Dwyane Wade and LeBron James both look to prove something tonight.

“TNT has the best games” – The Franchise

The Champ and The Franchise are the only two guys watching the game so far tonight, should be a good time.

***on a side note*** The Champ and The Franchise hate the firing of Byron Scott. hate.

Charles Barkely is our favorite commentator by far.

The Franchise wants Hickson in the lineup, he is.

The Champ wants to see Delonte, he remains to be seen.

1st Quarter:

Easy bucket for Shaq over Beasely and Jermaine O’Neal.

LeBron misses a shot as the score is 7-4, Shaq scores again.

ah! no Delonte. Craig Sager reports. Can’t meet “base level of accountability”

nice move J.J. Hickson.

D. Wade too easy, Cavs 13 Miami 8.

Michael Jordan-Pat Riley. we bow to greatness.

Two quick offensive fouls, Cavs 15 Heat 12.

LeBron burns Jermaine O’Neal, passes to Shaq, misses but is fouled by Quentin Richardson.

LeBron heads to the line. Q-Rich was really shaken up by Shaq, he’s got an ice pack.

Dwayne Wade POSTERIZES Anderson Varejao!!!!!!!!!! wow, LeBron was fouled though.

The Franchise wants more toughness from the Cavs, Varejao and D-Wade are getting into it now.

We didn’t know that Varejao could speak English.

Varejao is still in pain, from the poster dunk.

Jamario Moon takes the Alley-Oop from James and dunks it.

LeBron: driving layup and draws the foul.

TOMAHAWK DUNK by LeBron James, this is pure entertainment folks.

Dwayne Wade: 3 pointer in LeBron’s face.

4 seconds in the quarter.

AAAH! LeBron drives and scores at the buzzer.

ridiculous.

D-Wade was electric in the first quarter.

2nd Quarter:

Jamario Moon and Carlos Arroyo trade buckets.

Carlos Arroyo? really.

Daniel Gibson nice rebound.

Cavs are not taking good shots with LeBron off the court.

Heat are looking tough – The Franchise.

Daequan Cook has been really cold in his minutes.

Mo Williams, two quick three pointers, increase the lead by 6.

Lenny Kravitz is here, so is Warren Sapp, Joey Porter and Penny Hardaway, and SCOTTIE PIPPEN! ah!

Cleveland 50 Miami 47.

Reggie Miller respects Michael Jordan. a lot.

Akron Beacon Journal quote: represent.

Beasley long jumper.

Bad foul by JJ Hickson. LeBron is here to teach him the way.

Dunk by LeBron James, and another good layup for LeBron.

59 Cleveland 54 Miami.

End of the 1st Half.

Miami down by five, 62-57 Cleveland. LeBron’s got 19, D-Wade’s got 16.

Jamario Moon has actually been playing great defense on his old teammate D-Wade

3rd Quarter:

Mario Chalmers burns Mo Williams for the layup.

Chalmers to Beasley alley-oop.

Just as the Franchise claims “LeBron is going to have to take over”  LeBron hits a three.

Hickson outside jumper?! cool.

84-76 Cleveland. Mo Williams and JJ Hickson are stepping it up.

Chalmers hits a three to put it within five.

JJ Hickson, alley-oop!

Weak shot by Daniel Gibson, weak shot.

LeBron James can sure drive to the lane and score.

end of the third quarter Cavs up 92-84.

Beasley has actually been playing good tonight.

4th Quarter:

Cavs up by 10 now, 94-84.

JJ Hickson has 18 points, yeah.

Heat are on a dry spell, Cavs are taking advantage, up by 11.

The Cavs cannot leave Haslem open, he hits a jumper.

Mo Williams makes his own shot.

Jamario Moon is playing his best game so far as well, as he records a super block as he hits it off Beasley to get the ball back.

LeBron wanted the high screen, couldnt get it, results in a turnover.

D-Wade brings the defecit to eight, timeout on the floor.

The Mike Singeltary commercial for Motorola phone is on!

we love this guy

Cavs have 100 points now. LeBron hits his second free throw too.

Cleveland ball?! good effort from JJ Hickson nonetheless.

Interesting Jump Ball.

D-Wade again, time for LeBron to step up.

Wade misses, Cleveland regains possession 4:15 left.

103-96 Cleveland, cavs turnover the ball.

Foul called on Mario Chalmers.

Wade burns Parker, shoots over Z. Parker needs to play better D.

LeBron James for 3! he’s into it.

106-99 Cavs are up.

LeBron drives to the lane draws the foul from Jermaine O’Neal.

LeBron drives to the lane (again) and draws another foul.

Mike Brown is getting into it Josh McDaniels style.

Cavs up 109-99, oh wait Beasley puts up a three.

the Cavs are back, we were previously directed to the Lakers/Suns game, a good game but nevertheless, we want the Cavs.

Cle 111 Mia 104

JJ Hickson: big surpise.

The game is over. CLEVELAND 111 MIAMI 104.

Starting Five:

-          Mario Chalmers

-          Dwyane Wade

-          Michael Beasley

-          Udonis Haslem

-          Jermaine O’Neal

Key Reserves:

-         Jamaal Magloire

-         Daequan Cook

-         Quentin Richardson

-         Carlos Arroyo

-         Yakhouba Diawara

Significant Off-Season Additions:

-         Acquired Quentin Richardson from Timberwolves

-         Signed Free-Agent guard Carlos Arroyo

Significant Off-Season Losses:

-         Lost Jamario Moon to the Cavaliers

Man on the Hot Seat: Michael Beasley

The second overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft is in the hottest of seats this season. Coming off the lowest point in his life during the summer at rehab, Beasley is ready to prove the doubters wrong. Beasley averaged 14 points in 25 minutes of play last season as a rookie sixth man. That doesn’t seem like a lot but not many players in the league can produce that much in such a limited role. No matter what people say, Beasley is an enormous part of the Heat and hopefully he can get his act together on and off the court.

Biggest Question:

Can Dwyane Wade produce another MVP type season alone and stay in Miami after this season if that’s the case?

I believe Wade has the power to produce another type of season like last season. The problem this time around is will he want to do it alone? This year Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers are not rookies anymore and Wade should be expecting more help from them. The fact that Beasley was the second overall pick in the 08 Draft makes him a target for success.

Wade has already been public about wanting more help in Miami or else he will bail on them at the end of the season. What will Pat Riley do? Trade for talent? Tell Wade to navigate to storm alone for one more season and help will be on the way? If you listened to Wade over the off-season, he is really serious about this, he is in the prime of his career and he doesn’t want to waste it in a team that will not go back to the Finals. As of right now, The Miami Heat might as well be called the Miami Wade until we see if the rest of the team can help the One Man Band.

09/10 Record: 48-34 (4^th East, 2^nd Southeast Division)

Playoffs: Eliminated in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals by the Cleveland Cavaliers (4-3)

The heat is on in South Florida, with the Dolphins rising once more and and a return to national prominence by the  Hurricanes, the Heat, a perennial playoff team, struggle to keep the attention focused on them. The Heat followed a 43-39 season, good enough for 5th place in the Eastern Conference, with a disappointing off season. Targeting Lamar Odom and other big-men, the Heat only managed to add the services of point guard Carlos Arroyo and guard Quentin Richardson. Odom resigned with the Lakers and the Heat were left with lesser players to pick from.

