On the Beat: Miami Heat

Postgame Breakdown: Raptors 120, Heat 113

TORONTO - By now, it's obvious. The Heat won't win too many shootouts this season. It's not built to do that. Dwyane Wade just doesn't have enough consistent help to outscore teams capable of putting up major points.

Another tough lesson was delivered at the Air Canada Centre, where the Heat watched another team soar above the 100-point mark and hand it yet another demoralizing loss. For all of the encouraging things that came about in the furious comeback, the Heat just couldn't manage to overcome its poor start.

Chris Bosh scored 29 points to lead the balanced Raptors to a 120-113 victory over the Heat. Miami has lost three in a row and four of its last five. It is now 0-5 this season when giving up 100 or more points.

The Heat had to work extremely hard to get back into this game after it fell behind by 23 points. But it couldn't get over the hump. Not when the Raptors are torching for 69 points in the first half and shooting nearly 60 percent from the field and from three-point range.

D. WADE'S DOINGS: Wade didn't exactly emerge from his shooting slump. He was 10 of 24 from the field, 1 of 5 from three-point range and 9 of 10 from the foul line for 30 points. His eight assists, many of which came as he beat two defenders to find open teammates, were impressive down the stretch. But the Heat just can't wait around for Wade to do all of the work early. Or Wade can't try to hard to dominate the ball against double- and triple-teams. One way or another, these guys have to meet in the middle. Amazingly, Wade didn't have a turnover. You would think that a three-game losing streak might frustrate the guy a bit. But credit Wade for keeping things in perspective. He knows what - and who - he is working with. He knows there are going to be rough patches during the season. He can't do it all by himself.

TURNING POINT: This game was truly a tale of two halves. But the biggest twist came at the finish, when the Raptors used a 14-3 run to pull away after Miami pulled to 102-101 with less than four minutes left. Four different Raptors scored during that decisive run, with Andrea Bargnani putting his team ahead to stay. Miami simply expended too much energy to get back and had nothing left to finish.

LOSING EDGE:A Heat defense that once ranked among the league's stingiest teams surrendered 43 points in the second quarter and was outscored by 18 points. Toronto set the tone with its penetration and kick-outs to open shooters. The Raptors shot 79 percent in that quarter, including 67 percent from three-point rang. Seven Toronto players had at least four points in the quarter.

HEAD-SCRATCHER: Joel Anthony played less than half as many minutes as Jermaine O'Neal, yet had nearly twice as many rebounds. This on a night when the Heat needed all hands on deck to compensate for the injuries to Haslem and Richardson, two of the team's top defenders and rebounders. O'Neal did add 17 points and was a factor when the offense flowed through him, which wasn't enough in stretches.

KEY CONTRIBUTION: Mario Chalmers scored a career-high 30 points, including 24 in the second half and 16 in the fourth quarter. It was an encouraging outing, albeit in a loss, from Chalmers. He needed a game like this. Wade needed help in the backcourt. He also needed the balance and aggressive play from Michael Beasley, who finished with a solid doube-double. The question, as Spoelstra posed to the media - and presumably his team - after the game, is who is going to continue to step up and play with consistency?

NEXT UP:Hornets at Heat, 6 p.m. Sunday AmericanAirlines Arena.

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

Haslem, Richardson out vs. Raptors

TORONTO – Forwards Udonis Haslem and Quentin Richardson are getting close to returning from injuries that have left the Heat without two of its top defenders.

 

But they weren’t close enough to be cleared to play in Friday’s game against the Raptors. Haslem missed his second game in a row with a strained left shoulder he aggravated in Tuesday’s loss to Oklahoma City.

 

Richardson missed his first start of the season Friday with a lower back strain, an injury he sustained in the third quarter of Wednesday’s road loss against Atlanta. James Jones, who finished last season as the starter, replaced Richardson in the lineup at small forward on Friday.

 

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Haslem and Richardson have players have progressed in their recoveries, but could use two more days of rest.

 

“They both wanted to (play), but there’s still pain, not 100 percent,” Spoelstra said Friday. “They are feeling better the last 24 hours.”

 

The Heat next plays on Sunday at home against New Orleans.

