good, however that could come out of this.

What this means...

The most important thing is, the regular season does matter. We were all too quick to point out that the Bulls held a 3-1 regular season advantage and at the same time disregard it. We somehow knew the Heat would overcome adversity and win this series. We attributed it to all the injuries, turmoil, and inconsistency that plagued the Heat during the season. We believed it so much that even Pat Riley fell prey to it - taking a mid-season break to get surgery done he had put off in the offseason (and for several years).

We disregarded so much - like the bad free throw shooting. The lacksidasical attitude of turning it on only "when it mattered". Nothing could grab this team's attention and get them to focus on their task. They were going to hang around until it mattered and then get serious.

Getting swept by a hungrier, more focused team will show the Heat the way back to a title. There can be no let down and they cannot afford to play down to their competition. They have to meet their goals and exceed them. They have to prepare. They have to show up even when it doesn't matter.

Pat Riley the coach handcuffs Pat Riley the GM. We saw it before, during the Heat's mid-90's run where the Zo and Tim Hardaway modeled Heat were constantly in war with the Knicks. The Heat never took the chance to improve as Riley stuck with his guys to the end. His loyalty would do him in year's later, but this time after a title was won and the dream parade was realized.

After the Eastern Conference Finals of 2004-2005, the Heat were faced with figuring out how to get around the Pistons. Detroit benefited greatly from an injury to Dwyane Wade and to a beat-up Shaq (who had thigh bruises that just wouldnt heal) so most pundits said just stand "pat" as that team was good enough to dethrone the Pistons - if healthy. Riley, the GM, realized that team needed more depth in order to deal with any possible injury issues.

Riley the coach was out of work, as Riley the GM hired Stan Van Gundy to run that team. So, any issues of dealing with chemistry within the lockerroom were of no concern. Eddie Jones, a loyal Heat player dedicated to the Riley cause, was dealt in order to realize this vision. Riley the GM, cuthroat. Riley the coach, loyal - to a fault.

And it was the coach that greatly debilitated this team this past offseason when Pat Riley decided to bring everyone back in order to make another run. This would prove costly as the team's focus was not there all season long. The injuries were a cute way of disguising it, but the reality was as obvious as a suspension in January - in the middle of the season! - that the Heat were not fit to defend the title.

Maybe it can be blamed on Wade. Maybe because he was always able to pull his team out of the fire last year, the team as a whole began to believe in the myth and began to think themselves to be invincible. When in reality, it was the will of Dwyane Wade that enabled them every step of the way.

That is why when Wade went down on February 21st with his shoulder injury, down went the champs.

Wade came back, admirably, but was not able to put himself back together at 100% and consistently be the player he was in the playoffs last season - as a result, the Heat were not able to resurrect the magic of last season's playoff race.

Help is needed. Wade and Shaq need a supporting cast that can, well, support them. There are only a handful of players in this series that showed they are capable - James Posey, Antoine Walker, possibly Jason Kapono. That's it. The Heat got virtually nothing from the point guard position and the power forward position - well, when Udonis Haslem was in there.

This will force Riley the coach and Riley the GM to think about the personnel it currently has to deal with and give them the rhetorical authority to make the changes necessary based on this playoff performance. The only players that are safe are Wade and Shaq - everyone else is expendable.

There could potentially be loads of changes. The likes of which haven't been seen since the 2005 offseason. It could come via a trade, free agency, or from the Heat's first round pick in this year's upcoming draft. There will also be some retiring - Gary Payton, Alonzo Mourning. This will open doors for the Heat and force them to make moves to fill in for those that are moving on.

There will be a lot of reflection and mirror-time spent as the guys really think about what lessons they learned from this season. And what kinds of things they need to do to rectify the situation and get back to where they once were: on top.

Oh Bullcrap! Heat Lose Game 3

The Heat came to play last night and put themselves in the position to win the game and stake a claim in this series. They did almost everything right - except hit their free throws.

The Heat shot 16-35 from the free throw line, which was as good as they shot from the field. Miami's 45% from the field had slowly dwindled from the 52% it was at right after half time, however, and the indication is they couldn't generate any offense during the second half.

Yet, for the first time in this series, Miami scored 20+ points in each quarter. Chicago just scored 32 in the 4th last night which will probably be the death knell for the Heat.

We all know that teams that are down 0-3 are 0-78 all-time in comebacks. The optimist in me seems to still think this Heat team is not done, but realistically they are. The Heat have not played well enough all series long to claim any kind of right to this series, and they can't all of a sudden snap out of it.

There is much to blame here for the position the Heat are in. Standing "pat" during the offseason and not trying to shake up the roster some by bringing in hungry, younger players to help this team is one reason. Jason Kapono could be cited as an improvement along those lines, but Riley's inability to get another PG could be hurting this team right now.

Jason Williams was 1-7 last night and his disappearing act is rivaling Udonis Haslem's trick right now for the Heat. Both players are needed, but JWill's inability to contribute anything of meaning at all right now is also hurting Wade who is spending a lot of energy trying to play PG and bring this team back from the brink. And he is still shaking off the effects of his shoulder injury while sporting knee tendonitis.

The last time the Heat had a significant injury to Wade was the Eastern Conference Finals in 2004-2005 where they lost to the Pistons. In fact, that is the reason the Pistons were able to prevail. Chicago is also benefitting from a hampered Wade, who is not the same explosive self despite all the guts he displays to the contrary.

In fact, Wade's performance is a microcosm of this Heat team: you expect something spectacular but for whatever reason, it is just falling short. The "it" factor just isn't there right now. Give credit to Chicago, they have conviction in their beliefs as a team and they keep making the necessary plays to win the games. It is a reverse of character as you would think the veteran-heavy team would be sniffing out ways to win games, instead of ways to give them up.

Miami has one last guranteed game on Sunday. Winning would do little other than show pride at this point yet even that would be welcomed. There is no one realistically believing Miami will win this series now - even in that lockerroom. It isn't impossible, but for Miami the defense of their crown, like this entire season, is looking most anticlimatic.

More Answers to Come in Game 3

This is the game where the answers will become manifest.

You can talk all you want about the Bulls first two wins in the first two games of this series, but that is what they were supposed to do. Miami couldn't overachieve at that point and take a game in Chicago, which is what they were attempting to do.

Now, it's Miami's turn to serve.

The real reason Miami couldn't steal a game in Chicago? There are a myriad of reasons; officiating, hot shooting, poor defense, bad rebounding, worse defense, horrible shot selection, UFOs, zombies, David Stern. It doesn't matter, it simply comes down to this: as good as Chicago shot in Game 2 (55%), Miami was playing so far below their level that Mickey Arison should have filed a report with the police. On a scale of 1-10, Chicago was hitting 8 and 9 in both games while Miami was fluctuating between 5 and 6. The first game, Miami almost won despite not having a right to be in that game while in the second, they couldn't get over the hump despite having a shot to win that game as well.

