Take him or leave him? The A.I. Experiment

Posted in HEAT with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 11, 2009 by Pedro Heizer

The question Heat fans are asking lately seems to be… Do we sign Iverson or no? Well here’s what I’m going to say to this.

Sign him. Sign him now!

allen-iverson.p1Well, by signing him, won’t we have to put Chalmers on the bench? The simple Answer is NO. Iverson is at a point in his career that he will do anything to continuing playing. As we know, Pat Riley is notorious for signing free agents past their prime and make them into champions. Jason Williams, Antoine Walker, James Posey. All were the stars on their respective teams but one they moved to south beach, they became roll-players for Wade and O’Neal. Now, Riley will work that same magic with former league MVP Iverson.

Iverson is hungry to win his first ring and Wade is hungry to go back to the promise land. Iverson will come from the bench, and some times he will start. We need a player that comes out of the bench and can drop 20 or so points. Iverson is that guy and not Michael Beasley. I’m sorry, but Beasley has to become a better defender, but that’s a whole different article.

Rumor has it that the Memphis Grizziles and the Miami Heat are talking to Iverson. Now, if you were Iverson, where would you go? South Beach or Tennessee? Would you want to play with O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay, or Dwyane Wade and Michael Beasley? The only thing that Memphis can do to lure Iverson is say that they are going to give him guaranteed starting time. Miami will not do that. We have Mario Chalmers, he is the point guard of the future for the Heat and Iverson can be a great addition to help Chalmers achieve his potential.

I don’t see Iverson starting any drama with Miami. The last guy that gave Pat Riley drama left and has been on the downhill since (*Cough*, Shaq, *Cough*)…

Here is what will happen when Riley signs him. “Welcome to Miami Allen! Now, a few ground rules… if you break any of them, you are gone.”

Now, the next question. Is Riley going to sign Iverson as a desperation move to keep Wade? No

Riley is for sure worried about Wade, but all these interview Wade has done in the past week is nothing but media hype. Wade isn’t going anywhere and true Heat fans know that Riley has the contract offer ready to go for Wade and that as soon as he signs it, he will pull the trigger on a trade that he has had under his Armani sleeves for a while.

Bottom line, this summer you can expect some things… Wade resigning, Iverson coming to Miami, and Riley pulling the trigger on a trade with Toronto…

(Let me spoil the trade for you… Udonis Haslem and Mark Blount/Joel Anthony for Chris Bosh and cash consideration or a draft pick)

What’s the deal with Ricky Rubio?

Posted in NBA with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 29, 2009 by Pedro Heizer

88009875JM016_2009_NBA_DRAFRicky Rubio, one of the most sought after point guard in last weeks draft, was selected 5th to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The wolves, had picks 5 and 6 in the draft, and when David Kahn the Timberwolves president) was asked why he took a pair a guards with the 5th and 6th pick he said, “Rubio and Flynn will play off of each other extremely well and together, we will have one of the most dynamic defensive backcourts in the NBA over time.” Hmm I don’t believe that. And here’s why, the Timberwolves took three point guards in the first round alone! Now, when the wolves were introducing their 2009 Draft Class, two of them were there. Want to take a guess who wasn’t? Bingo, Ricky Rubio. He wanted to relx one more day in New York… Good sign for the Knicks? I think so.

The Knicks made it clear that they were going to pursuit Rubio in the draft, and when they saw Minnesota take three guards in the draft, Knicks president Donnie Walsh said to himself “wait a minute, I can ask them if we can trade something for Rubio!” Eureka! Now, the next problem comes to play. Ricky’s father has told the AP that Rubio might go back to Europe for a year or two.

Really Rubio?! You were just drafted by an NBA team! It doens’t matter how many games they won last year… You are an 18 year-old drafted 5ht in the NBA Draft, don’t you feel honored? This is absurd. David Kahn was even nice to you taking you 5th. He said “We took Rubio 5th so it could financially help him with the buy out of his Spanish team”. Wow really Rubio? The guy that a year ago was playing for some Spanish team is now drafted by the National Basketball Association and decides, “eh what the heck, let me go back to Europe for a year or two”.

