ABOUT LAST NIGHT: Heat 102, Wizards 72

GAME-STORY LINK: Click Me!

BEST OF LAST NIGHT: Unlike its first game against the Wizards, the Heat didn't play down to its opponent. The gold star goes to Udonis Haslem, who was 6 of 7 from the field for 13 points and seven rebounds.

WORST OF LAST NIGHT: Wizards guard Jordan Crawford was 2 of 12 from the field. Crawford is clearly uncomfortable in his current role.

NIGHTLY NUMBER: 25
The Heat worked on ball movement during practice on Friday and then again during Saturday's shootaround. The extra effort showed. The Heat's ball movement was excellent throughout the game. Miami had 25 assists.

NIGHT LINE: LeBron James outscored the Wizards 16-10 in the third quarter. After scoring just seven points in the first half, James poured in the points in the third period to extend his streak of 21 straight games to begin the season with at least 20 points. James did not play in the fourth quarter. For the night he was 8 of 15 from the field, 0 of 3 from three-point line and 7 of 11 from the free-throw line. He had 10 rebounds (all defensive) to go along with five assists, one steal and two turnovers.

THEY SAID IT
“A good win tonight.  We came in and did our job.  We took care of business and got the win we should have got and needed.”
—Dwyane Wade

“It is good; it’s great. UD feels like for himself he hasn’t lived up to what he is capable of doing, especially with his outside shot. He mixed it up tonight, he had a drive, he got to the free throw line, had a couple dunks, set some pick-and-rolls and then he had a few jumpers. The little mix helped us out a lot tonight.”
—LeBron James on Udonis Haslem

“It was very emotional. D-Wade brought it up and we all thought it would be the best thing to do. Not taking anything for granted, knowing we have our family still. Very emotional time with that moment of silence and to have our kids out there was great.”
—James on the Heat's players standing in a moment of silence with their children in remembrance of the victims and their families of the shooting in Connecticut 

Comments

[RP]

Decent effort...

My latest take...I do think that despite UD's faults...like horrid shot-making trends, hands of stone, poor passing skills, slow reactions, mouthpiece displays of affection... he blends in best currently with the 1st unit. I think this fit is because UD is probably the only guy on the team that thrives within the "ring of fire" to make himself relevant. This "ring" is a place wrought with "faceless danger, numbing fatigue, and fiery death" implications. While others may go there occasionally on the team like LeBron or DWade...UD makes his home there. The 1st unit needs this...as does the whole team. I think Cole likes to go there too for a point guard which endears him to alot of fans.

Spo has done a masterful job as well so far...navigating his personnel through another long & treacherous season filled with some very interesting teams. This NBA Pass is the bomb ! If you don't have it yet...seriously think about getting it.

[greggembe]

RP

Love the 'ring of fire' analogy!

[Smitty]

sorry havnt been on here in a while..
RP i agree with you completely..

[black the trucker]

well, our next game is 2nite against the T-Wolves... their big and physical inside, with crafty point guard play... This is a good team, that is playing well of late... Gotta come to play...

Bron, i'm not sure if your arm/shoulder is right yet, so controlling the game as a point forward could make things a little bit easier on you until you get 100%... While in the post, cutters, foul line pops to shooters, long range shooters.. running the pick and rolls.. finding teammates at the rim... You should also be an option with the pick and roll... Your defense is a great aspect of your game that changes and sets a tone to the game... D-Wade, motion, make the game easier by taking high percentage shots, that foul line shot is there, back cuts, get to the line, out on the break, your defense is great as well... Bosh, when your jumper is right, theres no stopping us, find your spots and hit'em, need you to be aggressive too, solid on the boards and being able to block a few down low, you are the x-factor, lets get it... UD, bringing you in with the first unit is a good move, now you have to step it up and get back to being that solid player we need down low... Rio, need you to refocus, being aggressive at times and being ready to hit the open shot, also better passing, they call fouls on you to often, but thats ok, play your game, you good... Shane, your new role is a great position and is needed, you will get a lot of open looks from deep, your defense is also key, and this keeps you fresh for the long haul... Cole, your defensive pressure on the out side has been good, I think knowing when to be aggressive and knowing when to look for teammates is where work is niided, but you are playing solid, keep this going.. Anthony, your defense in the last couple of games has been huge, need you to get more aggressive on the glass too, keep it up... All in all, we ok.. good match up 2nite.. 48 minutes.. watching all things Heat... 007...