Still, at this point it's all speculation, too. Maybe Miami is too old and too slow and too injured to take out the Bulls for the second postseason in a row. For certain, we will know more after Game 3, Miami's first home playoff game of the 2006-2007 season.

There are more questions that will be answered:

Will the Heat find a way to contain Luol Deng?

Is the real Wade going to show up? Or will he allow his injury to be his excuse and his eventual downfall?

Can Shaq elevate his game and stay out of foul trouble and prove, once again, that this game has not passed him by?

Will Udonis Haslem and Jason Williams show up for the game?

Who will start at small forward, Eddie Jones, James Posey or Jason Kapono?

Can Miami, realistically win this series?

This is why they play the games. Miami is confident that they can win this series and they understand that a series can change momentum literally overnight. Yet Chicago just might be prepared to overtake the Heat.

Game 3 will reveal all.

A Show of Faith: Miami Returns Home for Game 3

Miami fans, your team has been here before.

You remember - last year they were down 0-2 against the Dallas Mavericks. In the NBA Finals.

The first two games were on the road, and Dallas "held serve" as they say, winning the first two games. And that was a much better team than this year's Chicago Bulls. So much was made of the Heat's age, that they looked slow and sluggish. That they couldn't possibly keep up with the Mavericks firepower.

Like the Bulls, the Mavericks were a jump shooting team that got very hot at home. Some of us Heat faithful said they wouldn't be able to keep it up, that Miami was going to make some noise. Boy did they.

Now, let's not be blind here and think just because Miami has been here before they will do it again. There are obviously no gurantees. Yet, there is plenty of reason to show faith in this Heat team.

There is a distinction between faith and hope. Faith is powered by belief, by a deep-seeded knowing in what the outcome will be: and that outcome will be positive. Faith is quiet confidence. Hope is negative in the sense that one is grasping on to avoid failure, but there is no certainty or belief that the outcome will be a positive one. It is based on the chance that one avoids failure and it is really a lot of posturing.

The Bulls and their fans hope Miami doesn't wake up and win the next two games at home. Miami has faith they will play better.

So, it is with that distinction that I provide not hope to you, my fellow Heatians, but faith. And to further illustrate my point, I will borrow from Dan Le Batard:

"Reason for doom: In NBA history, when the home team wins the first two games, it has won the series 76 of 80 times.

Reason for hope: It has been done four times."

Reason for faith: Of the teams that have taken the first two games and went on to lose the series, the Chicago Bulls were one of these teams.

Recall the 2004-2005 playoff season when in the first round, the Bulls had a 2-0 lead on their first round opponent the Washington Wizards. The Bulls were feeling pretty good and looking like they were going to advance to the second round to take on the Miami Heat. Yet, Washington came to play, and took the next 4 games in a row to steal the series and shock Chicago.

Hinrich was there as was Nocioni, Duhon and Gordon. Deng was injured for that series but could recall it for you.

Make no mistake, the Bulls are trying to take what the Heat have. They want to be where the Heat have been. They will fight and push and run as far as they can do get there.

And somewhere in the background, quietly, in their minds is the fear that this Heat team is really a sleeping giant. Quietly, like a snake readying to pounce on its prey, is the potential for Miami to reclaim this series. Much like Zo's block on Tyrus Thomas, which sent the rookie to the ground. At any moment, this juggernaut of a team will make the right play to grab a win.

Then a win turns into two.

And then, a streak reaches three maybe four games - and a series win. Job done.

Miami knows, quite confidently, that it can take this series over at any minute. A series can shift at any time. Pat Riley understands this as well.

Of course, the biggest criticism out there is that Miami is too old and too slow to keep up with the Bulls and their run and gun offense. These same Bulls only averaged 98 points per game during the regular season and were hardly known for their high-octane offensive attack. Don't expect to see another highly efficient game from the Bulls during this series. In fact, you can bet they won't be shooting 55% again from the floor.

The age thing itself is quite old, actually. The Heat, as I have pointed out, have been charged with it before, but another team in this year's post season has been accused, too: San Antonio. Yet, they beat the Nuggets for a Game 2 win - and at home nonetheless.

Will anyone really doubt San Antonio?

There is plenty of time left and plenty of opportunity for the Heat to still turn this thing around and win. It will start with a highly focused and greatly anticipated home coming the likes of which will push Heat fans back to last season's 0-2 Heat team in the Final round. The cast is all here, and they have essetially added Eddie Jones and Jason Kapono to the mix. The Heat are a year older, but are deeper than last season despite the injury to Wade. Wade, to further cast fear in the hearts of the Bulls, started to make strides to his "old" self in the final quarter.

And Shaq, in response to questions about his struggles through the first two games said, "I've been in this situation before."

Game 3 is shaping up to be another classic. The only question is, will the Heat be on the winning side of it? I have faith that they will.

Miami Heat Missing

There is now an amber alert out for the Miami Heat, who have gone missing for at least a week now.

The last time they were seen was at Orlando for the final regular season game, although it was suspicious because Dwyane Wade and Shaq didn't make an appearance. We all just assumed it was normal and went on with our lives.

What we didn't realize is that incident was never reported and both players have not been seen since. And now, the entire team is missing, too.

Call it "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" or perhaps some sort of rapture, but the Heat have been missing for so long, the Bulls have decided to honor them by holding out for their recovery and only taking a win on each date originally scheduled for a playoff game. The Bulls get a win because the Heat, gone missing since April 19th, are forfeiting each game.

It's a sad story, really. The Bulls were looking forward to challenging the Heat in a playoff round one and testing their mettle against the defending champions. Yet, they seem to have never gotten that chance.

"It's like, they are still here, you know? Any second I am looking out on the court and I expect to see Shaq show up in his warm-ups. It's strange." Ben Gordon said about the missing Heat.

"I wonder what it would be like to have a rematch against Shaq, DWade and all those guys. They are intense competitors and with Riley at the helm, it would be one heck of a challenge to take the series," Kirk Hinrich told the media from his 30' yacht on Lake Michigan this afternoon. "I would have looked forward to it."

If you have any information on where the Miami Heat is, or even where some of the individual players are, please give us a call at 1-888-555-HEAT. Or email us at info@miamiheatwave.com.

The time is now - we need your help. Or soon, in another few more days, the Heat will forfeit games three and four and the Bulls will have no choice but to advance to the second round.

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Ok, enough of that.

It did seem in tonight's loss that the Miami Heat just flat out didn't show up. They KNEW they had to do a better job rebounding. They KNEW they had to do a better job defending Deng and limiting the perimeter looks as well. They KNEW that they could not just settle for jump shots, but attempt to take the ball into the lane and draw fouls.