 

“I went through shootaround (Friday) and I was planning on playing,” said Haslem, the Heat’s leading rebounder. “They’re going to have to drug me Sunday to keep me off the court. I’m playing Sunday.”

 

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

Answer Still "No" to A.I.

The Heat had luke-warm interest in guard Allen Iverson before he signed a free-agent 
deal with Memphis entering the start of training camp.

 

Now that Iverson is set to be available again after the Grizzlies released him this week, don’t expect the Heat to be among his suitors.

 

Contrary to a published report out of New York, the Heat is not in “hot” pursuit of Iverson and is not competing with the Knicks for the services of the former league MVP.

 

A report in Thursday’s editions of the New York Daily News cited a person close to Iverson saying the Heat is making a strong run at Iverson. But the Heat dismissed the report as simply a rumor, and a team spokesman said Thursday that there was nothing to the speculation.

 

Iverson is expected to clear waivers at 6 p.m. Thursday and would be an unrestricted free agent. The Knicks appear poised to bring in Iverson as much for his box-office appeal as for anything he can do on the court to turn around the 2-9 team. Iverson’s inner circle appears to be using past interest from the Heat as leverage to land a more lucrative deal than the $1.4 million minimum contract. 

 

Iverson played only three games with the Grizzlies before he left the team to deal with a personal matter. But Iverson also complained vehemently about his reserve role.

 

The Grizzlies and Iverson mutually agreed to terminate the one-year, $3 million contract he signed after very few other teams showed interest in the 34-year-old perennial All Star.

The Heat had shown modest interest in Iverson over the summer, but was unwilling to meet his salary demands or his insistence upon earning a starting role.

 

Miami instead signed Carlos Arroyo during training camp to bolster its depth at point guard behind starter Mario Chalmers.

 

But Chalmers has been inconsistent at best in his second season in the league and as the starter. The Heat (7-4) also has struggled offensively while losing three of four games entering Friday’s contest at Toronto.

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

Postgame Breakdown: Hawks 105, Heat 90

ATLANTA - Comedian Chris Tucker sat courtside at Philips Arena for Wednesday's game between the Heat and Hawks. But not even he could find any humor in a once-proud Miami defense that has gradually become a joke in recent games.

The Heat's offensive struggles continued for yet another game. But it was Miami's defense - or inability to defend - that came back to haunt it the most in a 105-90 loss to the Hawks.

The Heat gave up 60 points in the first half and was dominated in the paint throughout the game. Length. Athleticism. Hustle. Composure. Any semblence of offensive rhythm. Those were all things that belonged to the other team again. Meanwhile, the Heat got a season-low 15 points from Dwyane Wade, 21 points and nine rebounds from Michael Beasley and 12 points from Jermaine O'Neal. Wade's franchise streak of consecutive 20-point games ended at 23.

But that hardly was enough to offset the balanced, dunking, streak-shooting Hawks. Joe Johnson scored 30 points to lead six Atlanta players in double figures. The tests continue to be tough for the Heat, which faces another long, athletic, hot-shooting, open-court team in Toronto on Friday.

"We have to develop some real toughness and resolve when we play teams like this on the road," coach Erik Spoelstra said of the Heat, which opened the season with 8 of its first 10 games at home but now faces its first significant stretch of road games. "We've had a real home-heavy schedule, so we're being tested right now."

D. WADE'S DOINGS: Wade knows he's struggling. He didn't need to be reminded of his stats from recent games. On Wednesday, he was 6 of 18 from the field. On Tuesday, he was 6 of 19. The game before that, Wade tossed up an 8 of 17 effort. And the one before that, he was 9 of 17. "I got some real good looks, shots that I normally make in my sleep," Wade said. "I have to play through this and get myself back." The shooting slump hasn't been Wade's only problem. He's also committed 10 turnovers in the past two games. That's another product of facing taller, athletic defenders. Joe Johnson picked up where Thabo Sefolosha and Jamario Moon left off. Wade went through this before. He bounced back. There's a really, really, really good chance he will do so again.

