Postgame Breakdown: Bulls 95, Heat 91

CHICAGO - If it was too soon to panic before Saturday night, it's officially time to do so right now.

The Heat is in trouble. At the very least, Miami is at a crossroads. Players aren't sure if the system is working. Coaches can't understand why the players are so inconsistent and uncommitted from one night to the next. Dwyane Wade seemed defeated in mind, body and spirit after Saturday's 95-91 loss to the Bulls.

John Salmons nearly outscored the Heat's entire bench. Nobody in a Heat uniform could knock down a shot late in the fourth quarter. Coach Erik Spoelstra is hinting at changes again. But when pressed on what specific changes he had in mind, he retreated to the old reliable "change in mentality" response.

Everything that can go wrong has gone wrong for the Heat (24-27), which has lost five consecutive games and seven of its past eight. These are the worst times for the Heat since the end of that 2007-08 season, when Miami matched the franchise's worst finish at 15-67.

The Bulls were the team coming off a back-to-back set, while Miami was rested. Chicago was the team missing two key rotation players in Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah, yet the Heat was the team that had nothing left at the finish. Something's gotta give with this team. Coaches. Players. Executives. Because this season is unraveling pretty fast.

In the grand scheme of things, the Heat lost to three playoff teams on the road. But the problem comes in the fact that it couldn't protect its homecourt against the likes of Milwaukee, Charlotte and other teams that you simply have to beat at home.

D. WADE'S DOINGS: It had the makings of a productive night. Dwyane was thinking about debuting the Air Jordan 2010 signature shoes in Jordan's old stomping grounds Saturday night. He got the clearance from Nike to do so. He was also expecting to lead the Heat to a much-needed victory to end the season-long, four-game losing streak. None of the above was accomplished. Instead, Wade again sat in his locker after the game searching for answers, searching for help, searching for something to explain how things have gotten this bad for the Heat. Wade had another tough homecoming, and was 7 of 21 from the field for 20 points. He had eight assists and two steals. But he also had three turnovers, bringing his total to 23 in the past five games, and fizzled down the stretch, hitting just one shot in the fourth quarter.

TURNING POINT: The game was tied at 69 entering the fourth, and Miami was within 85-83 with 2:21 left in the game. But then it fell apart. Quentin Richardson missed a layup, Wade missed two layups, Rafer Alston missed a three and then Wade missed a three. Meanwhile, the Bulls gradually pulled away behind Rose and Luol Deng, who combined for 49 points.

WINNING/LOSING EDGE: The free-throw disparity continues to go against the Heat. By a lot. Chicago was 28 of 35 from the line. Miami was 16 of 19. Over the last three games Miami has been outshot from the line by 17, 22 and 14 free-throw attempts. The 18 turnovers that led to 21 points by the Bulls also hurt. The Heat actually had an advantage in just about every other statistical category.

HEAD-SCRATCHER: Either it's the personnel or the program. Either the players aren't good enough, collectively, to be mediocre. Or the program from the coaching staff just isn't getting through to the guys responsible for carrying it out on the court. There is a serious disconnect with the Heat. It might be time for either a lineup shakeup or a roster shakeup. I know many of you out there are clamoring for a coaching shakeup. This is supposed to be a .500 team that believed it could build slightly off last season's 43-39 finish and first-round playoff appearance. That still might be the case. But it doesn't look that way right now. "We've lost our way," coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We will find our way again. It doesn't seem like it sometimes when you're in a streak like this."

KEY CONTRIBUTION: Jermaine O'Neal nearly had a double-double in the first half. In fact, the eight rebounds he grabbed in the first quarter were tied for the most by a Heat player in any quarter this season. O'Neal had a monster game, with 24 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks. That last time he played that well, it was in a showcase performance for the Toronto Raptors that ultimately led to the trade with Miami. Hmmm. The Heat is supposed to win when it gets those kind of numbers from Wade and O'Neal. O'Neal was 9 of 16 from the field and 6 of 7 from the line. He had six offensive rebounds. The question is now, can he do it again? And how soon?  

NEXT UP: Houston Rockets at Heat, 7:30 Tuesday - 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.)

Comments

[ivory]

