Ray Allen's not back with the Heat, but not for lack of trying

It's one of the most common questions that I receive on Twitter, especially with the Heat ranking 26th in the NBA in made three-pointers, and 27th in three-point percentage:

Why doesn't the Heat reach out to all-time three-point leader, and Miami resident, Ray Allen?

Well, the Heat has.

Multiple times.

Through multiple channels. 

According to several sources, the Heat has not only had a standing offer to Allen to return to the team ever since the 2014 offseason, but it made additional overtures as recently as this summer.

Allen, however, has never bit.

This shouldn't be all that surprising, if you were aware of his frustration during his final season in Miami, the one that ended with a five-game Finals loss to the Spurs; he made that frustration, about everything from scheduling to rotations, well enough known to Heat teammates, coaches and officials, that it has been frequently relayed to reporters (like this one) since. 

All of that aside, if anyone could return at age 40 after a 19-month absence, and still perform at a high level, it would be Allen, one of the best-conditioned athletes the sport has ever seen. And he appears to still be in excellent shape, judging by all the running he's doing on South Florida's roadways, as displayed on his Instagram account. 

But, at this point, all of the Allen acquaintances that I've surveyed, including former teammates, uniformly expect him to remain retired. That means that Kobe Bryant will be the last man standing from the vaunted 1996 draft class. It also means that one of the elite shooters -- and two-guards -- in history had one of the quieter endings of any of the all-time greats. 

Erik Spoelstra on David Blatt firing: "Very disturbing"

Erik Spoelstra isn't inclined to speak out much on league matters. 

But, over recent seasons, he has become one of the stronger voices in terms of coaches' job security. So even if it's somewhat treacherous water for him to comment about anything related to LeBron James, it wasn't a shock that Spoelstra said something about David Blatt's firing.

"It's very disturbing for the coaching profession," Spoelstra said. "Look, you have to be able to go through collective adversity and accountability together, for you to make strides, and have breakthroughs in this league. It's really a shame. He had an incredible run, a great record. It just doesn't make any sense to any of the coaches around the league, and hopefully it doesn't make sense to a lot of people in our league." 

That wasn't as strident as Dallas' Rick Carlisle -- who is president of the NBA coaches' association and called the firing "embarrassing."

Or Sacramento's George Karl, who was actually critical of Blatt while an ESPN analyst, who called the firing a "tragedy."

Or Spoelstra's close friend, Detroit's Stan Van Gundy, who called the Cleveland front office "crazy," and wondered whether Blatt neglected to buy Cavaliers GM David Griffin a Christmas present.

But for Spoelstra, especially under the odd circumstances, it qualified as stepping out. 

Heat's youngsters getting chances, and it's going as you'd expect

This was a stretch.

But could there be a bright side to all the Heat's injuries, with six players missing from Friday's 101-81 loss in Toronto?

That the young players are getting more chances to play?

Dwyane Wade, who had 22 points in 39 minutes after he wasn't supposed to play due to two sore shoulders, laughed to stop from choking. 

"Ah, uh, it's tough to see that," Wade said, laughing more. "Obviously, they're getting some experience. But it's tough to see that. It's tough to see that. Obviously, they are. Like Justise (Winslow), he's 19 years old, he's getting thrown in situations that you probably wouldn't want a 19-year-old to get thrown in. But I don't know if I'll be around to see the fruits of that." 

Winslow played 41 minutes, and had nine points and eight rebounds, with just one turnover, but he also got run past several times by DeMar DeRozan (33 points).

Josh Richardson played 33 minutes, and had six points and four assists, but often wasn't where he needed to be, so Wade and Chris Bosh frequently had to instruct him at stoppages.

Tyler Johnson played 33 minutes, and had four points and four rebounds, but just two assists, and has looked less and less like a point guard since he's been thrust into that starting role with Goran Dragic and Beno Udrih out.

And Gerald Green, who doesn't qualify as a young player anymore, finished 0-for-7 from the field in 22 minutes, making his 5-of-37 over his past five games.

