After tough loss to Knicks - Heat's true test begins

After the Miami Heat's troubling 91-86 loss to the New York Knicks Sunday night, Heat fans were left searching for answers after a game that many felt (including myself) would be a reasonably easy win.

The game seemed to be in the Heat's control early with a 15-point lead with about 4:30 left to play in the first half. But the lead was soon squandered, with the Knicks rallying on a 16-0 run to go up 52-51 to end the second quarter.

After the game, Heat head coach Erick Spoelstra spoke about a team that has yet to play up to their true potential.

"We will have our breakthrough,” Spoelstra said. “As painful as it is right now, there will be a time when we break through, execute and win a game like this against a quality opponent going down the stretch. What you hope is that the pain of a game like this resonates enough to make a change.” 

Spoelstra has shared this kind of sentiment throughout the season, especially after a disheartening loss such as the one Sunday.

He has stressed repeatedly throughout the season for the team to learn from their mistakes; to cutback on turnovers and to learn how to close out games.

And while this loss didn't come at the hands of one of the better teams in the league, it further fueled doubts about the Heat's championship hopes, with no signature wins coming this season outside of a road victory over the L.A. Lakers this past Christmas.

So far this season the Heat are 0-5 against the Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls, the two biggest threats to the Heat in the Eastern Conference.

The next ten games will be telling for the Heat, with perhaps it's toughest stretch of the season with games against opponents all over 500, including the Orlando Magic, two against the San Antonio Spurs, Bulls, Lakers, and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Once these ten games are through, Heat fans should have a pretty good idea of how their team will fare once the playoffs begin. A couple of wins against solid teams like the Portland Trailblazers and Atlantic Hawks won't be enough.

This team needs to prove to themselves that they can beat the leagues best. Because without a hand full of wins against legitimate title contending teams, why should fans, or the players for that matter, have any confidence in terms of being a true contender?

The loss to the Knicks was horrible; maybe the worst of the year. But New York is the least of the Heat's problems. When we look back, this game will be remembered as nothing more than a tough loss in a rather meaningless game. Fans shouldn't look at the game as anything more than that.

Instead the game should serve as a reminder.

A reminder that no matter how talented three of your players are, THREE PLAYERS aren't enough.

It's going to take a team effort every night, and an understanding of how to finish your opponent.

Point guard Mike Bibby possibly headed to Heat

According to ESPN's Chris Broussard, point guard, Mike Bibby and the Washington Wizards have agreed to a buyout. 

Sources supposedly told Broussard that Bibby is headed to the Miami Heat, where the 32-year-old feels that he could compete for a title immediately.

This season, Bibby is averaging 9.1 points per game and 3.6 assists.

With a career average of 15.8 points per game and 5.9 assists, the 12-year veteran is not the same player he once was.

Nonetheless, most would consider Bibby a clear upgrade over Heat point guards Mario Chalmers and Carlos Arroyo.

Arroyo, who has been designated to garbage minutes during blowouts, is a steady point guard in terms of taking care of the ball, but is severely limited offensively and is too small to guard most opposing point guards. Chalmers on the other hand happens to be a decent defender, but commits far too many turnovers and doesn't knock down shots with enough consistency.

If nothing else, Bibby would bring valuable experience to the point guard position.

He is best known for leading the Sacramento Kings against the Los Angeles Lakers in some early 2000's playoff series such as the 2001-2002 season when Bibby and the Kings lost to the L.A. in the Western Conference Finals in an epic 7-game series.

For those that don't remember, Bibby hit a game winner in game 5 of  that series; a shot that earned him a reputation to many as a "clutch performer" and a 7-year $80.5 million contract. Check it out

Chris Bosh gives best and worst performance of career

With the Oscars coming up, Chris Bosh has to get some serious consideration for the Best Actor Award. 

During the third quarter of 93-89 loss to the Chicago Bulls Thursday, Bosh fell to the floor like a sniper victim after "suffering" what appeared to be a slight elbow graze to the nose from Bulls forward Carlos Boozer. It was a flop so bad that all-time flopper great, Vlade Divac probably felt the need to get up and give Bosh his well deserved standing ovation.

After Boozer was called for the offensive foul, Bosh proceeded to roll around the floor for what seemed like an eternity, as Bulls fans delivered an echoing onslaught of boos after watching the replay.