They knew all of this, and yet they looked even worse tonight, losing 107-89 to the Bulls in Chicago. Yet, why didn't the Heat have a better showing?

Let's give credit to where it is due - Chicago played solid defense and held the Heat to 46% shooting. Wait, that isn't right...I meant to say the Bulls got the benefit of some home cooking, getting lots of foul shots. The Bulls shot 83% from the line, 10-12 while the Heat shot 80% 16-20.

Wait a tick, that means the Heat got more FTAs than Chicago...umm...

Ah ha! It was turnovers! Of course! Wade has 7 turnovers while the team amassed 20 for the entire game! Chicago had...oops...18.

Let's see...the Heat stayed out of foul trouble, drew more FTAs than the Bulls, shot a decent percentage from the field, only had 2 more turnovers than Chicago and still lost by almost 20 points?

What the heck is going on?

Well, in truth, the Bulls shot 55% from the field (43-78) and 64% from three (11-17). That means they made 9 more field goals than Miami which equals 18 more points. That is the difference.

Also, Chicago did outrebound, once again, the Heat who supposedly has the better front court by 8 rebounds. Ben Wallace finished with only 6 rebounds while Shaq finished with 8 himself. Udonis Haslem performed another disappearing act, only grabbing 4 rebounds in 21 minutes.

The Heat defense did not improve. All Riley did was play Posey a bulk of the minutes while sitting EJ this time (who played only 16 minutes tonight).

The Heat did not play with more energy. Instead, they played like scared little girls tonight. They should all wear diapers; I am surprised none of them ran to the bathroom to go tinkle at the sight of how this Bulls team just totally manhandled them tonight.

Let's be honest, championship teams don't underperform as consistently as this Miami Heat team does. They play down to their competition, and then tweak it to where they play even below that level.

The only guys who came to play tonight where Walker, Posey and Doleac (who always comes to play, damn it). Riley should take himself out of the head chair after these two games.

It is one thing to be unreasonable, another to be critical. And still another to be tired of being polite and offering constructive criticism and go straight for the intervention. What Miami needs is a serious labotomy. Shaq whined about the officiating, it didn't matter. Wade keeps talking about his left shoulder and how he is mentally prepared, he's lying to himself.

All the whining and bickering has to stop. Because if the Heat don't come together as a team and focus on winning real soon, it will come to a complete stop. Their season will be over and it will end just as their championship defense began - with the Bulls laughing their way back to Chicago.

Look, the Bulls simply did their job and held serve - they won their first two games at home. The object of every team in the playoffs is to win at home and steal a game on the road. For Miami, this means the next two games at home are must wins otherwise Chicago has the advantage.

The other thing to consider is that it is highly unlikely that a team that averaged 98.8 points per game on 45.7% shooting during the regular season will have another 55% shooting night from the field. Is this starting to sound familiar? It should. Kind of like last season's Finals where the Heat went back to Miami down two games after getting schlacked by the Mavericks - another jump shooting team that creates mismatches for the Heat on the perimeter.

The Heat have to be very careful right now. They have to come out in game 3 like it is the last game of the season for them. Because it really could be. Being down against Chicago 0-3 with only 2 potential home games left is not a good spot to be in.

Miami has to stop playing scared, and suck it up and be aggressive. Until then, this looks like the start of a Bull Run.

Great Expectations: Heat Need Answers in Game 2

Heat look to make some adjustments going into Game 2



This is the time of year where you have got to deliver. Results mean more now than ever and everything is scrutinized. Pat Riley is not above criticism and by his estimation neither is Dwyane Wade.

"Coach expects the world out of me," Wade said. "He expects more out of me than anybody probably ever expected."

Such is the price of greatness. You cannot rest on your laurels at all and you have to constantly fight to stay on top. And Riley is unapologetic about it.

This is why so few can get to the level that Wade is at. Yet, it also takes something equally as great to fuel such an individual, and Pat Riley is the master motivator.

Putting Dwyane Wade on Luol Deng in game 1 was admirable -- it was simply a strategy to help Wade avoid contact on screens. With the accusations in the past of the Bulls' dirty tactics, notably Hinrich's cheap tug on Wade's wrist, it was a sound idea. Yet, Wade's defense was horrible, to put it mildly, and the Heat suffered as a result.

We could see a shift in the starting lineup. Eddie Jones started Game 1 at SF, a position he became familiar with in his last stint with the Heat during their playoff run of 2004-2005. Something that garnered much criticism, by the way. Yet, EJ did a good job defending Gordon, who finished 7-19 from the field and 0-5 from three point range despite finishing with 24 points.

That shift could come in the form of James Posey, who matches up better with Deng physically and can build on the success he had in only 19 minutes of play in Game 1. Most likely, Posey will have to deal with a more confident player, one who is building on his lack of past success against the Heat. Not an easy task, but Posey will be up for the challenge of defending Deng. Wade noted, "I think because he didn't have a good playoff series last year, he's trying to be more aggressive this year. You just try to be more aware of his aggressiveness."

So, what happens? Riley understands the nuances of the NBA playoffs arguably better than any coach in the game today. He knows his team's psychology and what buttons to push. If Riley opts to start Posey over EJ, it won't be because of EJ's defense but rather because of Wade's tough assignment on Deng in Game 1.

Then there is Shaq. His rant against the officiating in Game 1 is not going to be well-recieved, but it is well deserved. Le Batard wrote about it, as did others. The fact of the matter is the officiating was horrible, not just for the Heat but also for the Bulls who didn't benefit as much with Kirk Hinrich bouncing out with 6 fouls in just 19 minutes. Shaq cannot play tentatively. He has to be allowed to absorb and dish out physical contact while on the court. One of the hardest things to do is call a game with Shaq playing in it. What is a foul and what is not?

Shaq has gone on the record stating he "hates" flopping players. The Bulls, thanks to PJ Brown, admit they flop and are just better at it than Miami is. It would be nice to see such a comment work against the Bulls, with the referees not blowing the whistles on plays where flopping happened - but that is unlikely to occur. What the Heat can do is limit Shaq's situations where he will pick up needless fouls - namely trying to draw charges in the lane. He could always bust out his "finesse" game, but the success of that and its logistics are questionable.

Still, Shaq will have to use his old noodle and his basketball IQ to get around this obstacle. Drawing double teams he can kick out to the open man, the Heat will repost and force the Bulls defenders to hesitate and guess what decision Shaq will make. This will require the Heat getting the ball to Shaq early in the shot clock and often -- they will have to run the offense through Shaq and he will also have to be quick to get into position on each possession.

