Category: Miami Heat Blog

Here’s the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reporting on the Heat, who have enjoyed the production of center Hassan Whiteside but could use more help on the glass from All-Star Chris Bosh:

Then there is Bosh’s rebounding. He has had three or fewer in three of the past five games.

Part of that has been the vacuum-like rebounding of emerging center Hassan Whiteside. Part of it has been a lack of needed aggression.

“I’ll start doing more on the boards,” he said. “If I have to, I’ll start fighting Hassan for ’em, too, because that’s about two or three a game that I miss now on.

“It’s been a struggle. It’s been a struggle. I’m just making sure I’m keeping my head and move forward no matter what happens.”

Here’s the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reporting on the impressive progress made by Heat center Hassan Whiteside:

It has taken Whiteside a short period of time to become a fan favorite. His recent emergence has made him one of the team’s most popular players.

The plan now is to keep him grounded during the success. Teammates have done their best to make sure he stays humble.

Whiteside averaged 12.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.2 blocks the past five games.

“He’s been playing good basketball,” Bosh said. “But I don’t want him getting a big head. I just want him to keep playing hard.”

Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel, reporting on the Miami Heat, who rely on Dwyane Wade and friends more than ever now that LeBron James took his talents back to Cleveland:

A year ago, Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade had the luxury of taking breaks whenever he needed.

Now, things are different.

Wade is needed much more with LeBron James no longer around. Last year he probably would sit a few more games until he is fully healed. Instead, he is expected back in the lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“I don’t like missing time, because it takes time to get back to that rhythm again,” Wade said. “Even though the games will come fast, the good thing about [being out] was our team was able to finish off the road trip and get a win.”

Miami Heat sign Tyler Johnson to 10-day contract

The Miami HEAT have signed guard Tyler Johnson to a 10-day contract.

Johnson has appeared in 13 games (as a starter in all of them) for the HEAT’s NBA Development League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce this season. In those contests, he averaged 18.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 33.9 minutes while shooting 47.7 percent from the field, 46.3 percent from three-point range and 82.1 percent from the foul line. Johnson recorded six 20-point games, including a season-high 31 points in a, 138-126, win at Texas on December 20. He ranks second on the team in assists (49) and free throws made (55) and third in points (240) and field goals made (83).

Johnson was originally signed by the Miami Heat on August 7, 2014. He appeared in one preseason game with Miami, totaling 17 points, four rebounds, four steals and two assists in 36:13 minutes of action before being waived on October 25, 2014.

Johnson will wear number 8 on the Heat.

Here’s the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reporting on the Miami Heat, who are certainly a different team now that LeBron James is gone:

At 14-19, the Heat still hold the eighth-seed in the Eastern Conference race for the postseason. The question is for how long. Things don’t get any easier in the upcoming weeks. Five of the next six games are against teams in playoff contention, including four on the road versus Western Conference powers.

It’s not exactly the ideal schedule for a team still trying to figure out what has gone wrong of late. The Heat have dropped seven of 10, with some of the losses coming against bottom-feeding teams.

“If I had that answer, then we wouldn’t be in this situation,” guard Dwyane Wade said. “Bad stretch.”

For the first time, the Heat are pointing fingers at every aspect of the game. In the past, it was either offensive spacing or defensive issues. Now, it’s both simultaneously.

The Miami HEAT announced today that they have assigned guard Shabazz Napier to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Napier has appeared in 25 games with the HEAT this season averaging 5.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 21.0 minutes while shooting 42.5 percent from the field. He scored in double-figures in six-straight games from November 16 through November 25, the longest such streak by a HEAT rookie since Michael Beasley did so in eight consecutive games from April 1, 2009 through April 15, 2009.

Napier was previously assigned to the Skyforce on December 13, appearing in one game recording 22 points, three assists, two rebounds and a steal in a, 124-105, victory against the Iowa Energy before being recalled on December 15.

Here’s the South Florida Sun Sentinel reporting on the Heat:

For the first time since July, the Miami Heat have more than pocket change to spend on personnel.

The NBA has granted the Heat a $2.65 million disabled-player salary-cap exception in the wake of forward Josh McRoberts undergoing knee surgery earlier in the week. The exception is worth half of McRoberts’ 2014-15 salary.

The move means an independent NBA physician has agreed with the Heat’s stance that McRoberts likely will be out for the balance of the season.

Should McRoberts, who has vowed to make the effort, return before the end of the season, the cap exception issued would not be impacted.

The exception must be utilized by March 10.