But the the flop wasn't the most embarrassing part of the night for Bosh.

In a night that might be remembered as perhaps his worst game as a professional, Bosh shot an epic 1-of-18  from the field, uncharacteristically missing wide open jumpers and point blank lay ups that made Heat fans watch in bewilderment, after becoming so accustomed to watching his nightly consistency.

But the flop was what made this game so memorable for me. I'm sure it's a night Bosh would surely like to forget, but he should find some solace in knowing that if you search "Worst NBA Flops" in YouTube, he's the third video that pops up. That's a lot of hits Chris! 

Here's the Bosh video, along with a compilation of some of the worst NBA flops of all time. 

No need for Heat to worry about Knicks - for now

Ever since the rumors began about star forward Carmelo Anthony wanting a trade after he turned down the Denver Nuggets $65-million extension last summer, most assumed that he would end up on the New York Knicks.

Even throughout the five month long guessing game that was conducted by writers, analysts, and fans alike, the general consensus always remained that ultimately, Anthony would leave the Denver Nuggets to join up with Amare Stoudemire in the Big Apple.

Monday night all the assumptions and rumors became reality, when the Nuggets shipped off Anthony along with former all star point guard, Chauncey Billups, and formidable role players Shelden Williams, Anthony Carter, and Renaldo Balkman to the Knicks in return for Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, and a 2014 first round draft pick.

Knick fans have to be rejoicing today. And well they should be. They just got one of the most dynamic players in the game; a pure scorer with as deadly a mid range jumper you will find, and a knack for getting to the basket that puts him up there with some of the best players in the league.

But let's be honest. Does this team really scare the Heat? Is Anthony, Billups, and Stoudemire a good enough trio to compete with Miami's big three?

If you're a Knick fan, surely your answers' an emphatic, "YES!".

If you're a Heat fan, your answers' probably a sarcastic, unworried, "Please".

My answer would be, "Teams that don't play defense can't beat great teams."

Statistically, the Knicks are the second worst defensive team in the league, allowing 105.9 points per game.

Judging by his history, it seems Knicks head coach Mike D'antoni's philosophy has always been score as much points as possible; run at full speed the whole game, shoot lots of threes, but don't worry too much about defense.

Sure, the Knicks are second in the league in scoring at 106.2 points per game, but so were the Phoenix Suns when D'antoni was the head coach. And that team didn't play a lick of defense either. Aside from a couple of very good seasons, the suns never truly had the makeup of a championship calibre team.

The other five top scoring teams in the league along with the Knicks, are the Nuggets, Houston Rockets,  Suns, Oklahoma City Thunder, and San Antonio Spurs. Aside from the Spurs, none of these teams are viewed as a serious contender to make it the NBA finals.

Compare that to the top six teams in defense: The Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic, and Miami Heat. Of those six, the Celtics, Bulls, Magic, and Heat all have been recognized as legitimate finals contenders. 

What does it all mean?

It means you need to play defense to have a chance.

Anthony hasn't played much defense up to this point in his career. I don't see much changing with a switch to a D'antoni system.

The Knicks are finally good enough to make some noise. They'll get fans at the Garden excited, they even have a good shot to win a playoff series. But until defense is emphasized, or until they go and grab a dominant defensive center such as Dwight Howard, I'm not worried.

I don't think the Heat are either.

James Jones becomes fourth Heat player to win 3-point shootout

Heat fans are probably used to this by now.

This past Saturday at All Star Weekend, for the fourth time in Heat history and the third time in the last five years, a heat player has taken home the trophy for winning the 3-point competition.

This time around it was James Jones, joining Glen Rice, Jason Kapono, and Daequan Cook as Heat players who have won the contest.

Jones beat out the Boston Celtics', Paul Pierce, last years winner, and NBA all time leading 3-point shooter (3-pointers made) Ray Allen.

"We've had our struggles with the Celtics in the past, but the Heat came out on top Saturday," Jones joked with reporters after the contest.

The award is a testament to the all the grueling work Jones had to put in in order to get himself back to being the deadly long range shooter that has defined him for most of his career. In 2008, right before his first season with the Heat was set to begin, Jones ruptured a tendon in his right wrist, his shooting hand, and there was some serious doubt as to how effective he could ever be again, even after intensive rehab.

