3:36 PM / / in Miami Heat /
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3:16 PM / / in Miami Heat /
With the Washington Wizards off to a slow start and reportedly dealing with turmoil within the team, a potential trade of All-Star guard John Wall has been rumored. One ESPN analyst believes that the Miami Heat would be a strong candidate to acquire his services.
Jalen Rose offered his comments (beginning at the 2:15 mark) on his ESPN radio show that he hosts with David Jacoby:
Rose responded to Jacoby’s question about whether any team would be willing to trade for Wall, given the massive amount of money that he’s still due:
“Yes is the answer to that question and I’m going to give you a team. I’m not going to just answer your question, I’m going to give you a team to watch: the Miami Heat. That’s the team I want you to watch, because when you’re a leader of a situation and it’s been reported that you cursed out the coach, that’s going to turn some teams away. So it immediately makes me look for the teams that have strong leadership and guess what he would not be doing in Miami.”
Jacoby referenced the unlikely scenario of either Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra or team president Pat Riley being on the receiving end of a Wall tirade. Rose then explained why the Heat would have interest in the 28-year-old guard:
“He’s a really talented player that they can now get the best out of in the Eastern Conference.”
For the 2018-19 season, Wall is making $19.17 million. However, beginning next season, he will earn just under $171 million over the span of a four-year contract extension that he agreed to sign in July 2017.
Wall was the top overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft out of the University of Kentucky. He’s played in each of the last five All-Star games and has averaged 19.0 points, 9.2 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game over the course of his nine-year career.
This season, Wall’s averaging 21.7 points, 8.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. The reported conflicts within the Wizards organization largely stem from the team’s slow start, which saw it drop nine of its first 11 contests. Over the past few weeks, the team has rebounded by winning six of its last nine games, a stretch that began with a Nov. 10 road win against the Heat.
Miami, which came up short in its bid to acquire forward Jimmy Butler, would no doubt love to make up for that miss by trading for Wall. Whether or not it’s able to make that happen remains to be seen.
2:55 PM / / in Miami Heat /
For the third time in four games, the Miami Heat will be without Goran Dragic on Friday against the Indiana Pacers in Miami.
Dragic, who was a game-time decision for the Heat’s 95-88 win against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, was declared out following Miami’s shootaround Friday at AmericanAirlines Arena. Dragic plans to play Saturday against the Washington Wizards, a team spokesperson said.
The guard has been dealing with right knee soreness the past few days and even had an MRI on the knee earlier this week. Coach Erik Spoelstra said Wednesday the MRI came back negative and has kept Dragic day to day.
“Goran is feeling better,” Spoelstra said at his pregame news conference Friday. “He’ll be doing treatment tonight.”
Dragic, who has started all eight games he’s played this season, last played Monday against the Detroit Pistons. Dragic played 33 minutes in Detroit, scoring 21 points, handing out six assists and grabbing seven rebounds in the overtime win.
With Dragic out Wednesday, Wayne Ellington made his first start of the season. The wing scored 20 points and went 6 of 10 from three-point range in Dragic’s place. Wing guard Josh Richardson served as the primary ballhandler in the Heat’s starting lineup, a role Dragic usually fills.
Dragic isn’t the only Miami (5-5) contributor dealing with knee pain. Derrick Jones Jr., who played eight minutes Wednesday before bruising his right knee, will suit up against the Pacers on Friday. The team initially ruled out the small forward following shootaround earlier in the day before Spoelstra announced he would play less than two hours before tipoff. Jones went through a brief workout with athletic trainer Jay Sabol, who quickly declared the forward good to go.
“He just had to test his legs. One, to make sure there wasn’t any pain and, two, that he had the proper mobility,” Spoelstra said. “He went upstairs with Jay, and warmed up for about five minutes and did three windmill, 360 dunks. And Jay turned to [assistant coach Chris Quinn] and said, ‘Yeah, he’s ready to go.’”
The Heat also continues to be without forward James Johnson and wing Dion Waiters. Johnson is still recovering from a sports hernia, while Waiters is recovering from left ankle surgery. Neither has played this season.
Miami will also be without another top guard once again Friday, although Dwyane Wade’s absence is for happier reasons.