Dwayne Wade had a prolific 2008-09 season. Wade averaged a league high 30.2 points per game, earning his first NBA Scoring Title, and added 7.5 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 2.2 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. Wade scored 50 points through three quarters of play in a game against the Knicks but was taken out of the game after scoring 55 points, one shy of the Heat franchise record held by Glen Rice.

Wade is a dynamo, a do it all player who will never quit, but there are questions surrounding the rest of the Miami roster. Incumbent point guard and former Jayhawk Mario Chalmers will likely be challenged by Arroyo, but Daequan Cook, who has morphed into an excellent three-point shooter, will likely remain at shooting guard. The small forward position was supposed to be occupied by Michael Beasley, until he checked into rehab. Without Beasley, the Heat will rely on veterans James Jones, Quentin Richardson, and Udonis Haslem to fill in. Udonis Haslem will play power forward, but it remains to be seen how many more games ol’ Udonis will play before he runs out of gas. This is where the Heat could really have used a player  like LaMar Odom or Antawn Jamison; it’s and understatement to say that the Heat lack depth at the forward position. Jermaine O’Neal, acquired in a trade with Toronto, has been a nice addition to the Heat. O’Neal’s 13.0 points per game and 5.4 rebounds helped propel the Heat into the playoffs, but he wasn’t enough to help them escape a first round loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

So the Heat lack depth. Will they return to the playoffs? Will they even finish the regular season with a .500 record? The Heat are in a dangerous Eastern Conference and even with Dwayne Wade, he wasn’t enough to get the Heat past the equally mediocre Hawks. The Heat figure to have a difficult time reaching the post season this year. Michael Beasley has to show up drug-free and ready to play basketball or the Heat are doomed. If this kid doesn’t get his head in the game soon he will begin to look like a bust. With an average defense that yielded 98.0 points per game last season, the Heat will need plenty of offense from Wade and Beasley to make a run in 2009-10.

According to heat.com, The Miami HEAT annouced today that they have signed Carlos Arroyo to a One-Year 1.1 Million dollar deal. Really? We sign Arroyo but not Tinsley? Arroyo, 6’2”, 200 pounds, has appeared in 433 regular season NBA games (113 starts) and averaged 7.0 points, 3.3 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 18.2 minutes while shooting 43.2 percent from the field, 31.8 percent from three-point range and 80.1 percent from the foul line. Arroyo has spent his seven-year NBA career with Toronto, Denver, Utah, Detroit and most recently the Orlando Magic. according to HEAT.com,Arroyo started his colligate career in Miami at Florida International University, he became just the second player in school history to score at least 1,600 career points. He finished his FIU career setting school records with 459 assists and 177 steals. He also ranked second in school history in three-point field goals made (174), third in field goals made (562) and third in free throws made (302).

For you people at are interested, Arroyo will wear number 8 previously used by Antoine Walker and Shaun Livingston.

Now, here are my two cents about this. Miami needed depth at point guard, and team officials met Saturday to discuss a number of potential candidates. They settled on Arroyo, why? I don’t know, but coach Erik Spoelstra has been told he has been brought in to play backup to starter Mario Chalmers. Why don’t we trust that Chris Quinn can play solid backup? Now Miami has 4 point guards in its roster. Mario Chalmers, Chris Quinn, Carlos Arroyo, and John Lucas III. Lucas III and Arroyo’s contract are not guaranteed but they were invited to pre-season. Lucas seems on his way out, I don’t like the way he has been playing and it seems that with the Aroyo acquisition, Lucas III could possibly be on his way out.

One interesting thing i found on the NBA website, Arroyo played for Puerto Rico in the 2004 Olympic Games, scoring a team-high 24 points for his country when it stunned the United States 92-73 in an opening-round game. That’s pretty neat I would say.

I don’t hate him, I just liked Jamaal Tisley better. I hope he can prove me wrong. What do you guys think?

ON THE SET OF RICK ROSS'S CCC VIDEO SHOOT

Haslem is not alone in his sentiment about the importance of the Haitian community to the fabric of the American culture. Other young celebrities like Poe Boy’s Flo rida, Billy Blue, Brisco, Sak Pase Record’s Mecca aka Grimo, Iconz Music’s Ballgreazy ,Maybach Music Group’s Triple C, 99 Jamz’s DJ Griot, Grindmode, and Des Loc from Piccalo will come together on Friday, September 18th, 2009 for the Tet Ansanm (Heads United) TPS Solidarity Vigil for Haitian refugees lost at sea. They will raise their voices to call the youth to action toward President Obama to grant TPS to undocumented Haitians.

The Vigil sponsored by the Haitian Women of Miami (FANM), Florida Immigrant Coalition (FLIC), FREE HAITI NOW (FHN) and On Point Entertainment and Marketing (OPEM) will take place at the Historic Virginia Key Beach Park starting at 3pm on September 18th. The Vigil will also feature poets, motivational speakers and local politicians.

Event Details and For More Information:

Event: Tet Ansanm TPS Solidarity Vigil
Date: Friday, September 18, 2009
Time: 3:00pm – 7:00pm
Location: Virginia Key Beach Park – 4020 Virginia Beach Drive, Miami, FL
Hosting Agencies: FANM, FLIC, FHN, OPEM
Type: Vigil/Rally
Phone: 3057787073
Email: Francesca@floridaimmigrant.org, dmagloire@fanm.org, Francesca@onpointworld.com

Background: Temporary Protected Status is for foreign nationals currently residing in the U.S. whose homeland conditions are recognized by the US government as being temporarily unsafe or overly dangerous to return to (e.g., war, earthquake, flood, drought, or other extraordinary and temporary conditions). TPS would afford undocumented Haitians SSN, work authorization, driver licenses and opportunity to attend school while they are in the US as Haiti recovers from four devastating hurricanes in 2008.

You know, I just feel very sad for Quentin Richardson. Do you realize how many times this kid has been traded in this recent NBA off-season? Four times…in less than two months! Now, personally, Q-Rich deserves some respect.

After spending his last four seasons with the New York Knicks before the 2009 off-season; he was to the Memphis Grizzlies, then the Los Angeles Clippers, onto to the Minnesota Timberwolves, and now here, stuck with the Miami Heat along with Dwayne Wade. Dwayne Wade might be pretty happy with this move as Q-Rich was his regular off-season workout partner, says ESPN.

But I just don’t understand why the teams would trade him. I just think this is crazy. But with him on the Heat now, I think I do have a little sneak preview what he’ll look like with them. Here are two good examples, thanks to the guys at the InsideHoops.com forum in their famous thread called Photoshopping Players In Different Uniforms Three:

Pretty cool pictures, eh? Yeah, I think so. So where were we? Oh yes, we were talking about why would teams trade him. It is actually quite outrageous after witnessing this video on YouTube.com. I just hope you understand me on this. I really do believe you should think it is pretty weird that teams would trade a player like Q-Rich.

I like how Richardson rolls. He is a tough and physical player who can score in the most violent ways. This guy can get it up at the post and from behind the arc. Although he has been losing some of his luster as the years have been going by now, as I have observed in his past few seasons lately, I think Richardson can still rule on the court. Richardson is a pretty good rebounder as well, but I really do believe he can make a difference when he steps onto the court, making those cool squeaky shoe noises on the court floor (man that noise is cool!).