TURNING POINT: The Hawks closed the second quarter out on a 28-8 run. There were Josh Smith dunks. There were Joe Johnson threes. There was even a moment when 6-11 Al Horford led a fastbreak that led to another basket by Johnson. The Hawks have the Heat's number right now. This was the same team that knocked the Heat out of the playoffs in seven games last season. Scratch that. These Hawks are better. Last year's team didn't have Jamal Crawford or Joe Smith, proven vets off the bench.

LOSING EDGE: The Heat was destroyed at times on the glass. Especially the offensive glass. The Hawks held a 15-9 edge in offensive rebounding. They cashed in to outscore the Heat 27-11 in second-chance points. This, again, is where height and length are huge advantages for the Hawks and disadvantages for the Heat.

HEAD SCRATCHER: Heat coach Erik Spoelstra's search for answers, a spark, anything took him to the depths of the roster in the second quarter of Wednesday's game. Yes, the second quarter. One such five-man collection consisted of Carlos Arroyo, Daequan Cook, James Jones, Shavlik Randolph. Yes, Shavlik Randolph. And Joel Anthony. The best five at your local Y might give that squad a decent run. The Heat might have had more offensive punch on that squad of D-League players who were called up to finish Miami's dismal 15-67 season a couple of years ago. I might take my chances with Kasib Powell and Co.

KEY CONTRIBUTION: Beasley bounced back from his zero-rebound performance against OKC last night to finish with 9 boards and a team-high 21 point. He couldn't take much comfort in the effort because it came in a loss. It's the second time in a week that Beasley had a productive game that didn't result in a win for the Heat. He had 24 points and six rebounds in last Thursday's loss to the Cavaliers. Still, these kind of numbers from Beasley aren't only encouraging, they're a necessity if the Heat is to be a threat.

NEXT UP: Heat at Raptors, Friday 7 p.m. Air Canada Centre

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

Shoulder sidelines Haslem vs. Hawks

ATLANTA - The Heat's injury report received a new addition Wednesday, with reserve forward and leading rebounder Udonis Haslem out against the Hawks with a strained left shoulder.

Haslem has been bothered by soreness in the shoulder for at least a week, but he continued to play. He had an MRI test on the shoulder after Saturday's home game against New Jersey, but no significant damage was revealed.

Haslem aggravated the shoulder in the win against the Nets and then left Tuesday's game against the Thunder in the fourth quarter after he collided with Oklahoma City forward Nick Collison. The injury could keep also keep Haslem out of Friday's game against Toronto.

"It's been a couple of weeks, something I've been dealing with. But it got a little worse last night," said Haslem, who wore a thick wrap around his shoulder in the visitors locker room before Wednesday's game. "I would definitely play. But just talking to the trainers, it's probably not the right timing to do something like that. You have to be smart. You don't want it to be an issue longer than it needs to be."

Haslem said he has received extensive treatment on the shoulder the past few days to reduce inflammation. With Haslem out of the lineup, coach Erik Spoelstra said forward Michael Beasley would see his starting role expanded by additional minutes.

Haslem has averaged 11.7 points and a team-high 9.7 rebounds per game.

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

Postgame Breakdown: Thunder 100, Heat 87

There's no way to sugarcoat this. The Heat got punked. This was Manny Pacquiao versus Miguel Cotto.    
   This was Jay Z versus Soulja Boy. This was WalMart versus K-Mart.

It was no contest.

When you've got a jump-shooting center, a roster full of jump-shooting forwards, a spot-up point guard who doesn't really spot up all that much and one dude consistently capable of going to the basket to generate offense, it's easy to jump to these sort of conclusions after one bad night.

Make that two bad nights. The difference was Dwyane Wade's three-point gift from God was able to help the Heat get past New Jersey with one-tenth of a second left. But there was no Wade-to-the-rescue moments for the Heat's offense in Tuesday's 100-87 thumping at home by Oklahoma City.

The only productive thing the Heat can take out of Tuesday's meltdown to end its five-game homestand was the team's red-eye chartered flight to Atlanta for Wednesday's game against the Hawks. Poor shooting ripped through the Heat as if it were a strain of the swine flu.

D. Wade was off. Mike Beasley was off. Udonis Haslem was off. Anyone not named Daequan Cook in the second half was off. Anything resembling perimeter defense was off. Tuesday's loss prevented the Heat (7-3) from matching its best 10-game start in franchise history.