[greggembe]

Black

I think Coach SPO could use your post, word for word, as a pregame review. Throw in a Ray - keep moving, and look for your shot - and I think we are complete. Now, let's go out and get this 'W'!

[black the trucker]

I know one thing, if we could go back in time, the year we drafted Beasley, I would have taken either Love, Westbrook, or Mayo... They are all balling...

[greggembe]

Damn Black, can you imagine our lineup with Wade, LBJ, CB, and Kevin Love? Hell, I think you and I could run the point on that squad and succeed.

Is SPO still holding supercoolbeas back? Do we know who was a more valuable piece to our team now, Coach or Scrub?

[black the trucker]

well, that would have been a better selection for sure... Kevin Love is a great player and really doesn't get a lot of pob out there with the T-Wolves... oh well... we just fine now... i still say, there is a good tweek, that could give us a run at greatness... i'm just sayin...

[black the trucker]

I think an under the radar move would be to sign d. west waive t. harris... there's more but get him in house... we could use him... a lot better option than he is given credit... although he has issues, i think we could help him help us...

[black the trucker]

Or even K-Mart...

[greggembe]

Black, my man, let's stay with the Milsap & Martin scenarios.

No way, NO WAY - we want a problem child like D. West on our bench. And that's where he'ld be, behind Chalmers, Cole, Wade, and Allen. Harris has a much better upside/potential. Just being with this team the last two years he would be getting better as a player and person.

You are talking about Delonte West, not David West, right?

[black the trucker]

Yea, you might be right..

But Millsap and K-Mart are still good options I would just put Evans in there too...

[Cap'n Heat]

tyrell harris is just fine where he is, I love how you guys keep wanting to sign washed up has beens and waving our great young talent. Harris is a consistent defender who can score at the 2. The guy is probably the most underrated player on the team. Now if you gung ho to cut somebody worthless who is young to sign an old bum, look no further than pittman.

[ray]

Harris underrated player on this team??
WHOA! Man I couldn't tell if he is underrated
He hardly plays and dresses! Underrated!
LMAO! Ok! Hahahahahaha!

[ray]

This team needs a big body a big guy that can at least and I state that whole harshly
REBOUND! Or it will come back and bite us!

[rockstarjc]

we do need a three team trade to make us defend the title... we cant rely on BOSH to play center all season...

heat trade;
>mike miller >joel anthony >haslem(its time to let him go...) >+pick

lakers trade:
>pau gasol

utah trade:
>al jefferson >alec burks

HEAT RECEIVE:
>AL JEFFERSON >ALEC BURKS

LAKERS RECEIVE:
>HASLEM >JOEL ANTHONY >RAJA BELL

UTAH RECEIVE:
>PAU GASOL >MIKE MILLER >+HEAT PICK

SALARY WORKS...

HEAT THEN WAIVED: PITTMAN
HEAT WOULD PICK-UP *ufa kenyon martin

heat roster:
pg chalmers / cole / *burks
sg wade / allen / t.harris
sf james / battier / jones
pf bosh / lewis
c *jefferson / k-mart(pf)/harrellson

just sayin...

Read more here: http://blogs.herald.com/miami_heat/2012/12/about-last-night-heat-102-wizards-72.html#storylink=cpy

[rockstarjc]

we do not PITTMAN...

HEAT WOULD TRY TO RE-VISIT UFA GREG ODEN check his health and give him a chance like what we did for EDDY CURRY...

IF ODEN COULD BE HEALTHY... HE IS STILL A BEAST DOWN LOW HE COULD HELP THE TEAM...

[greggembe]

Here's what a recent column about NBA Power Rankings said about the Phoenix Suns:

"Hard to see what the plan is here. Except for the fact that now, they don’t really want Michael Beasley, either."

What a turd!

[black the trucker]

Well dam rockstar, you worse than me... smh...

OK, good solid win... that team was physical to say the least... nice to see how ya'll kept battling... I think there is so much that could be done to make our game or system unique, where it make the game less difficult on our players... I really would like to see what this roster is going to look like first... I tell you though, there is a move right there to be made... and some free agents to fill out the roster that we would match up well against everybody and they would scrabble to match up against us...

OK, we move forward...

Dallas next... in Dallas... now you know they looking forward to this... gotta come to play..tbc...007...