You know the video game NBA 2K9? I have an XBOX360 and I play this game frequently whenever I want to play on the video game console (which I rarely do). So here I am playing and I decide to be the Knicks whenever I just want to do a normal game by pressing the “Play Now” button. So here I am with the Knicks as I am managing Q-Rich in the game. And man, every time I play with him, he is just a big-ass dunking machine.

Now when I had family over, every time I play against my cousins like Shawn, Krishna, or Jon; I always say these random things to help me win. So whenever I am the Knicks and Q-Rich has the ball, I yell this cool word for him called “kabashali.” I don’t know if you can pronounce it, but here is the pronunciation thing that all those dictionaries do: ka-bosh-uh-lee. So yeah, that’s just about it. He is truly just an amazing player in 2K9.

But that’s just a video game, but I thought I would like to share that story with you…and maybe get a little chuckle (at least one, huh?). But besides of what talent Q-Rich has in those freaking video games, people have got to give him some love, especially you (not you), you NBA general managers.

But with Richardson on the Heat, he can make a difference despite losing his interesting skills now fading away into the darkness like a black hole in where not even light can escape. Q-Rich can’t escape. Last year, had averaged about ten points per game, about four rebounds, and about four rebounds, and about two assists per game after playing only 50 games last year.

Richardson will most probably be starting at small forward with Miami or be a backup small forward if Michael Beasley moves to starter at that spot and Udonis Haslem takes over at the spot named power forward. I am going to have to wish all the luck to Q-Rich next year.

If he gets traded again, I might as well just call him and say, “Listen man, when you sign a contract, tell them this: ‘I will only sign if you don’t trade me like the past, what, like 20 teams that have traded me already in this off-season.’”

So to the NBA teams that have traded Richardson, come on man, give him a break! He has talent. Why don’t you let him use it with your team? You will not be a snitch unless if you keep trading Q-Rich, period. So please Heat, don’t think about trading him. He has talent, so don’t make him waste it.

I stand with my point. Now let’s see what you have.

If you are a pessemist, you might as well call this up-coming season a “waste”, or you may as well say that the star of the team after this season will be Michael Beasley.

The great thing is, I’m not that person.

Sure, Miami didn’t get Lamar Odom (one of the best free agents on the market), but we are looking at other options. Tinsley wants to join Miami, Riley might push a little harder for Carlos Boozer or Allen Iverson.. Who knows? the possibilities are endless. I don’t want to see the true blue Heat fans like myself to be depressed over this little bump on the road.

You all know Pat Riley is a genius! He has the teams best intention in mind. I’m telling you, Riley will surprise us all. Maybe, we now will sign Iverson? Who knows? All I know is that if we don’t do something, we may lose Dwyane Wade after this season (then we can all cry and be depressed).

So, what’s next for the Heat and it’s fans? I can honestly say I have no clue. Miami has canceled it’s meeting with Jamaal Tinsley saying they are “regrouping” after Odom remained with the Lakers. Riley has also said he didn’t like the way Boozer handled the questions about coming to Miami… But, he did reach out to Iverson again…

I’m going to play a game right now called “If I was Pat Riley for a day” and I will say what I would do if I was the genius that is Pat Riley.

1) I would call Utah. I would make them an offer that they can’t refuse. Udonis Haslem, Dorrell Wright, and Mark Blount for Carlos Boozer and a player to be named.

2) I would call Allen Iverson. Call him to Miami and have a long conversation that would go something like this. Allen, I really want you in Miami. You would be a great addition to our team. There is one thing you should know right off the bat though, you will compete for the starting job when training camp opens, you are not automatically going to be the starting point guard. We will give you the best chance from the teams you are talking to (New York, Memphis) to compete for a championship. Take it or leave it.

3) Fax Wade a contract extension knowing he most likely will not sign it, I would then make another offer for another top player.

Now, I know that my scenario is one that would be perfect. But in a normal world, I would gladly take A.I and that would be enough to make the MV3 happy (for now).

What are your thoughts on the situation? who will Miami sign? Tell me what you think!

A local talk radio program conducted an interview with Quinton Ross this morning. Now that he is officially a Dallas Maverick, Ross has the opportunity to do something very few athletes get to do–play ball in the same city for high school, colleges and the pros. Udonis Haslem is the only current athlete whose name I can think of off the top of my head, but I’m sure Miami, L.A. and Houston have had a few in the past.

I began to think about what it means for an athlete to play professionally for his hometown. Does it mean anything at all? Is there any emotional attachment between a pro-athlete and their hometown team or does a professional athlete automatically shed all childhood allegiances?

For better or worse, I am emotionally invested in the Cowboys, Mavericks and Rangers. I’ve followed these teams my entire life. As a kid, I collected the trading cards, autographs, the Starting Lineup action figures, and any other type of memorabilia you can possibly imagine associated with the guys on my team.

Throughout the years, Ive devoted my time to watching their games in person and/or on TV. Consider the fact that since 1990, I have missed only two Cowboys’ games (1.) a December 28, 2003 game against the New Orleans Saints 2.) a September 30, 2001 game against the Philadelphia Eagles). Similarly, I saw all 82 Dallas Maverick regular season games, either in person or on TV, in 2006-2007 and I have missed only 24 Mavericks regular season games since the 2005-2006 season.

As I grow older, I find that my devotion to these teams grows only stronger.  I invest countless hours each year to reading about my teams, writing about my teams, talking about my teams and listening to others talk about my teams. For what? So I can impress friends at a cocktail party by naming every Cowboys’ kicker since 1985? No, I do it out of love, love of and for my teams.

I was about a .230 hitter in youth league baseball (although I knew how to work a walk and had a .800% OBP one summer) and at 6 feet, 160 pounds, I was a back-up center and defensive tackle on my high school’s JV football team before I decided to quit.  Needless to say, I knew from an early age that professional sports were not part of my future.

Not only do I lack the set of physical skills necessary to be a pro-athlete, I lack the mindset as well.  You see, even if I had Tom Brady’s skill set and contract, I could not bring myself to, either directly or indirectly, compete with the Dallas Cowboys.

How does a professional athlete deal with this emotional schism? Let’s say a kid grows up in New England, idolizing the Sox. He’s a five tool player and he gets drafted in first round right out of high school and singed to a million dollar contract. The only catch is that the team that drafted and signed him is the New York Yankees.

I’m sure situations like this must arise in the professional sports world and when they do, I’m interested to find out how the athletes deal with it.

I realize that many professional athletes may grow up as a fan of a particular player or sport and not necessarily loyal to their local team, but I know there are some athletes with passions like mine. Would a multi-million dollar contract and the promise of a championship give me the motivation necessary to temporarily set these this emotional investment aside? I tend to think not.

—————-
Now playing: David Paich, Don Henley & Jeff Porcaro – New York Minute
via FoxyTunes

There is still plenty of time left for teams to make deals and sign players, but as summer ball begins, I’ll take my first crack at ranking each team so far this offseason.

