Sat two rows behind Cavs bench the other night and I don't think LeBron made eye contact with Blatt once the entire game haha. I know Skolnik has noticed and spoke on this quite a bit. Be interesting to see how much that matters when the playoffs start. LeBron and Lue are really close - and by all reports Lue and Blatt have a good relationship. So there's not a COMPLETE disconnect. Still weird.
Some speculation here that Blatt will "voluntarily" return to Europe and Lue will take over after this season.
I know it has worked really well for us for 6 or 7 out of the past 10 years but we also end up with this season and things like the 15 win season. I may just be hard to please but I wish Miami could effectively draft players. Paying a couple guys huge amounts and having to constantly retool the bottom of the roster means we can have some lean years sometimes, especially if a guy or two goes down.
We have successfully developed young players though. Whiteside would be the #1 pick in this draft. Tyler Johnson, an improving Ennis. We have some nice young pieces. Like I said, it's one thing if you win the lottery and get in the top 3, where you can either draft one of those guys and keep them as a rotation piece or peddle them to the highest bidder (which is probably what would happen). But barring that, I'd just as soon pay off my debt than extend the bill another year just to take a Kelly Oubre, or whoever else is around at 10 overall.
I'll take it because regardless we aren't going to be picking top ten for years to come. We need some youth and if you can add a shooting guard or some talent at the 3, then we're set for the next 5-6 years without having to worry about buying a draft pick.
Wade wasn't a Top 3 pick either... if we can draft his successor, he doesn't have to be a future hall of famer, just being able to draft a good guard to develop, then it's a win for us. Wade isn't getting any younger.. this is the draft to get that guy of the future. I've watched this CB season and I love the talent in this draft. A lot of future NBA players here.
I disagree about PG being the difference. LeBron is the facilitator on that team like he was with the Heat. Kyrie may be PG, but I don't think he's all that different from the role Wade played with LeBron. Except Wade was a better defender. Kyrie is a better 3pt shooter, but I'd rather the defense. I think the one big difference with the Cavs and the LeBron Heat is Mozgov. He has made a big difference with them in the middle.
I really don't see having that pick as a big deal. I think a top 10 pick in this draft could be a bigger chip or a real contributor to this team in an area of need. Give me a bird in the hand rather than two in the bush in this case. I said it previously, but this is going to be a pretty good, pretty deep draft class. You should be able to get a talented player that fills a need with that pick. You can hope Riley turns that 2019 pick into something, but you don't know. They have done a nice job with their young players this year, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. Whiteside was like hitting the lottery. They have done a nice job developing him, but there was luck involved there. Johnson and Ennis have shown some good things, but both of them could just as easily be out of the league in a few years. It would benefit this team to add more young talent. And I don't see why you write off Kelly Oubre as nothing more than a bill. The guy's upside is massive. But it won't just be high-risk/high-reward players like that available. A guy like Sam Dekker is Riley's wet dream. A guy like Frank Kaminsky fits very well with this team as well. There are also plenty of bigs (which the Heat really need off the bench), and shooters (which they badly need) in this draft that could come in and help right away. Why pass on that because you're hoping Riley can get something out of a 2019 pick in a trade?
Ya this is the draft you want a top ten pick period. We arent healthy, if we by some miracle make the playoffs we are going there limping and going to get crushed. Get everyone healthy in the offseason, get the Goran deal done.. And get that stud in the draft.
We wouldn't play Beasley, the #2 pick in a draft, his rookie year. The only times we've consistently played young players under the Riley regime was 2002 and 2003 where we were rebuilding and had no choice but to play Caron and wade (and Caron was shipped out after his second year as part of the Shaq trade) and 2008 and now, when we've had no other choice due to injuries. Sam Dekker and Kelly Oubre likely won't be playing next year. Deng will be back and he'll be the starter (rightly or wrongly), Ennis is still there. You might sign a Dorrell Wright or even a Danny green. So again, where exactly does this draft pick play? The D-League? Like I said, if you win the lottery by a stroke of luck, then great. You either take a sure-fire guy like Towns or you trade it for a significant asset. But I guarantee you, just based on history, that Riley is not very enthused or interested in the 10th pick in the draft. Put aside whether his approach is agreeable to you or not, it's what the approach is and always has been.
And forget about this foreign guy. There is no way he gets drafted by us, and if we do call his name, it's simply to trade somewhere else.
Kaminsky could be nice though. Another 7 footer with a nice shooting stroke and 3 point shot to stretch the floor.