On Thursday, Wade announced a surrogate mother gave birth to his fourth child and his first with wife Gabrielle Union. Wade also missed Miami’s win against the Spurs on Wednesday as he anticipated the birth of his first daughter.
Wade’s daughter was born Wednesday and he remained away from the team Friday.
“I’m excited for him,” Richardson said after shootaround Friday. “It was his first daughter, so that’ll be fun. I think it’ll be good for Gabby to have another girl in the house.”
Spoelstra isn’t sure yet when Wade will return to the team, although Saturday against the Wizards is unlikely. The 12-time All-Star isn’t on any sort of set paternity leave, so the team is treating it as a day-to-day case.
“It’s day by day,” Spoelstra said. “I don’t know about tomorrow, but as much time as he needs.”
Hundreds of Heat fans formed a line out the door at the AmericanAirlines team store at midnight Friday as the team put its new black “Vice Nights” merchandise on sale. Fans could begin buying jerseys and apparel at midnight, and even pose for photographs with the special Vice court in the background.
Friday will present an all-new feel inside the Heat’s arena with a Vice Nights-specific intro video, new black City Edition jerseys and a specialized court to go along with the new gear.
“When [president Pat Riley] took over this organization it became about hardest working, best conditioned, most professional,” Spoelstra said at his news conference following shootaround Friday. “You can add hippest on the front line, most fun. He wouldn’t like that stuff, but we’re always on the front edge of cool things. It’s fun for the players. It’s fun for the fans. It creates an excitement.”
The light blue, script Miami on the front of the Vice jerseys is explicitly taken from Miami Arena, where the Heat played from 1988-1999. The special court takes its inspiration from the court inside the old arena, which is especially meaningful to Udonis Haslem.
The post player was born in Miami and went to high school in South Florida. He grew up going to games at the old arena, watching former All-Stars like Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway.
“It definitely brings back my childhood. I didn’t have as great of seats as I have now, but I definitely remember the old games, being there and watching Zo and Tim, and guys that came before me,” Haslem said after shootaround Friday. “I remember it like it was yesterday, so it’s definitely a cool experience to have a chance to live out my dream.
2:33 PM / / in Miami Heat /
The Heat will play without Goran Dragic for the fifth consecutive game Tuesday, but there’s hope around the organization the starting point guard will return from his injury sooner rather than later.
The thinking right now is Dragic’s right knee injury is a short-term issue barring any setbacks, according to league sources. Those around Dragic are optimistic he will be able to return during the Heat’s four-game homestand beginning Tuesday against the Hawks and ends next Tuesday against the Magic.
An MRI on Dragic’s injured knee returned negative, and the goal for the past week has been to get the swelling down. The 32-year-old had fluid drained from his right knee last Monday, and he did not travel for the team’s recent two-game trip.
Pain isn’t the issue for Dragic. It’s stiffness and swelling in the knee that has kept him off the court.
“There isn’t a definitive update,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Tuesday when asked about Dragic and Tyler Johnson, who missed his fourth consecutive game Tuesday with a right hamstring strain. “They’re both getting better, they’re both feeling better, they’re both doing a little bit more. We’ll continue taking it day by day.”
Tuesday marks the eighth game Dragic has missed this season — one because of a right foot injury and seven because of a right knee injury. The Heat has posted a 2-5 record in those games this season.
Finding efficient offense continues to be an issue for the Heat without Dragic.
Entering Tuesday, Miami has scored 108.4 points per 100 possessions with Dragic playing and 101.3 points per 100 possessions without him this season. Also, the Heat has outscored opponents by 23 points with Dragic on the court and has been outscored by 59 points when he’s not on the court.
▪ Heat forward James Johnson missed Tuesday morning’s shootaround due to personal reasons, but he’s expected to play against the Hawks. Also, the Heat remains without Dion Waiters (left ankle surgery)
It’s not a surprise the Heat’s drive-and-kick offense has it averaging the most drives to the basket this season at 52.8 per game entering Tuesday. But Miami isn’t converting them at a high enough rate, as it’s shooting a league-worst 40.9 percent on its penetration attempts.