Nor does it appear that Miami can rely on these guys that much less in Chicago in Monday.

Udrih is the closest to returning among the semi-regulars, so perhaps he can at least stabilize the offense. Dragic, following Friday's game, ruled out a Monday return, though he hopes to be back sometime during the trip. It's sounding like maybe next Friday in Milwaukee.

Is eight enough for the Heat? It will need to be, against Toronto

Erik Spoelstra came prepared.

To start his media session after Friday's shootaround in Toronto, he pulled out a list of the Heat's sidelined players.

After he read them, he said he wasn't elaborating in any way.

Reporters did have the opportunity to roam the Raptors' practice court to gather additional detail.

So here's the latest.

-- Miami's eight available players tonight are Chris Bosh, Gerald Green (playing with knee trouble), Tyler Johnson (playing with shoulder trouble), Udonis Haslem, Josh Richardson, Jarnell Stokes, Justise Winslow and Amare Stoudemire. It's rather remarkable that Stoudemire is one of the playable people at this stage.

-- So here who is out: Hassan Whiteside (hip area), Goran Dragic (calf), Dwyane Wade (shoulders), Josh McRoberts (knee), Chris Andersen (knee, back in Miami), Luol Deng (eye), Beno Udrih (neck).

-- Didn't get a chance to talk to Whiteside, though you might find out more on Snapchat. He was filming while repeating that "nobody does it with blocks."

-- Deng was wearing shades. His eye is extremely red. His vision is blurry, and he can't look up or down. He's had one medical opinion, but he is planning to get another on this trip. He's a little worried this could be something serious. There was some thought of sending him home from the trip, but that hasn't happened yet.

-- Wade said he's close, but not much more about his status. He is happy about being voted to the All-Star team, happier than I can recall after such a selection. He joked that he knew Kyrie Irving would get "Lowry'd." Last year, Wade lost his starting spot at the last minute, when Drake and other Canadian celebrities led a campaign to get Lowry in the game. 

-- McRoberts spoke at length about his situation, which has been rare. He also said he's getting close, and that he didn't think it would take this long to get back. He played through the bone bruise in his knee after initially suffering the injury way back on Nov. 9, and thought the pain might be related to the prior surgery he's had on the knee. But over the course of a month, the muscles around the bone started to break down. He's played only 37 games since the Heat signed him in the summer of 2014, and a

-- Udrih isn't experiencing much pain... just stiffness when he runs. He was hoping to return against Toronto but said that, unless he experiences a miraculous recovery Friday afternoon, he will likely wait until Wednesday in Chicago.

-- Dragic was on the court when the media entered. I'll catch up with him tonight.

-- Likely starters? My guess is Bosh, Haslem, Winslow, Green, Johnson. Stokes, Richardson, Stoudemire off the bench. Against the second-best team in the East. 

 

Does Chris Bosh expect a better reception in Toronto? Not really.

It didn't get the attention of LeBron James' return to a feral, ferocious Cleveland, back on Dec. 2, 2010, but Chris Bosh's first trip back to Toronto -- back on Feb. 16, 2011 -- wasn't all that welcoming an experience either.

Bosh scored 25 points in that win, against the franchise for which he played for his first seven seasons, and then he lingered on the court after his post-game interview, waving his arms to egg the crowd on, for more jeers. 

Bosh has played in Toronto since, and he's never gotten a warm reception. 

So will he Friday night, when he may be the only Heat regular on the floor, due to all of Miami's injuries?

"I have no idea," Bosh said. "I haven't been there is so long. It's been like a year-and-a-half, two years almost. I mean, I stopped worrying about it a while ago. You know, I can't worry about stuff like that. I've had like six, or seven, or eight, visits there. If it happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it's water under the bridge for me, as far as I'm concerned. I know what it meant for me while I was there, it's a huge part of my past. That's really it."

It just feels like he's being appreciated more around the league now, though...