It was also a wake-up call. Or at least it should be. Wade needs a consistent sidekick he can rely on during games when he's simply human. The Heat needs a high-jumping, shot-blocking, rebounding, long-armed, in-the-paint finishing big man that can dominate on both ends. Or at least have a presence.

Man could this team use an Alonzo Mourning or a James Posey right about now. Even at this stage in their careers. Because Kevin Durant, Russell West and the Thunder were Larry Holmes whipping up on an old, flabby, lifeless Ali at AmericanAirlines Arena Tuesday night.

D. WADE'S DOINGS: Perhaps filming that Gatorade commercial after a grueling practice on Monday took a bit out of Wade. Especially if he had to film several takes during the shoot at AmericanAirlines Arena. The man simply had nothing left on Tuesday. Wade was 6 of 19 from the field and had six turnovers in 40 minutes. He scored 9 of his team-high 22 points from the free-throw line. He added seven assists and six rebounds. But credit Thabo Sefolosha for at least making Wade work hard. There are going to be nights when Wade goes for that fourth-quarter switch and can't flip it on. This was one of them.

TURNING POINT: The Thunder used a 16-1 run midway through the game that allowed it to take a commanding double-digit lead in the first half. During that run, Westbrook bulled over Mario Chalmers for an offensive foul and then got into a bit of a dust-up with Jermaine O'Neal. Westbrook didn't back down and had to be pulled away by Wade. That moment showed the Thunder was here for a fight. The Heat didn't have much of a punch. Miami would get as close as three at the half, but another run in the third put it away for OKC.

LOSING EDGE: OKC's starting forward tandem of Durant and Jeff Green outscored the Heat's forward duo of Michael Beasley and Quentin Richardson 45-10. That's a damn shame. Beasley has disappeared since he had what was thought to be a breakthrough 24-point performance three games ago against Cleveland. Since then, Beas has gone 6 of 26 from the field the past two games. Richardson has been hit-or-miss offensively. And that's OK. But he's in the starting lineup to provide perimeter defense. That part of his assignment went undone against the Thunder.

HEAD-SCRATCHER: Grant Long, a member of the Heat's inaugural team during the 1988-89 season, certainly didn't show much love for Miami's current superstar. Long, now a commentator for the Thunder's television broadcast team, said he doesn't consider Wade as one of the top five players in the league. Asked to give his fav five of sorts during the broadcast, he named Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Tim Duncan and Paul Pierce as the five best and most complete players in the league. "I can't put him in my top five," Long said. "I want two options in a guy. A guy who can drive (or) shoot when the game is on the line. Right now, I don't go to Dwyane Wade. Right now, he's primarily a driver."

KEY CONTRIBUTION: The silver lining was Daequan Cook's emergence from his shoulder injury-induced shooting slump. Cook was 5 of 11 from the field and 4 of 9 from three-point range for 17 points off the bench. He will need to continue that hot streak for the Heat to have any chance of getting past the Hawks and Raptors on the upcoming two-game trip. Jermaine O'Neal had his third double-double, with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

NEXT UP: Heat at Hawks, Wednesday 7 p.m. Phillips Arena

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

Pass on A.I., Tinsley? Right Play

First off, full disclosure: I like Allen Iverson. Always have.    

I respect the impact he's had on the game from a pure basketball standpoint as well as a cultural/style standpoint. From the moment he crossed up Michael Jordan at the top of the key during his mini-'fro'd rookie season, the kid put the league on notice that he was going to be a force.

My connection to the volatile guard goes back even further than that. Believe or not (and I suspect many of you won't, but that's OK), we once ran in the same metro D.C.-area summer leagues and what is now AAU tournaments. Of course, that, for me, was 40 pounds and 15 years ago. OK, 45 pounds.

Yes, a long, long, long time ago. At least on this end. I only wish for Iverson's sake that his career would end far better than it apparently is going to after Monday's news that he's agreed to terminate his one-year contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. Iverson left the team a week ago after a fall out with coach Lionel Hollins over his role and to attend to a legitimate personal matter.

But it was over before it ever really started on Beale Street for A.I.