“Make more shots. This game is simple, man,” Wade said when asked how the Heat can improve in that area. “We can try to complicate it all we want. But one, you got to understand how the defense is playing you, you got to understand how to get your shots up. That’s the thing, we have some young players that they just have to go through it.
“But if you notice, even though I’m not super-duper athletic, I never just fly down the paint and just jump. I’m always trying to keep the defense off balance before I shoot a shot because I’m not allowing them to corral me, I’m not allowing them to be as explosive as they can be. I’m trying to use what I have, my shot fakes, my timing and this and that. We got a lot of guys that this is new for guys, trying to get to the rim and play this game that we’re trying to play this year. So, like I said, it’s going to take some bumps and some lumps. But hopefully over the course of the season, we get better at it.”
2:12 PM / / in Miami Heat /
A six-pack of Heat notes on a Tuesday, with Miami (7-12) set to host Atlanta on Tuesday evening:
▪ After Dwyane Wade scored 35 points — one point less than his age — in Toronto on Sunday, his phone lit up with texts from other NBA players.
“It’s a lot of guys; it’s cool,” he said.
And they all had a variation of the same question: “You sure you want to retire?”
So could Wade’s excellent offensive work so far this season make him rethink his decision to retire?
At this point, no.
“I continue to say, I think I’ve done a pretty good job of trying to adjust my game to my body or my age or the way the game has changed,” he said.
“But also, I tell people, I’m retiring because I want to, not because I physically can’t play the game no more. I think I’ve actually found a pretty good role that if I wanted to stay in it for a while, I think I could do a good job in it in my minutes of coming off the bench and being a spark at different times.
“But for me, it’s something I want to do. It’s time for me to walk away from the game. It’s not because of a talent standpoint, it’s just that I’ve given it enough. I want to give something else what I’ve given to the game of basketball.”
Wade — whose 35 points Sunday were the most ever by a Heat player off the bench — is averaging 14.9 points and shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 39.6 percent on three-pointers, which would be a career high for a player who shot less than 29 on threes in his career entering this season.
▪ I asked Wade if he might try to go all Kobe in his final game if it has no impact on the Heat’s chances of making the playoffs or its seeding.
Bryant scored 60 points on 22-for-50 shooting in his final NBA game, a regular-season win over Utah.
“I don’t know,” he said, smiling. “I honestly haven’t thought that far. I don’t want to even put that in our mind. I want us to get on a winning streak here so we can get back in this playoff race. I would rather go out in the playoffs than go out on the last game of the regular season. But when we get to that point of the season, we can have this conversation again.”
Is Wade’s 35-point performance a good reminder to him that you can still do that?:
Well, yeah.,” he said. “I got a 16-year-old son who thinks he can beat me. It definitely helps when I let him know, ‘You ain’t scored 35 in high school yet, bro.’”
▪ Coach Erik Spoelstra said it’s a combination of healing and conditioning that still has Dion Waiters sidelined more than 10 months after an ankle procedure that Waiters said would sideline him 8 to 10 months.
Asked if he expects Waiters to play before the calendar year is over, Spoelstra said: “We don’t have an update” before adding that he’s optimistic by nature.
“He’s making progress,” Spoelstra said.
Waiters, in the second year of a four-year, $52 million contract, is doing some basketball work, but the Heat wants him to get in better shape.
Guard Wayne Ellington said he asked Waiters how he’s feeling on Tuesday morning.
“He said he’s feeling good,” Ellington said. “He’s been looking good. He’s heading in the right direction.”
▪ Ellington, who has started 133 of 604 NBA games, said starting has been an adjustment in Goran Dragic’s absence after starting just 13 and two games in his first two seasons with the Heat.
He already has started six games this season.
“It’s a little bit of a challenge, something I can adjust to instead [of sitting on the bench] and taking the game in a bit,” he said. “Just trying to get a little lather before.”
He said starting is “fun,” but being an NBA starter “is a little overrated.”
Dragic remains out with a knee issue. Here’s an update on the Dragic situation.
▪ Rodney McGruder, who’s averaging a career-high 12.4 points on 44.6 percent shooting, said teams are starting to pay more attention to him when the Heat has the ball.
“I’m on the scouting report [now],” he said, noting second defenders are coming at him more than ever.