F SPO F RILEY AND F THE HEAT ORGANIZATION! IM DONE WATCHING THIS TEAM! COACH KEEPS TALKING ABOUT THE SAME BULSH*T EXPECTING DIFFERENT RESULTS WELL GUESS WHAT IDIOT IT AINT WORKING! THE PLAYERS DONT CARE ANYMORE! CANT EVEN DEVELOP YOUNG PLAYERS CORRECTLY. NO WONDER MOST OF THEM GOT WORSE THIS SEASON! STOP PLAYING BEAS AT SF! STOP YANKING HIM OUT AND NOT GIVING HIM MINUTES IN CRUNCH TIME! STOP PLAYING Q IN THE STARTING LINE-UP! PUT DORRELL IN THE STARTING LINE-UP. PLAY UDONIS AS A BACK-UP POWER FORWARD. GIVE MAGLOIRE MORE MINUTES AND AT CENTER! WHY CANT COACH MAKE THOSE CHANGES? BECAUSE HE'S AN IDIOT. HE TALKS ABOUT HOW HE WOULD MAKE CHANGES BUT WE AINT SEEING IT! RILEY IS DEAD! HOW LONG CAN HE SIT AND WATCH THIS HOPING FOR LEBRON! WAKE UP OLD MAN HE'S NOT COMING TO MIAMI! WHO WOULD COME TO A ORGANIZATION THAT PRAISES SCRUBS AND DESTROYS A YOUNG STUD'S GAME? THE HEAT ORGANIZATION IS CRUMBLING DOWN TO PIECES BEFORE OUR EYES! I HAD A FEELING THAT THINGS WERE GOING TO GET BRUTALLY UGLY THE MORE WE LOSS GAMES AND LOOK WHERE THE TEAM IS NOW! THIS SEASON IS OVER! IM NOT EXCITED FOR 2010! BEAS NEEDS TO BE TRADED TO A TEAM THAT WILL USE HIM CORRECTLY AND HE WILL BE A STAR. WADE NEEDS TO GO TO CHICAGO AND PLAY IN HIS HOMETOWN WHERE THERE'S A CHANCE FOR A CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE FUTURE.

[UD's biggest fan]

Wade's team. Wade's results.

When are we trading Beasley to a team that can use him?

Also if you haven't noticed Wade wants to play in Chicago. Luckily for Rose he didn't have Wade on his team as a rookie or Spo as a coach and was allowed to develop.

[WadeDiva]

if you dont think is the system and the coaches,then you need to check your head.I will be wade and coach spoelstra for a minute.

We start by taking the ball from under the basket and the pg starts dribbling as soon as he passes half court,he is desperate looking to pass the ball to wade and wade desperate looking to get it.Wade gets the ball at the 3 point line and start dribbling for 10 more seconds,drive in miss a lay up,start crying to the refs while the ball is being scored by his man at the other end.

another 1.Beasley starts 4-4 or carrying the team in the start of the game,wade sees beasley is edging him in scoring and decides to freeze him,holds the ball for 10 seconds,blinks at his buddy richardson to spot up for yet another brick.

Now spoelstra: he watches beasley being red hot with 5 to 6 minutes to go,wade makes a wink at spoesltra telling him he wants haslem in and the puppet tells haslem to get at the scoring table to replace the hottest man at that time.

When wade sits then you have the buddy,buddy club

rafers
wright
haslem
richardson or cook trying to deny beasley the ball

the system is flawed,the coach is soft and wade will leave whenever the chance is up

[UD's biggest fan]

Riley needs to man up.

[JDOGTHEDOG]

HEATSTROKE I HATE YOU AND I CANT STAND YOUR ASSS BUT AFTER READING THIS I HAVE TO GIVE PROPS WHERE PROPS ARE DESERVED. MIKE WALLACE WHY CAN YOU WRITE SOMETHING THAT YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVE SEEN TOO YOU FAT ASSSS!

DW - "When centers like [Shaq] have that (much) mileage, when they get older, they want to be on a team that's good ... They don't have to do as much and still be effective in a short period of time they play."

---

Okay Princess D. SO who -- besides Carlos Boozer & his desire to play IN OR FOR Miami with or without Wade based on his offseason residence and reported ties to Micky Arison -- wants to play with YOU?

A lotta guys want to play with LeBron -- they've said so. A lotta guys want to play with Dwight -- they've said so. A lotta guys want to play with CP3 -- they've said so.

So who -- ON THE RECORD -- wants to play with YOU?

Sure QRich, a drive-by journeyman, was happy to park in South Beach.

Bosh? Wade has talked up a possible reunion with Bosh.

But what has Bosh actually said about playing with Wade?

Bosh to NBA Fanshouse last November: "Anything is possible, I guess ... I guess [Miami] seems to be an attractive place, you know, playing with Dwyane and playing in Miami and everything. I guess if they had the right chemistry, the right guys, that they could persuade guys to get there. But we'll see."

Wow. "I guess" he's really ENTHUSED.

LeBron + DWade? Ha.

Why would the "King" who Wade has copied since day 1 suddenly throw away $30 million in homecourt advantage just to follow Wade?

Why would ANYONE 'follow' the Wade of 2007-2010?

Players, like people, change.

The Wade of 2006 is NO LONGER the Wade of 2010 on OR off the court. THAT Wade died with Wade's offcourt innocence, purity, intrinsic love of the game.

Which doesn't change the obvious:

* Wade is already the best player in Miami franchise history.

* Wade helped bring the Heat its first & only O'Brien.

* Wade was "the" factor in Shaq's preference for Miami over other possible trade destinations, including Dallas.

* Shaq was a co-essential piece, not just the mother of all decoys, in Miami's championship run.