1)  Cleveland Cavaliers – The Cavs puzzled some by drafting Christian Eyenga when the logic would have been to go big, but then traded for Shaquille O’Neal the next day.  I love it.  They fill their void, and do so by acquiring (still) the most dominant big man in the game.  Some say he’ll clog the lane and LeBron won’t get to the rim.  On the contrary actually.  Opposing bigs can’t leave to double team LeBron anymore.  On defense, the guards won’t have to help down low, meaning Cleveland won’t give up a million threes, which doomed them in the Orlando series.  In the long run, this is not a good trade, but Cleveland is going all-in for one run at the title.  Drafting Danny Green was a stellar draft choice at 46 overall, and they resigned versitile backup forward Anderson Varejao too.

2)  Minnesota Timberwolves – They weren’t kidding when they said they were going after all guards.  The ‘Wolves get lucky when Oklahoma City passes on Ricky Rubio, then get Jonny Flynn and Ty Lawson later.  The Rubio situation is still unresolved, so this #2 ranking hinges on him working out a buyout with his Spanish team.  Still, Minnesota gets some electrifying young talent to build around big men Al Jefferson and Kevin Love.  Trading Ty Lawson gave them another first round pick next year, and the forgotten draft pick – Wayne Ellington – is a sharpshooter who will get a lot of shots because of what Rubio and Flynn can do off the dribble.  This team is putting all the pieces together to compete in the West.

3)  New Jersey Nets – The team that went to the NBA Finals did so because of great shooting and defense, and now they have neither.  Instead, the Nets now have three really good players in Courtney Lee, Rafer Alston and Tony Battie.  All three played 77 of the 82 games last year for Orlando, and together averaged roughly 25 points.  Lee and Battie are both great sparkplugs off the bench that will help New Jersey immediately.  Alston will likely start, averaging 12 points and five assists last season.  They needed more depth and got it, and snagged physical Louisville forward Terrence Williams at #11.  The Nets have to be thinking long-term with what they’ve done this offseason, and they should have the money to make a few more moves that would help with that goal.

4)  Los Angeles Clippers – Not much to say here.  The Clippers had the easiest decision of anyone in the draft: pick the best player first overall, then call it a night.  That’s exactly what L.A. did by selecting Blake Griffin #1.  It was the only pick for the Clippers, but the obvious one, and he should help.  Looking at a roster with him, Baron Davis, Al Thornton, Zach Randolph, Eric Gordon and Marcus Camby, you would think this team would be better.  Allen Iverson rumors are swirling too.  Maybe next year is the breakout year.

5)  San Antonio Spurs – I’m a huge Bruce Bowen fan, but giving him up for Richard Jefferson was a good move.  The team needs offensive help and gets it from a guy averaging nearly 20 PPG.  They also signed Antonio McDyess, who averaged a double double for Detroit last season.  Throw in Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, Michael Finley and Manu Ginobili and you have a star-studded roster.  The only problem is a good one – the draft picks won’t get a lot of time.  The Spurs did what so many teams should have done – draft DeJuan Blair.  He’s a huge physical presence down low who is built well for the NBA.  Jack McClinton should also contribute right away.  This team should challenge the Lakers in the West this season.

6)  Phoenix Suns – While the Shaq trade worked out great for Cleveland, it also worked for Phoenix.  Shaq was a barricade in the Suns’ speedway of an offense.  Instead they get Ben Wallace for defense, Sasha Pavlovic, a 2010 second round pick and cash.  Wallace can still be a viable inside presence, and they still have Amar’e Stoudemire for now.  The draft was also good.  Earl Clark is a physical body who can help with rebounds and defense, yet still run the floor.  Taylor Griffin can run too and could be a spark off the bench.  They’ll have to play defense to have a chance to make the playoffs.

7)  Dallas Mavericks - The Mavs resigned veteran point guard Jason Kidd, and while he isn’t the same Kidd who led the Nets to back-to-back East titles, he’s still a threat and a great decision maker.  The big offseason trade was acquiring Shawn Marion.  They had to give up Jerry Stackhouse, Devean George and Antoine Wright to do it, but it looks better now that the Grizzlies released Stackhouse.  Marion averaged 13 points and nine rebounds last year and will fit in right away with Josh Howard and Dirk Nowitzki in the frontcourt.  The draft was a bit questionable as they drafted B.J. Mullens, then traded him for Rodrigue Beaubois.

8)  Sacramento Kings – I know that the trade with Chicago in February doesn’t count as “offseason,” but it got the ball rolling for a team that has been playoff-deprived since 2006 and had just 17 wins last season.  Andres Nocioni is a hard worker who will be as aggressive as anyone and Drew Gooden was a nice addition too.  The big move came with the fourth pick in the draft though, after both Memphis and Oklahoma City passed on the second best player.  The Kings landed Tyreke Evans, the athletic 6′5″ guard from Memphis.  Some say he’s not a typical point guard, but in the NBA that doesn’t even matter anymore.  He can still handle the ball, and he’ll be able to use his sized to get to the rim.  They traded Jeff Pendergraph to get Jon Brockman and cash, which to me is a great deal for Sacramento.  Brockman is a bruiser inside, and the Kings will enjoy the extra money.

9)  Houston Rockets – The Rockets better hope their draft picks come through, or they’ll be broke for nothing.  Houston has had it tough this offseason, finding out that Yao Ming may never play again, then losing Ron Artest.  However, the Rockets took advantage of the Lakers’ decision to sign Artest by snagging Trevor Ariza.  Ariza showed in the playoffs that he has the potential to be a star in this league, and while he’s not Artest yet, it could work out beautifully for Houston down the road.  Their draft picks were all good.  Jermaine Taylor can score from anywhere on the floor, and I can’t believe Chase Budinger was still available as low as #44.  Houston will take a step back next year, but they’re making the right moves for the future.

10)  Toronto Raptors – There’s a lot to like about the active offseason Toronto has had.  The DeMar DeRozan pick made sense at #9.  They’ll get what they want out of him right away.  The big four team deal involved them getting Hedo Turkoglu, who is only getting better and is about as clutch as anyone, especially in the 2009 playoffs.  They did have to give up Marion, but got two solid bench players in Devean George and Antoine Wright.  They also resigned Andrea Bargnani, their second leading scorer from a year ago.  Now there’s talk of 2010 free agent Chris Bosh resigning.  They are one big man away from being a real threat in the East.

11)  Boston Celtics – Signing Rasheed Wallace was downright sick.  Their starting lineup now consists of him, Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett.  With Wallace and a healthy Garnett, they have the best team in the NBA.  They may also have the biggest trash talking team with Wallace, Garnett and Pierce on the floor, but that’s okay because they’ll have a lot to brag about.  The only reason they are as low as 11 is because they really didn’t even need Wallace with Kendrick Perkins and Glen ‘Big Baby” Davis.  Now those two are coming off the bench.  Lester Hudson was the second leading scorer in the nation last year and Boston got him at #58 with their only draft pick.  Cleveland will be the only team that tests them this year in the East.

12)  Denver Nuggets – Denver saw what Minnesota was doing in the draft and took advantage.  The Nuggets traded a first round pick to the ‘Wolves to grab Ty Lawson, who will have an outstanding mentor in Chauncey Billups.  Lawson is electrifying and can handle the point as well as anyone in the draft.  Sending Sergio Llull to Houston is fine because he wouldn’t play in Denver anyway, and the Nuggets get cash in return.  Other than those two draft moves, it’s been a quiet offseason for Denver.  I’d like to see them go after a big guy – the Lakers dominated the interior in the West finals.

