Miami Heat Blog – Page 124 – NBA Blog

Heat need a healthy Udonis Haslem

Tom Haberstroh of ESPN reports:

Udonis Haslem

udonis haslem

Rocks cornrows

Haslem may not be a center, but he usually replaced one when he was healthy. His inside presence allows the Heat to go “small” with him at the four and Bosh at the five. In fact, three of the four most frequent lineups with Haslem on the floor feature Bosh at center. And it’s incredibly effective. The score with those “small” lineups? Heat 203, Opponents 166.

The Heat don’t just suffer on the boards without Haslem. Offensively, the Heat’s floor spacing becomes congested around the rim with the Heat’s big men. On Wednesday night, the Thunder bigs routinely cheated off of Howard, Dampier, Anthony and Jamaal Magloire in the paint without consequence. For a team that depends on open lanes for Wade and LeBron to penetrate, the offensive deficiencies of the Heat big men become exponentially troublesome. It’s no longer a game of five-on-five.

Armed with a silky jumper, Haslem can hit shots inside and out. His presence can help stabilize the Heat’s offense and unclog the paint for his attack-minded teammates.

This is all to say that Haslem offers a specific skill set the Heat woefully lack: a hard-nosed rebounder who commands the attention of opposing defenses. No one else on the Heat roster fills that essential role. On Wednesday against the Thunder, Haslem’s absence was profoundly felt by the Heat’s thin frontline.

Heat destroy NBA-best Spurs by 30

The AP reports:

For the Miami Heat, there was symmetry in the turnabout.

Lose by 30 in San Antonio, win by 30 in Miami.

Chris Bosh scored 30 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored 29 and the Miami Heat avenged their worst loss of the season by rolling past the NBA-leading Spurs 110-80 on Monday night…

LeBron James finished with 21 points, eight assists and six rebounds for the Heat, who have won three straight and moved within two games of Eastern Conference front-runners Boston and Chicago.

Tony Parker scored 18 points and Tim Duncan added 14 for the Spurs, who had won 15 of their last 18 against Miami. Before Monday, San Antonio’s worst loss of the season had been a 96-72 defeat in New Orleans.

Dwyane Wade awarded custody of sons

Kristen Mack of the Chicago Tribune reports:

NBA star Dwyane Wade was awarded sole custody of his two young sons after a bitter battle with his ex-wife, lawyers in the case said today.

“I am very thankful that the court has given me custody of my boys and they are already at home with me in Miami and settling in,” the Miami Heat guard said in a statement. “Going through a custody trial was difficult and I wish it hadn’t been necessary, but, I felt it was the only way that I could continue to play an active part of my kids’ lives and provide them with a happy and stable home. My hope is that their mother will also choose to play a healthy role in their lives and we can all move on from this in a positive way.”

Cook County Circuit Judge Renee Goldfarb issued a detailed 102-page ruling late Friday…

Goldfarb’s ruling is meticulous, down to who will have custody of the children on holidays, All-Star Weekend and if the Miami Heat are in the NBA finals. The transition of the children, ages 3 and 8, from Illinois to Florida will occur immediately, according to the judge’s ruling. There will be a 30-day period of adjustment so they can acclimate to their new school and surroundings.

Siohvaughn Wade will fly to Miami every other weekend to spend time with her children, with the exception of a few holidays during which the boys will come to Illinois. For the time being the cost of her trips, including “reasonable” airfare and lodging, will be covered by Dwyane Wade.

Phil Jackson jabs Mark Cuban over 2006 Finals

Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports:

Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson insinuated that complaints about officiating by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban in the 2006 NBA Finals may have cost the Mavs the championship.

Before Saturday’s Mavs-Lakers game, Jackson was asked whether it was crucial for the Lakers to have home-court advantage should the Mavs and Lakers meet this year in the playoffs, because of Cuban’s personality.

Jackson said: “Why?”

Cuban’s penchant for complaining about officiating, the reporter asked. That’s when Jackson, while laughing, said of Cuban:

“Oh, he lost that Miami series. He definitely had it coming that time. I think he’s toned it down in the last years.”

Read fan reaction or share your own opinion in this forum topic.

Atlanta club drops lawsuit against LeBron James over planned appearance

The AP reports:

An Atlanta nightclub has dismissed a lawsuit against Miami Heat star LeBron James.

The Opera nightclub had filed a complaint Monday in Fulton County Superior Court accusing James of canceling a March 17 appearance for which he was supposed to be paid $25,000. It also accused the owners of the rival Gold Room nightclub in Atlanta of instead arranging a visit there.

Heat lose fifth straight game

The AP reports:

LaMarcus Aldridge proved LeBron James right.

The Miami Heat could have done without that confirmation.

Shortly after James called Aldridge one of the top All-Star “snubs” in NBA history, he scored 26 points and led the Portland Trail Blazers to a 105-96 win over Miami—sending the Heat to their fifth straight loss.

Gerald Wallace scored 22 for Portland, which won its seventh straight on the road and fourth straight overall. Brandon Roy and Andre Miller each scored 14 for the Blazers, who got 11 from Nicolas Batum and 10 more from Wesley Matthews.

Dwyane Wade scored 38 points and LeBron James added 31 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for the Heat, who are the 12th team in NBA history to have a 12-game winning streak and five-game losing streak in the same season.

Atlanta club sues LeBron James

Rhonda Cook of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports:

Basketball star LeBron James is taking his talents to one local club, which has left a competing bar feeling stiffed. As a result, the offended club has called out the lawyers.

Atlanta’s Opera nightclub is suing the Miami Heat player and the Gold Room over an appearance James is scheduled to make later this month. A hearing on the request for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction is set for Thursday in Fulton Superior Court.

In a complaint filed Monday, Opera accuses James of reneging on a promise to appear for one hour on March 17, for which he was to be paid $25,000, or $417 a minute.

James, who last summer infamously jilted his longtime team the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Heat, will be in town the night before Miami is scheduled to play the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena.

The Opera Nightclub said in its suit if the Midtown Atlanta bar can’t have him — at least on that night — no one should, especially the Gold Room on Piedmont Avenue.

“We want to make sure LeBron doesn’t show up any place else,” Yasha Heidari, the attorney for the Opera, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Tuesday.

Mike D`Antoni says crying is OK

Chris Sheridan of ESPN reports:

Even though Heat coach Eric Spoelstra took plenty of heat for admitting that some of his players cried after Miami’s loss to the Bulls on Sunday, Mike D’Antoni doesn’t believe there’s anything wrong with shedding a few tears after a tough defeat.

“He’s just being honest and it happens,” D’Antoni said before the Knicks’ 131-109 win over the Jazz. “There’s nothing wrong with crying. Don’t we have a Speaker of the House (John Boehner) that cries? It’s OK. I’m sure they care and it will build something, if it doesn’t break them.”

Celtics sign Carlos Arroyo

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have signed guard Carlos Arroyo. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Arroyo, a 6’2” guard, appeared in 49 games this season for the Miami Heat including 42 starts, averaging 5.6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. He also is shooting a career-high 43.8% from three-point range. In his 42 starts he has averaged 6.4 points, 2.2 assists and has shot 45.9% from beyond the arc. In his ninth NBA season, Arroyo owns career averages of 6.7 points and 3.1 assists per game. He posted a season-high of 18 points at Milwaukee on December 6.

Eric Dampier fined for foul on Tony Parker

Eric Dampier of the Miami Heat has been fined $10,000 for his Flagrant Foul, Penalty Two against Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 2:13 remaining in the third quarter of the Heat’s 125-95 loss to the Spurs at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, TX on March 4.