[greggembe]

Teams are already scramblin' to match up with us. Would it be nice to have a 7' footer on the squad that eats up 12 rebounds a game? Yes, but at what cost? Is this guy going to sit in the paint and wait for rebounds - messing up our whole defensive mindset? How will that huge-bulging-beastley-man help us on offense, or will he slow us down?

No, our team's athletisism, ability to transition, is a huge assest that OTHER teams can't overcome on most nights. That quickness and abiltiy to dribble-drive creates the looks for all of our perimeter sharpshooters.

...and we really haven't unleashed Harrelson yet. Is tomorrow that night?

[black the trucker]

Well Greg, I might have to agree on playing Harrellson some... He shoots well from the perimeter, and could help on the glass...

I still say make a move though... See, I search around the league to see what's out there and if the players we have could be used elsewhere... And there are teams in need of shooters and veteran leadership that would give us players in return that could help us as well...

So, not maybe a 7' footer.. But players who would fit right in.. And maybe a something like a blockbuster deal that has four or five teams involved.. And all we get is two players... still can sign free agents and still have the core from a year ago... Maybe lose a role player and some depth... But add depth...

Just have to wait to see what Mr. Pat does...

[black the trucker]

if you go to hoopshype you can see some of my trades... posts some you might like...

[black the trucker]

go to forums then trades...

[greggembe]

A few weeks ago, I had a conversation about our nation's finances, and was told that the auto loan/bailout the Government was involved with had been paid back in full. I couldn't believe it then, and this article sheds some interesting facts on that scenario.

The Treasury plans to sell its remaining stake in General Motors over the next 15 months, allowing the automaker to shed the stigma of being partly owned by the U.S. government.

GM said Wednesday it will spend $5.5 billion to buy back 200 million shares from the Treasury by the end of this year. The government, in turn, plans to sell its remaining stake of 300 million shares on the open market over the next 12 to 15 months.

GM will pay $27.50 for each share, about an 8 percent premium over Tuesday’s closing price of $25.49. The shares shot up about 7 percent to $27.30 in Wednesday morning trading.

The government is almost certain to lose billions on the $49.5 billion bailout that saved GM from being auctioned off in pieces during the financial crisis in 2008 and 2009. The Treasury says it will have recouped about $28.7 billion after GM completes its buyback. So, to break even, Treasury would have to sell the remaining 300 million shares for average of about $70 each.

GM says getting the government out of its business removes a major obstacle. Chief Financial Officer Dan Ammann told reporters that the company has market research showing that government ownership has held down sales of its cars and trucks.

Looks like when the Gov't used OUR tax dollars to buy auto union workers votes, (not SAVE the auto industry, as Ford/Toyota/Honda/etc....didn't take any of the bribe, er eh, money, and they are surviving) the American public got screwed out of a lot of mullah.

[black the trucker]

WELL DAM GREG... you must have been bored, huh... I mean its one thing to read it but post it here... well dam... do you man.. it's all good...

[greggembe]

No, not bored, and I really try to stay on basketball topic, but I was pretty sure the arguement that this loan/bailout was repaid in full already was BS. Just had to show some facts to validate my opinion.

Now, back to redistributing some of Michael Jordan's wealth to me, cause I consistantly make bad financial decisions. That's how it works right? Jordan didn't make that cash himself. Certainly there was a team launderer that washed his uniform for him.

[black the trucker]

OK..... SURE YA RIGHT... YOU DA MAN GREG...

[Smitty]

I also agree with getting harrellson some play time!

with that being said.. The heat really have no trade chips that would look suitable to any other teams outside of Shane Battier, and the Heat would not trade him! not after trying to get him for 5 years.
James Jones and Mike Miller are probably the best trade chips but thats not saying much, due to Millers health, and JJ lack of skill set besides hitting the 3-ball.. and even if a team did want them, they probably wouldnt have a Big that they can trade that would help us out..

what i would do.. hate to say it, but I would cut harris, sign Kmart. He brings tough-ness, and shot blocking and its decent on the boards. If he can behave himself and not try to revolt against the coach lol, he would be a decent pickup. thats why no-one is signing him because he tried to tell everyone on the clippers to not listen to the coach

[black the trucker]

Well Smitty, I think I might have to agree... K-Mart bring a bit of toughness inside and could defend the pick and roll with his quickness helping the switches and guards both positions well... Not great on offense, but a lob here or there would be just fine... not looking for much on the books, so why not... After last night, you gotta think, we could use the help... Sounds like the Celtics are getting some of what we talking bout over here too... Think ray ray giving them a call??? I tell ya, get rid of him...