13)  Detroit Pistons – If the Pistons really wanted a small forward, Austin Daye was the best left on the board at #15.  Still, I think there were better players in the draft than him.  They lose McDyess and Wallace to free agency, meaning two big guys who combine for 22 points need tom be replaced.  I really like DeJuan Summers, but he doesn’t realy solve the problem of needing a big man.  We’ll see what Charlie Villanueva can do, but Detroit really scored with the signing of Ben Gordon.  He’ll provide instant help in the backcourt, and if nothing else, him, Richard Hamilton and Allen Iverson should be fun to watch.

14)  Milwaukee Bucks - Richard Jefferson will be a huge loss, but they got a guy in Bruce Bowen who can realy play defense.  He’s also a good leader for a team now filled with young potential.  If Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut stay healthy (they played just 69 games combined last year), Milwaukee can still make some noise.  I don’t know much about Brandon Jennings, but I’ve heard that he’s a special player.  I really like Jodie Meeks at #41.  His decision to go pro was a good one because he’ll see playing time in Milwaukee.  Young guys like Luc Mbah A Moute and Joe Alexander should be able to fill in adequately for Charlie Villanueva.

15)  Los Angeles Lakers – The Lakers signed Ron Artest, giving them 16 points, four assists and one of the game’s best defenders.  So why are they ranked so low?  For starters, they didn’t need Artest.  they could have resigned Trevor Ariza and probably still been the favorites in the East.  Instead, Ariza is gone and a guy with a huge temper and not much love for Kobe Bryant now has to play alongside him.  They traded Toney Douglas and Patrick Beverly in the draft to get cash, so now I’m wondering what their plan for the future is.  Their only pick was a second rounder named Chinemelu Elonu who may never see the inside of the Staples Center.  They’re loaded for now, but I worry about the future.  They did get two future second round picks.

16)  Washington Wizards – The Wiz didn’t get anyone in the draft.  Instead they gave away Jermaine Taylor for cash and the #5 overall pick for Randy Foye and Mike Miller.  Those two guys give Washington 26 points, and both should start.  A healthy Gilbert Arenas will be a nice addition for Washington this season.  I like the mentality of trying to win now, which is what they are trying to do.  Still, that #5 pick would still look really good with a guy like Ricky Rubio or Jonny Flynn.

17)  Philadelphia 76ers – The Sixers drafted Jrue Holiday #17, but really they had a number of options.  Jeff Teague, Ty Lawson, Darren Collison and Eric Maynor were all still available, but you can’t go wrong with Holliday, who is probably the best of all of them when healthy.  They needed backcourt help and got it, but their only offseason acquisition was a trade for sharpshooter Jason Kapono.  Kapono is one dimensional, so I expect the Sixers to make another move before the season starts.

18)  Chicago Bulls – The Bulls have been guard heavy with no true big man for some time, yet for the past few years they’ve drafted and traded for guards.  This year they focused their draft on building a front line.  James Johnson is good, how do you pass up DeJuan Blair for him?  Blair is bigger, stronger and a better athlete.  Taj Gibson is a nice second round pick but a little undersized.  They lost Ben Gordon to free agency, and it’s a big loss, but hopefully Jannero Pargo will be able to bring a bit of range to the backcourt.  The Bulls are one of the frontrunners for Carlos Boozer, which would significantly bump them up on this list.

19)  Portland Trail Blazers – The Blazers had a pretty good draft.  They moved up to take Victor Claver, and although there were better players available, I know they really liked Claver.  I love Dante Cunningham, probably because of his performance in the NCAA tournament, and Patty Mills is a great sparkplug who can backup Brandon Roy.  However, I think the Blazers got the short end of both trades they made.  Pendergraph is not much better than Brockman, so losing Brockman, Rodriguez and cash to get him was too much.  They also lost a 2010 second round pick to Dallas to move up two spots and take a guy (Claver) who may have still been available.  Even so, this team could be scary if all the young guys can get on track early.

20)  Oklahoma City Thunder – The Grizzlies’ miscue gave Oklahoma City two great players in Rubio and Evans to choose from.  They chose neither.  And while James Harden is a special player, they’ll regret passing on Evans and Rubio.  They did get B.J. Mullens in a trade with Dallas in which they gave up Beaubois and a second round pick.  He shined in Columbus, and even though I’m not a huge fan, he should be able to help them in the middle.  Robert Vaden is durable.  If they stay healthy, they’ll be a terrific young team to watch.

21)  Charlotte Bobcats – I thought there were more talented players in the draft than Gerald Henderson at #12.  The Bobcats passed on Clark, Blair, and a bunch of electrifying point guards.  One nice thing about Henderson is that he has size and can play defense as well as anyone in the draft.  They extended an offer to Raymond Felton, and the Derrick Brown pick was as good as it could be for #40.  As far as Henderson goes, I’m wondering how much he’ll play if Felton and Raja Bell are both healthy and on the floor.

22)  Indiana Pacers – I was a huge Tyler Hansbrough fan in college.  But that was college.  As aggressive and hard-working as he is, you have to wonder if he has the strength and athleticism to make it in the NBA.  Apparently the Pacers thought so when they shocked everyone by drafting him #13 overall.  He’ll probably play right away, bringing toughness and energy to the frontline if nothing else.  I like A.J. Price, who really got his chance to lead when Jerome Dyson went down.  They signed Dahntay Jones, who started 71 games for Denver last season but didn’t do a whole lot.  The jury is still out on whether or not this was a good draft, but for now there’s too much skepticism.

23)  New York Knicks – The Knicks had a decent draft, snagging versitile power forward Jordan Hill at #8, then trading for Toney Douglas at #29.  Both are great players who I think will succeed in the NBA because of their athleticism.  So why are they so low?  They traded Quentin Richardson, a guy averaging 10 points and four rebounds, to get Darko Milicic.  Even worse, they gave Memphis cash too.  In other words, they think Milicic is better than Richardson which is funny, because I think he’s the most overrated #2 draft pick of all time.  Why get him when you just drafted Hill?  They have a long way to go to get into contention.

24)  Utah Jazz – Somehow I have a feeling this ranking is too low, but I’m not a huge Eric Maynor fan and never have been.  I think Lawson, Teague and Holiday are all better, but they were all taken, so the Jazz should have gone somewhere else with the #20 pick.  Sam Young, DeJuan Blair and Wayne Ellington were all still available, but instead they drafted a point guard who is going to spend his time on the bench behind Deron Williams.  They resigned Mehmet Okur but lost Paul Millsap, and they’re likely to lose Carlos Boozer too.  Goron Suton is a solid second rounder, but they had more pressing needs in the first round that wouldn’t have required them to draft a guy to sit behind their best player.

25)  Golden State Warriors – Stephen Curry can run up and down the floor.  He can run around the three point arc.  He can shoot a college-ranged three pointer.  That’s all well and good, but it won’t get him anywhere in the NBA.  Yet the Warriors took him at #7, which may have been the worst first round pick because it was so high.  He reminds me of J.J. Redick, and, just like Redick, he’ll have to change his game to see any kind of time.  The Warriors had talked about trading him to Phoenix for Amar’e Staodemire, which would have been brilliant, but it fell through.  Instead they boost their lineup by…trading Jamal Crawford for Acie Law and Speedy Claxton?  Huh?  So now they have Law, Claxton and Curry – three tiny guards with lots of quickness and not much else.  Great job Warriors.  Great job.