Or excuse the just as obvious: Wade's replacement. Wade Inc., the would-be mogul living on the edge of fast deals, faster celebrity, unfascinating (reported) debauchery and an increasingly facile approach to his craft & profession.

Reggie Miller's regurgitation of the excuse du jour -- that Wade's supporting cast are the Generals to LeBron's Globetrotters -- was LAUGHABLE.

Look at the Cavs. I mean, REALLY look at the Cavs.

Is the decrepit Z or the aged Shaq really more effective than 31-yr old Jermaine? Is Varejao so superior to Beasley or UD? If the Heat lack a 3 the equivalent of LeBron, do the Cavs have a 2 the equivalent of Wade? Are 3 Cav points with career PERs of 11, 14 & 15 REALLY the difference over Miami's trio of 13, 13 & 14?

Does the NBA coaching fraternity share the perception of overwrought Heat fans? Mike Brown, rocket scientist, Eric Spoelstra, "retard"?

DWade, 2003-2006, budding leader, championship MVP, RIP.

DWade, 2007-2010, scoring leader, self-absorbed diva, COD.

If I'm Riley, EVERYTHING is on the table come July, with or without Wade.

[ebag]

thank you mike wallace, for being the first heat writer to say what the fans have been saying all season

[dmt]

Is Riley still alive?

[TylerD]

Make trades now riley. too risky to wait for free agency.

[sporty-j]

Guys relax! Riley warned you all before the season started that he is not worried about this year and that in 2010 he will turn this team into a dynast. I hope he knows what he doing because he has been drafting a bunch of busts and when he makes trades they havent made any since but we will see. When other teams were out making roster upgrades last year like cleveland or resigning key players like the lakers did and also upgraded. We did absolutely nothing. Wade saw what happened last year we he layed it all on the line and they still got eliminated because guys r not consistent on this team, so i dont know what yall want him to do? Go out and get hurt and lay his body on the line? Wade will show up in the playoffs but i can tell hes just going thru the motion right now. Blame Riley who is at fault, but the man is a proven winner not only here but 4 times in L..A. The man promised a dynasty for years to come next year and only 2 players r under contract in beasley and cook so this roster is going to look totally diff next season because we have the most cap room in the nba next year. I know riley has been drafting some busts and and his trades havent worked out but i think he delivers next year because he is a proven winner and he knows what hes doing. Plus we need a head coach. i like E.Spol but he is out of his league right now and hes needs to go back to being an assistant head coach because this is unexceptable and he has more talent on this team than what he is getting and it looks like the players have quit on him.

[305 Representer]

Who said about a post ago that Derrick Rose was overrated??? He must've meant his mom was overrated. Anyway to say Riley is at fault for all of this is a little misguided. Y'all act like Riley own the organization, but he don't he's just a worker bee. You think if it was up to Riley he wouldn't make a semi-big trade now??? He can't because he's worry about luxury-taxes and that's the owner Arison comes in. It's Arison fault his pockets must be hurting if he ain't willing to spend right now. So in Arison's eyes Riley is doing a swell job saving him money, and I don't blame him. I wouldn't wanted to spend extra money this season on a mediocre trade for a first round exit.

[305 Representer]

AND ALL THE POST ABOUT YOUR DONE WITH THE TEAM AND BLAH BLAH BLAH.....SHUT UP. IF THE HEAT GO ON A 5 GAME WINNING STREAK Y"ALL BE BACK!!! BESIDES IF Y"ALL REALLY WANT A SIGNIFICANT TRADE TO HAPPEN THE TEAM WILL HAVE TO GO ON A SKID LIKE THIS.

[Energy-BUST]

1) First off - Sporty's an idiot if he truly believes that. SO WHAT if riley warned us...if he knew ahead of time, it would be his job to COMPENSATE for that to make sure the fans get a good product.

2) Bosh isn't our savior. Neither is Amare...Getting a new coach is first. If a coach would rather stick with rotations instead of changing and wining, then he's autistic (truly, this is a form of autism).

3) Even with Bosh, Amare, with players like Q, Cook, Diawara, I don't think we can compete with teams like Boston, Orlando, Cleveland.

4) STOP FREAKING BLAMING WADE!!! What do you expect? He doesn't trust his teammates and why should he? Oneal - 2 rpg sometimes...maybe his scoring may be due to lack of plays, but he should still be rebounding...Q - now you see me, most times you don't...Haslem - offensively challenged...
Even Beasley was accustomed to having off nites while also displaying bad defense. But with Beasley's new play, its true Wade should trust him. He may also invest some trust in Arroyo and DWright.

[305 Representer]

ALSO WHO ELSE THINKS UD BIGGEST FAN IS UDONIS HASLEM HIMSELF??
UD been in the league for 6 years already and majority as a starter and he has had 2 and a half years playing without a dominating center beside him. So that means he had enough time to show that he's an all-star caliber player or at least a cornerstone. So if anyone goes it should be UD with that expiring contract. His career average don't lie he's a mediocre player an undersize defender and any quickness he did have on defense is waning.