For this to occur, the Heat have to make one final basic adjustment -- better rebounding. The Heat were outrebounded by 13 (46-33) by the Bulls, which enabled the Bulls to control the tempo of the game more often and get out and run as a result. The Bulls ended up with 25 fast break points while the Heat lagged much further behind, only squeezing out 4. Getting rebounds and forcing the other team to take the ball out of the hoop slows the game down and allows Miami to run their bread and butter -- half court offense. If Miami is to do this, they will need to do a better job of boxing out and being aggressive on the glass.

There are great expectations in place for the Heat. Not just dictated by their coach, but within themselves. After all, the reason why Wade opted to come back over surgery is because he wanted the chance to defend the title with his teammates. The challenge is before them, now they will have to make the first of many adjustments on their way to meeting that challenge.

Heat Let One Slip Away

Game 1: 96-91, Bulls

The Bulls came out and got it done in Game One today, overtaking the Heat for the first win of the series in what looks to be a closely contested playoff match.

Luol Deng, continuing his breakout season, dropped 33 points on Miami's heads on 14-22 shooting. He seemed to look incapable of missing and had answers on the offensive end all afternoon for anything the Heat threw at him. He even picked up the slack left by "Captain" Kirk Hinrich, who was plagued with foul trouble all afternoon and only played 19 minutes.

The perimeter defense for the Bulls was tough, holding Miami below 43% shooting from the field and keeping Miami from running their offense effectively. Miami, however, also held Chicago under the 43% mark which means defensively, they were able to keep it close enough to get a win.

Yet, Miami couldn't get it done and they let this one slip away.

There was questionable officiating: Miami had Shaq and Wade plagued with foul trouble (both getting their 5th fouls only three minutes into the 4th quarter) and Chicago watched Hinrich get chained to the bench for most of the game, too. There were a lot of calls that should have been left as non-calls and even some missed calls (like Gordon tripping on Walker's foot, drawing a foul from Antoine Walker which put Gordon on the line at the end of the game).

Yet, the differential in FTAs (free throw attempts) was not as substantial as one would have guessed by watching this emotional home game for the Bulls (27FTAs for both teams) on TV.

Of course, that would offer an incomplete picture as lifting Wade and Shaq from the game for any extent of time greatly decreases Miami's effectiveness, as there will not be two better players on the floor for any one team in this entire postseason - healthy or not. This played into the Bulls' plans, of course - getting Wade and Shaq into foul trouble would be right there with taking the El to Bill Murray's house for brats. It just doesn't happen.

This time Miami could not will itself over the hump to snatch the win, as they had so many times in the past. They tried, mostly due to the great efforts of Antoine Walker, who kept the Heat in this game with his hot shooting.

The Heat were within striking distance at certain points (trailing 78-76 in the 4th), only to see themselves commit a foul and give Chicago a three point play. The most telling was when the Heat were down by three, 94-91, and Wade took the ball in his hands and attempted a contested three point attempt that was largely off the mark. Prior to that, the Heat were hurt by a tough call that saw Gordon trip on Walker's foot and instead the officials gave Gordon two FTAs (which put the game at 94-91).

Wade should have never attempted that three point shot - for one, he is not the best option on the team (Kapono would be, but was not on the floor) and James Posey was wide open from the right side. If Wade chose to penetrate and kick, it would have been better served.

It did come down to execution in the final minutes and Miami had all the cards in their hands in those minutes. They could have stolen this game and in truth they should have. Chicago played their best basketball to keep the lead, while Miami didn't play its best until it mattered. Miami has to show more focus and determination. They had the right game plan, but were plagued by foul trouble and poor shot selection throughout, Wade's three point attempt being the best illustration.

Strangely, Miami has to feel pretty good. They came out to Chicago for Game 1 to steal one of two games on the road and they almost did it on the first try - a game in which Chicago was coming out "hopped up" on the home crowd with their hunger for revenge boiling over for about a year now.

Pat Riley is not infallible, and this game showed why. He made some questionable substitutions, namely not putting Posey on Deng sooner and keeping Wade on him at all, not playing Posey enough, not trying to counter with Sefolosha's defense on Wade, and even strangely omitting Kapono from that play where Wade shot a contested three. Instead, he was simply trying to force a win rather than letting his best players do the work by putting them in the best position to do so.

The Heat have time to make adjustments and they will. As game one get digested, Miami should not claim anything other than they just couldn't get it done today. The only glaring stat really is rebounds, where Miami grabbed 33 while Chicago had 46 - that is +13 for Chicago who were able to run fastbreaks and create second chance points off those rebounds. Miami has to do a better job protecting the ball, taking better shots, and even getting more aggressive on the glass.

Until Tuesday, Miami will have to stew on this missed opportunity.

White Hot HEAT Playoffs - Round 1/Chicago

GAME 1 | Sat. Apr. 21, 2007
HEAT @ Bulls | 3:00 p.m. - ABC (WPLG-Ch. 10)

GAME 2 | Tue. Apr. 24, 2007
HEAT Tonight Presented by Pontiac/GMC (30 min. before game) - Sun Sports
HEAT @ Bulls | 8:00 p.m. - Sun Sports/TNT
Bacardi HEAT Post Game (immediately following game) - Sun Sports

GAME 3 | Fri. Apr. 27, 2007
HEAT Tonight Presented by Pontiac/GMC (30 min. before game) - Sun Sports
Bulls @ HEAT | 8:00 p.m. - Sun Sports/ESPN
Bacardi HEAT Post Game (immediately following game) - Sun Sports

GAME 4 | Sun. Apr. 29, 2007
Bulls @ HEAT | 1:00 p.m. - ABC (WPLG-Ch. 10)

All HEAT Playoff games will be broadcast via local radio on NewsRadio 610 WIOD (English) and WAQI-710 AM Radio Mambí (Spanish)

All HEAT First Round Playoff games will be broadcast in High Definition on Sun Sports HD, ABC HD, ESPN HD, and TNT HD.

Miami vs. Chicago: The Breakdown

Let me start this off with a quick rant. The #4 seed vs. the #5 seed. Frankly, I see no reason as to why Miami is ranked #4 and Chicago #5 if the NBA is going to award home court advantage (HCA) to the team with the better record. Why stop there? Why not also give them the better seed, after all, that would make sense. So, right off the bat, I am peeved that Miami got the higher seed but not the HCA. It doesn't make sense. Ok, now that that is done, let's move on to the meat of this matchup.

The Bulls are a perimeter oriented team. They score from outside, and rely on the shooting of Hinrich, Gordon, Deng, even Nocioni to get things started. Hinrich sets up the offense, and the Bulls will use screens to free up Gordon, who is their primary scorer from outside. Deng, however, is very versatile and they like to isolate for him on the wing, he can face his man and create his own shot, he can come off screens to pop a jumper, or he can play in the post but the Bulls don't seem to do that a whole lot. The Bulls will rarely have a player catch the ball in the post with his back to the basket, but if they do look for Deng or PJ Brown to be that recipient.