26)  Orlando Magic – The Magic have carried over the disappointment from the NBA Finals right on into the offseason.  First they resign Hedo Turkoglu, just to trade him.  In the four team deal involving Dallas, Toronto and Memphis, the Magic got nothing but cash.  Which is okay if they plan on spending it, but they haven’t.  Then came the most lopsided trade of the offseason.  Orlando gave up three key pieces from its East-winning team in Lee, Alston and Battie just get Vince Carter.  Carter’s numbers have been slowly declining since 2004-2005, and he’s not the leader they need to get over that final hump.  Without those four guys, and possibly without Marcin Gortot to back up Dwight Howard, it’ll be tough for Orlando to match what they did this past season.  They had no draft picks either.

27)  Atlanta Hawks – Jeff Teague was the best point guard left, so I don’t have a problem with the pick on its own.  But then the Hawks resign Mike Bibby and acquire Jamal Crawford, meaning they now have a surplus of guards.  So it looks like a bad pick now.  Sergiy Gladyr is another no-namer to me, so we’ll see whether or not he proves to be better than McClinton and Hudson – the two shooting guards taken after him.  I like thec intentions of Atlanta’s draft, but after being embarrassed by Cleveland in the playoffs, they aren’t showing an urgency to get any better.

28)  Miami Heat – It’s hard to see how the Heat arec expecting to be any better with the offseason they’ve had.  Wade, Chalmers and Beasley bring a good young nucleus, but Jermaine O’Neal is only getting older.  They traded for Patrick Beverly, another guard, but gave up Marcus Thornton.  I’d rather have Thornton.  He played in college and is a better scorer, but the Heat wanted Beverly and got him.  The Robert Dozier pick gives them a small forward who can play defense, but they’re still looking for inside help.  O’Neal, Udonis Haslem and Jermaine O’Neal cannot matchup inside with Cleveland or Boston’s bigs, and Wade won’t be able to carry this team on his back.  Expect the Heat to be first or second round losers again.

29)  New Orleans Hornets – Darren Collison is undersized, and they already have the best point guard in the league.  Yet the Hornets chose to draft a backup forv Chris Paul instead of looking for size.  Then in the second round, New Orleans traded for Thornton, another guard who won’t make the team get any bigger.  Without Tyson Chandler, it looks like David West is the only threat on the frontline, and I can think of a forward on just about every team in the West that should school him.  Two years ago they were a two seed.  Last year they didn’t make the playoffs.  Shouldn’t that be a red flag?

30)  Memphis Grizzlies – Their draft had so much potential, yet it couldn’t have gone worse in the first round for Memphis.  First they pass on Harden, Evans, Rubio and Flynn to take Hasheem Thabeet #2.  Thabeet provides little to no offense, and should have gone no higher than #6 in this draft.  They had another first round dud when they passed on Blair, Cunningham and Pendergraph to take DeMarre Carroll.  Carroll is a slightly more athletic version of Tyler Hansbrough, but without any fundamentals.  Sam Young was a very good pick at #36, but it was too late by that point to give the Grizz any credit for a respectable draft.  To make matters worse, they essentially rip off Dallas by giving up Greg Buckner for Jerry Stackhouse in the four team deal, then waive Stackhouse.  This could be another long year for Memphis fans.

The question Heat fans are asking lately seems to be… Do we sign Iverson or no? Well here’s what I’m going to say to this.

Sign him. Sign him now!

Well, by signing him, won’t we have to put Chalmers on the bench? The simple Answer is NO. Iverson is at a point in his career that he will do anything to continuing playing. As we know, Pat Riley is notorious for signing free agents past their prime and make them into champions. Jason Williams, Antoine Walker, James Posey. All were the stars on their respective teams but one they moved to south beach, they became roll-players for Wade and O’Neal. Now, Riley will work that same magic with former league MVP Iverson.

Iverson is hungry to win his first ring and Wade is hungry to go back to the promise land. Iverson will come from the bench, and some times he will start. We need a player that comes out of the bench and can drop 20 or so points. Iverson is that guy and not Michael Beasley. I’m sorry, but Beasley has to become a better defender, but that’s a whole different article.

Rumor has it that the Memphis Grizziles and the Miami Heat are talking to Iverson. Now, if you were Iverson, where would you go? South Beach or Tennessee? Would you want to play with O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay, or Dwyane Wade and Michael Beasley? The only thing that Memphis can do to lure Iverson is say that they are going to give him guaranteed starting time. Miami will not do that. We have Mario Chalmers, he is the point guard of the future for the Heat and Iverson can be a great addition to help Chalmers achieve his potential.

I don’t see Iverson starting any drama with Miami. The last guy that gave Pat Riley drama left and has been on the downhill since (*Cough*, Shaq, *Cough*)…

Here is what will happen when Riley signs him. “Welcome to Miami Allen! Now, a few ground rules… if you break any of them, you are gone.”

Now, the next question. Is Riley going to sign Iverson as a desperation move to keep Wade? No

Riley is for sure worried about Wade, but all these interview Wade has done in the past week is nothing but media hype. Wade isn’t going anywhere and true Heat fans know that Riley has the contract offer ready to go for Wade and that as soon as he signs it, he will pull the trigger on a trade that he has had under his Armani sleeves for a while.

Bottom line, this summer you can expect some things… Wade resigning, Iverson coming to Miami, and Riley pulling the trigger on a trade with Toronto…

(Let me spoil the trade for you… Udonis Haslem and Mark Blount/Joel Anthony for Chris Bosh and cash consideration or a draft pick)

The NBA’s Southeast Division is the Eastern Conference’s best division top to bottom. With the signings, trades and draft picks made this offseason, all the teams in this division could be poised to vie for playoff positions. Which moves will actually improve these teams, and which ones are merely lateral moves? Will any moves actually make any of these teams worse? History says yes…

Orlando Magic – 59-23, 1st in Southeast, Eastern Conference Champions
Magic salaries at HoopsHype

The Magic’s preseason goal was to win an NBA Championship. They surprised a lot of people and dominated the Cavaliers to reach the Finals. Perhaps the most important player to their success is small forward Hedo Turkoglu. Turkoglu negotiated with the Magic last summer, looking for a deal paying him $10M a year. The Magic wouldn’t bite, and Hedo declared that he would be exercising his early termination option and become an unrestricted free agent, no matter the outcome of the 2008-09 season. Turkoglu was true to his word and opted out just days after losing to the Lakers in the Finals. Turkoglu did nothing but help his stock with his clutch performances in the playoffs, and multiple teams will be after him. GM Otis Smith did indicate that he did not want to overpay to keep him, but work passed down from ownership has given him the green light to exceed the salary cap to keep him. Assuming they choose to do so, a team in need of a center may send an offer to restricted free agent Marcin Gortat. The negotiations with Turkoglu could prevent them from keeping Gortat, meaning the Magic should be in the market for a new backup center. One way they could acquire one would be to ship out PG Rafer Alston, who seemed to have an issue with his role after the premature return of Jameer Nelson. Rafer’s expiring deal isn’t fully guaranteed, which makes him an even more attractive commodity. PG Anthony Johnson can choose to stay with the team an additional year, which would be a relief for Orlando, as he is a cheaper (and less volatile) option and would free the Magic to trade Alston. With no draft picks, if the Magic keep Turkoglu they won’t have much cash to build their bench. The recently traded Fabricio Oberto and Etan Thomas could become free agents and would be cheap options to back up Dwight Howard. Unless they are willing to ship out Tony Battie and another contract to make a big splash, the Magic may be mostly the same when next season begins.