Now, I'm not sure if he's the answer for any team in the league. Not even at basement bargain, non-guaranteed contract prices. He's run his reputation into the ground. Only the Grizzlies were willing to gamble on him after the meltdown in Detroit last season.

Iverson was quite a polarizing topic among Heat fans over the summer when he launched his free-agency campaign at a charity function in Virginia, placing Miami atop his list of preferred destinations. I covered the event and spoke to Iverson at length about how things went down and how he planned to restore his image, show up at a camp and outwork everyone and become a force again in the league.

He was convincing. He even cried when he was asked about how his image has taken a beating throughout his career, mainly from misunderstandings and self-inflicted wounds. But the Heat was right for never allowing any interest in Iverson to simmer above luke-warm.

Because the same thing that happened in Memphis would probably have happened here, if not worse. Even with all of the respect/love Iverson said he has for Dwyane Wade and Pat Riley, it wouldn't have trumped the pride he carries in that barely 6-foot frame that is as tough as they've come in NBA history.

But there would have been a Shaq-sized tension in the locker room at the first sign of distress over his role behind Mario Chalmers. There would have been migraines throughout the coaching staff had second-year man Erik Spoelstra been in charge of soothing Iverson's ego and demands.

And after things ended sort of icy between D. Wade and Shaq a few years ago, Riley certainly couldn't afford to have another aging NBA legend taint the franchise in a year when the priority is to keep Wade happy and a pen handy for his signature at all times.

Yes, this Heat team still has some holes. And Iverson, now available again, still has some game left. But Miami is still 7-2 and in position to match the best 10-game start in franchise history thanks to the moves Pat Riley didn't make this summer. Sure, break down the record and you'll find two wins against the woeful Wizards, a pair against Big Apple-area busters and another against an Indiana team that put the "H" in horrible on the eve of Halloween.

But, as Wade said recently, "We're winning the games that we're supposed to win. Especially at home. Now, we'll find out a lot more about ourselves once we go out on the road."

More important, Miami is winning relatively headache free.  

Now, there probably isn't one team that supports its coach or cares about chemistry in the locker room that would truly touch Iverson at this point. So I guess that leaves the Warriors, Nets, Knicks and Clippers among potential suitors.

And anything's possible in Golden State.

As for Memphis, the Grizzlies traded in Iverson's baggage for Jamaal Tinsley's. The Heat is probably going to turn out right for shying away from Tinsley, too, despite the mixed messages his agent sent last summer regarding Miami's interest.

And if things don't work out with Tinsley in Memphis, we hear Latrell Sprewell is next on the Grizzlies list.

When it comes to Iverson and Tinsley, Riley was right for standing, well, pat.

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

  

Postgame Breakdown: Heat 81, Nets 80

In Thursday's loss to Cleveland, Dwyane Wade topped the highlights with a thunderous flush over Anderson Varejao. On Saturday, the signature moment came with a finishing swish.

Wade's three-pointer with one-tenth of a second left over Trenton Hassell allowed the Heat to avert disaster and escape with a 81-80 victory over the winless New Jersey Nets.

One flick of the wrist was the difference between the Heat becoming the first team to fall to Nets (0-10) and Erik Spoelstra becoming the fastest coach in franchise history to win his 50th game. Spoelstra, nine games into his second season, got to the mark two games faster than Stan Van Gundy.

Both had Wade to thank for the victories. Especially on Saturday night.

"Well thank you, Wade, for burying that three," Spoelstra said afterward. "I didn't really help us out. At times, that's what the great ones do. They bail you out of a competitive but frustrating game."

But it wasn't just Wade. Quentin Richardson's three with 25 seconds left set up the final dagger. And Udonis Haslem's career-high tying 28 points and 12 rebounds kept the Heat close enough to close it out.

D. WADE'S DOINGS: Wade was 0 of 4 from three-point range before he stepped back and raised up for the game-winner. Didn't matter. "I don't really worry about that," Wade said. "My focus ain't on nothing I did earlier. It's just about that moment." And Wade delivered. His shot capped perhaps his most complete performance of the season. A first-quarter injury to Mario Chalmers forced Wade into more of a playmaking role. He came through with 22 points (setting a franchise record with his 22nd straight game of 20-plus points). Wade also added 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 6 steals and 2 blocks in 42 minutes.