[Energy-BUST]

1st, I recind Sporty's an Idiot comment...I see he was being sarcastic.

2nd, LOL at 305 Representer...It's true that there have been a lot of nights that we needed scoring help and if what Haslem says is true, I'm sure the organization would have given him the green light to score...In fact they've asked for others to help DWade. But I'm glad Haslem has confidence like that.

If i'm Riley, why am I so afraid of hiring a coach I didn't mentor? Because an established coach has opinions and will speak up against Riley's personnel moves. Riley seems afraid to hire and outspoken Avery or Scott, who will give it to you raw. Remember Avery vs. Marc Cuban? Riley's holding back this organization due to his ego.

[SATANLOVES]

Since preseason we have begged for improvements to the roster and a new coach. Thanks Riley and Arison, you have turned the once proud Heat franchise into a penny pinching, DLeague mockery of a ball club. If Riley is still alive: FIRE SPORON, then MAKE TRADES.

[Elmayor]

Bla, bla, bla.....and more bla.
Clean the house and fire who should be, starting with Sporon and co.
To Heat owner, respect the fan or you will loss your business.

[Rich]

STOP WITH AMARE...OR ANYONE ELSE. This Team can win with the people they have right now but they're not playing like a team.

Wade's thinks that he's a POINT GUARD and everybody else is not taking the Lead Role. If you ask me; Leadership is what the Heat needs and SPO needs to forget about Wade's constributions and do some changes. I'm surprise that at this time; NO CHANGES are part of his plan as a coach.

I like Carlos Arroyo as a starting Point Guard because of his experience and leadership. The COACH also needs to revisit the 6th man position and identify the key player. I like Beas in that position and he can be playing around 30 minutes every night with more energy and Wade may get the help he needs.

[SATANLOVES]

Wade was asked if the Heat
needs to play a more up-tempo style for Wade to avoid double
teams in the halfcourt game. His answer was not exactly a
ringing endorsement of Spoelstra's offense. It can be,
said Wade, who said the Heat is having too many lulls
to win on the road. But you got to have the personnel
and be willing to do it. I don't know if coach wants us to
do that. You got to have the confidence that guys are going
to able to make the change on the go... We got to find a way
also to mix it up too and stop being so, being the team that
everybody knows exactly what we're going to do, and they just
play us the same way.

[305 Representer]

I"M PUTTING UDONIS HASLEM ON BLAST WITH HIS CAREER STATS AVERAGES AND HIS $7,100,000 EXPIRING CONTRACT!!!!!!
CAREER
MIN FG% FT% OFF DEF TOT STL BLK TO PF AST PTS
31.1 .497 .765 2.4 5.6 8.0 .60 .33 1.17 2.82 1.1 10.0
I'M SURE IF HE COULD DO BETTER THAN HE WOULD DO BETTER SINCE HE HASN'T MEANS HE CAN'T....

[RP]

Dudes ought to lay off the crap talk about Wade. Anybody whining and crying about his play is plain stupid. You don't think guys like Kobe, LeBron, and Dwight aren't alittle diva too...are again stupid. You all know the deal - it's all about next year. Wade is getting swarmed every time down. Has he played great - no he hasn't ...but to entertain the slightest thought of trading him or letting him go is once again - stupid. Riley is still holding his cards with little or no chance of blinking until this summer with his cap space and two 1st rounders.

[lol]

ud biggest fan we all know that you're really haslem posting on this blog take your bum ass somewhere else and get off beasley's nuts u sorry piece of s**t!!!

[taheati]

Following Ken Berger's (CBS) blog reporting 'hard cap' elements to the new CBA proposed by owners -- i.e., from 57% to http://bit.ly/qoa9R ]: Launching a grim opening salvo in what is expected to be a contentious labor negotiation, NBA owners have sent their initial proposal to the players association and are pushing for some elements of a "hard" salary cap as well as a drastic reduction in player salaries. The proposal, sent to the union earlier this week, seeks a reduction in the players' share of basketball-related income from 57 percent to well below 50 percent, according to a person familiar with the document. Owners also are seeking some elements of a hard cap -- a departure from the current luxury-tax system -- and a reduction in the length and amount of max contracts.

Owners are seeking to reduce the maximum length of contracts to five years for players re-signing with their current teams and to four years for players signing with new teams. Under the current collective bargaining agreement, in effect since 2005, players re-signing with their current teams can be under contract for a maximum of six years. Other free agents can sign for a maximum of five. This would be a way to avoid star players' salaries remaining high while the second- and third-tier players bear the brunt of the overall payroll reduction.

---

Bucher [ http://bit.ly/cfmjU1 ]: The NBA will put its marquee players on display in next weekend's All-Star Game in Dallas, but the party-like atmosphere is sure to be chilled when the stars learn the details of the collective bargaining agreement offer presented at the end of January by commissioner David Stern to players' union director Billy Hunter. The proposal, a source familiar with talks said, includes rollbacks that could reduce maximum guaranteed salaries, both for veterans such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, as well as up-and-comers like Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose, to almost a third of what they would have been eligible for under the current agreement. Perhaps the biggest shocker: The owners' proposal includes ***a provision that would require any pre-existing deals to be revised to conform to the new deal's limits***.

