1-The Trade

 

2-Letting Van Gundy leave

 

3-Not resigning three point guru Damon Jones.

Do you recall what I said about Miami back last summer?

 

 

Letting Van Gundy leave I dont think is any factor at all. Its all about them screwing with chemistry and picking up players that had no business there in Miami considering what the team had.

 

 

The Heat are in trouble and if they lose the first round they have taken an absolute HUGE step backward.

To be fair, I don't think Miami will lose the 1st round. Or the second, for that matter. But at this point, I don't think they stand a chance against Detroit.

 

Not only do they have some killer outside threats, but their inside presence will cause a ruckus as well.

HOMER seriously you need to step back and take a look at this team. They are falling apart in front of our eyes as each game passes. There is no reason for you to make claims such as "To be fair, I don't think Miami will lose the 1st round. Or the second, for that matter."

 

In fact that ISN'T being fair based on what I have seen on the court. Let's stop playing the Miss Cleo role and face reality.

I think their off-season was horrid.

• Jason Williams is maybe a slight upgrade over Damon Jones at PG, but Jones was a great chemistry guy and it's well documented Shaq and he are buds.
  
• Gary Payton is a waste. He didn't improve the Lakers when Shaq was there and he didn't this year. Why even bring him in?
  
• Antoine Walker. LOL
  

It's the Lakers 2004 all over again...except this time there isn't as much talent in Miami. The Heat last year had that perfect blend of superstars and role players. This off-season they tore all of that down because they lost in game 7 of the conference finals, even though they were severely banged up.

 

Riley hasn't done a good job with this team.

I think their off-season was horrid.

• Jason Williams is maybe a slight upgrade over Damon Jones at PG, but Jones was a great chemistry guy and it's well documented Shaq and he are buds.
  
• Gary Payton is a waste. He didn't improve the Lakers when Shaq was there and he didn't this year. Why even bring him in?
  
• Antoine Walker. LOL
  

It's the Lakers 2004 all over again...except this time there isn't as much talent in Miami. The Heat last year had that perfect blend of superstars and role players. This off-season they tore all of that down because they lost in game 7 of the conference finals, even though they were severely banged up.

 

Riley hasn't done a good job with this team.

Amen! Although I like the JWill pickup if he had played 100% healthy all season. DJ while great for the camera didn't play a lick of defense. I was just saying to my dad while watching the game how much I missed DJ's three ball. There def should have been more of an effort to resign him. GP is absolutley horrid and doesn't deserve to shoot another ball in the NBA unless on the free throw line.

were in a world of trouble if we are struggling with Chicago, a damn good team. Do you really expect to beat detroit playing like this let alone advance that far? How bout some Defense from D wade

Damon Jones couldn't drive, couldn't play defense, couldn't do anything except shoot threes. He's proving why he sucks by backing up Eric friggin' Snow in Cleveland.

were in a world of trouble if we are struggling with Chicago, a damn good team. Do you really expect to beat detroit playing like this let alone advance that far? How bout some Defense from D wade

 

 

Chicago was a .500 team this year.

 

 

I'd hardly call them a damn good team, more like damn mediocore.

were in a world of trouble if we are struggling with Chicago, a damn good team. Do you really expect to beat detroit playing like this let alone advance that far? How bout some Defense from D wade

 

 

Chicago was a .500 team this year.

 

 

I'd hardly call them a damn good team, more like damn mediocore.

They were a .500 team playing out of there minds at the end of the season. It's all about who is riding the hot streak and it was the Magic and Bulls at the end of the regular season. Do you think its an anomoly that the Bulls have shot out of there minds the first 4 games of the Heat/Bulls series? I find that hard to believe.

They're like the '03 Heat, very hard to beat at home, easier to beat on the road.

I think their off-season was horrid.

• Jason Williams is maybe a slight upgrade over Damon Jones at PG, but Jones was a great chemistry guy and it's well documented Shaq and he are buds.
  
• Gary Payton is a waste. He didn't improve the Lakers when Shaq was there and he didn't this year. Why even bring him in?
  
• Antoine Walker. LOL
  

It's the Lakers 2004 all over again...except this time there isn't as much talent in Miami. The Heat last year had that perfect blend of superstars and role players. This off-season they tore all of that down because they lost in game 7 of the conference finals, even though they were severely banged up.

 

Riley hasn't done a good job with this team.

 

Agreed on all counts. Riley screwed up this team by putting together this bastardized pseudo-team that's way too similar to the 2004 Lakers, but without the talent. I gotta admit that I'm loving watching them crumble though. This is what they get for playing their reserves against the Bulls at the end of the regular season.

I'm fine with the trade. JWill and Posey had very good years despite injuries, and while Walker wasn't very good, he at least provided scoring off the bench and was healthier than our backup PF last season in Laettner. I liken him to Jerry Stackhouse in Dallas. He'll score off the bench, just not efficiently. As for Van Gundy, there's not much of a difference between Riley and SVG. Both have similar coaching styles.