Defensively, they are one of the best perimeter defending teams in the league, and look to secure the interior with Ben Wallace's agility and help defense. They lock you up on the perimeter, and when you try and move the ball inside, Ben will shift and defend. Usually, a block will ensue or a turnover.

Miami, on the other hand, is your classic half-court based offense. They will bring the ball up the court, create some movement and run plays. Initiated by Jason William's ball handling, the Heat will most likely dump the ball inside to Shaq to work as a post-passer to either draw the double team and kick it out, or take the ball to the rack where Shaq can get fouled, score or dump it off to another Heatian to score. And then you have to worry about Wade.

Defensively, Miami is built around the center spot. They like to funnel perimeter players to Zo when he's on the floor, much like the Bulls try and do with Wallace, and with Shaq they like to have him come out of the painted area and defend the screens. Both centers for the Heat are agile and can get back quick, but Miami is also deft at rotating on players to prevent the need for a double team.

That is a basic overview of the tendencies of each team. Let's now look at who has the advantage at eadch position:

PG: Hinrich vs. Williams. Williams is the flashier player, but Hinrich has the advantage of youth on his side. Williams' main obstacle is his health, his knees being the big question but when Wade went down Williams showed he can run the offense and score when needed. Hinrich, however, is among one of the league's best PGs this season, although both players have excellent assist to turnover ratios. You have to give the nod to the Bulls since Hinrich is going to also be defending Wade, and with his length that will give Wade problems.

SG: Wade vs. Gordon. Wade can still penetrate and create offense even with his bum left shoulder. In fact, there are signs that Wade's shoulder injury is much better than previously suspected, and that it was his mind that needed to grasp it. Ben Gordon is a streaky shooter, he was once a volume scorer but now seems more poised in the comfort of the Bulls offense. Yet, he is undersized, not a good defender, and has to rely on Hinrich and others to open up his shots for him.

SF: Jones vs. Deng. EJ played SF for the Heat during their playoff run in 2004-2005. He was able to defend very well any SF the Heat ran into that year, and played off of Wade and Shaq very well. His experience will pay dividends and he could contribute scoring any night out. Still, Luol Deng is vastly improved, so much so the Bulls did not pull the trigger on the Gasol trade. He is their most important player, and probably their best as he is so versatile on both ends of the floor. Look for EJ to defend Deng, and possibly Posey, too, but Deng gives the Bulls an overall matchup advantage.

PF: Haslem vs. Brown/Nocioni. This could fluctuate based on the matchups, but Haslem's ability to stick the open jumper and play off of Shaq and Wade is what gives him a huge advantage. The focus will be on Shaq and Wade and Haslem can sneak out for a midrange jumper or grab a key offensive rebound as a result. PJ Brown, like UD, can do the same things and offers more size. Yet, he is also older and may not be able to play as many minutes. Nocioni loves to shoot the three and is also a physical defender and like Deng, can be matched up all over the floor. So, in terms of versatility, the Bulls have an advantage but in terms of fitting within the team concept, Haslem gives the Heat exactly what they need.

C: Shaq vs. Ben Wallace. Do we really have to entertain this? Shaq will dominate Wallace on the offensive end of the floor, as Ben will scrape, tackle, and cling on to Shaq to try and stop him and most likely will get into foul trouble. Look for Ben to "pull the chair" out from underneath Shaq and keep him off his rhtymn. Won't happen though - didn't work in Detroit and won't work as a Bull. Defensively, Wallace is such a non-factor that Shaq won't really have to do much other than stand near him.

We're Built for This

Miami saves their dominance for the playoffs

The Miami Heat had a sub-par season. Sure, you can say that. The 2006-2007 Heat have underachieved - yet, the season isn't over.

They did finish with a 44-38 record, hardly the kind of numbers you want from a defending championship squad. But this team has hardly even resembled that team on the court at any point this season and it isn't because they have diminished skills or a lack of coaching and motivation.

It was simply that they couldn't push out the starting lineup consistently all season long due to a huge rash of injuries.

Now, I am not trying to make excuses and it is well-documented how many games players have missed and how many times the starting lineup has been on the court together at the same time.

Throw it all out the window. Because NOW matters.

Now, the Heat will have all their starters healthy and ready to go.

Now, the Heat will be playing for the championship title, again. That is what truly has been the focus of this team, that is what this veteran squad has been eyeing all season long, despite the turmoil, drama and obstacles that have befallen this team.

"We are built for this," said Dwyane Wade. "We are built for the playoffs."

It is well established, even by Phil "Benedict Arnold" Jackson, that Shaq doesn't really take the regular season seriously. He hasn't in years - and you can't blame him. He is used to playing for a bigger piece of the pie; not just measley, meaningless wins in a marathon season, but for grinding, intense victories on the court when it matters - in the playoffs. In fact, Shaq only took the regular season seriously this season when Wade went down with his shoulder injury on Feb. 21st. From that time on, Shaq took the team on his shoulders and carried them - proving he was still the dominant force in this league that borders on creating his own gravity field.

Miami is built for this. They know what is at stake, and they have done it before. Besides, they are also a year wiser and hip to this championship game. In an interview on BSPN this morning, Wade was waxing philosophically about being patient and staying the course and taking it one game at a time. No one play will win a series, and no one win will either. Miami, to a man, understands this.

They are unshakeable.

"We know what we have to do and how we have to do it and whatever we have to fight through, we're going to do that." Riley sounds like a confident man, and with his words there is no posturing behind it. Miami is so proven a commodity that even Mark "Heat Hater" Stein is picking this team to surge forward. Now, some may cite that as a jinx, and that is probably the true intention behind Stein's pick, but even he recognizes you cannot pick against a Shaq and Wade combo.

Adding to the mixture the return of Eddie Jones, who was practically a god-send once Wade went down. In 20 games at home, EJ was averaging 11.2 points per game on 51% shooting. He also peaked in March, with Wade out, getting 13.1 points a game - all the while providing excellent perimeter defense, drawing charges and setting up Shaq with excellent post placement.

EJ has plenty of playoff experience, as does the rest of his mates that will compliment Shaq and Wade on this journey. It will be interesting to see how Kapono responds and how Riley uses his best three point weapon during this run, but Kapono definetly adds another piece to the arsenal.

Amidst all the doubt and concern, stands a confident Heat team. They understand what is at stake and they also know they haven't exactly taken full advantage of what this season had to offer to this point. They also know they haven't been in the best place to take advantage, either.

Now, they are. And Now matters.

Wade Returns Home

Dwyane Wade grew up in Chicago. It's his home. He attended H.L. Richards High School and really didn't start to hit his stride until his junior season, after growing 4 inches the previous summer. It's where he learned about the game and where he grew into loving the game.