TURNING POINT: Wade's shot won it with essentially no time left. But the turning point came when Sean Williams, who has had his way with Michael Beasley since the Orlando summer league last year, blocked Beasley's shot with 33 seconds left and the Heat trailing 78-75. Williams appeared to grab the ball, and then he lost it out of bounds. That's when it seemed divine intervention may have been on Miami's side. Eight seconds later, Quentin Richardson nailed his banked-in 3-pointer to tie it. That was prayer No. 1 answered. Then came prayer No. 2: Wade's final dagger.  

WINNING EDGE: On a big-time fight night, the Heat did some damage with body work. That would be its edge rebounding on the offensive glass. The Heat turned 15 offensive boards into an 18-10 advantage in second-chance points. Beasley had five offensive boards, Haslem had four and Joel Anthony had three.

HEAD-SCRATCHER: Mario Chalmers left the game in the first quarter with a freak injury. The team called it a strained right shoulder. Spoelstra called it a slightly pinched nerve or a stinger. Chalmers wasn't quite sure what happened. All he know is that when he tossed a halfcourt lob to Wade on an alley-oop, there was a sharp pain that shot through his right arm. Chalmers didn't return and is considered day to day. The Heat was already without center Jermaine O'Neal, who sat with a bruised hip sustained in Thursday's loss to the Cavaliers.

KEY CONTRIBUTION: Haslem had perhaps his best game as a Heat player. Sure, it came against a winless Nets team. But if it weren't for UD's career-high 28 points and 12 rebounds, the Heat wouldn't have been able to keep up with the Nets. Miami simply had no answer in the second half for Brook Lopez and Sean Williams. The Heat needed every point Haslem could provide. Halsem and Beasley had problems matching the athleticism of the Nets frontline players.

NEXT UP: Oklahoma City Thunder at Heat, Tuesday 7:30 AmericanAirlines Arena

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

Heat Pregame: O'Neal out w/hip injury

Heat center Jermaine O'Neal will sit out tonight's game against the New Jersey Nets with a left hip contusion.

O'Neal sustained the injury during Thursday night's loss to Cleveland in a collision with LeBron James near the basket. O'Neal finished the game and had 15 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in 33 minutes.

It is the first game of the season O'Neal has missed, although he was sidelined for two games during the preseason with a foot injury. Backup center Joel Anthony replaced O'Neal in the Heat's starting lineup alongside Michael Beasley, Quentin Richardson, Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers.

O'Neal received extensive treatment on his hip the past two days. He was held out of Saturday's morning shootaround to undergo more therapy. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said O'Neal was "50-50" two hours before the game, but the team decided to hold him out as a precaution.

"It was when (LeBron) James took that middle drive and he had a collision in the second half. His knee ran into (O'Neal's) hip," Spoelstra said. "It's just a bruise right now. He feels much better than he did yesterday. He felt like he got hit by a train yesterday. It's not quite the type of relief and movement we were hoping for."

O'Neal was unavailable for comment before the game. After Saturday, the Heat has two days off before Tuesday's home game against Oklahoma City. O'Neal is listed as day to day.

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)

LeBron Fantasy vs. CP3 Reality

As the "fantasy land" of a potential Dwyane Wade-LeBron James partnership next summer begins to settle a wee bit for now, there very well could be other blockbuster unions available for the Heat.

That said, there aren't many that would be worth sacrificing Miami's spending flexibility in the free-agency market that opens July 1, 2010. While James-Wade in the MIA might be a lot of fun to think about, it still seems to be a bit far fetched.

Not saying it can't or won't happen. Just saying.

Meanwhile, there's a meltdown-soon-to-turn-fire-sale going on out west with Golden State. Stephen Jackson has demanded a trade. Monta Ellis wants in one week and out the next and is no longer hiding his disdain for coach Don Nelson.

There's a mess in Memphis, where the Grizzlies lack of chemistry and leadership existed long before Hurricane Iverson blew through the franchise and wrecked shop less than a month into the season. Now, Zach Randolph is addressing a lack of leadership. O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay, who will be a free agent, are barking at one another on the bench. At other times, they aren't talking at all.