People won’t forget this. You are coming off as a spoiled 18 year old kid. Not even LeBron James or Michael Beasley [who were 18 at the time] were that spoiled when they were drafted, and they were drafted 1st and 2nd.

I suggest you get your act together and come play in the NBA. If you don’t like the wolves, heck, ask for a trade. Just don’t start hiding from them.. Because eventually they will find you.

Exclusive Interview with Heat Forward Yakhouba Diawara

Posted in HEAT with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 26, 2009 by Pedro Heizer

I had the pleasure of interviewing one of the most underrated players in the Miami Heat roster. Some don’t even know his name, but I do. For me, he’s an inspiration and if no one learns nothing from this man, the one thing I learned is, dedication and hard work does pay off.

Heat Hawks BasketballPedro Heizer: Is there any special meaning behind your name?

Yakhouba Diawara: My name, Yakhouba was my grandfather’s name. It means a lot to me.

PH: You grew up in France, tell me, how was that?

YD: It was great! It’s a beautiful country. I had some good days and I had some bad days, but I learned a lot there.

PH: At what age did you come to the United States?

YD: I moved to the United States when I was 18.

PH: At what age did you fall in love with the game of basketball?

YD: I fell in love with the game at the age of 16. At the time, I was playing soccer.

PH: How did you become involved with the game of basketball? And who did you grow up idolizing?

YD: Well at the time, I was a huge Charles Barkley fan. I liked what he did and so I became involved with the game that way. I could be seen wearing number 34 everywhere.

PH: How was it playing for the French National team?

YD: It’s great! I love it! Playing against other countries is a great feeling.

PH: What’s more competitive? The NBA or the Euro-League?

YD: I personally think that both have their own advantages and disadvantages. But they are both very competitive.

PH: Yakhouba, when you were a free-agent last summer, what were some of the reasons you chose to sign with the Miami Heat?

YD: Well, I wanted a change of scenery, culture, team, and city. And the Heat were my first summer team I every played for.

PH: Coming in to the 2008-2009 season, knowing that the Heat only won 15 games the year before, what were some of the thoughts going through your mind at the time?

YD: I knew that they went through a really hard time only winning 15 games the previous season. But the challenge was great, I wanted to come and be part of history. (being only the second team to win 5 games the previous season and go to the playoffs the next)

PH: What franchise did you like playing for? The Denver Nuggets or the Miami Heat?

YD: Oh, hmm… I like both of them. I enjoyed my time in Denver and now i’m enjoying my time here in South Beach.

PH: You played with two superstars in Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony. What are the strong and weak points of both these players? What do you like about them?

YD: I played with three superstars. I also played alongside [Allen] Iverson when I was with the Nuggets. I like all three of them. They are all very confident players and that’s what we need in the NBA.

PH: Erik Spoelstra is a pupil of Pat Riley. Riley was notorious for having gruesome practices that would make the likes of Alonzo Mourning and Patrick Ewing fall to their knees. Is coach Spo’s practices as hard?

YD: Well they are very similar, probably the same. Coach Spo learned from Pat for may years so he picked it up where Riley left off.

PH: Take us through a day in the life of Yakhouba Diawara during the regular NBA season.

YD: Well, I get up in the morning get breakfast and go to practice for a couple of  hours and lift weights , then I get a massage at the gym. After that, I get lunch with my wife and relax for the rest of the day. I like to see movies or go shopping, go to a nice dinner, see friends, or play video games

PH: Do you have any pre-game rituals?

YD: Hmm, not really. It depends how i feel

PH: For our young fans out there, what would you say it takes to get to the NBA level of play?

YD: Listen , work really hard. Play hard and don’t have any regrets in life , always believe your self

PH: You just opted to stay with your contract and return to the Heat for your last year under contract. Now, the question every Heat fan wants to know, are you going to stay in Miami after next season?