McGruder, who is shooting 7 for 22 from the field in his past two games, has been exceptional at lob passes and said teams are “trying to discourage that” by sending a second defender into the paint.
▪ James Johnson, who missed shootaround for personal reasons but is expected to play Tuesday against Atlanta, is shooting just 20 percent (6 for 30) in his first four games back, including 3 for 11 (27.3 percent) on threes.
What’s more, he has only seven rebounds in 84 minutes. But he does have 14 assists and two turnovers and his ball-handling ability helps the offense.
“He hasn’t played NBA games since the end of April,” Spoelstra cautioned. “There will always be an adjustment.”
1:52 PM / / in Miami Heat /
Brooklyn Nets' Spencer Dinwiddie wears shoes as a tribute to Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat, Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2018, in Miami. The Nets won 104-92. This is Wade's last season. AP Photo/Lynne Sladky
MIAMI— Spencer Dinwiddie is wearing art on his feet this season.
It’s for a good cause.
The Brooklyn guard is planning to have a different set of sneakers in every game this year, paying tribute to either various people or causes on that particular night. On Tuesday in Miami, his shoes were an homage to Heat guard Dwyane Wade — and Dinwiddie proudly got one of his childhood idols to sign the kicks afterward.
And they were truly one-of-a-kind: The words “One Last Dance” were across the tongues of the shoes, a nod to what Wade is calling his 16th and final NBA season. There were images of palm trees, a Miami signature, as well as the No. 3 that Wade has worn on his jersey for the entirety of his time with the Heat.
Dinwiddie isn’t keeping the Wade-themed shoes or any others this season. They’re all getting auctioned off for charities that support causes that help children.
“Tribute to a legend that deserves his farewell tour!” Dinwiddie wrote on Instagram when he posted an image of the Wade shoes. “And the only current player that will be a part of this journey this season.”
Wade was moved by the gesture.
“They were cool,” he said after meeting with Dinwiddie postgame.
Dinwiddie and Wade were briefly teammates in Chicago two seasons ago, and the Nets guard considers the Heat star one of the three greatest shooting guards in NBA history. Dinwiddie expressed his admiration to Wade again in their postgame chat.
“I said you deserve everything and thank you for allowing me to do this,” Dinwiddie said.
He’s already had some memorable ones this season — “Purple Rain” sneakers for a game at Minnesota in a tribute to legendary singer Prince, other pairs that were tributes to Colin Kaepernick (for a game against Golden State, which certainly got noticed in the Bay Area where Kaepernick played for the 49ers) and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, a pair for Muhammad Ali , even ones that celebrated the accomplishments of Cheryl Miller.
He even had a pair that celebrated the logos of various media outlets. And last week, when comic legend and Marvel icon Stan Lee — a huge figure in the entertainment world — died, Dinwiddie had sneakers to honor him as well.
Adding Wade to that list was an easy call.
“It was kind of a no-brainer,” Dinwiddie said.
Dinwiddie is doing all of this in conjunction with his family’s foundation.
“Our focus is the youth and our family’s legacy has been entrenched in supporting the youth we encounter for generations now,” he wrote earlier this season. “So I honor the legacy of my family as well with every pair. Whether I’m sneaker king at the end of this season or not this thing is so much bigger than basketball.”
November 21 |
By Tim Reynolds
1:31 PM / / in Miami Heat /
The Miami Heat attempted to rally late Saturday night against the Washington Wizards, but the damage was already done.
Being self-inflicted turnovers, second-half shooting droughts and an inability to stop John Wall at pivotal moments, the Heat lost 116-110 at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Miami (5-7) has now lost five of its last seven games.
While there were some highlights — primarily Rodney McGruder’s career-high 22 points — Miami was also marred in a slew of problems.
There were turnovers, 19 of them to be exact.
There was foul trouble. Seven of Miami’s eight main players who took the court finished with at least four fouls.
And there was sloppy defense at the end of halves. The Heat saw a 10-point second-quarter lead shrink to 3 at halftime when the Wizards (3-9) went on a 13-6 run over 2:47.
Miami held a two-point lead heading into the fourth quarter before Washington put together an 8-2 run in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter to take a 92-86 lead that eventually grew to as many as 17 points after a Jeff Green alley oop dunk with 3:13 left to play.