His senior year, Wade lead his team to the AA final, posting a single season record for points scored (676) and steals (106) for his high school. He also was nominated for the Illinois Mr. Basketball award, but was recruited only by Marquette, DePaul and Illinois State.

The rest is history, most of which has been televised.

Now Wade returns to Chicago, again, in the hopes of searching for another NBA title and continuing his team's run for greatness. Ironically, it was this same franchise that he grew up watching, studying the games of Jordan and Pippen while they lead their teams to multiple championships and establishing a dynasty.

Wade is now attempting to replicate what he saw: establish his own dynasty. Yet once again, the path is to cut through his favorite childhood team the Bulls.

A comparison to Jordan is now more common for Wade. Many sports writers have been jumping on the bandwagon, always looking to replace their Jordan fix, and Wade seems to serve as the best candidate since, well, Lebron. Or Kobe. His style of play is aggressive, physical, yet he doesn't cheat anyone on any night and plays hard. It's refreshing also that he can keep himself grounded and modest.

Yet there are concerns about Wade's left shoulder, injured Feb. 21st against the Houston Rockets in a freak steal attempt on Shane Battier (but most likely aggravated on a previous night against the Portland Trailblazers). Will it hold up? Will Wade be able to get his game back to where it was pre-injury?

The fact that the Bulls will attempt to exploit this weakness are known and expected. Wade remarked, "I expect them to be physical. They're a very physical team and like to send a message, so I have to be prepared for that."

So this is the homecoming for Dwyane Wade: return to your roots, where you grew up and learned the game. Beat your favorite team, again, and shatter the hearts of many of your fellow Chicagoans as you 'go for yours'. Oh, and come back from a serious shoulder injury and test it further against a team that will definetly be aiming at that bulls-eye on your back.

By the way, the only win for the Heat this season against the Bulls came with Wade on the bench with his injury.

For Wade to be successful, he has to come strong and play his game. He will have to take the ball to the hoop, draw contact and get those vital free throw attempts to help dictate the game and the series. Can he do it with concerns over his left shoulder, which he uses to initiate his game and help create seperation?

One way or another, Wade is coming home - and not everyone is going to be happy to see him.

Rerun: Miami Takes on Bulls for First Round Test

Looks like the Chicago Bulls got EXACTLY what they wanted: a rematch with the Miami Heat.

Last year, Miami took out the Bulls in the first round in 6 games, but the Bulls gave the Heat a scare when they played on their home court in Chicago - taking 2 games (games 3 and 4) from Miami. The Heat were able to take their next two games to close out the series, one at home in Miami and the final on the road. Still, this left the Bulls feeling like they would have taken the series if they had home court advantage, instead of Miami.

Now, they will get their chance to prove it. The Heat, however, aren't dismayed one bit.

"Chicago feels like they can beat us," said Wade. "Kirk Hinrich came out and said it. We'll find out. It would be a great matchup. They have the opportunity now to be at home. They feel that's the only reason we won last year, because we had home-court advantage. So the only thing you can do is throw the ball up and play."

O'Neal also weighed in. "I don't care who they are or what they say, nobody wants to play us in a seven-game series. And if they do, we're coming."

Be careful for what you wish for. This sentiment was echoed by Zo, and this Heat team, banged up all season, seems to be coming together at just the right time. Gary Payton made a surprising appearance in last night's finale against the Magic, showing promise by playing 35 minutes whereas only a few days ago he was slated to be on the DL for at least 2 weeks.

The first game will be at 3pm this Saturday in Chicago and will prove to be a crucial game for both teams. For the Bulls, the focus will be on trying to stop Shaq and control the painted area. For the Heat, it will be beefing up their perimeter defense. Yet, there is a sense that this series takes on greater meaning than just simply a playoff series. It is loaded with built-in angst and drama, and close to being a rivalry.

As Wade noted, both Hinrich and Nocioni blabbed to their Chicago media that they feel they should not only have won last year's playoff matchup, but they are confident going into this year's rematch.

"We feel we should've won last year's series, honestly," Captain Kirk quipped. "We felt we should've won Game 5. So we're confident. It's a team we're familiar with."

Is it really a team they are familiar with? The Heat hasn't had it starting lineup together practically all season long, yet has been getting its various components back and healthy throughout the year. The Bulls have not played that team yet, but they soon will. Not to mention, Eddie Jones was added to this roster on Feb. 1st and the last time the Heat played the Bulls - in Miami on March 7th - the Heat blew out the Bulls 103-70. That was also without Dwyane Wade, whereas on January 27th the Heat lost to the Bulls by 3 points (100-97) in Chicago without Shaq.

The Bulls may be disillusioned here, blinded by the constant propoganda and preaching of their head coach, Scott Skiles. I have no doubt they will be a tough opponent for Miami in the first round, but also don't overlook the fact that Miami was actually looking forward (and hoping) for a first round rematch, too. They were crowded around the TVs last night watching the end of the Bulls/Nets game instead of watching the end of their own game. They feel disrespected by the Bulls, who definetly ruined their night on opening night by blowing out an apathetic and distracted Heat team looking forward to their ring ceremony.

Still, the excuses, like the injuries, have faded away. The Heat need to step up and prove they are the champions of the NBA and this post season will give them the rare chance to defend their title. The Bulls will prove a tough opponent, but will they prove to be enough to overtake the champs while also gaining the added bonus of home court advantage?

Get ready for a rerun.

Miami Heat First Round Playoff Schedule

The Miami Heat's first round opponent will be a familiar face, the Chicago Bulls. The Heat's first round playoff schedule looks like this:

Game 1: at Chicago, 3 p.m. Saturday (ABC)

Game 2: at Chicago, 8 p.m. Tuesday (TNT)

Game 3: at Miami, 8 p.m. next Friday (ESPN)

Game 4: at Miami, 1 p.m. April 29 (ABC)

Game 5: at Chicago, May 1 (if necessary)

Game 6: at Miami, May 3 (if necessary)

Game 7: at Chicago, May 5 (if necessary)

Get ready, the real season is beginning. What do you think this season's playoff slogan should be? Post your's HERE.

Heat Call Timeout

Yeah, I was at the big final game for the Heat tonight. Can't say the same about Shaq and Wade.

Shootaround after Halftime

Halftime in Orlando tonight. The Heat had a chance to win, it seemed. No Shaq or Wade on the bench, we just got to our seats (you'll have to read my rant against Orlando to find out why...).

Hey, I had to make a pit-stop. Can't go to a game without touring the facilities...

Heat Faced with Losing Number Four Seed

The Miami Heat have dropped two straight games to the Charlotte Bobcats. It was supposed to be a few creampuff games for the Heat as they try to catch up to the Toronto Raptors for the #3 seed.

Now, they are looking to preserve their 2.5 game lead over the Wizards for the Southeastern Division lead while the Raptors have all but wrapped up the #3 seed for the playoffs.