YD: I am happy where I am right now, I am enjoying everyday of it

PH: You were there this season witnessing Dwyane Wade make magic and have the MVP-Caliber season he did. Tell us, how was it? How focused was he during the entire season? Do you feel as if he played with a chip on his shoulders?

YD: He had his best season since 2006 when they won championship , its was great to see him at 100 %. He’s a great leader on and off the field. It was a great experience.

PH: You guys lost in 7 games to the Hawks in the 1st round of the playoffs. Was that a hard pill to shallow?

YD: Yes, it was very hard , but we had plenty of chances to win and we missed it

PH: Finally, what can Heat-Nation expect next season from the Miami Heat and from Yakhouba Diawara?

YD: From the Heat a better season. And from me, a new player is coming. I have been working hard this summer on details and specific stuff on my game. You will see it and be surprised hahaha


Is Beasley giving up on power?

Posted in HEAT with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 11, 2009 by Pedro Heizer

86013002VB007_HAWKS_HEATA very interesting part of the Michael Beasley interview that was on heat.com this morning:

There are two key questions that caught my eye.

Heat: Are there any areas of your game you’re working on this summer?

Beasley: “I’m working on the things a shooting guard or a small forward would work on. I do a lot of screen work, a lot of jump shots, and ball handling, a lot of stuff point guards do. I know I may never play the one or two, but I feel if I work on those skills, it will be harder to guard me. I do a lot of stuff that Chauncey Billups does. I think he’s the best point guard in the NBA, especially coming off screens. Why not try to emulate that? I feel like if I can add that to my game, I will be a tougher matchup.”

Heat: Because you do play a lot of power forward, are you planning on putting on more weight?

Beasley: “I’m fine with my weight. I’m going to stay thin. I’m already undersized, so if I can’t move, I can’t play my game. I want to focus on being quicker at my position.”

Okay Mr. Beasley, if you play “Power” Forward, shouldn’t you have Power? Sure, Beasley’s got power but he needs more of it. As we saw this season, he was slow getting to the basket in many instances. He needs to have more of a post game. He needs the “power” in order to get tot he basket and finish, or at least absorb contact. He doesn’t need any of these skills that point guards and shooting guards have.  He’s not a point or shooting guard, if he was then yes he should work on it.

Beasley already has the shooting in his repetoire, we all know that he can light up from anywhere on the court. What we don’t know he has is power. If I was Beasley, I would give up on this versatility game and give Alonzo Mourning a call and ask if he would help me practice.

(Also, your Heat questions are answered weekly at Ask the Coach! and for Heat updates check out our Twitter feed)

Meet HEAT Legend Alonzo Mourning!

Posted in HEAT with tags , , , , , , on June 2, 2009 by Pedro Heizer

zo1Ever wanted the chance to meet HEAT Legend Alonzo Mourning?

Well here is your chance! This Saturday, June 6th at the South Beach Giardino Gourmet Salads Located at: 1444 Alton Rd, Miami Beach, FL 33139 (Right next to the Pollo Tropical).

There will be free salads, giveaways and raffle prizes. Plus, Zo will be there to meet fans and sign autographs. Zo will be there from 12:00om – 1:00pm. All the Information is bellow: 

 

 

 

 

 

South Beach Giardino Gourmet Salads Celebrates One Year with Free Salads and Giveaways

A one-year anniversary celebration; 20 Percent of Proceeds Donated to Alonzo Mourning Charities

WHO: South Beach Giardino Gourmet Salads and SOBeFiT Magazine with special appearance by NBA star Alonzo Mourning.

WHAT:  South Beach Giardino Gourmet Salads invites salad-lovers and health junkies to celebrate its one-year anniversary at the popular Alton Road location.  Giardino will give guests free servings of its special SOBeFiT salad of the day, as well as goodies provided by SOBeFiT Magazine. In addition, 20 percent of the day’s proceeds will benefit Alonzo Mourning Charities. DJ Pankake will spin the latest hip-hop and top 40 mashups.

