No Chance

Without defense, the Heat are going nowhere. Even if they made the playoffs.

Last night, the Bulls, a team that has been struggling all season, found itself against the Heat shooting 50% and 9-17 from three point range. They scored 126 points and only gave up, in the melee, 96 points to the Warm.

There is no Heat in Miami anymore, so I am calling them out.

The Warm can't play defense and if there was a snapshot needed it was Shaq's much ballyhooed return that did next to nothing to help the Heat. He doesn't box out his man, and continues to play more like a statue than an actual human being. Ben Wallace got free on a put back dunk (which could have been called for goal-tending) proving that Shaq, despite his mass, can be outplayed by someone with more heart.

Shaq did have an effect on the game to be sure - he had 20 touches for 18 points in the first half. Then he slowed down quite a bit and fouled out. Thanks for coming out everyone, Shaq is taking half the game off.

As if 10 days in LA wasn't enough.

Shaq, or Whaq as I like to call him these days, isn't alone in the blame. His disappearing act on defense is precisely why Zo was needed to make any kind of run. Zo's defensive presence ignited the Heat on most nights with a key block or two, and saved the Heat's porous perimeter defense. Which, incidentally, is "anchored" by Dwyane Wade.

Playing 35+ minutes, Wade is going to leave an impression on the defensive side of the ball. Yet, his inability to put very much effort into defense is not only bewildering, but leaves the Heat vulnerable pretty much to any team in the NBA with a mediocre perimeter presence. We now see that it was James Posey's tough perimeter D, combined with Zo's, that was really the backbone to the Heat's ability to win games. Wade has regressed defensively.

Jason Kapono not being around to spread the defense with his outside shot has hurt both Wade and Shaq. Yet Riley has an answer on the bench - Daequan Cook - but for whatever reason does not play him. It is like he has Ricky Davis on his fantasy team and not Cook. And don't get me started on why Dorrel Wright isn't playing. I have no clue.

Still, another big time loss and Riley had his "horses" back. They were all in the game last night but they couldn't cut it. This, incidentally is good news. Any other coach would have been fired by now, but since Riley knows his boss personally, and is rumored to be on good terms with him, Riley the Prez won't fire Riley the coach. In actuality, Riley the Prez has done the coach a disservice.

Shaq and Wade are offensive players and need to be surrounded with defense and shooting. Until the Prez figures that out, this team is going nowhere. And that plan can't be implemented until after this season.

So, give up on those playoff tickets. Even if the Heat got them, they wouldn't matter much. It would be a first round exit and with the Heat's financial constraints, they would be better off dipping into the lottery and getting a young talent for dirt cheap that they could help build a future with.

And as all the losses mount, Riley will be forced to do the obvious - fire himself as coach and let another voice (hopefully Spoelstra) take over. He will also have to rebuild like he did in 03-04 - with young talent.