Pat Riley senses his team is overlooking the rest of the season. "They see the standings and they see it's going to take a miracle to move up," Riley said. "Maybe subconsciously they have said, 'We're settling in right here. We're going to have to do it the hard way.' The way we played tonight, there wasn't a sense of urgency."

With Gary Payton out for 2-3 weeks with a torn right calf muscle, Udonis Haslem out with a nagging groin injury, Dwyane Wade just starting to make his return and getting his game legs back, and with Shaq out due to the death of his grandfather what can we realistically expect for the Heat tonight? Oh yeah, and then there is the James Posey DUI situation to consider, too.

At least for the Heat, Washington is without Gilbert Arenas and Caron Butler.

If Miami loses this game, they realistically could risk losing the #4 spot by opening up a chance for Washington to steal the division title back. Thank God the Wiz lost to the Nets last night (96-92) otherwise they would only be 1.5 games back of the Heat.

The Wizards, not including tonight's game against Miami, have 4 games left (@ Atlanta, Chicago, Orlando and @ Indiana) and are facing a bit of an uphill battle, but if they beat the Heat tonight they could catch the Heat who has only 3 games left, not including tonight.

Miami is faced with injuries and availability issues, but Riley has to be clear and play who he has. Payton is gone, Riley HAS to play Chris Quinn and the rookie had a nice night last night, scoring 12 points on 3-6 shooting, 4-6 free throws, 2 rebounds and 3 assists. Jason Williams cannot afford to play 48 minutes, let alone 40 and Dwyane Wade is not totally ready to take over PG duties just yet. Both options had turnover problems last night, posting 4 a piece, and Quinn is a safe alternative if Riley could only get his stubborn head around it.

As for the other injuries, Miami has enough depth to make up for them.

Miami has to win this game tonight if they are going to keep that #4 seed. The third spot is all but out of reach now and if the Heat lose tonight, it may be tempting to tell them to tank the rest of the season to slide down to that #6 spot, in all honesty.

Wade's Return: The Visual

There are a lot of people out there asking questions about Dwyane Wade's return and how much he will actually help the Heat.

In his return last night Wade had 12 points on 3-9 shooting, he was 6-12 from the free throw line and he had 8 assists to 6 turnovers. In other words Wade's return was what it was, rusty. Nevertheless, Wade is back.

But what exactly does this mean? What can we expect from Dwyane Wade now that he has returned from his left shoulder injury?

In a word: more.

I watched the game last night and happened to catch the announcement - Dwyane Wade was dressing up and getting ready to play. Of course, this sent a shockwave throughout the internet as we here at MiamiHeatwave.com scurried in all directions to let the rest of the Heatian brethren know what was going to happen.

What I want to do now is take a look at some of the photos from last night's game to give visual evidence of what we can expect from DWade. Offensively and defensively, there are things Wade will resume doing and things he won't. On both ends of the floor, it is key to see how he handles his recovery - both physically and mentally.


Is His Shoulder Ready?

Shooting



First of all, Dwayne's left shoulder was the one that sustained the injury. This is not his shooting hand and this should have nominal effect on his shooting. However, he was not hitting shots at the usually high efficient rate that we are accustomed to seeing from Wade. Still, like with any sport, playing in practice is different than playing in a game. Once Wade gets his rhytmn back, and his shooting, he will be fine.

Still, here is an example from practice. Kapono is leaning on him and Wade is using his left shoulder to create seperation from his defender to protect the ball. We saw this last night on a couple of occasions, but admittedly Wade was tentative. Later Wade did take some bumps and tumbles in that game against the Bobcats.

Dribbling



Again, although Wade is right handed, dribbling with his left and driving to his left is a part of his game. It is no mystery that you force Wade to his left and you have a chance at making him less effective. Still, Wade has refined his game to the point that that is no longer a truism; Wade can effectively create offense by driving to his left. So, can he do it?

Yes.

The above picture was taken at practice and clearly shows Wade using his left hand to dribble around defenders. He has the same explosiveness with his drive that defenders cannot keep up with. The key is for Wade to create hesitation in the mind of his defender at which time he can go in either direction and the defender's lateral footspeed is not enough to matchup with Wade's first step. Here is an in-game example taken from last night's return against the Bobcats.



So Wade has the ability to shoot, as his left arm will offer very little as an obstacle since he is a right handed shooter, and with his dribble it is clear that he can still dribble and drive to his left if he needs to.

What about driving? Can he penetrate off his dribble and get inside and finish?

Driving and Penetration



This is an excellent snapshot of why Wade's recovery should not be discounted. His game is instinctive in that he is basically programmed to play a tough, physical style of basketball where he will attack the rim at will. He utilizes excellent footwork along with great athleticism, vision and expectations in order to create and finish plays. One of his patented moves is to dribble drive towards the basket by getting his man out on the perimeter, approaching slowly and then after his hesitation locks up his defender, he drives towards the center of the lane. If there are defenders he has an uncanny ability to spin towards the middle and put up a layup or some other aerobatic manuever to score. This requires him to spin across the lane, and usually a defender will try to poke the ball lose, this will generate contact for Wade and usually draw a foul, much to the ire of the defender, his coach and the bench.

What we see here is that very attempt by Wade and the subsequent foul he drew. Why this is important is that it shows Wade's game is so instinctive that he won't think about how he plays, but will just go out and play and not entirely be fearful of the injury. His tentativeness, as we shall see, seems to be more reserved for the defensive end of the floor and not so much on the offensive end.

Here is a better example:



The biggest fear for this injury, rather the biggest obstacle to overcome, is the mental aspect of it. As for the physical difficulty, Wade lifting his left arm over his head was probably the most painful part of the rehab. His ability to drive down the lane and finish must allow for him to use either arm to finish with and in this example he can show he has no fear to drive and that he can and will use whichever arm in order to create his shot.

There are a couple of other pieces of evidence that I cannot locate at this time - for example, Wade his a turnaround jumper in the lane. It was one of his patented dribble, stop, and pop moves where he uses his footwork to create seperation and attempt a turn-around, fade away jumper. He made the shot which shows his confidence was there also because it was coming down to the end of the game.

Overall, Wade took the ball to the hoop on several occasions, sometimes drawing contact to shoot free throws (FTs). The fact that he got 12 FTAs (free throw attempts) also shows he had no fear on the offensive side of the ball.



On the defensive side of the ball, there were several times where Wade was just standing around instead of crashing for a rebound or boxing out his man. Wade was never the best defender on the court although he has the raw tools to become an all-league defender. Ironically, he admitted that he would "cheat" with his arms and not use his feet as much to defend. Perhaps this will force Wade into using his feet more to matchup and guard his opponents instead of just settling for gambling in the passing lanes or trying to block shots while help defending.