 

The one move I regret (and regretted before this season) was not re-signing DJ. He produced 124 points per 100 possessions and allowed 107 last season. In comparison, GP produced 107 points per 100 possessions and allowed 107 this season. Towards the end of the season, GP couldn't hit a 3 for his life.

 

If we lose in the playoffs, it'll be because we aren't talented enough, not because of chemistry. And right now, the only team in the East that is talented enough to beat us is Detroit. Let's not give the Bulls too much credit here. They're a hot team (12-2 to close the regular season) and we weren't at full strength in Game 4 (we were missing our best perimeter shooter in Posey and our 3rd-best player in Zo was at much less than 100%). I do think we will win this series and beat NJ/Indiana. Whether or not we beat Detroit is a toss-up at this point.

They're like the '03 Heat, very hard to beat at home, easier to beat on the road.

 

Yep its now a best out of 3 series and we have home court. Maybe D wade shaving the head was bad luck. People said after the first game that it was a fluke that chicago shot lights out, how about now?

What drives me absolutely batsh*t is riles' inability to realize how worthless Antoine Walker is.

 

He's like a sieve on defense, and he's our most inefficient scorer on offense. I'd rather have any nobody out there playing D and just deferring to teammates on offense. Why again is Toine starting meaningful games?

What drives me absolutely batshit is riles' inability to realize how worthless Antoine Walker is.

 

He's like a sieve on defense, and he's our most inefficient scorer on offense. I'd rather have any nobody out there playing D and just deferring to teammates on offense. Why again is Toine starting meaningful games?

 

Agreed. We can't have him on Nocioni in crunch time. I think Riley is just trying to justify getting Walker at this point.

What drives me absolutely batshit is riles' inability to realize how worthless Antoine Walker is.

 

He's like a sieve on defense, and he's our most inefficient scorer on offense. I'd rather have any nobody out there playing D and just deferring to teammates on offense. Why again is Toine starting meaningful games?

 

 

Toine is so bad at times its histerical. I seem to remember on about 3 or 4 shots today they literally looked like passes right at the backboard.

 

 

Shandon Anderson needs to be getting alot more minutes then he is right now. We need his defense on the court.

 

When do you guys think Riley will start to use Shaq and Zo at the same time?

 

Obviously foul trouble would dictate that.

HOMER seriously you need to step back and take a look at this team. They are falling apart in front of our eyes as each game passes. There is no reason for you to make claims such as "To be fair, I don't think Miami will lose the 1st round. Or the second, for that matter."

 

In fact that ISN'T being fair based on what I have seen on the court. Let's stop playing the Miss Cleo role and face reality.

 

Considering that the home teams are winning, it makes sense to predict a Miami series victory.

 

You need to chill out bro. They have two bad games and they are 'falling' apart? No, this just means that they weren't as good as we thought they might be.

 

Once they are back home with the fans, and Shaq stays out of foul trouble (or not), they'll win.

 

Nothing is ever a sure thing, but take a look at the patterns here.

 

And whoever mentioned us being like '2003' in terms of only being able to win at home may be correct.

 

What drives me absolutely batshit is riles' inability to realize how worthless Antoine Walker is.

 

He's like a sieve on defense, and he's our most inefficient scorer on offense. I'd rather have any nobody out there playing D and just deferring to teammates on offense. Why again is Toine starting meaningful games?

 

 

Toine is so bad at times its histerical. I seem to remember on about 3 or 4 shots today they literally looked like passes right at the backboard.

 

 

Shandon Anderson needs to be getting alot more minutes then he is right now. We need his defense on the court.

 

When do you guys think Riley will start to use Shaq and Zo at the same time?

 

Obviously foul trouble would dictate that.

Zo and Shaq won't be together anytime soon. Zo is his backup, and even without being rusty and a bit out of shape, he always had a leash on his minutes. I would expect we won't see that until the Detroit series, if it comes to that.

Wow...not only do you not have the 2nd round win penciled in......you may not even beat the Bulls....you think their going to roll over cause their on the road?????

Wow...not only do you not have the 2nd round win penciled in......you may not even beat the Bulls....you think their going to roll over cause their on the road?????

 

No I think Miami will win.

 

Is that a crime?

 

 

I was the one that started this thread, haters. Obviously I think something is wrong if I AM THE ONE SECOND GUESSING.

Damon Jones is horrendous and monstrously overpaid. Cleveland would undo that deal in a second.

 

JWill has been a huge upgrade over DJones.

 

Antoine Walker just lacks that "off" switch in his head or something. Most people can recognize a bad idea ahead of time and decide to do something else. Toine doesn't have that ability. He will continue to do stupid sh*t.

 

Posey has been the biggest disappoinment coming out of that trade. I expected bigger things. His defense is nothing special. And I swear he's attacked the rim like twice this year.

 

It turns out that Eddie Jones alone was worth all three of these players, though.