The current deal is set to expire as of July 1, 2011. The league's owners have the option to extend it one more year, but they've already made it clear they don't intend to.

The ***total value for a veteran maximum deal would be well under $60 million*** and for players currently on rookie salary-scale deals well under $50 million, the source familiar with the proposal said. Fully guaranteed maximum deals also could be a thing of the past, with the proposal allowing for less than half of any contract to be guaranteed. The mid-level exception and other devices that allow teams over the salary cap to sign free agents also would be abolished, several sources said, effectively creating a hard cap.

---

[taheati]

Following Ken Berger's (CBS) blog reporting 'hard cap' elements to the new CBA proposed by owners -- i.e., from 57% to http://bit.ly/qoa9R ]: Launching a grim opening salvo in what is expected to be a contentious labor negotiation, NBA owners have sent their initial proposal to the players association and are pushing for some elements of a "hard" salary cap as well as a drastic reduction in player salaries. The proposal, sent to the union earlier this week, seeks a reduction in the players' share of basketball-related income from 57 percent to well below 50 percent, according to a person familiar with the document. Owners also are seeking some elements of a hard cap -- a departure from the current luxury-tax system -- and a reduction in the length and amount of max contracts.

Owners are seeking to reduce the maximum length of contracts to five years for players re-signing with their current teams and to four years for players signing with new teams. Under the current collective bargaining agreement, in effect since 2005, players re-signing with their current teams can be under contract for a maximum of six years. Other free agents can sign for a maximum of five. This would be a way to avoid star players' salaries remaining high while the second- and third-tier players bear the brunt of the overall payroll reduction.

---

Bucher [ http://bit.ly/cfmjU1 ]: The NBA will put its marquee players on display in next weekend's All-Star Game in Dallas, but the party-like atmosphere is sure to be chilled when the stars learn the details of the collective bargaining agreement offer presented at the end of January by commissioner David Stern to players' union director Billy Hunter. The proposal, a source familiar with talks said, includes rollbacks that could reduce maximum guaranteed salaries, both for veterans such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, as well as up-and-comers like Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose, to almost a third of what they would have been eligible for under the current agreement. Perhaps the biggest shocker: The owners' proposal includes ***a provision that would require any pre-existing deals to be revised to conform to the new deal's limits***.

The current deal is set to expire as of July 1, 2011. The league's owners have the option to extend it one more year, but they've already made it clear they don't intend to.

The ***total value for a veteran maximum deal would be well under $60 million*** and for players currently on rookie salary-scale deals well under $50 million, the source familiar with the proposal said. Fully guaranteed maximum deals also could be a thing of the past, with the proposal allowing for less than half of any contract to be guaranteed. The mid-level exception and other devices that allow teams over the salary cap to sign free agents also would be abolished, several sources said, effectively creating a hard cap.

---

[taheati]

Following Ken Berger's (CBS) blog reporting 'hard cap' elements to the new CBA proposed by owners -- i.e., from 57% to < 50% in player share of BRI + a 5yr/4yr limit to all contracts whether players re-sign with their own/old teams or sign elsewhere, Ric Bucher (ESPN) chimes in that owners will also seek *retroactive* rollbacks to *any* pre-existing max deal (i.e., 2010) that conform with $60m caps on new max deals, $50m caps on new rookie scale deals & the abolishment of most cap exceptions.

Woo hoo.

So much for Wade's Summer of Love. LeBron's Lottafaloota. Bosh's presumed escape from Toronto. Because 2010's Brotherhood of Traveling Pants just got a major kick in the nads.

Heat angle?

Sure, Wade 'could' leave. Wade could leave an extra $30m guaranteed ($126m x 6 yrs) on Miami's table this summer by signing for a shorter, lesser max deal ($96m x 5 yrs) somewhere else AND lose up to half the value of his new deal from either Miami or his new team if the next CBA retroactively caps ALL contracts at $60m.

The owners could also disincentivize 2010 opt outs by exempting current extensions from rollbacks. Example: Wade et al. can extend their current deals through 2013-14 for a total value of $95m. If the next CBA caps player deals at $60m, they'd be "protecting" approx. $35m by *not* opting out this summer.

Wade's bottom line: We DARE you or your posse of superdivas to throw away $30m to $35m in homefield advantage and go elsewhere. In fact, we DOUBLE DARE you.

Otherwise, START leading and STOP blaming teammates. LOSE the (self) pity pot, START playing like the unselfish, uncritical, unassuming Wade of 2003-06. THAT Wade won a championship. THAT Wade 'was' an MVP and a conscientious defender. THAT Wade took care of the ball, went out of his way to put we before me AND made his teammates BETTER. THIS Wade, the Bron-has-winners-while-I'm-stuck-with-losers Wade IS the biggest loser of all.

