The Miami Heat had an offseason that gave fans numerous swings of emotion. The best player in the league, LeBron James, left for Cleveland as a free agent. But that same week, Chris Bosh turned down an offer to join James Harden and Dwight Howard in Houston and agreed to sign a maximum-level contract with the Heat. Pat Riley then quickly assembled a new team with several new players – Luol Deng, Josh McRoberts, Danny Granger and Shannon Brown, just
The ‘stuff’ hit the proverbial fan Tuesday just before lunch, as ESPN broke the that four-time NBA MVP LeBron James’ agent Rich Paul had informed the Miami Heat that he has elected to opt out of his contract and become a free agent. [Read more…]
One of the obvious takeaways from the 2014 NBA Finals was that the San Antonio Spurs clearly have more good players than the Miami Heat. When the series began, it appeared to be a showdown of each team’s “Big Three” – Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker for the Spurs and LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh for the Heat. But as the Finals progressed, the talent gap separating the teams became evident. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich trusted his bench,
To fill the time between now and what could be the last game of the 2013-14 NBA season, we bring you another edition of the Three-Man Weave. This time, we examine possible NBA Finals MVP candidates – none of whom are among San Antonio’s “Big Three” – and what Miami can do to get back into the series. 1. Who is the NBA Finals MVP thus far? [Read more…]
MIAMI — The proverbial “Next step.” When a young player scores a career-high 29 points on 10-for-13 shooting in a 111-92 win in Game 3 in a tied NBA Finals, takes that “Next step,” it’s a big deal (especially in the social media centric world we live in today). Normally he’ll shower, get dressed and head to the podium to answer questions from the media. That was not the case on Tuesday evening. Stone faced and serious, Kawhi Leonard headed toward the throng of media
Game 1 of the NBA Finals was Miami’s for the taking. That’s not indicative if you look at Thursday’s 110-95 final score, which looks like an easy romp of a win for the Spurs. But the Heat led going into the 4th quarter and forced 23 San Antonio turnovers in the sweltering, air conditioning-malfunctioning heat at the AT&T Center. How can Miami rebound and continue its streak of 12 consecutive wins after a playoff loss? Here are five easy keys for
As the NBA Finals move on to Game 2, we are back with another Three-Man Weave. This time, we take a look at the cramp quotient for LeBron James and which adjustments each team needs to make. 1. Now that the air conditioning at the AT&T Center is supposedly fixed, are LeBron James’ cramping issues a thing of the past? [Read more…]
It will be easy for Miami Heat fans to say that LeBron James’ absence cramped their team’s style. James sat for almost all of the last 7 1/2 minutes of Thursday’s NBA Finals opener, and the line of demarcation was too obvious. There was a 17-point swing following the moment when James first exited with leg cramps as a close game headed for a fantastic finish devolved into a 110-95 win for the host San Antonio Spurs. “With five and change (left),