Atlanta Hawks, 47-35, 2nd in Southeast, eliminated in Eastern Conference Semifinals
Hawks salaries at HoopsHype

The Altanta Hawks are a young and athletic bunch, but more is needed to turn them into a serious competitor. There is a current rumor that the Hawks will send Speedy Claxton and Acie Law to the Warriors for Jamal Crawford. As this isn’t yet official, let’s deal with the Hawks’ current issues. One thing this potential trade shows is that the Hawks and Coach Mike Woodson are willing to shake up the roster. Mike Bibby, Zaza Pachulia, Flip Murray and Marvin Williams are all free agents this offseason and will likely be unable to keep them all. Even if they retain Mike Bibby (hopefully for less than the $15M he made last season), I see the Hawks picking a point guard with the 19th pick. Acie Law hasn’t worked out, and the trade on the table is evidence of this. The Hawks should have their choice of Eric Maynor or Jeff Teague, with Teague likely being drafted if there. Tyler Hansbrough could be the pick here to settle into the PF spot. UConn PG AJ Price could be there for them to take at 49 if they don’t select a PG early. The Hawks aren’t in the best financial shape, and overpaying for Josh Smith isn’t helping matters. Injecting cheap youngsters that can contribute now would be ideal, and keeping Bibby, Pachulia and Murray in that order will likely push them to their limit. A sign-and-trade of Marvin Williams could be in order, particularly if Hansbrough is selected Thursday.

Miami Heat – 43-39, 3rd in Southeast, eliminated in First Round
Heat salaries at HoopsHype

The Miami Heat are in a tough spot. They are good enough now to be a playoff team (not by much), but are unlikely to do anything major to retool the roster until Dwyane Wade’s future has been decided. Wade can opt out of his contract after the 2009-10 season and become a free agent and leave the Heat with a gaping hole in their roster. Wade is willing to talk this summer, so Pat Riley should get on that ASAP. If Jermaine O’Neal (player option exercised) and Udonis Haslem can stay healthy this year, they would have a solid start to build a contender, given Wade stays. Swingman Yakhouba Diawara has exercised his player option and will stay with the team. The Heat will likely look to retain free agent Jamario Moon, and a team option on James Jones could be exercised to keep some depth at SF. Joel Anthony should be affordable to keep around to shore up the bench. As far as the draft is concerned, late second-round picks (43 and 60) won’t offer much help this year, but a decent player or two could be discovered here. UNC’s Danny Green or Kentucky’s Jodie Meeks could be much better than their draft projections would indicate and could develop this year behind Wade.

Charlotte Bobcats – 35-47, 4th in Southeast, missed playoffs
Bobcats salaries at HoopsHype

Larry Brown seemed to bring some life into the Bobcats this season, and they actually got out and competed on a regular basis. They even managed to sweep the eventual NBA Champs last season. That really meant nothing, as Charlotte still has plenty of work to do to improve their chances of making the playoffs in 2009-10. Gerald Wallace, Emeka Okafor and Boris Diaw are locked up long term and shouldn’t be going anywhere. DJ Augustin performed moderately well this past season, but I can definitely see the team exercising their team option to keep Raymond Felton to man the point. Sean May isn’t as fortunate as the Bobcats declined his option, making him an unrestricted free agent. They could re-sign him, but only if it were dirt-cheap (that’s all he deserves, if that). Raja Bell played well in Brown’s system as well, but depth at that position is needed. Their 12th pick will like help fill that need, with Duke SG Gerald Henderson and Louisville’s Terrence Williams both expected to get a look. Their second-round picks (40, 54) could help land some size in the frontcourt or an additional shooter. The Bobcats could be open to trading Bell to land a better scorer. The Bobcats were a Gerald Wallace lung away from making the playoffs last season, and next year could result in their first playoff berth.

Washington Wizards – 19-63, 5th in Southeast, missed playoffs
Wizards salaries at HoopsHype

The Washington Wizards have already started their quest to return to the playoffs, acquiring Mike Miller and Randy Foye for the #5 pick, Etan Thomas, Darius Songaila and Oleksiy Pecherov. Veterans Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler believe this team can make a real playoff run if they’re healthy and pushed for management to deal the draft pick. While you could argue that the #5 pick could have turned into a great player, you must agree that the Wizards organization must win basketball games now, and doing so with proven commodities in Miller and Foye is safer than relying upon a rookie. The Wizards have enough youth in Dominic McGuire, JaVale McGee, Nick Young and Andray Blatche…that was enough for them. Mike James has exercised his player option for next season, and his $6.5M could be dealt, or kept for a little cap relief for next summer when he comes off the books. The success of the Wizards is tied to their health, specifically that of Gilbert Arenas. Arenas has been an expensive cheerleader ($14.65M last year), and the hope is that he can return to his All-Star form alongside Jamison and Butler. Though they may be reluctant to spend more money, they could use a backup big man now, especially since they traded Songaila and Thomas away. Some cheap options could be had this summer, including Chris Wilcox, Jason Collins and Francisco Elson. Starting center Brendan Haywood was injured for the bulk of last year, and his solid interior play is also vital to the Wizards team finally reaping the benefits of their huge payroll.

Well that concludes the team overviews as we apporach the 2009 NBA Draft.  I’m looking forward to more trades, surprise selections, and horrible fashion decisions. Check back with me this weekend with my draft thoughts.

A very interesting part of the Michael Beasley interview that was on heat.com this morning:

There are two key questions that caught my eye.

Heat: Are there any areas of your game you’re working on this summer?

Beasley: “I’m working on the things a shooting guard or a small forward would work on. I do a lot of screen work, a lot of jump shots, and ball handling, a lot of stuff point guards do. I know I may never play the one or two, but I feel if I work on those skills, it will be harder to guard me. I do a lot of stuff that Chauncey Billups does. I think he’s the best point guard in the NBA, especially coming off screens. Why not try to emulate that? I feel like if I can add that to my game, I will be a tougher matchup.”

Heat: Because you do play a lot of power forward, are you planning on putting on more weight?

Beasley: “I’m fine with my weight. I’m going to stay thin. I’m already undersized, so if I can’t move, I can’t play my game. I want to focus on being quicker at my position.”

Okay Mr. Beasley, if you play “Power” Forward, shouldn’t you have Power? Sure, Beasley’s got power but he needs more of it. As we saw this season, he was slow getting to the basket in many instances. He needs to have more of a post game. He needs the “power” in order to get tot he basket and finish, or at least absorb contact. He doesn’t need any of these skills that point guards and shooting guards have.  He’s not a point or shooting guard, if he was then yes he should work on it.

Beasley already has the shooting in his repetoire, we all know that he can light up from anywhere on the court. What we don’t know he has is power. If I was Beasley, I would give up on this versatility game and give Alonzo Mourning a call and ask if he would help me practice.