---

Berger [ bit.ly/qoa9R ]: Launching a grim opening salvo in what is expected to be a contentious labor negotiation, NBA owners have sent their initial proposal to the players association and are pushing for some elements of a "hard" salary cap as well as a drastic reduction in player salaries. The proposal, sent to the union earlier this week, seeks a reduction in the players' share of basketball-related income from 57 percent to well below 50 percent, according to a person familiar with the document. Owners also are seeking some elements of a hard cap -- a departure from the current luxury-tax system -- and a reduction in the length and amount of max contracts.

Owners are seeking to reduce the maximum length of contracts to five years for players re-signing with their current teams and to four years for players signing with new teams. Under the current collective bargaining agreement, in effect since 2005, players re-signing with their current teams can be under contract for a maximum of six years. Other free agents can sign for a maximum of five. This would be a way to avoid star players' salaries remaining high while the second- and third-tier players bear the brunt of the overall payroll reduction.

---

Bucher [ bit.ly/cfmjU1 ]: The NBA will put its marquee players on display in next weekend's All-Star Game in Dallas, but the party-like atmosphere is sure to be chilled when the stars learn the details of the collective bargaining agreement offer presented at the end of January by commissioner David Stern to players' union director Billy Hunter. The proposal, a source familiar with talks said, includes rollbacks that could reduce maximum guaranteed salaries, both for veterans such as Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, as well as up-and-comers like Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose, to almost a third of what they would have been eligible for under the current agreement. Perhaps the biggest shocker: The owners' proposal includes ***a provision that would require any pre-existing deals to be revised to conform to the new deal's limits***.

The current deal is set to expire as of July 1, 2011. The league's owners have the option to extend it one more year, but they've already made it clear they don't intend to.

The ***total value for a veteran maximum deal would be well under $60 million*** and for players currently on rookie salary-scale deals well under $50 million, the source familiar with the proposal said. Fully guaranteed maximum deals also could be a thing of the past, with the proposal allowing for less than half of any contract to be guaranteed. The mid-level exception and other devices that allow teams over the salary cap to sign free agents also would be abolished, several sources said, effectively creating a hard cap.

---

[taheati]

Sorry for the spam. Comment filter glitches.

[JDOGTHEDOG]

"Y'all act like Riley own the organization, but he don't he's just a worker bee." First of all take that 305 away from your name you make us look like lames. Second of all dumbass nobody said he was overated we just stated he isn't an all star which completely true! He just happen to be in conferense where there arent any.

[UD's biggest fan]

Leave Haslem alone. He's a scurb okay? He knows he's a scrub. It isn't his fault that the coach has his picture in his office to remind him of what he wants in his players. Question the coach but leave Haslem alone.

[HeatSMOKE]

I agree with RP. Am I the only one that saw the Mega-Diva Lebron kick a damn water bottle into the crowd?

I don't see ANY of you fools saying anything about that. Instead, everyone here is blasting Wade and praising Lebron and Kobe. STFU and stop calling yourselves "Heat fans".

I'm specially sick of you guys whining about Michael Beasley's minutes and use. Sure, he should be in at the end of games, but stop acting like Beasley is a top 5 talent. He's not even a top 5 PF. I guess you must all be relatives of Be-easy.

I watched last night's game on WGN (Chicago station), and much to my surprise, it really sounded as if they think there is no chance of Dwyane going to Chicago. In fact, they were saying they expect Bosh to head down to Miami. It was music to my ears. Then I began to think, why would Dwyane want to go to Chicago? Sure, it's his hometown, but why would he want to be play under the shadow of MJ? I'm sure he wants to establish his own legacy.

I expected MVP chants of Wade in Chicago, but there were none. If the windy city natives wanted Wade, I'm sure they would make it known, and they didn't. Similar to how they began the chants of "we want Kobe" one year when #24 wanted out of LA.

Miami loves Wade, even casual fans. We even have a billboard that reads "Welcome to Wade County" on I95. This is where you belong D-Wade. Regardless of what Beasley's family say.

[WHO'S HASLEM?]

WHO'S HASLEM?? MUST BE A BUM!!

[HeatSMOKE]

BTW, I hate those preposterous trades that most of you offer here. But here's a 3-team trade that work for everyone. I'm calling it now, this could work:

Sixers want cap-relief next season. Heat send JOneal and a 1st rounder to the Sixers.

Suns want Iguanadamus and Dalembert, Sixers send those guys to the Suns.

Suns send Amare to Heat.

I don't know what the chances of the Heat keeping Amare and bringing in Bosh, but it would be a nice dream. However, as much as I'd hate to admit, I'm going to join the trucker on this one... a combo of cp3 and Wade would be awesome. It would definitely entice Bosh even further.

[taheati]

HA.