The Heat went just 8-for-20 in the fourth quarter.
The Wizards? They went 10-for-17 in the final 12 minutes. Wall led the way with 28 points and nine assists, while Green chipped in 19 points. Austin Rivers and Bradley Beal each scored 18.
Josh Richardson scored a team-high 24 points and was one of five Heat players in double figures. The others: McGruder, Wayne Ellington (16), Tyler Johnson (12) and Hassan Whiteside (15), who had a double-double with 14 rebounds..
Noticeably absent from the scoring: Goran Dragic. The Heat’s starting point guard, who returned to the lineup after missing the last two games with a right knee injury, was held scoreless and missed all seven of his shots from the field in 21 minutes of action. He did not play in the fourth quarter.
Dwyane Wade missed his third consecutive game following the birth of his daughter.
1:09 PM / / in Miami Heat /
NBA teams across the league began wearing their alternate City Edition uniforms this week, and while there are several excellent designs for the 2018-19 season, Miami’s stellar #ViceNight jerseys are easily the best alternates in the league.
Miami will wear their City Edition uniforms for 15 games in total this season, but many Heat fans on social media are calling for the team to ditch their red, white and black color scheme entirely and go all in on #ViceNights. Make it happen, Heat.
AP Photo/Lynne Sladky
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports ORG
AP Photo/Lynne Sladky
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports ORG
AP Photo/Lynne Sladky
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
12:48 PM / / in Miami Heat /
If you placed the name of every Miami Heat player in a hat, shuffled them around and picked one at random, there’s a 99.9 percent chance that the name you selected could make any of the remaining 29 full-time NBA rosters.
Wayne Ellington is the screen-cutting shooter every team would love to field. Kelly Olynyk, when his is hot, is the prototypical forward who can drill triples, just as much as he can tally assists.
Justise Winslow and James Johnson fill the point-forward roles that players like Draymond Green have popularized, while Josh Richardson continues to prove his rubberband-man limbs provide the perfect mix of offensive and defensive efficiency.
Then there are the stat hounds, Goran Dragic, Dwyane Wade and Hassan Whiteside, who boast the positional specialization that drive a star-laden league.
Even Udonis Haslem, who doesn’t see much floor action, is the quintessential glue-guy or veteran leader, that every team wishes would stick around for the better part of two decades.
Really, anyone on the Heat roster has at least one quality that could serve an organization looking to upgrade its roster. What the team lacks in All-Star recognition, it makes up for with the sheer depth of talent that can fill gaps like reverse Jenga.
Unfortunately for Miami, that’s proving to be a huge problem.
Take Sunday’s loss to the Toronto Raptors; Miami started Hassan Whiteside as usual.
The center is typically the preferred option against opponents who run paint-anchored bigs like Jonas Valanciunas. A big bruiser himself, Whiteside can keep up in these matchups, in a way that might put a smaller player through the ringer.
But that wasn’t the case on Sunday.
Whiteside was limited to just 12 minutes of play, swapped out for Bam Adebayo, who filled his role in a big way. Adebayo spent a season-high 36.5 minutes on the court, and posted his first 20-rebound game in the process.
Better suited to Toronto’s small ball lineup when Valanciunas was plucked from the game, Adebayo helped Miami keep pace in what was at times, nearly a blowout defeat.
His four offensive rebounds either led directly to him scoring, getting fouled, or opening the floor for a teammate to score.
He also proved capable of covering one of the league’s best players in Kawhi Leonard.
Head coach Erik Spoesltra couldn’t talk highly enough of being able to play Adebayo up to his potential.
“You just feel his energy,” Spoelstra said of Adebayo. “He asked to come out a couple of times tonight [against the Raptors] and we couldn’t afford to take him out. He was making too many things happen. That’s what you want to do as a player. But that force is something we can definitely build on.”
But for as much as the Toronto game was Adebayo’s coming out party, it effectively illustrated Miami’s dire lineup situation. Though Whiteside has started all 18 games in which he’s played, Adebayo clearly has the upper hand following his call to duty in Canada.
This situation has happened earlier this season as well.