"Because I almost died," Bosh said, laughing. "You know, that'll do it. That'll make somebody appreciate you. You know, if it happens, I'd love it. If it doesn't, I'll still love it. I'm going to go to all my old spots and have a bite to eat." 

And maybe he'll get another chance to hit those if, next week, he's named as a reserve for the All-Star Game on the weekend of Feb. 12-14.

 

Dwyane Wade makes 12th All-Star Game, as Chris Bosh waits

Here was the starting lineup when Dwyane Wade played his first All-Star Game, back in Denver in 2005:

Shaquille O'Neal. LeBron James. Grant Hill. Vince Carter. Allen Iverson. 

Two are still playing, though one -- Carter -- just barely.

Wade is an All-Star again, for a 12th time, after being selected by the fans. It wasn't especially close, as Toronto's Kyle Lowry -- who nudged Wade out of the starting lineup last season -- edged out Cleveland's Kyrie Irving at the end. 

Wade's selection wasn't necessarily celebrated on TNT's Inside the NBA, not that their disapproval should be a surprise. 

“Jimmy Butler should be starting [over Wade]," Charles Barkley said. "He’s been terrific all year. He’s been the best player on the Bulls… Other than LeBron James, he’s been the second best player in the Eastern Conference all year.”

Kenny Smith was a little more charitable. 

"Obviously, Dwyane Wade is a fan favorite, may not be having the best season, but would’ve been an All-Star if he did not make the starters," Smith said. "Jimmy Butler possibly should’ve had his spot just on play alone.”

Chris Bosh, as expected, was not a starter, with James, Carmelo Anthony and Paul George getting those spots. And, as I've written previously, it's not a lock that he'll be picked by the coaches as a reserve next Thursday, even though he's a favorite of many of them. 

There figure to be only three more frontcourt players picked, and Detroit's Andre Drummond seems a lock for one. Atlanta and Cleveland -- teams with better records -- have candidates in Paul Millsap, Al Horford and Kevin Love. Bosh's numbers are better's than Love's overall, but this may come down to winning. And coaches may feel that the Cavaliers deserve at least two players on the team, especially now that Irving isn't likely to be one of them. 

Bosh was on Smith's and Shaquille O'Neal's team, but not on Barkley's. 

Barkley also had some thoughts on Hassan Whiteside, who has been campaigning for himself.

“The key to [Miami’s] season is Hassan Whiteside. He can either make them a really good team or make them mediocre… Dwyane is slowing down. Bosh is going to do alright… This kid here has so much potential, but he’s so inconsistent… He’s not even close to an All-Star.”

O'Neal jumped in quickly: "Yes he is." 

It appears highly, highly unlikely, however, that Whiteside will get a spot.

 

As Heat players fall apart, it's worth recalling Pat Riley's mantra

There have been plenty of Heat performances worthy of criticism this season. This 106-87 loss to Washington wasn't necessarily one of them, even if it was frequently unwatchable. Miami is teetering now, at 23-20, but it's not really because of games like this -- on the road without Dwyane Wade (shoulders), Goran Dragic (calf), Beno Udrih (neck), Josh McRoberts (knee), Chris Andersen (knee) and then, in Wednesday's second half Hassan Whiteside (hip, oblique). It's because of all those games they blew at home while healthy, to teams like the Nets and Wolves and Knicks.

Anyway, on a night in which Luol Deng didn't escape unscathed either, without getting poked in the eye, Erik Spoelstra looked like he wanted to shut his, upon speaking to reporters. He looked exhausted and exasperated.

(Full disclosure: I watched this on Fox Sports Sun; I'm flying to Toronto on Thursday to cover Friday's Heat-Raptors game.)

Spoelstra quipped that, sometimes, he had to laugh when he looked down at the shortage of available bodies on his bench. But, as is his custom, he refrained from making excuses. 

"Nobody's waiting for us, and we don't expect them to wait for us," Spoelstra said. 

Nobody.

Especially not the team's president. 

The Heat's current situation reminded me of a conversation that I had with Pat Riley last February, and then his end-of-2014-15-season press conference in April. 