According to Ira Winderbag -- who apparently reads this blog -- Wade would have no incentive to stay *IF* owners get their way on max deal caps ($60m), max deal lengths (5 yrs) AND retroactive rollbacks (i.e., new caps & lengths applied to any deal signed in 2010) in the new CBA.

Winderbag, as usual, is WRONG.

1. The home teams still gets an extra year on re-signs. Ex. Wade would get 5 yrs with MIA, 4 yrs with someone else.

2. Owners will NOT surrender re-sign advantages in the new CBA, including home field advantage re annual raises, so long as the total deal falls within the max deal limit. Home teams can currently offer annual raises of 10.5%, new teams 8%.

3. Less is still more. If 2010 re-signs are retroactively capped at $60m/5 under the new CBA, home teams STILL reap a sizable COMPARABLE advantage to keep their re-signs. At $60m/5, for example, a home team can offer $12m more based on the extra year + the compounded difference in annual raises. This could yield a net advantage of anywhere from $12m - $20m for home teams offering max deals to re-signs considering 4-yr deals from other teams.

Sure, $12-$20m < $30m, but less is still more, MUCH more, where home v. new is concerned.

In other words, the new CBA would shrink the pie for EVERYONE. But home teams can still offer a significantly larger slice to re-sign their own.

[taheati]

To be imperfectly clear where Winderbag is flawlessly desne, if rollbacks are allowed in the new CBA, EVERYTHING is rolled back, including length of deal.

Ex. If $126m/6 becomes $60m/5, $96m/5 becomes $45m/4.

Re Wade? Advantage Miami.

[jpejeff]

Advantage MIA until you factor in endorsements in bigger markets.Far as Wade going to Chi town
,there are tampering rules that will keep Chicago quiet.I am in Chicago atleast 5 days a month and the attitude in sport bars & barber shops is they will get Wade.Pretty sure his family is thinking the same thing.If he wants
to be the greatest basketball player to come out of Chicago,he will have to play for Chicag
o.He will always be behind Isiah Thomas and probably D ROSE if he doesn't.This is what I been hearing a lot of on the ground in Chicago
.They know how to tap into a ego.

[ebag]

whew...it's gettin raw in here.

1. i hate to admit it, but i'm on the 'fire spo" badwagon. i've been watching this team get worse for two seasons, and three promising young players loose their mojo. you suck spo, go away

2. udonis is a good basketball player. so is mike beazy. the fact is, those are the only two players on this team (besides wade) that could start for any other team in the nba

3. nobody is blaming d-wade. he is, and always will be, a legend in miami. but this season is his worst season of his career. he might leave as a free-agent next season. he is unhappy with his teammates. these are just the facts. when you consider all that stuff, getting some decent players in exchange for wade doesn't sound like a bad idea.

4. worst of all, the heat are just not a good team. it has nothing to do with talent, it has nothing to do with wins and losses. they just don't play like a team. until that problem is solved, no trade or free agent will make a difference

[rockstarjc]

it is so frustrating to see where our team stand right now... the way they play seems they dont care anymore about playoffs...

this could be meaningless to WADE to stay here!!! the organization showing NO EAGERNESS TO GET WADE SOME HELP!!!

I THINK IT IS BETTER FOR WADE TO SIGN ON OTHER TEAMS WHO HAVE SHOWED INTEREST ON HIM WITH A "GOOD COACH"...

WHERE IS PAT RILEY??? CAN ANYBODY TELL ME IF DO HAVE ANY TRADE MOVE TO COME BEFORE THIS FEB.2010 TRADE DEADLINE???? IF THERE WILL BE NO TRADE MOVE TO COME THIS SEASON THEN MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE TO BOYCOTT THE GAMES OF THE TEAM!!! OUR TEAM SUCKS!!! I GUESS WADE WOULD PROBABLY WONT PLAY HARD ANYMORE BECAUSE IT IS MEANINGLESS!!!

ADVISED TO 'd-wade": GO SIGN TO OTHER TEAM THIS SUMMER!!! LEAVE THE MIAMI HEAT ORGANIZATIONS!!! CAUSE THEY ARE RETARDED LIKE OUR VERY OWN COACH SPORON!!!BY THE WAY..., THANX FOR 2006 CHAMPIONSHIP!!!

[heatfan]

I have been saying all along this team NEEDS to sign CP3. He is the answer here. I dont care if Wade goes. CP3 could change this whole team. I for one am sick of the Wade show. Sick of the unruly jumpers and pull up 3s. Sick of the turnovers. Sick of the crying for fouls on EVERY play. Just sick of it. If we build around Beas and CP3 we could form a great tandem. Are high profile free agents really going to want to sign here with Wade? He has to be leading scorer, has to take the last shot every quarter or half, has to dominate the 4th quarter (btw, the Heat are dead last in the league in 4th quarter scoring because of this), and is not accountable for anything he does on court. He picks the substitutes and coaches the team for most part. With what is on roster this team need to feed off of JO, give Big Cat many more minutes to back up JO, more Dorell Wright, and more Beasley. Big games this week. Need to end this losing streak tomorrow night or going to be a long all star break. I dont see the Heat winning in Atlanta. Another blowout is on horizon there.