Jones, a Miami native, cites the time he spent recovering as the low-point in his professional career. "As a shooter, I felt like I was really starting to find my niche in this league. To have that injury, my walls came crumbling down." Jones said.

As the Sun-Sentinel's Ira Winderman reported, the Heat's medical staff actually had to rebuild Jones' wrist. His tendons had to be repaired and other tendons actually had to be inserted in.

It wasn't until the beginning of this season that fans truly got an understanding of how intricate of a piece Jones could be for the Heat. For about the first month of the season, Jones lead the league in 3-pointers made and is currently proving to be a defensive presence, taking over injured forward, Udonis Haslem's role as team leader of charges taken.

So while a 3-point trophy may not be exactly the kind of keepsake that Jones was hoping for at the beginning of the season, it should serve as a reminder to him of all he withstood to get back to this point.

"I always wanted to prove myself that I could be labeled one of the best shooters in this game," Jones said. "I think I proved it here today."

Championship this year would be more special than years to come

Over the past eight or nine years there have been a hand full of seasons for the Heat that just seem to stick out. Weather for good reasons or bad, certain years find a way to leave an imprint in your mind, free for you to conjure up whenever you feel like remembering Heat history. 

One season that brings back vivid, heartbreaking memories, is the 2004-2005 season when the Heat were eliminated on their home court by the Detroit Pistons in a gut wrenching game seven. I remember being so confident leading up to that game. I remember feeling that we were the better team; the more complete team. I then remember smashing my Metro PCS cell phone into a thousand pieces after watching my beloved team squander a 6-point lead with only 3 minutes remaining. 

Before this season, I felt that that 04-05 team was the best we ever assembled, with a Shaquille O'Neal giving a year long, MVP-type performance (he finished 2nd in MVP voting), a 23 year old Dwyane Wade blossoming into the superstar very few suspected he would, and a supporting cast made up of young, tenacious players like Udonis Haslem and hungry veterans like Eddie Jones and Christian Laettner.  

The past two seasons have been rather forgettable, with the Heat getting eliminated in the first round both years to the likes of the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics. 

But even with 05's heart break, and 2006's ultimate achievement, there's something about this newest rendition of the Heat that gives off a sort of mystic quality, something that I don't remember feeling in any previous year. Because even if you're not a Heat fan, (or an NBA fan for that matter) I defy you to give me another team that has garnered as much attention / interest as this one. THEY HAVE THEIR OWN INDEX ON ESPN.COM FOR GOD'S SAKE!

Because once all the attention and criticism of this team has subsided, we as Heat fans will look back on this "innagural" season and smile. We'll remember the nightly boos. We'll laugh at the infamous "bump". We'll think back to Lebron's masterful performance in his return game to Cleveland. 

But as fans, we're also greedy. Those memories aren't enough. We want a championship memory to go along with the other ones. And as three of the best players in the world, I would imagine that Wade, James and Chris Bosh aren't content with waiting until next year. Just recently, Wade attested to this when he told espn.com that his team is "still in the learning process. And we're trying to fast-track it very fast. We're trying to win a championship now. And a lot goes into that. And it's not always glitz and glamor and fun. Sometimes it's tough. It's been a lot different than anything I've gone through before in a basketball season."

Which is why a championship this first year would be extra special. The Heat may win the title for the next 5 years, and I'd love every one of them. But if the they could accomplish the fete in their first year, as a fresh, new team that's still not exactly sure who they want to be or how they want to play, amid all the controversy and criticism, it would be something that the Heat, along with all their fans could cherish forever. 

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With win over Pistons, Heat go to Boston sitting atop Eastern Conference

After the Heat made quick work of the Detroit Pistons Friday, in a 106-92 rout, the team's focus shifted toward the Boston Celtics, who they will face Sunday in a game that will decide the Eastern Conference's top team (by record) heading into All Star break.

For only the second time this season, the Heat stand atop the Eastern Conference with a half-game lead over the Celtics, who have proved to be the Heat's biggest challenge thus far. And while the Heat are far from the same team that Boston handled with such ease the first two times the teams met, Miami knows that nothing less than a great performance will be needed to defeat what looks like the best team in the NBA this season.

