12Nov

Stuff about tonight’s game: Pacers (2-6) at Heat (5-2)

November 12, 2014 by

By Joe

PACERS (2-6) AT HEAT (5-2), 7:30 p.m., Sun Sports, ESPN

LINE: Heat by 8 1/2 (Opened at 10.)

OFFICIALS: Scott Foster, Eric Lewis, Eli Roe

WHY WATCH: The Pacers are bruised and broken to begin the season, but tonight’s nationally televised game is still the first matchup between the Heat and Pacers since last season’s Eastern Conference finals.

SPO-SPEAK: “It’s still Indiana, so you know they’re going to bring it defensively,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “They’re not going to allow you to have easy opportunities on the paint. You’re going to have to work your offense with force, with poise and the ball is going to have to move. The more shortcuts you try to take, the more it plays right into their hands.”

ON THE 5-2 START: “It’s not even about that right now,” Spoelstra said. “It’s about our habits. Are we coming in to work to get better? And the guys have been great. They have a real lunch pail, hardhat mentality to come in here and work and work the process to try to get better.
“You’re seeing some of the improvement, but we have a long way to go, particularly on the defensive end. And there is no shortcut to it. …read more

Source:: Raanan Katz – Miami Herald – Miami Heat

10Nov

Miami Heat Beggining of the Season Recap by Raanan Katz

November 10, 2014 by

Raanan-Katz-Miami-Heat-new-big-3The Miami Heat have started this season off with a bang, winning five out of their first seven games. They started the season winning their first three games against Washington, Philadelphia and Toronto. They lost their next two games against Houston and Charlotte and won their next two games after that against Minnesota and Dallas. Their next game is on Wednesday as they welcome the Indiana Pacers to American Airlines Arena.

The Heat are at top of the Southeast Division tied with the Washington Wizards. Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade are carrying most of the load scoring 23.6 points and 19.7 points respectively. Bosh is averaging a double double as he is also averaging 10.3 rebounds per game. Luol Deng is also picking up his load, averaging 15.6 points per game. After the loss of LeBron James; Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, and Luol Deng have stepped up to become the new “Big Three” of the Miami Heat.

Luol Deng just came off of a dominating performance against the Dallas Mavericks Sunday night, scoring 30 points. The new Heat “Big 3” has averaged 60.2 points, 17.8 rebounds, and 11.7 assists.

Miami Heat fans were of course worried after the loss of LeBron James, and the new signing of Luol Deng didn’t necessarily resolve those worries. Although, Deng is nowhere near filling the hole left by LeBron, he is doing a more than adequate job in the role that he has been assigned.

Deng is averaging 15.6 points per game and shooting a career-high 56% from the field. He is also playing a career low 30 minutes per game, elevating his efficiency rating to just under 20. Bosh and Wade playing at a high level has been quintessential to the Heat’s success, but Deng filling in the holes and playing his role has also been an important factor.

Raanan Katz looks forward to watching his team’s hopeful continued success. With the return of Danny Granger in a couple of days, the Heat are looking to improve on their already successful campaign. Take a look here for new updates on the Miami Heat roster.

10Nov

#Heat guard Dwyane Wade opens up about #LeBron James and the struggling #Cavaliers

November 10, 2014 by

By Joe

Dwyane Wade has played in every game this season and he’ll be in the starting lineup on Sunday night here in Dallas. He’s feeling good, his body has responded well to the beginning of the season and his team has a better record than his good buddy LeBron James up in Cleveland.

In other words, it’s a good time to weigh in on the NBA’s biggest story to start the season, the early struggles of those very same Cavaliers and LeBron’s role on the team. Any advice Wade would give LeBron at this point in the season?

“He has all the tools he needs,” Wade said. “We’ve been through it together where we ran into struggles as a team. You’re going to do that in the season whether it’s in the beginning of the season, or sometimes in the middle or sometimes at the end. He’s a four-time MVP. He’s a two-time champion. I’m sure he’ll figure it out as a leader.”

The Heat is 4-2 entering Sunday’s game against the Mavericks and the Cavaliers are 2-3 with a home game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night. In a sense, both the Heat and Cavaliers are starting from scratch this season, …read more

Source:: Raanan Katz – Miami Herald – Miami Heat

11Sep

Miami Heat’s Last Off-Season Acquisition Prospects

September 11, 2014 by

Raanan-Katz-Chris-Bosh-Miami-Heat-compressorThis off-season the Miami Heat have spent the most money out of any other team in the NBA as the team still has holes in their lineup that need addressing. The absence of LeBron James along with potential injury issues for Dwyane Wade and Josh McRoberts show a depth concern for the reigning eastern conference champions. The team might look to add a player with potential that is not yet proven to add to their bench. Right now, the Miami Heat have 11 player on their roster with guaranteed salaries. During this time of the season, they are basically looking for a player to fill their last roster spot and possibly act as a team mentor during practice.  This player could also be one of the last players off the bench to add energy during a team mental break in a pivotal moment of a game.

Ryan Hollins is a great example of this. He has the energy-filling capabilities as the would-be Heat third center, and he has veteran leadership that could be used throughout practice. Another option is Jordan Crawford. Crawford can be an excellent playmaker off the bench, which is something that the Miami Heat are looking for. Emeka Okafor is also attracting a lot of attention. Though his injury past worries many people, Emeka Okafor could be a great investment for the Heat bench. Miami experienced some bad results with Greg Oden, but Okafor’s injury should be easier to handle. Do the Miami Heat need another Udonis Haslem? Dante Cunningham could fill that void and possibly beat Haslem for the spot as the mid-range big-man with great athleticism. Miami can only offer whoever they pick up minimum salary at this point, so since the Clippers just waved Miroslav Raduljica, the Heat could definitely use his size and rebounding abilities off the bench.