[rockstarjc]

SORRY GUYS FOR WHAT I SAID ABOVE... I JUST FEEL REALLY BAD FOR THE DIRECTION OF THE TEAM NOW...

IF ONLY RILEY CAN MAKE TRADE MOVES THIS WEEK BEFORE ALL-STAR BREAK IT WOULD BE BETTER...

COULD THIS IDEA OF MINE WOULD MAKE SENSE ON BOTH TEAMS???

TRADE IDEA:

HEAT SEND:
Q-RICH / ARROYO TO...

NETS:
*DEVIN HARRIS

COULD THIS BE FAIR???

THOUGHTS???

LINE-UP WOULD:

pg *harris / alston / chalmers
sg wade / cook
sf wright,d. / james jones
pf beasley / haslem
c o'neal,j. / anthony,j. / magloire

waived: DIAWARA

AFTER THE ALL-STAR WEEK, BEFORE TRADE DEADLINE FEB.18,2010 WE PUSH THE TRADE FINALE THAT COULD SENT US BACK TO EAST CONTENDER...

TRADE FINALE...

heat send:
o'neal,j. / cook + one of our 1st round pick 2010 draft class to...

suns:
*stoudemire / barbosa...

line-up now...

pg *harris / alston / chalmers
sg wade / *barbosa
sf wright,d. / james jones
pf beasley / haslem
c *stoudemire / anthony,j. / magloire

bring "BYRON SCOTT' as head coach...

do it PAT!!! this could be the help WADE needs!!!

[rockstarjc]

if RILEY can only do things above... this last move will solidify the team for 2010 finals...

heat send:

haslem / james jones / (anthony,j or magloire)
plus draft right DOZIER & TRADE EXEMPTION 4.2m FROM (TORONTO) to...

dallas:
*josh howard / drew gooden...

acqire... *OUTLAW ,TRAVIS SF/PF (UFA)

final line-up would;

pg *harris / alston / chalmers
sg wade / *barbosa
sf *josh howard / wright,d. /*outlaw,t.
pf beasley / *gooden(pf/c) / *outlaw,t.
c *stoudemire / (anthony,j. or magloire)

thoughts???

i just want the HEAT WIN!!!

[rockstarjc]

I MEAN "ACQUIRE" sorry for my spelling above...

we have still ONE 1ST ROUND PICK 2010 LEFT & DRAFT RIGHT- BEVERLY & if im not wrong we also have TWO 2ND ROUND PICK 2010 THE LATEST ONE WAS ON THE nets FOR QUINN TRADE...

RIGHT???

[pugtv]

Ebag,

"i hate to admit it, but i'm on the 'fire spo" badwagon. i've been watching this team get worse for two seasons, and three promising young players loose their mojo. you suck spo, go away"

Whoa ... man hug. Welcome to the dark side. lol.

[ebag]

i know. big step. but i still am not calling him sporon

[UD's biggest fan]

Well I'm calling Spotard.

[pugtv]

Ebag,

"but i still am not calling him sporon"

It's all about baby steps ... hahaha.

[ebag]

here is what's killing about spo right now:

- alston is about 2-8 as a starter. why not switch the f*n lineup! wasn't back-to-back blowouts against the bucks enough of a hint? bench q-rich while you're at it. just because he's facebook friends with d-wade, doesn't make him a starter

- maybe we should tweak the lineup to suit beasley. i know, doing something to help mike be a better player is a radical idea, but think about this one

beasley needs the ball in his hands, likes to score, likes to shoot jump shots. so does j.o, so they overlap each other.

joe-L hangs around the basket, catches passes for dunks, and gets rebounds. he has quietly developed into a quality player.

plus, with j.o coming off the bench, he gets the ball more, and the heat get more scoring without wade?

so why don't the heat do this? because they haven't changed their lineup all season, except to give the starting pg role to the backup pg from the worst team in the league

spo, you suck

[blogmiamiheat]

Officially on the 'fire spo' bus!

www.blogmiamiheat.com

[Heatsinceday1]

R u guys serious about cp3? Don't get me wrong great point guard but it's been proven tha u can't built a team around a point guard, look at steve Nash, Jason Kidd, Allen iverson, John Stockton, all great hall of fame players and no championships, they all put great stats and numbers but they can't win championships even with a decent surrounding cast, isiah Thomas was prob the exception, cuz magic Johnson really played all positions plus he had Kareem. so building around cp3 is a bad idea, if wade wants to get his motivation back around some good players in 2010, then well b fine, if not then will just move on and use some of that money And let's get some ppl who wanna win championships

[Rich]

Alston is about 2-8 as a starter. why not switch the lineup COACH?????

It's time for Carlos Arroyo as the starting POINT GUARD!

BTW...when Carlos Arroyo was on the starting lineup, the Heat was over 500 and they were able to beat playoff teams