Last time Miami and Boston met the Heat lost 112-107

The Heat will come into TD Garden riding an eight game winning streak while the Celtics have lost two straight and are only 5-5 in their last ten. Much of their struggles as of late have been to due to nagging injures to center, Shaquille O'Neal and guards, Nate Robinson and Marquis Daniels, along with star forward Paul Pierce suffering from flu like symptoms. But all four of Boston's most important players will be in action Sunday, when Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Pierce will try to prove to the Heat fans that they're still the team to beat in the East.

While this game may not act as a totally accurate assessment of where the Heat stands as a serious championship contender due to the lack of full strength of the Celtics, one must remember that the Heat is not 100% either. With Lebron James, Wade, and Chris Bosh all suffering injuries over the past couple of weeks, and with vital role player and defensive leader Udonis Haslem just beginning rehab on his badly injured foot, the Heat will try to prove that they can beat a veteran championship team without being completely healthy.

"Now we're sitting on top of the East, going into a hostile place where we did not play well the first game of the year," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra recently said when asked about the matchup. "We respect who the Boston Celtics are and what they've proven the last 3 1/2 years. So this is what everybody, the fans, the media and everybody out there, this is what they want."

Heat should find minutes for Dexter Pittman

It often feels like the Heat doesn't need to be what most would consider a "complete" team; one that has a facilitating point guard, an attacking shooting guard/forward, a rebounding big man, an effective bench, and a solid defensive approach.

At times, it seems as if any glaring flaws simply get cancelled out due to a stellar trio and a group of role players who have been playing exceptional as of late. 

But many critics of the Heat point to the lack of a true big man and true point guard as a weakness that will get exploited once the playoffs start, thus sealing the Heat's fate when it comes to a championship. 

Still, detractors must keep in mind that this kind of team has no precedent.

Never before has a "big three" with so much talent been assembled and with each entering the prime of their careers at the same time. 

Still, neither Dwyane Wade, Lebron James, nor Chris Bosh stands as a defensive option when it comes to guarding the likes of the Celtics' Kendrick Perkins and Shaquille O'Neal or the Lakers' Andrew Bynum. 

Which brings me to the Heat's second round draft pick, Dexter Pittman.

Pittman, a center, has consistently put up impressive numbers this season for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, an NBA developmental team stationed in South Dakota. Since Pittman started his stint for the Skyforce back in early January, the 6-11 Texas Longhorn has averaged 15 points per game, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks and was recently named to the D-League All Star  Game.

While Pittman may not be ready to be the Heat's everyday starting center, the Heat should consider letting him get some minutes just for the sake of precaution. If starting center Zydrunas Ilgauskas or backup Joel Anthony were to go down, there would be some serious concern as to how the Heat's rebounding and interior defense would be effected. And to expect Pittman to hop right into the mix of a championship run without any pro experience would be asking a lot of the rookie. 

With the Heat winning so many games this season by such a large margin, there should be plenty of time for Pittman to get some minutes under his belt. Better start using him now, rather than seeing what you've got once it's already too late.

Next four Lakers games could mean a lot for Heat

In this weeks latest edition of "Where will Carmelo Anthony get Traded?", the Los Angeles Lakers have become the trendy pick.

With so many rumors out there about where the Denver Nuggets forward will ultimately end up, it seems like aside from the New York Knicks, the Lakers are the only other legitimate contender for Anthony's services. 

In a report by ESPN'S, Chris Brossard, Brossard says that the Lakers would consider trading their highly skilled but often injured center, Andrew Bynum in a deal for Anthony.

If that trade were to occur, that could spell even more trouble for the Heat. 

Could Carmleo really end up in L.A.?

The Lakers are currently 0-5 in games against teams that are considered serious title contenders, such as the Heat, the San Antonio Spurs, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Boston Celtics (lost twice). 

However unlikely it may be for the trade to occur, it will be interesting to see how the Lakers staff responds after their upcoming four game road stretch against the Celtics, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic,  and Charlotte Bobcats. 

Should the Lakers lose three of those four games, I think there is a great chance this trade happens, with the Lakers in search of their third consecutive title, and the desire of head coach, Phil Jackson to win one more title before hanging it up for good. 

Just the idea of Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom should be enough to make Heat fans quiver. The Heat may be able to boast the best "big three" in the league, but it might not be enough going up against the Lakers potential "big four". 

