The Miami Herald (Michael Wallace) reports: Heat guard Daequan Cook has seen an increase in playing time because of his improved play on defense, not just because he regained his shooting touch. Cook, who had been mired in a preseason slump, has emerged as the first guard off the bench. Cook, who scored 13 points in each of the first two games of the season, has impressed on defense, where he had struggled with poor footwork and bad technique. ”For me, it was being focused, being patient and realizing what’s going to get me out on the floor is defense,” said Cook, who is averaging 25 minutes a game. “On the defensive end you get looked at more.”
Category: Miami Heat Blog
Heat blog – Miami Heat blog
Nov 1: Bobcats 100, Heat 87
The AP reports: A more aggressive Gerald Wallace scored 34 points Saturday, leading the hot-shooting, free-flowing Charlotte Bobcats past the Miami Heat 100-87 to end a month of frustration. After a winless preseason and an ugly loss at Cleveland to open the regular season, Wallace, Jason Richardson and Emeka Okafor led an efficient, hustling performance that gave the well-traveled Brown his 1,011th career win… Jason Richardson added 23 points and Okafor had 18 points and 13 rebounds for Charlotte, which shot 54 percent, controlled the boards and took advantage of Dwyane Wade’s off night to spoil Heat rookie coach Erik Spoelstra’s 38th birthday. Rookie Michael Beasley capped his opening week with 25 points for the Heat, who couldn’t build off Friday’s blowout win over Sacramento. Wade, hampered by foul trouble, added 19 points on 5-of-15 shooting, while Udonis Haslem scored 16 points.
Wade getting lit up
The Palm Beach Post (Chris Perkins) reports: Guard Dwyane Wade (19 points on 5-for-15 shooting) stayed in foul trouble the entire night. And his defense has to be eyed suspiciously. In his last four games he’s allowed Memphis’ O.J. Mayo 28 points, New York’s Jamal Crawford 29 points, held Sacarmento’s Kevin Martin to nine points and allowed Charlotte’s Jason Richardson 23. Coach Erik Spoelstra won’t be happy with his team’s effort. It appeared Udonis Haslem (16 points, seven rebounds) was upset with his teammates the entire night.
Oct 31: Heat 103, Kings 77
The AP reports: Dwyane Wade had 20 points and eight assists, Michael Beasley finished with 17 and the Heat scored a whopping 41 points off turnovers to easily beat the Sacramento Kings 103-77 in their home opener Friday night… Udonis Haslem scored 14 points for the Heat. Marion finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds, and like Wade, they both sat out the entire fourth quarter. Daequan Cook scored 13 points and Mark Blount added 10. John Salmons and Quincy Douby each scored 14 for the Kings (0-2)… Heat PG Chris Quinn was inactive. Quinn, who was believed to be the preseason favorite to start, dressed but didn’t play in Wednesday’s loss at New York.
Mario Chalmers talks to InsideHoops
Heat point guard Mario Chalmers, a rookie, talks to InsideHoops.com about this, that and the other thing.
It’s a quick five-question chat. Skim it now: Mario Chalmers interview.
Spurs hack-a-Shaq 5 seconds into game
UPDATE: See the video of it here.
The East Valley Tribune (Jerry Brown) reports: With Shaquille O’Neal’s “coward” comment still ringing in the ears of Spurs fans before Wednesday’s game, a reporter asked San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich if he would consider a mock “Hack-a-Shaq” on the first possession of the game to jokingly prove that he wasn’t backing down from his strategy in last year’s playoffs. Popovich stopped. He ran his fingers through his new white beard. And then he started to grin. “You know, that’s not a bad idea now that I think about it. It’s a better suggestion than any of our (assistant) coaches have had all summer,” Popovich said. “I could get a couple of guys in front of me and act like they were holding me back … a typical NBA fight.” Funny guy. He was just kidding, of course. Right? Sure enough, the Suns won the tip and ex-Sun Michael Finley wrapped his arms around O’Neal to stop play five seconds into the game — a nonshooting foul. O’Neal quickly looked over at Popovich, who gave him two thumbs-up and the two shared a laugh. “Classic Pop. I loved it,” Steve Nash said. “It would have been a fine if he didn’t do it.”
Oct 29: Knicks 120, Heat 115
The AP reports: Jamal Crawford scored 29 points, Zach Randolph added 20, and the Knicks beat the Miami Heat 120-115 on Wednesday night in their first game under D’Antoni. Wilson Chandler had 17 points and nine rebounds, and David Lee and Quentin Richardson each scored 16 points for New York… Dwyane Wade had 26 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in his return to regular-season action for the Heat, but fouled out on what appeared to be a good block of Crawford’s 3-pointer with 1:25 left after Miami closed within six. Udonis Haslem added 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat in rookie coach Erik Spoelstra’s debut. Spoelstra, 37, became the youngest head coach in the NBA when he replaced Pat Riley.
Heat exercise Daequan Cook option
The Miami HEAT announced today that they have exercised the third year Player Option on Daequan Cook. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Cook, a 6’5”, 210-pound guard, has appeared in 59 regular season games (19 starts) and has averaged 8.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 24.4 minutes. Last season, Cook set new HEAT rookie records in both three-point field goals made (79) and attempted (238) while shooting 33.2 percent accuracy from beyond the arc which was the fourth highest single-season percentage for a HEAT rookie. Additionally, Cook ranked among the NBA rookie leaders in three-point field goals made (2nd), three-point field goal attempted (2nd), three-point field goal percentage (3rd), scoring average (8th), minutes per game (10th), assists per game (tied-10th) and rebounds per game (tied-16th).
Cook was originally drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round (21st overall) of the 2007 NBA Draft. His draft rights were acquired by the HEAT along with Philadelphia’s 2009 second-round draft pick and cash considerations for the draft rights of Jason Smith (20th overall selection) on draft night.
Shaq is The Big Shogun
The Arizona Republic (Paul Coro) reports: Shaquille O’Neal can talk the topic of supremacy, having climbed the NBA mountaintop four times and believing that he still sits above all centers. “Because I’ve done the most,” O’Neal said. “I’m not worried about guys winning dunk contests and doing stuff like that. You still have to outdo the shogun to become the shogun. When I leave, it’ll be because my time is up, not because someone is outplaying me or someone has done more than me. The only one who has even done close, and I don’t really consider him a center, is Mr. (Tim) Duncan. Any other center, the things that they have done, I invented.”
NBA opening night rosters
The NBA’s opening day rosters are official, and now posted on InsideHoops.com.
This evening was the deadline for NBA teams to trim their rosters down to 15 players or less.
The 2008-09 regular season starts Tuesday, October 28. InsideHoops is your online basketball home. We’re pumping out more content this season than ever.
Enjoy the season!