Ellington missed time to injury, so Rodney McGruder saw a bump in play time. McGruder was shooting 50 percent on five 3’s per game with Ellington out, a number that fell to 30 percent on closer to four triples, in the 12 games since Ellington returned.
Ellington might have the better track record from beyond the arc, but McGruder’s defensive abilities make him the favored candidate in certain matchups.
Again, that leaves Spoelstra with the tough decision of managing a rotation littered with variables, created by his roster full of specialists. For now, both players are getting run, but upon Dion Waiters‘ return, one of Miami’s shooting guards will be pressed to find minutes.
Unless Miami decides to commit to a certain core and pitch the rest of the team as trade bait, the Heat will remain between players and rotations all year long.
And at this rate, Miami is doomed for a fate like the one the team suffered in the 2018 Playoffs. Having too many guys who can play, forces Spoelstra to make too many decisions on the fly that ultimately lose out to teams, that can effectively shorten their roster to a handful of names.
With 63 games left and a roster loaded in both talent and salaries, Miami still has time to feel out which players belong in a tighter rotation, and which players are better off flipped for cap space.
That approach might not breed playoff births in the short-run, but having a repeat of the 2018 Playoffs should be the last item on Miami’s to-do list.
12:25 PM / / in Miami Heat /
The number one rule of NBA business is to never trust an executive.
Just ask Isaiah Thomas to recount last year’s Danny Ainge feelings. Better yet, consider Miami Heat president Pat Riley’s assertion that he was pulling the plug on the Jimmy Butler trade talk.
The proclamation was not likely a lie, but more of a half-truth. He admitted as much on Thursday, when he said that the team was not pursing trades, however they are listenings; any smart front office would do.
Particularly one that feels the same way about their team as many fans do:
“Average is not bad,” said Riley. “If you like to be average, then that’s what we were last year and that’s what we’ve been for the last three years. I think this team has a chance to go above that.”
The statement was a great way to hedge all bets.
He basically announced the organization is not satisfied, but the team—as currently constructed—could still find ways to improve. It was a nice attempt at pacifying the masses, in case they get stuck with this roster.
So why not shake things up with a team in need of a new look?
After their ninth loss in 11 games, the Washington Wizards have gotten off to the most disappointing start in the NBA; which does not really fly when a salary inflated roster is tied with the Phoenix Suns for the second worst record in basketball.
Same goes for the ninth place Heat and their league leading salary cap.
In light of those situations and Miami’s eternal quest for a star, breaking up Washington’s dysfunctional backcourt seems like a way to satisfy Riley’s proclivity for disgruntled game changers.
Everyone knows the years of issues between John Wall and Bradley Beal, as well as the money restraints that will continue to hamper the Heat in next year’s free agency race. There is no new news there.
Yet, a fresh outlook could be had through swapping leadings scorers.
For the Heat, Beal would be a combination of Josh Richardson and Wayne Ellington. Otherwise known as a slashing, 3-point shooter.
As of right now, Beal and Richardson are barely separated in terms of surface stats.
Beal has him slightly beat in scoring, blocks, assists, rebounds and shooting percentage, while Richardson has the slim advantage in steals and 3-point shooting. Throw the thought of an Ellington sided comparison and the deep ball is also there—38 percent career shooting, compared to Beal’s 39 percent.
Though he would not be part of the deal, Richardson’s trade partner would be Tyler Johnson.
Over the last five games, Johnson has overcome early season criticism, to potentially secure a little stock as an add along.
If that makes the timing right, Riley needs to pull the trigger.
12:03 PM / / in Miami Heat /
Despite being eight years removed from the infamy of “The Decision,” LeBron James’ unprecedented move to the Miami Heat back in 2010 still remains to be one of the biggest moments in sports history.
The Los Angeles Lakers star recently spoke about what went through his mind in the immediate aftermath of his decision to turn his back from the Cleveland Cavaliers nearly a decade ago.
What was going through LeBron James' mind after The Decision, joining the Heat? "F— … the hell just happened?"
Full episodes of More Than An Athlete, available exclusively on ESPN+ https://t.co/yLxRKXUr33 pic.twitter.com/OHrlFBfTGE
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 27, 2018
As James explained, he was still young back then, and he had big dreams. At that point in time, a move to Miami to join the Heat was the best choice he envisioned in order to fulfill his aspirations.
