What's right with the Heat

OK, since I was one of the main characters mouthing off at the Heat and LeBron early on in the season, it is time for me to eat a little crow with their current performance and blending together. Also, given the rare opportunity to apply the triangulation theory (similar opponent, same court, same week) all along with the two top winning streaks in the league, maybe some new discussion and observations can follow.

They are playing better or at least they have implemented a new strategy. They have implemented the "We're going to have 84+ points per game come from our Big 3 and the rest of you useless POS's can fend for yourself and I'll be damned, look at us, we've won 11 in a row without any help from anyone else," strategy. 3 can beat most if not all 5's. Seems to be working.

Also, Chris Bosh has basically moved them from the present all the way to the playoffs and put them up against us in the ECF with his comments last night. Good luck getting out of the first or second round douchebag. I'm sure ORL, CHI and ATL (and LAL for that matter) will have some nice parting gifts for them after those remarks way before they can even get a sniff of us. He basically ignored them all and said Boston is the only team that stands in their way of the championship. They have yet to learn the "great regualr season does not mean jack in the playoffs" lesson yet. Which I'm surprised LeBron hasn't taught them that one from first hand experience over the last two years. That one's going to be a hard one to swallow.

The fact that they walked all over NYK while we had to go down to 0.4 seconds has me a little concerned. I know with the injuries and all, but let's face it, Miami is getting better and more confident in a hurry. So have we and yet we are decimated with injuries. If we had to play MIA right now today, I don't think we would win.

In a rare move, I will be pulling for LAL on Christmas Day. I hope they can dismantle them. If MIA comes to LA and innihilates them like they did NYK, that is a big deal. LAL posters, please tell me you can and will trainwreck this crap of a team Christmas Day.

OK, evidently I'm still a little bitter. Sorry, I hate the Heat and LBJ. He has been kinder and gentler lately, though. Note the NYK fans: Don't egg him on by booing him. Really disappointed in NYK after last night. CLE all over again. Played them straight for 24 minutes. Didn't show up after that. Go get 'Melo.

dbrown

As for them beating the Knicks....NY went into a shooting funk inthe second half and could not have even hit water if they fell out of a boat.

I'll conceed a little that the heat are playing a little better as for the Christmas day game, can't root for Bron and can't root for Kobe.

Has there ever been a tie in the NBA?

beat

I've grown to respect Kobe on the court over the years just enough that I can manage 48 minutes of cheer in LAL's direction. But as for MIA and LeBron, they fall in the "ABC" N.C State fans that I am..Anybody But Carolina.

Trust me on this one, for you, LAL is the way lesser of two evils. Besides, Stern is getting his Christmas wish! Here come Miami barreling into LA for Christmas.

The shooting funks are getting too similar and repetitive for opposing teams for all the Miami games. Hope Phil knows what he is doing. Tie would be nice but an a$$whooping by Kobe and the boys would make it a very Merry Christmas. You have to watch that game strictly on scouting purposes for us, though.

I'm really excited about the Heat-Lakers Christmas game. Unfortunately, though, I'm scheduled to be flossing at that time and will have to miss it.

Sam

dbrown

Sorry cant do it.
As for scouting................my flossing appointment is right after Sams

beat

You are both what I aspire to..true Celtic fans. OK, GDit, I'll do the scouting report! You both made me laugh, though. I'm assembling Christmas gifts fro my kids at the office this AM. No bleeding yet. Grabbing some lunch.

BTW, the coach for Women's UConn bball was on ESPN last night talking about their streak and apporaching John Wooden's/UCLA's. There is clearly another world you get into when you reach these heights. They were saying again the same things you have said about past Celtic teams and their "talk" and mindsets. Not playing any teams anymore, just yourselves. Remarkable. Almost word for word.

we figured the heat would come on. They still dont have the bigs to beat us or the Lakes and Chicago matches up with them well too.

Its good drama.

BTW, during that interview they went to Jamaal Wilkes (UCLA early 70's I think) for his comments on the UConn women's streak. He basically blew women's college basketball (and this "streak') back to the Stone Age. It was funny watching him think about backpeddling but the switched flipped in his mind and he just plowed on through. Quite possible one of the most sexist set of remarks I have ever heard. He tried to cover it up but he said what was on his heart. What a tool.

The Celtics are still clearly the best team in the East. Miami has made a nice run lately, but the Celtics are built to exploit Miami's weaknesses, so I can't consider them anything other than a distant second until they prove otherwise against Boston.

Bosh said last night that Miami has to go through Boston to win a championship? You can think he's a douche on general principle, and I spent five minutes searching and couldn't find his exact quote, but I happen to agree with the sentiment.

I don't consider the rest of Miami's roster complete "POS's." Part of the reason Miami is winning is that their big 3 are playing better individually and playing better together, but another big part is that the other guys are fitting into their roles. When I've watched them play during their streak, I see guys hitting threes, getting rebounds, passing the ball, and generally doing the basic stuff teams need without too much of the bad stuff you want to avoid. James, Wade, and Bosh are working better with those other guys.

As for injuries, well... for the Heat, Mike Miller hasn't played a game, and Haslem is gone for the rest of the year. Those are the two most significant players other than James, Wade, and Bosh. The Celtics have the injury bug -- you can't plan on a key bench player breaking his wrist or your point guard fighting multiple ailments and then rolling his ankle -- but Shaq and JON missing significant time was to be expected, and you can't really include Perk in the equation because they loaded up at the 5 in the offseason to compensate for him being out.