Still, none of those situations are worth sacrificing Miami's flexibility next season to make a move this season. But there is a place that might prove ripe for the pilfering: New Orleans.

The Hornets are two seasons removed from being the league's most dangerous up-and-coming contender. Now, after a disappointing drop-off last season and a poor start this season, they've fired coach Byron Scott. That move was made without consulting star guard and face-of-the-franchise Chris Paul.

Paul's frustration dates to last season when the franchise botched the Tyson Chandler-to-Oklahoma City trade. On top of that, Paul and fellow Hornets All-Star David West don't seem to be on the same page.

So here's the deal. If Paul is not long for New Orleans, a team that always seems to be in the cost-cutting business and has had revenue-generating  issues for years, might he be available despite recently signing a lucrative contract extension?

If Paul (pictured below left playing with Wade's son, Zaire, at a recent Summer Groove) wants out - and New Orleans wants a fresh start and to get from under the remaining three years and roughly $50 million left on his contract - the Heat should do all it can to get in on the process.

Heat owner Micky Arison was adamant this week when he said too much talk has been focused on Miami's plans for the summer of  2010 when potential moves might be available far sooner. A realistic shot to get CP3 now would be worth sacrificing a potential pipe dream pursuit of LeBron.

The questions are: What might it take to pry Paul from New Orleans. Or better yet, what are the Heat willing to give up to get him. To get any star of that magnitude, you have to have a combination of expiring contracts, young talent and draft picks.

Check. Check. And check for the Heat. Between $40 million in expiring contracts, a handful of young and inexpensive prospects and draft picks, the Heat has more chips than Lays right about now. While I think dreaming up blockbuster trades is mainly a waste of time, there does come a time when one makes sense. So try this one on for size.

Heat gets: Chris Paul and Darius Songaila.

Hornets get: Quentin Richardson, Michael Beasley, Mario Chalmers, Miami's 1st-round pick in 2010 and the Heat's $4.2 million trade exception from the Toronto trade.

The skinny is this. Paul earns about $13-14 million this season. The combined salaries of Richardson (expiring $9), Beasley ($5 in second year of rookie contract) and Chalmers ($800K, in second year of three-year deal) would fit within the salary-matching structure for Paul.

But chances are, New Orleans would want more, which is where the first-round pick comes in. Miami has two: Its own as well as the one that would come from Toronto should the Raptors make the playoffs this season. And New Orleans might also want to dump Songaila's contract ($4.5 this year, with a player option next season). The Heat could send over that $4.2 million trade exception in a seperate transaction.

This deal might work because it would be equally rewarding and painful for both teams. New Orleans can develop Beasley in a frontcourt with West and Emeka Okafor. Richardson's contract would come off the books after the season. And Chalmers could develop a nice 1-2 combo at point guard with rookie draft pick Darren Collison. The first-round pick is what it is. And the $4.2 trade exception (which can be used or not) gets the Hornets out of Songaila's two-year deal.

The Heat gets a legitimate point guard to pair with Wade for the long haul. And it would be the sort of bold move that also would get Wade's signature on that extension before he ever hits the free-agent market in July. And still, the Heat could be in position to target a major free agent from that high-profile class. 

Much is made of the deep friendship Wade has with LeBron. But Wade seems to be just as fond of his relationship with Paul. As a matter of fact, he's spent more time with Paul over the last two offseasons than he has with any of his elite pals in the league.

Paul was among the first to volunteer his summer to play in those pick-up games with Wade in Chicago as he was preparing to get his body right for that Beijing Olympic run. Wade sat courtside at a Hornets game a year ago during a rehab stint away from the Heat. Wade and Paul (pictured right in China during the 2008 Olympics) have been in one another's hometown to help with the other's charity functions.

And it was Wade's mom and Paul's parents who sat courtside together at a Heat game last season trading playful barbs as their sons were battling on the court. So as fun as it might be to imagine Wade and LeBron in Miami, an MV3-CP3 backcourt wouldn't be a bad jackpot consolation prize. The only issue would be that Paul would have to find a new nickname and jersey number.

No. 3 is already taken. The question now is how much longer before Paul is up for grabs?

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)