Miami Heat Offseason

by Carl Cabey

Miami Heat Off-season Needs

The NBA champion Miami Heat only have one draft pick (1^st rd 27^th overall) and limited cap space to spend this off-season to help improve the team.  However if they play their cards right they can again have another very successful off-season.  Here are some directions they can go this summer:

 

Amare As Selfish As You Get

By Steve Farace

Ok, we get it; your team has lost the first two games of the playoffs by a combined 43 points. You are not getting as many shots as you would like to get. The offense isn’t being run through you. Does that give you the right to potentially take yourself out of the rest of the series with an injury to the hand that was caused by your selfishness and stupidity?

 

Bulls Battle Heat to the End in Playoff Preview

by Carlos Nazario

Rose looks on in disbelief after not being able to come through for the Bulls.

The first match-up between the Chicago Bull and Miami Heat promised to be a hard-fought, intense playoff preview. It was that and more. The teams did not disappoint in an exciting 97-93 victory by the Heat.

Lebron James led the Heat with 35 points, while Derrick Rose led the Bulls with 34 points. It was getting points 35 and 36 that led to trouble for him.

The Heat threatened to blow the game open early in a game of runs. Four minutes into the game, Rose already had 2 fouls and had to sit. The Heat took over in Rose’s absence, taking an 11 point lead. Coach Tom Thibodeau then put Rose back in after only 4 minutes and the Bulls went on a 17-6 run to tie it up early in the 2nd quarter. Rose played the rest of the way (except for a few seconds right before the half), played 45 minutes and committed only one foul the rest of the way.

The Heat then took a 12 point lead midway through the 2nd quarter. It was a dunk fest for Lebron James, including hurdling over 5’11” John Lucas III. The Bulls hung in with them, however, and were down by five at the half.

 

Should we be Worried about the Heat?

By Carl Cabey

The Miami Heat are 8-4 with a 3 game losing streak and going 1-3 on a 4 game road trip. The struggling Miami Heat have faced problems with free throws and closing out in the 4th quarter bringing up the famous “who should close: LeBron or Wade” question. After the Heat loss to the Denver Nuggets coach Erik Spoelstra said “sometimes you’re never quite as good as you think you are, or as bad as you think you are.” We have to go home and get healthy and get better.” The loss at Denver was the Heat’s 10th straight loss there and Dwyane Wade has yet to win in Denver. Lebron James and a couple other Heat players stayed after practice and practiced their free throws. With the Heat’s struggles they still had many opportunities to win back to back games against the Warriors and Clippers.

 

How to Play Against the Zone

By Carl Cabey

A lot of people are wondering when Miami’s big 3 is on the floor, will playing a 2-3 zone defense stop them. While you can’t play it the whole game, opponents have been able to play it sparingly and it’s been able to slow The Heat down. That seems to be their next kryptonite. There are a few ways to attack the zone. The most effective way is to hit 3 pointers. Coach Erik Spoelstra doesn’t always put in James Jones who would seem to be a zone buster. When a healthy Mike Miller comes back, and Shane Battier getting more comfortable into his role that problem should be solved.