Huh? Beasley played 25 mpg as a rookie. The Heat haven't always played rookies, but they have when they are a good fit. Norris Cole played 19 mpg as a rookie on a Championship team. A guy like Dekker is EXACTLY what the Heat need. He's brings much needed outside shooting, has great size, and can defend. If the Heat didn't play him, they'd be foolish. I don't see that happening though just because they have James Ennis on the team. I'm guessing you're talking about Hezonja here, and I think dismissing Riley taking a foreign player is a bit shortsighted. Riley himself has laughed off the idea that he has something against European players. He said he'd take one if they felt it was a good fit. Mario Hezonja would be a good fit. He's one of the best shooters in the draft and has big upside.
The day we draft a foreign player and keep him is the day I'll believe we draft a foreign player and keep him. And I think you are way overstating the impact a rookie is going to have on this team next year, that theoretically has expectations of making a deep playoff push. We'll see what happens, but I just believe that you're better off paying the debt as soon as possible so you can plan for the long term easier. You're going to have to give up the pick next year anyway. What if we have a similar season? I just don't see the huge difference. But I would bet that if we are in the lottery, the player we draft is unlikely to actually play for us.
The rookie will get minutes so long as he proves it on the court that he isn't a liability. The Michael Beasley argument is ridiculous, that guy is a BONEHEAD, he's a below average player, always has been, always will be. The staff isn't going to play a guy that needs his hand held to cross the street. That's the difference between a guy like him and Norris Cole, or the difference between Beasley and a guy like Whiteside. Whiteside and Cole didn't miss assignments, granted Cole was a liability offensively but he played his role the way the staff wanted him, Beasley is ALWAYS lost. That guy is a space cadet on the court. Dekker would be a great fit on this team.
You can believe what you want about foreign players, but I'll go with what Riley specifically said about the situation. I don't think I'm overstating the impact a rookie can have at all. Again, a late 1st round pick coming from the Horizon League played quality minutes on a Heat championship team. A top 10 pick could very easily have a similar impact. As for not seeing the difference between this year or next year, first of all this is a good draft class. That's not always the case in the NBA. Secondly, this would be only the 3rd team since Pat Riley got here that the Heat miss the playoffs (if I'm not mistaken). And it took several key players getting hurt to do that. Do you really think it's likely that they fall in the lottery next year? What it comes down to is I don't like giving up the opportunity to add good players, and specifically, good young players. You don't know what the future holds, but you trust there won't be too many of these opportunities under Riley. Because of that, you take advantage.
To be fair, the Rockets have 8 players who average double digit scoring. Golden State has 5. San Antonio has 5 also. Harden accounts for 43% of our offense (points/assists), but that just speaks to his greatness. He gets his and still keeps everyone else happy. We have San Antonio on a back to back starting Wednesday. I can't wait.
If Harden has an off night or someone like Leonard is able to put the clamps on him pretty good...I don't think you can beat a good opponent. That's what I mean. The Spurs can afford poor shooting nights from one of Ginobli or Green or Leonard or Parker. I don't think HOU has those kinds of other shooters/creators to pick up Harden's slack if he's stuggling. Harden basically has to be awesome every night, and that's not easy in the playoffs.