Nevertheless, James did acknowledge that all the backlash did have an adverse effect on a then highly impressionable LeBron.
Towards the end of the clip, James shared the exact moment his big move began to sink in, as he started to take in all the ramifications of his decision.
Just last summer, James once again turned his back on his hometown team by joining the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent. However, the circumstances were very much different compared to when he left for the Heat.
After bagging the championship for Cleveland a couple of years ago, there was a sense of fulfillment between James and the city. The prodigal son had successfully carried the team to the promised land, and in essence, LeBron was able to carry out his promise of a title.
As made evident by the rousing ovation he received when the Lakers visited the Cavaliers last week, James’ departure this time around left nothing but fond memories to a city and a fanbase that will forever consider him as a hero.
11:42 AM / / in Miami Heat /
Welcome to another installment of Game Day Observations; today we’ll take a look at how Kelly Olynyk impacted the Miami Heat in their 110-102 loss at home, to the Indiana Pacers.
Olynyk was a huge spark off the bench and led the Heat with 20 points. Despite that, the Heat fell to 5-6, and lost the game on their shiny new Vice Nights court.
(It’s beautiful by the way, and so are their black Vice uniforms.)
As for Olynyk’s performance last night, let’s dive a bit deeper.
First Quarter
Although Olynyk did not start, he came into the game with four minutes left in the opening quarter; a quarter that was marked by sloppy play.
However, the big man still went to work right away, trying to contest a Darren Collinson shot, connect with Hassan Whiteside for a lob, guard T.J. Leaf on a drive and stop Corey Joseph from scoring on a fadeaway.
Unfortunately, the 7-footer wasn’t successful at any of the above, but at least the effort was there.
Second Quarter
Olynyk finally records a stat, when he cuts baseline to the basket and scores on a layup from Josh Richardson. He then picks things up on the defensive end, grabbing a rebound off of a missed Domantos Sabonis layup.
Things start to improve even more when he makes one from downtown, off a pass from Richardson, and then fakes Sabonis out for a layup, off a mid-air dish by Wayne Ellington.
The center even slams one in, after Richardson goes baseline and finds him open.
(Straight definition of Filthy McNasty.)
Still, it wasn’t all smooth sailing.
Myles Turner dunks one over him. He turns the ball over a few times, on boneheaded plays. And then the flagrant foul happens.
Thaddeus Young inadvertently elbows Olynyk in the jaw, while he’s holding ball. While it didn’t look intentional at first, upon further review, it’s upgraded from an offensive foul to a Flagrant 2; which results in an immediate ejection.
(I disagreed with the call, but goodbye anyways Young.)
Olynyk finishes with 14 points and two rebounds at the half.
Third Quarter
The big man enters the game for Hassan Whiteside at 4:51 and throws a sweet lob to Derrick Jones Jr. for a made layup (and surprisingly not a dunk).
But the streaky play continues. Sabonis scores twice on Olynyk, after which he misses a wide open 3-point shot.
(Yikes).
Then with just 41.6 seconds remaining in the third, he is taken out and replaced by Bam Adebayo, because he’s bleeding from the arm. He makes his return with 31.8 to go, to split a pair of free throws and miss a half court shot at the buzzer.
Fourth Quarter
Olynyk is now starting.
And the night gets even more aggressive for him.
He fouls Tyreke Evans and takes a knee to the midsection in the progress (ouch). He’s down for a while, and then has to be escorted back to the locker room. The good news however is that the foul is reviewed, and the call is reserved to an offensive foul on Evans.
Eventually he returns to the bench, but doesn’t come back into the game until there are just 32.1 seconds remaining. The Heat are down by three, and he replaces Whiteside.
He commits an untimely turnover off a pass by Richardson, and with 11.1 left in the game, he’s taken out for good.
In the end, Olynyk didn’t have the most rocky steady of nights, but he still finished with a team-high 20 points, four rebounds and two assists, having shot 6-for-8 from the field (including 3-of-5 from downtown).
Who will step up tonight against the Washington Wizards?