In both settings, Riley ranted about the modern player's inability to stay on the court. 

Barry Jackson, my current colleague, captured Riley's comments in a column. 

Can he chalk the year up as an anomaly? Riley said "I have a sciatic nerve [problem]. But I’m not going to talk about it." Meaning injuries can't be such a point of emphasis.

"The narrative was set in October. The narrative about injuries, which were real. Indiana, Oklahoma City and Miami all had major losses to key players and they didn’t make it. Losing a transcendent player is going to be difficult. And losing others along the way for indefinite periods of time makes it even more difficult.

"There was a lot of patience with this team. The fans understand what we were going through. The narrative of constant writing, reading, talking [about injuries]… is totally out of hand. That has to be stopped. If somebody would ask Kobe Bryant or any other player of his ilk, he would probably tell them to go F themselves. I’m fine. This is a league-wide problem. It’s not a media problem.

"I want to change the narrative of our team and getting back to what being a professional athlete is all about. You might not always feel well. You might be at 90 percent, you might be at 80 percent. I don’t think the modern day athlete has that state of mind."

These sentiments extended to his thoughts about Dwyane Wade. 

"There is no doubt we are going to need Dwyane every single night that he is available. He’s a great, great, great player. He has been the one truly great player, along with Alonzo (Mourning), that has been the bedrock of this team. To answer the question, yes, we are going to need him.

"Dwyane has to change the narrative about his body, his injuries, his missing games. We’ve had a discussion about that. Night in, night out, there’s always a question of whether he can or cannot [play]. I’d like to see him do whatever he has to do to get himself ready to practice and play every single night. He’s got five months. This is not just a Dwyane Wade problem. It’s throughout the league.

“The player can control that if he chooses to. We are going to help him become the Dwyane Wade we know we can always depend on in the fourth quarter. This could be great challenge of his career. Everybody makes you older than you think you are. I’m 70, but they’re always trying to make me older. We are making him older than he is [he's 33]. We are going to help him get strong and have one of those career years.”

Wade, by any measure, has responded to that challenge. He missed 25 percent of the Heat's regular season games over the four seasons prior to this one, but had missed just one due to his own injury -- and one due to attending to his son's injury -- prior to Wednesday night. Even now, he's on a pace to play in 76 games, which is more than anyone projected. 

McRoberts, of course, has not. He's played in just 37 games since Riley signed him in the summer of 2014, after which McRoberts did not arrive in ideal shape. Whiteside is learning the standard in Miami. He seemed to be peer pressured back on the court after bruising his knee, and missing a game, last week, and has played well since. Certainly, the Heat is cautious with injuries -- it's one reason why day-to-day becomes week-to-week and, sometimes, month-to-month. Some injuries truly are perilous; play through them, and they'll get worse. Others aren't really injuries, not the way Riley sees it. They're nuisances. 

Riley, at 70 and trying to rally off the mat after LeBron James floored him, has plenty of cause to be acutely impatient these days. And you can't think he'll be pleased with the recent developments, as his players keep stumbling to the sideline. 

He wanted to change the narrative of this team.

If he can't, it's fairly likely he'll change the team. 

Did Gobert, Fournier and Vucevic share an inside joke about Hassan Whiteside on Twitter?

Hassan Whiteside had 23 points, 18 rebounds and two blocks Tuesday night -- a fat stat line for sure.

But it seems like there may be a couple contemporaries in the NBA (Utah's Rudy Gobert and Orlando's Evan Fournier and Nikola Vucevic) who were not very impressed by it. Or, maybe, they have a running inside joke about the Heat's starting center.

Read for yourself. (FYI, Blancote translated in French to English means Whiteside. Blanc = White and Cote = Side).

FYI, all three did not play on Tuesday night. So, its plausible they watched the Heat game. 

Miami Heat missing Goran Dragic, who's being careful with calf

Anyone miss Goran Dragic yet? 