So if you're a Heat fan, or a fan of any contending team other than the Lakers, what would you like to see happen on the Lakers upcoming road test? Maybe you'd actually LIKE to see the Lakers lose all four games because you think the Anthony trade would make the team weaker, due to the loss of a true center, in Bynum. 

We have to remember that the past two seasons the Lakers have won the championship, it was with Bynum in the lineup throughout the finals. In 2008, when they lost to the Celtics, Bynum was injured and could not play. 

Either way, you can never count the Lakers out. But if they happen to pickup Anthony, Lebron might be chewing his finger nails down to the bone. 

NBA and Marvel apparel collaboration

If you flip on any NBA game, you're bound to see a couple of highlights that'll probably just make you shake your head.

Some will make your jaw drop and leave you in awe. 

Some will make you ask yourself, "How is that even possible?".

The NBA has come a long way from the days of short shorts and set shots. There isn't a night that goes by in the league where the likes of Lebron James, or Dwight Howard, or emerging superstar, Blake Griffin doesn't give off the illusion of walking on air.

With the players being more exciting and athletically gifted than ever before, and with comic book superheroes still holding a soft spot in the hearts of millions, the NBA and Marvel Comics have teamed up for a merchandise deal putting some of the company's most recognizable superheroes in the colors and emblems of various teams.

The new line of clothing including caps, t-shirts, and sweat shirts will first be available at this years upcoming all star game later this month and then eventually sold  nationwide. 

Being a huge comic book geek myself, I can't help but think this is pretty cool. Although I'm a much bigger fan of the DC Universe which hold the rights to superheroes such as Batman, Green Lantern, and the Flash, seeing the Incredible Hulk sporting Celtic green seems pretty fitting, and as much as I hate the Knicks, Spiderman rocking the blue and orange seems pretty appropriate due to his long time association with New York City. 

It'll be interesting to see which hero decides to put on the black and red. The Human Torch seems pretty fitting, no? 

Heres a link to an earlier issue of ESPN The Magazine where the NBA and Marvel previously teamed up to repurpose every NBA team with their superhero counterpart. http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/10/25/espn-magazine-nba-marvel-covers-gallery/

With no clear cut favorite, Lebron might receive third straight MVP

Lebron James recently said that he felt his and Dwyane Wade's chances of winning any future MVP awards were thrown out the window the second they decided to team up.

While James might have just been trying to sound humble, many Heat fans, and NBA fans in general, shared the same kind of sentiment.

Many felt that while the duo had the chance to be great, the mere pairing of the two would cancel each other out when it came time to vote for the leagues most valuable player.

But as the season reaches its halfway point, and still no clear cut MVP emerging (Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant, and Derrick Rose all having great seasons, but more impressive than Lebron?), you'd have to say that James has as good a shot as anybody to win what would be his third consecutive MVP award.

Is a third straight MVP in Lebron's future? 

And while one could contend that his stats are down, this is an argument that simply couldn't hold up in court.

Sure, his scoring is down a bit from last year when he averaged 29.7 points per game compared to 26.1 this year, but that should have been expected by everyone. He's still the second leading scorer in the league.

But if you take a look at some of the other major statistical categories, not much has changed.  His rebounding and steals are almost identical to last year and his three point percentage is up.

It all comes down to what the voters are looking for.

Will the voters cancel James out due to the MVP like calibre play of Wade? Or will they recognize the significance of a truly special player who's former team just set the NBA record for consecutive losses at 24.

If James wins his third consecutive MVP he will be only the third player to do so and the first to do it since Larry Bird when he accomplished the fete in the 1985-1986 season.

It'll be interesting to see if the voters do whats right at the end of the season and award the worthy candidate or if they settle for what I call a "default MVP", similar to when the great Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson won the award for the 1994 and 1995 seasons respectively, due to the first retirement of a guy named Michael Jordan.

Real NBA tough guys

After Oklahoma City's rising superstar, Kevin Durant referred to Chris Bosh as a "fake tough guy" following the Heat's 108-103 road victory Sunday, it got me thinking... 

Who are some of the leagues real tough guys? 

And what exactly is it that separates a tough guy from a fake tough guy? 

I've created a list of five current NBA players and I want you guys to tell me if the player qualifies as a real or fake. I'll give my opinion too. 

Paul Pierce = Fake 

Ron Artest = Real 

Kevin Garnett = Fake 

Udonis Haslem = Real 

Glen "Baby" David = Fake