MIAMI — Midway through the third quarter of the Miami Heat’s 118-85 victory over Orlando on Sunday, second-year center Dexter Pittman got right in Dwight Howard’s face as though he wanted to start something. The result of the altercation was a double foul — one on Pittman, one on Howard — and a measure of respect. But it didn’t answer any questions about the Heat’s toughness in the middle. Miami’s four-headed center — starter Joel Anthony, Pittman, and power forwards Chris Bosh
Perkins column: Heat’s Big Three more relaxed, more adjusted
MIAMI – Take one look at Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh – the Miami Heat’s Big Three – and you can tell they’re more relaxed this year. That’s because the focus of the season is different, it’s more about the Miami Heat than the Big Three. That’s a liberating feeling for all involved. “I feel this year we’re head above heels from where we were last year,” James said. A year ago the Big Three were the talk of the nation.
Bernucca column: 10 guys on the spot
Free agency starts Friday, and we can guarantee that by Sunday night, your head will be spinning. Coming out of the last lockout in January 1999, teams made a staggering 100 deals in the first two days. There were 67 transactions on the first day and another 33 on the second day. And that total doesn’t include waiving players or renouncing rights to create cap room. Unless you become a shut-in, spend the entire weekend in front of your computer and continually
Bernucca column: This is not your father’s lockout
OK, the NBA is back. Now what will it look like? In the days leading up to Christmas – and likely through the first month of a truncated season – there will be a fair amount of hand-wringing about the quality of play. Gloom-and-doom purists will reference the last lockout preceding the 1998-99 season, which by any measure was not among the NBA’s brightest days. In that forgettable season, the NBA was replete with quickly formed teams made up of poorly conditioned
Tweet of the Day: LeBron James
He is looking for a flag football game against Kevin Durant, who played in one at Oklahoma State. @KingJamesLeBron James RT @KDTrey5: Set it up! My team ready RT @KingJames:@KDTrey5 Team KD35 vs Team King James do I hear? Flag football.(Done deal! Date soon)
LeBron James is tampering (so what?)
One nice upside of the NBA lockout is that tampering rules are not fully in effect. Yes, team executives cannot talk about other teams or other players or even their own players, but LeBron James is not a member of management and thus is exempt from the rule until the lockout is settled. So call it tampering, or call it recruiting. But whatever the case, James is making the countdown to settlement day all the more interesting. From Ira Winderman of the South Florida
Beasley scores 56 in Durant’s exhibition game
My tweeps were chirping at me in the first quarter about a faulty stream on thebasketballchannel.com, but apparently the bandwidth problem was solved in time to show a pretty decent fourth quarter at Kevin Durant’s exhibition game in Oklahoma City last night, won 176-171 in overtime by Durant’s team. Some stat lines: Michael Beasley, 56 points on 25-for-35 shooting — though he disappeared in the fourth quarter when some defense started to get played, according to ESPN.com’s Royce Young. Chris Paul, 25 assists — including
Bernucca column: Stupid is as stupid does
By Chris Bernucca This NBA lockout is a 12-inch stupid sandwich. The owners have been stupid in believing they could get back in one negotiation everything they have given away over the last 12 years. The players have been stupid in underestimating the backlash from a fickle fan base hit hard by a nationwide economic malaise. And both sides have been extremely stupid in coming close enough to shake hands, then refusing to with the childish insistence of “You first!” It is another in