(Also, your Heat questions are answered weekly at Ask the Coach! and for Heat updates check out our Twitter feed)

After a decade of failure, and possibly in response to a couple of young Hawk fans who I personally heard threaten to “start maybe trying to get into the Hornets,” the Atlanta Hawks have responded to the pressure and won their first round series. Though it seemed to upset Udonis Haslem, Joe Johnson ad Company will travel to Cleveland to play the Cavs on tuesday.

Following his ejection on Sunday afternoon, Udonis Haslem ripped off his jersey. ABC then let us see what Haslem has been hiding, he obviously is a huge fan of the geography of Florida.

(via Ball Don’t Lie)

Last year when I wrote the last article of the season, it was a win over the playoff-bound Atlanta Hawks. This year, the last post of the season will be on a lost to those same Atlanta Hawks. But this time, it was on a game seven of the NBA playoffs. A place that no one believed Miami could be after only one year.

Miami, was blown out by the Hawks in game seven. The final score, 91 – 78. When asked by a reporter what Wade thought about this season he said, “I’m very encouraged by this season, The team that won 15 games last year came back to win 43 games this year and took [number four seeded] Atlanta to seven games in the playoffs. We’ve got something to build on.”

Heat fans should also be encouraged by this season. They lost in the 1st round, but as Pat Riley said last season, “We’re not going into next season thinking we’re going from 15 wins and go to 25 [wins]. No, next year we’re shooting for the playoffs” and he delivered his promise. He never said Miami would win the championship. All he said was Miami would make the playoffs, and they did. Now, there is much more pieces of the puzzle to be filled.

To begin, Miami needs help for Wade. No, Michael Beasley coming off the bench didn’t help much in the playoffs except for game six. Miami needs more firepower. What does that mean? Easy, they need a reliable 3-point specialist. They need a Jason Kapono-type of guy that can come in from the bench and drop a three from the corner with 10 seconds left. Miami was 4-19 from behind the arc during game seven.

Miami needs size in the center position. Yes, Jermaine O’Neal is great i’m not saying he’s not. But, we do need a reliable back-up center who can come in the game and change the momentum of the game. I hate to say it but, Miami needs a Alonzo Mourning-type of player. (Giving examples of players we had and we let go make me sad). But yes, Miami needs someone of that caliber. Jamaal Magloire is good, but not great.

What should Heat fans expect in the off-season? Should they expect a blockbuster trade? No and yes, I don’t see Pat Riley pulling the trigger in many blockbuster trades.

Riley could pull the trigger in one blockbuster that would include shipping Joel Anthony and Udonis Haslem to the Toronto Raptors for Chris Bosh. But that’s yet to be seen. If it happens, we could see an immediate impact to the roster. Spoelstra would have Beasley play small forward and Bosh play power forward. He would have O’Neal at center, and Wade and Chalmers in their regular places. That alone would be a great trade. It would leave Miami to bring Jamario Moon, Daequan Cook, and  James Jones to come off the bench. Those players are important to Miami, but the Heat needs them to come off the bench, not start.

This is one of my favorite time of the basketball year. The off-season, where champions or losers are made. Miami was a loser in the 2007 off-season, a winner in the 2008 off-season, and what about the 2009? Only time will tell…

Mario Chalmers, pictured left, struggling so tough. Knowing his love for tender greens, Monday couldn't come fast enough.

Last night, the Miami Heat played their first game of the 2009 postseason against the Atlanta Hawks. In anticipation of their stay in Atlanta, and knowing the potential for extracurricular activities, captains Dwayne Wade and Udonis Haslem, proclaimed that there will be no partying and a curfew would be put in place. 

Instead of getting smashed out on the streets of Atlanta, the Heat basketball team decided to get crushed inside Philips Arena by the hometown Hawks.

This “no-going-out” policy yielded a 90-64 loss for the Heat, a playoff record low for the Miami boys, including a total of 7 points in the fourth quarter.

So tune in for Game 2 on Wednesday night where the Heat plan on employing the opposite tactic and will play the game completely sloshfaced.

Enfuego.

There is a new rule for the Miami Heat players and its nothing the Collective Bargaining Agreement stipulated. The rule for the Heat players was self-imposed as they prepared for their trip to Atlanta. D-Wade and his team decided that they would enforce the “no-go-out” policy, making party attire optional for the Heat’s trip. The Heat’s approach will be all business and no pleasure. The night life scenery in ATL is very similar to the South Beach scene, making it out of bounds for the fifth seeded Miami Heat players.
The decision to take care of business was an all around team effort, one which was fully endorsed by the team captains Wade and Haslem. Wade and Haslem are the only remaining players from the 2006 NBA championship team. The “no-go-out” policy was decided on, long before the Heat knew where they would play, and this policy was even more cemented when it became destination “ATL”. Haslem said that even though there are two full off days, late nights and carousing will not be tolerated. He said violators will be fined. Well lets see if this policy will be a factor to their success.

Each week I look at the top players available in my fantasy basketball league to determine the Jon Barry All-stars, named after waiver wire favorite Jon Barry. At year’s end, the player earning the most Jon Barry points will be named Jon Barry MVP.

Here are the top competitors in the Jon Barry MVP race, with this week’s score and season-long score:

• Matt Bonner, 1.0, 10.5
• Jarrett Jack, 0.9, 0.9
• Rasual Butler, 0.8, 1.6
• Delonte West, 0.7, 2.9
• Steve Blake, 0.6, 0.6
• James Posey, 0, 7.6
• Udonis Haslem, 0, 4.0

With only a week or so left to play, it’s safe to say that Matt Bonner will win the Jon Barry MVP trophy.  Congratulations to Matt, who will also star in an upcoming film with Jon Barry, who’s actually just one of Ali G’s alter-egos.

Meanwhile, here are the standings in my lone fantasy basketball league:

• League leader: 92 points
• 2nd place: 75 points
• My team: 71.5 points
• 4th place 68.5 points

Thus it’s also safe to project that the Hurricane and I will not win our league, after a moderately disastrous season.  2nd and 4th are both remote possibilities, but we likely finish 3rd.  Next year, when planning our draft, I plan to experiment by using Bonner, Posey, Haslem and West as examples of replacement players.

The Miami Sun-Sentinel asks a very pertinent question:

“Just a thought: When Dwayne Wade looks at the rest of this roster, what is compelling enough to make him say, “This is a place where I want to stay?”

It’s rare to see this kind of candid comment about your team.  Granted the Heat are a one-man operation (Sorry, Mike Beasley and Mario Chalmers; you’re the core of an NCAA champion, not an NBA one).

Fortunately, the dunce community that rides big time blogger coattails (that we are hence immune from) showed up to the party.  Their first two posts:

“We better develop Udonis Haslem so we have someone to fall back on when Wade bolts for NY.”

“The coming Memphis game is a tryout game as far as Marc Gasol is concerned. This game is a game that will show that he’s really the anchor the Heat is looking for.”

Maybe Udonis Haslem and Marc Gasol’s career stats will help put things in perspective.  And why on earth would Gasol believe that he was “trying out” for the Heat?  Who, other than Carlos Boozer, wants to go play for Erik Spolestra, and spend his days answering questions about Jermaine O’Neal’s $23-million-a-year knees?