Can anyone please explain how Portland can have a lower win percentage than the Clippers and Spurs and yet be above them in conference standings at 4th? [TABLE="class: genStatTable mainStandings, width: 743"] [TR="class: title"] [TD="class: name, align: left"]Western[/TD] [TD]W[/TD] [TD]L[/TD] [TD]PCT[/TD] [TD]GB[/TD] [TD]CONF[/TD] [TD]DIV[/TD] [TD]HOME[/TD] [TD]ROAD[/TD] [TD]L 10[/TD] [TD]STREAK[/TD] [/TR] [TR="class: odd"] [TD="class: team, align: left"]Golden State[SUP]1w[/SUP][/TD] [TD]63[/TD] [TD]14[/TD] [TD]0.818[/TD] [TD]0.0[/TD] [TD]38-9[/TD] [TD]13-3[/TD] [TD]35-2[/TD] [TD]28-12[/TD] [TD]9-1[/TD] [TD]L 1[/TD] [/TR] [TR="class: even"] [TD="class: team, align: left"]Houston[SUP]2x[/SUP][/TD] [TD]53[/TD] [TD]24[/TD] [TD]0.688[/TD] [TD]10.0[/TD] [TD]31-17[/TD] [TD]7-6[/TD] [TD]28-10[/TD] [TD]25-14[/TD] [TD]8-2[/TD] [TD]W 3[/TD] [/TR] [TR="class: odd"] [TD="class: team, align: left"]Memphis[SUP]3x[/SUP][/TD] [TD]52[/TD] [TD]25[/TD] [TD]0.675[/TD] [TD]11.0[/TD] [TD]33-15[/TD] [TD]8-7[/TD] [TD]29-10[/TD] [TD]23-15[/TD] [TD]5-5[/TD] [TD]L 1[/TD] [/TR] [TR="class: even"] [TD="class: team, align: left"]Portland[SUP]4nw[/SUP][/TD] [TD]50[/TD] [TD]27[/TD] [TD]0.649[/TD] [TD]13.0[/TD] [TD]30-17[/TD] [TD]10-3[/TD] [TD]31-8[/TD] [TD]19-19[/TD] [TD]6-4[/TD] [TD]L 1[/TD] [/TR] [TR="class: odd"] [TD="class: team, align: left"]L.A. Clippers[SUP]5x[/SUP][/TD] [TD]52[/TD] [TD]26[/TD] [TD]0.667[/TD] [TD]11.5[/TD] [TD]33-15[/TD] [TD]10-4[/TD] [TD]27-11[/TD] [TD]25-15[/TD] [TD]9-1[/TD] [TD]W 3[/TD] [/TR] [TR="class: even"] [TD="class: team, align: left"]San Antonio[SUP]6x[/SUP][/TD] [TD]51[/TD] [TD]26[/TD] [TD]0.662[/TD] [TD]12.0[/TD] [TD]28-19[/TD] [TD]6-7[/TD] [TD]31-8[/TD] [TD]20-18[/TD] [TD]9-1[/TD] [TD]W 7[/TD] [/TR] [TR="class: odd"] [TD="class: team, align: left"]Dallas[SUP]7[/SUP][/TD] [TD]46[/TD] [TD]31[/TD] [TD]0.597[/TD] [TD]17.0[/TD] [TD]25-22[/TD] [TD]7-9[/TD] [TD]25-14[/TD] [TD]21-17[/TD] [TD]4-6[/TD] [TD]L 2[/TD] [/TR] [TR="class: even"] [TD="class: team, align: left"]Oklahoma City[SUP]8[/SUP][/TD] [TD]42[/TD] [TD]35[/TD] [TD]0.545[/TD] [TD]21.0[/TD] [TD]22-26[/TD] [TD]8-6[/TD] [TD]27-11[/TD] [TD]15-24[/TD] [TD]5-5[/TD] [TD]L 3[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]
This Duke team is arguably one of the weakest Duke teams ive seen Coach K have in years and still won the national championship... Weird....
Thanks. Makes sense. Although, seems to me another reason to change the playoff qualification format.
The Heat are going to destroy Charlotte tonight, right? All hands on deck with the exception of Beasley because "nobody wanted to miss this game". And the Hornets...
Honestly, if the Heat miss the playoffs the NBA should just give them winning lottery numbers. They are doing the polar opposite of tanking. Almost their entire roster is hurting, and they're almost all playing.
Plus the league would be better off with us being successful over Minny Detroit Charlotte Sacramento and Denver.
Spurs vs. Under-powered OKC Spurs leads OKC 62-41 at the half. Leonard - 23 pts, 3 stls. (Career high pts for a half) - He had 21 points (9 for 13), 3 steals, 2 assists, 2 rebounds in 19 minutes. Duncan - 6 pts, 8 rebs, 3 asts, 3 blks. Spurs hit 8 three-pointers in the first half tonight in OKC (8-11), tying the most they've hit this season in a first half. Ouch.
Pelicans beat the Warriors and move into the number 8 spot! If they make it through to the playoffs the entire Southwest Division will be in the playoffs!
Copeland and his wife were stabbed last night in A NY night club. thabo sefolosha and pero were both arrested on the scene as well for not moving when police told them to move. Whats weird is that the Hawks had a game last night in Atlanta and these two flew to NY right after for their back to back night game against the Nets today but instead of going to a hotel after a hard fought game they went straight to the clubs. Idiots. Hope Copeland and his wife get well soon. Both in stable condition. Copeland was stabbed in the abdomen. The wife was slashed across her breasts and ***.
Houston visiting San Antonio tonight. Having stolen the ball from Curry four times a couple of nights ago and with Westbrook having been locked down last night, if Kawhi manages to shut down Harden tonight should the DPOY just be handed to Kawhi Leonard? [video]https://youtu.be/ePw4iiV8yzs[/video] This one never gets old:
Kawhi was doing that to Wade the other night on back to back possessions. Made Wade look like Chalmers.
Valiant effort by Houston but they're now in point guard no man's land and they also lack size underneath. It's all on Harden now and getting through the Western gauntlet playoffs with just one guy is almost impossible. Meanwhile the Spurs tie the record for consecutive wins by at least 12 points. One more and their have the record to themselves, it'll be Houston up again next, though, for a bit of revenge!
Ready for a big game tonight? This dog is: [video=youtube;ZpBqCfBWvP4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpBqCfBWvP4[/video]