11:20 AM / / in Miami Heat /
The Wolves and Heat were on the verge of trading Jimmy Butler for Josh Richardson before the 2018-19 campaign tipped off.
But after a blazing start to the season, where the 25-year-old Richardson has averaged a career-high 20.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists, it seems the Heat could not bear to part with their blossoming two-way star, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Minnesota accomplished one of the goals it set for itself in trade talks: Sending Jimmy Butler to the Eastern Conference, not to a Western rival. A deal with Philadelphia made more sense for the Timberwolves once Miami pulled Josh Richardson out of talks.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 10, 2018
Richardson is on a team-friendly deal that pays him roughly $40 million over the next four seasons, while the 29-year old Butler is in-line for a massive extension this offseason with his new team, the Philadelphia 76ers.
RELATED:
Wolves Trade Jimmy Butler to 76ers for Robert Covington and Dario Saric
10:58 AM / / in Miami Heat /
MIAMI, FL – NOVEMBER 9: Hassan Whiteside #21 of the Miami Heat reacts to a play during the game against the Indiana Pacers on November 9, 2018 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
Rahmeaun Rahming (@Boneman9000): Honestly, Hassan Whiteside’s greatest asset is his size. Just being big has helped him make an imprint on games where the opposition has to gameplan on him. I don’t want anyone to think he’s only getting by on strength and size, but that is a big reason for his success. Whiteside can often be found doing his work for the Miami Heat early, around the restricted circle. This puts him in position, before the defense really understands what’s happening. Once the ball finds it’s way down to him, he only has one consistent move: a low hanging floater/push shot, after turning over his right shoulder. When you see people like Tony Parker and Chris Paul, you kind of marvel at their floaters, as they usually snap the net, as they miss the rim and backboard. Whiteside’s push shot almost always touches the rim, if not the backboard and the rim.
Imran Ebrahim (@iebrahim81): There’s a reason that when Dwyane Wade was traded back to Miami last season, Whiteside’s first reaction was “I love D-Wade, man. Throw them lobs.” In my personal opinion, his ability to roll to the rim and go up to get any type of pass to him, would have to be his biggest strength. The good thing about Whiteside is that he understands that this is his bread and butter, as per the quote above. The bad thing is that it’s almost a hint of selfish play; he’s always trying to make the highlight reel. But being a player that depends solely on his ability to come off the pick and roll doesn’t serve well for him as an offensive player. It was good to see that he spent quite a bit of time this offseason working on his post moves, but I think it’s very hard to deny that his ability and role in the P&R game, is by far his greatest offensive asset.
10:36 AM / / in Miami Heat /
MIAMI, FL – NOVEMBER 10: Sneakers of Hassan Whiteside #21 of the Miami Heat during the game against the Washington Wizards on November 10, 2018 at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)
Allana Tachauer (@allanatachauer): So although I absolutely adore my Goran Dragic white Vice jersey, I have to go with my Dwyane Wade “I Feel Like Flash” dad hat. Not only is it dope on its own for obvious reasons, but it was sent to me as a gift, which makes it that much more special.
Chase Eyrich (@ceyrich): A Chris Quinn jersey. I know every one is scratching their head or forgot that he even played for the Miami Heat, but the current assistant coach was one of my favorite players at Notre Dame, as I grew up just outside of South Bend. He, like Wade, was a big reason that I became such a fan of the game.
Rich Nurse (@followthepen): If I could only wear one Heat item for the rest of my life, it would probably be a Lamar Odom jersey. Partially because I’ve always been a fan and partially because that is the one piece of Heat gear I’ve ever purchased, and was only able to wear it once; he was literally traded the week after.
Jack Leniart (@Leniart_ND): For me, it comes down to three options: a throwback Alonzo Mourning red jersey, a Udonis Haslem red jersey, and some very comfortable Stance socks with the Heat logo. As much as I love the socks, they are not visible to others, and I want my fandom to be on display, so I had to choose one of the jerseys. This was not an easy decision, mind you. As much as I love UD, I think I love the look of the throwback Heat jerseys even more. So, if I was forced to choose just one item, it would be the throwback Mourning jersey.
Rohan Campbell (@theboyro): A black throwback Mourning jersey, because cause it’s Zo; obviously.