There are still some hurdles to overcome for Wade, but it does seem he is feeling pretty confident about his shoulder on the offensive side of the ball and since his game is mostly instinctual, there won't be much hesitation on his part.

He also has 5 more games to fine tune things before the playoffs.

You know I just gotta...why not Grade Wade? Go HERE and take the poll!

Posey Gets DUI; What Now for Miami?

James Posey was arrested for a DUI early Monday morning but this time it doesn't seem like the Robert Hite incident - this arrest seems legit.

Further Reading:
Posey Arrested On Drunken Driving Charges
Hite's Life in Exile

The problem is, what now? Robert Hite, some will accuse, was released because of his DUI - which turned out to be wrong (he was below the limit for intoxication set by the state). Yet, this is not true - Eddie Jones became available and the Heat were going to have to trim someone off the roster to make room for the veteran swingman. Robert Hite was just that candidate.

As for Posey, he has proven himself to be a vital part of this team. His defense, his intensity, and his ability to come through in the clutch has really contributed to the team dynamic while Wade has been out with his shoulder injury.

The last time this Heat team was together in uniform and free of injury was Feb. 21st. It was the first time ALL season. Then Wade gets his shoulder dislocated.

And now, on the heels of a disappointing, but promising return, Posey spoils Wade's availability by going out and getting arrested. Stupid, stupid, stupid. You might begin to think this team is cursed.

How will Riley handle this? Will Posey get a week off like Hite did? Possibly. The Heat have a spot in the playoffs clinched and they can't sink any further than 4th - unless the Wizards mount a run. So, there is little incentive to play Posey and instead take the time to send the "right message". The Heat are also deep enough at SF to get over the hump in the meantime, most likely we will see Jason Kapono get the nod as starting SF while Posey is out.

What happens with Posey in the meantime will be interesting to see. Will he do the public apology thing and serve his time (with the Heat suspension) and get back in the starting lineup or will he stick to the bench for the playoffs?

In a season filled with so much drama, from the injuries to Riley stepping down to Tim Hardaway's anti-gay comments, as we like to say - stay tuned.

Wade Activated against Bobcats

Dwyane Wade has been cleared to play tonight against the Bobcats. Apparently his shoulder has measured up in team practices over the past week plus and the team is going to roll him out tonight.

Don't expect him to play more than 25 minutes tonight, and he will come off the bench. Wade will continue to rehab in addition to his practice and gametime duties.

Comment on the game live HERE.

Heat Playoff Picture Becoming Clearer

Tonight's game against the Cavaliers is a huge one. Not for the reason you may think - the Heat do need to win this game, but it is also a big test for Miami as they go to Cleveland to take on the Cavs on TNT. This is a potential playoff matchup, as the Heat are pushing for that #2 spot and the Cavs and Bulls are tangled over the #2 spot.

For example, if the Heat fell to #4 and the Cavs fell to #6, then that would be the first round matchup for both teams. The Heat would be faced with playing a tough Cavaliers team while also trying to figure out how effective Dwyane Wade is going to be returning from his shoulder injury.

Yet, things seem to be turning for the better for Miami. The Heat's #1 goal is to grab the third spot in the Eastern conference, so they can avoid a playing the Pistons until the finals - if either team makes it that far. To do that, they will have to win the Southeastern division, which means beating the Wizards.

That scenario seems assured now, with Caron Butler and Gilbert Arenas being injured. Arenas went down with a knee injury last night against the Bobcats; it was revealed in an MRI today that it is a torn miniscus. Arenas will be out 2-3 months.

Unfortunate for the Wizards, but it does make things easier for Miami.

Yet, there is one remaining obstacle left for the final 8 games for the Heat - the Toronto Raptors.

With the important victory on Tuesday night, the Heat sealed the season series (say that three times fast) against the only team left in Canada which means the Heat will get home court advantage should the two teams meet in the playoffs. That is, if both teams have the same record; so the Heat still have to finish better than the Raptors in order to secure the #3 spot and get home court advantage assured.

That scenario breaks down as follows, thanks to our own Mars who has done the work for us:

Heat 8-0, Raptors 6-1

Heat 7-1, Raptors 5-2

Heat 6-2, Raptors 4-3

Heat 5-3, Raptors 3-4

Heat 4-4, Raptors 2-5

Heat 3-5, Raptors 1-6

Heat 2-6, Raptors 0-7

So, there you have it. The scenario is laid out, they have to retake the SE division for good, and beat the Raptors for that #3 spot.

Oh, and a win tonight against Cleveland and Miami captures a playoff berth.

Why Donovan Wouldn't be a Good Choice for the Heat

UF has won the NCAA title, again, and believe me it is the worst possible nightmare for us Seminole fans. Now the Gators have two basketball championships and a football one sandwiched in there, too.

Yet, truth be told, I am glad to see a team from Florida get that kind of recognition - hats off to those damned Florida Gators, you worked hard and you deserve it.

Now, the aftermath. There is a lot of buzz about the Gators and where their individual players will draft - if they declare themselves eligible of course. Somewhere in the DLeague both Matt Walsh and Anthony Roberson are pulling their hairs out amid the apathetic fans they are challenged with.

Then there is the future of Billy Donovan, the next big thing in college coaching. Actually, he is the big thing nowadays, building this UF program into a powerhouse. He is rumored to be offered the Kentucky job - for which I hope he proves himself to be a smart man and say "no" and stay at UF.

Of course, there is also the rumor that he could be next in-line to succeed Pat Riley, a friend and "colleague" as Riley states. This has been denied by Pat Riley himself, and everyone is starting to talk about it.

Further Reading:
Riley not courting Gators' Donovan
Donovan: Wrong man for the job

I agree it would be a mistake to hire Donovan as the Heat's next coach - and no, it isn't because I am a Seminole fan and couldn't stomach it (after all, I love UD and JWill playing on this team). It simply comes down to the fact that in the NBA, you have to be respected by the professional players that will be playing for you. In other words, you have to command as much fiscally in order to command them physically. You have to know and understand the professional game, too. Donovan is a college coach where he can implement a system and get his players to respond because it works and it is proven. At the NBA level, the talent does not drop off as sharply.

Besides, Stan Van Gundy, whom I argued was the perfect coaching candidate for the 2003-2004 Heat, was not respected by Shaq. This is what did him in as a coach, eventhough I still contend SVG would be a great successor to Pat Riley, but it might never happen now.

If SVG was not respected by Shaq, what makes anyone think Billy Donovan would be?

Still this should give Gator fans a lot of hope since the last time they saw one of their own beloved "ball coach" jump from their school to the pros, it backfired. Steve Spurrier could not acclimate his system to the NFL, and most likely Billy Donovan would follow the same fate as his idol Rick Pitino.