In the last game that Dragic played, the game against Golden State in which he injured his calf, the Heat had just 10 turnovers.

In the four games since, Miami has had 23, 13, 19 and 14 -- the latest total coming in a dreadful 91-79 home loss to the Bucks, in which the perimeter players shot a combined 9-of-45. 

Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson were a combined 1-for-14, and the only basket was a Richardson slam.   

Anyone miss Dragic yet?

Dwyane Wade, 1-for-6 against Milwaukee, does. 

"It is tough, two of our point guards are out," Wade said, also referencing Beno Udrih, who has missed the past two games with a neck strain. "Tyler is doing the best that he can. He is not a typical point guard. It makes it a lot tougher on us because we need me to be able to score and attack at the right times. It was unfortunate that our point guards were out and we really didn't have anyone else (to) run the offense." 

So when will Dragic be running it again?

I caught up with him after the game, as he prepared to leave with the team for the five-game road trip that starts in Washington on Wednesday night.

Here's the synopsis: 

-- He wanted to play tonight, but was told by the Heat medical staff to be careful, because a calf injury can easily worsen and linger. It hurts him when he gets up on his toes, but he was told that pain isn't the only indicator of a problem.

-- He's frustrated because he's rarely had extended absences over the course of his career. Dragic played all 66 of the lockout-shortened season's games in 2011-12, his last season in Houston, then played 77 and 76 out of 82 in the next two seasons in Phoenix, and then played 78 of 82, split between Phoenix and Miami, last season.

-- He's especially frustrated because he felt his game was coming around, shooting 53 percent and averaging more than 15 points per game in January. "I was finally starting to get it," he said. 

-- The only positive to come from this, as he sees it? His right thumb is getting some time to heal. The left wrist already has improved greatly.

-- When told that the positive is the rest of the East hasn't run away, he shook his head, arguing instead that the Heat has had a chance to create some distance" on many of the teams in the conference.

"I'm trying to stay positive," he said.

More Heat fans, at this point, should be positive that his presence matters. 

MRI results on Dwyane Wade's shoulders are negative; Heat will be shorthanded again vs. Bucks

Dwyane Wade's shoulders have been bothering him for a while now. The good news is there's nothing structurally wrong with them.

With the Heat back home for a brief 48-hour stint before heading back out on the road for another five game stretch, Wade, 34, had an MRI performed Monday on his ailing shoulders and the results showed what's been bothering him is simply soreness.

"Sometimes you've just got to play through some discomfort," said Wade, who missed the Heat's win over the Nuggets last Friday but returned and scored a team-high 22 points in Sunday's blowout loss at Oklahoma City. "Then if it gets too sore or too bad like it did against Denver, then I take the game off. [I've] just [got to] play through the discomfort for the most part."

Wade said he's just relieved his knees are fine. He can deal with sore shoulders.

"It's a physical game we play. You do a lot of bumping. I do a lot of shot fakes. I do a lot of things," he said. "I've had different times where one of my shoulders has been sore. I just haven't had both of them at the same time. It's fine -- my legs work. That's all I really [care about]. I'd rather take sore shoulders over sore knees any day."

Like they were Sunday in Oklahoma City, the Heat (23-18) will once again be short at least four players when they take on the Bucks Tuesday night. Coach Erik Spoelstra said point guard Beno Udrih (neck), forward Josh McRoberts (knee), point guard Goran Dragic (strained left calf), and forward Chris Andersen (knee) will all be out.

Wade said he expects to play against the Bucks. Spoelstra said forward Jarnell Stokes, who was sick Sunday, went through Tuesday's shoot around and should play.

"At the end of the day this is a no excuse league," Wade said. "You've got to go out there and play the game. No one is going to simulate the game for you. No one is going to say 'Hold on, wait until Goran, Beno, Josh and Bird [come back].' No one is going to say that. At the end of the day you've always got enough. Coach always says that you've always got to believe you've got enough. Just got to do it a little bit different, substitute a little different. We've got to play a different too. But we've got enough to win a couple ballgames."