Who knows what the Lakers will do on Christmas Day. They put up a stinker against the Cavs on Christmas last year, even getting booed by the home crowd. My guess is that they'll be far more motivated this year, partly to atone for last year's game against the Cavs, and partly because they think the Heat have received too much attention compared to the two-time defending champs. If they show up properly motivated (as I think they will), I do think it will be interesting to see how they do against the Heat now that Miami is playing better. I plan on watching it.

Outside

Outside

Funny I still dont see the Heat playing the right way. Specially James who just way way overdribbles and has become plumb selfish. Wade is a guy that does not truly understand ball movement either.

I see very little in the way of real team chemistry and flow. Just a bunch of dominant athletes.

Outside,

I think it was his postgame interview on the court. Last night, though, as far as scoring goes, is about what you are going to get from the Heat. They think they can win it with their big 3 and some ancillary help from the rest of the team. If it were working for the Celtics, we'd be doing it. They will find out that this isn't going to work come playoff time.

Jeb,

I agree. I'm not saying I like them or like they way they play, not at all. But I do think they're playing more effectively together, especially defensively.

outside

on d i concur

"could not have even hit water if they fell out of a boat."

Never heard that one before Beat, yet another reason I love this forum. You're vying with Jeb for the best expressions.

I didn't hear Bosh's quote and I only watched a portion of last night's game (a combination of LeBron and NY's no-defense run-and-gun style upset my stomach) but I agree with the statement as it's being presented here. They do have to go through us and saying so is just stating the obvious. In fact, EVERY team in the east has to go through us. That's what comes with being last season's ECF winner and having the best record in the east this year.

When Mike Miller starts playing they'll be tough. Then again, when Shaq, JON, Perk and Rondo start playing we'll be tough too. Oh, wait a second, we already are tough. Getting them back will just make us tougher.

The average winning percentage of the Heat's opponents is .482 overall and just .451 in their last 10 games (which encompasses their entire 11 game win streak. Their win streak began by beating the 6-18 Wizards). The average winning percentage of the Celtic's opponents is .519 overall and .478 for our last 10 games. In other words, we've been beating tougher teams than them. This is not to say they couldn't have beaten them too, but it does make our 12 game winning streak more indicative of what we could do in the playoffs (where probably all the teams will have >.500 records) than their winning streak against generally non-playoff bound teams. Four of the teams in their last 11 have winning records (NY, Atlanta, NO and Utah) while 5 of our last 12 do and we've been getting steadily whittled down to only 10 active players. They've lost a total of 4 games from their starting lineup (2 games missed by Joel Anthony, 1 missed by Arroyo due to a death in the family and NOT injury, and 1 game missed by DWade). In other words, they have had very little disruption to their starting unit while we have had sustained disruptions.

We're 4 games up in the loss column and, by already winning 2 of our 4 head-to-head games this season, are guaranteed no less than a tie if they catch us by the end of the season. Bosh is right, they DO have to go through us and they haven't been able to do it yet.

bob

.

I was looking at it from the wrong angle as several have pointed out. It just sounded a little presumptuous him leaving out the other teams that will more than likely knock them out way before they would ever get to us. My bad.

bobc33 wrote:"could not have even hit water if they fell out of a boat."

Never heard that one before Beat, yet another reason I love this forum. You're vying with Jeb for the best expressions.

When the C's face the Heat Bron will be sweatin alright, like sweat coming off a Hooker's forehead in church.

beat

sweating like a beer bottle atta church picnic

Jeb

Here's one from Jed Clampet (sort of)

That LeeBron feller is lower than a snake belly in a wagon rut!

beat

beat

NICE!

i always liked "that Dude was high enough to hunt ducks with a rake"

inre a fellows level of booze/drug intake

Jeb

Remember the girls always look a little better near closing time.
Which is in direct proportion to ones inebriation.

beat

dee- I didn't buy into all the pre-season hype ...that they could all fly and walk on water and why bother to play the season out...give them the trophy...etc.
and I didn't buy all the negative press that they were getting either...that the chemistry wouldn't work...etc...
They will be a team to be reckoned with in the post season, unless they have a major injury or two...I wouldn't write Orlando off either, and Atlanta and NY may give some people problems come post season. I still think that if Boston is healthy and firing on all cylinders...this team is freaking deep and a great mix of players... the C's have a great shot at number 18.

Yeah, ORL just blew up their team per ESPN. They've had enough.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5932861

Hi,
Sure, the Heat got better. They finally figured out that they can defer to one of the 2 players who can put the whole team on his shoulders and carry to the finish line. Question is can they figure out how to use both of them at the same time.
As for their win in NY - BFD (D stands for deal). As some posters before pointed out: run and gun team without real defense.
As for their Xmas game - no doubt in my mind: Go Lakers!
I hope, come playoffs, Celtics will have all 4 currently injured players in good shape back on the floor. Let me put it this way. If Celtics have all usual suspects (12 angry and hungry men) I doubt that Heat in any form or shape will be able to stop them. The same, with much more respect, applies to LAL.

AK

Kurt heinrich just gave that game to the heat. Wow.