WHEN: Saturday, June 6, 2009 from 12:00PM – 4:00 PM (Alonzo will be there from 12:00 – 1:00)

 

 

The Tale of Two Cities

Posted in HEAT with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 31, 2009 by Pedro Heizer

The Glory Days “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us…”

 83007883FM045_CELTICS_MAGICThis is a story of two cites, Miami, the night life, known for its Heat. Orlando, the city where joy is abundant, known for its Magic. When someone is firsttold of Miami and of Orlando they always think those two things, Heat and Magic. Heat – south beach, clubs, and the night life. Magic – Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, The joy in the face of the people.

 When the city of Miami decided back in 1987 that they wanted an NBA franchise, it seemed fit to call it the Miami Heat. Likewise, in 1988 when the city of Orlando decided it would also want an NBA franchise, the Orlando Magic seemed fit.Hawks Heat Basketball

 The Heat and the Magic were two of the four new expansion franchises awarded by the NBA along with the Charlotte Hornets and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Initially, the NBA was planning to expand by three teams, with one franchise going to Florida; however, when both Miami and Orlando ownership groups made successful pitches, the expansion committee decided to expand by four teams, allowing both to have a franchise of their own.

 Two franchises came on board for the 1988 Season (Miami and Charlotte) and then in 1989 Orlando and Minnesota came along.

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 Both franchises had two players by the names of Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway, although Hardaway played only 16 games for the Heat he still played with them. O’Neal, played his first four NBA season with the Magic, where he took them to the NBA Finalsin 1995 but was swept by the Houston Rockets. Likewise, O’Neal played four seasons in Miami where he took them to the NBA Finals and won.

 Both the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic have had their shares of “roller-coaster” seasons. They both have had it’s highs, with Miami winning the NBA Championship in 2006, and The Magic winning the eastern conference twice (1995, 2009). And both have had its low, with Miami’s two 15-win seasons (1988, 2008), and the Magic having it’s low seasons after the departures of O’Neal and T-Mac.

pg2_g_shaq_magic_412 Both the Magic and the Heat had their worst seasons after the departure of Shaquille O’Neal. When a greedy O’Neal left the Magic as a free agent in 1996 they went from a 60-22 record in the 1995-1996 Season to 45-37 in the following year. Not a terrible record, it was still good enough to make the playoffs but lost to the Miami Heat. Miami on the other hand, after hitting the all-time high in 2008-2-12-774685422006, had a mediocre 2007 season going 44-38 and being swept by a much more athletic team in the Chicago Bulls. Then, in 2008, things got ugly. Many argue that O’Neal simply gave up on Pat Riley and the Heat. Riley couldn’t swallow the fact that O’Neal had the audacity to do that and traded him halfway through that horrible season to the Phoenix Suns for Shawn Mario and Marcus Banks. The drama didn’t end with O’Neal’s departure. Miami finished the season with a 15-67 Record and the O’Neal was still whining about how “bad” the Miami Heat and its fan treated him in his four year stay.

Stan the man Both the Heat and the Magic also had one coach in common. Stan Van Gundy was the coach of the Miami Heat for two and a half seasons (Van Gundy resigned from his position as Heat head coach on December 12, 2005). With a 112-73 as the Miami Heat head coach, he took them to the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2004 and to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2005. Now, as the head coach of the Orlando Magic, he has a 111-53 in only two seasons and has the Magic in the NBA Finals.

 Now, it’s 2009 and both the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic have had a renaissance of sorts. Orlando has its new Superman in Dwight Howard. And Miami has its Flash in Dwyane Wade with a great supporting cast. Miami was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs this season but it was a great turn around. Orlando on the other hand, is having a terrific season. Making its second trip to the NBA finals this season, Howard and the Magic hope to stun the Lakers and win its first NBA championship.

 Who knows what happens in the next 20 years of basketball down in Florida? For now, let’s enjoy the Magic in the Finals and the rebirth of the Miami Heat.

Who should Heat fans cheer for in the East? Orlando or Cleveland?

Posted in HEAT with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 30, 2009 by Pedro Heizer

It seems hard to believe that the 2008-2009 NBA season is almost over. For Dwyane Wade and the Heat, it has ended for the past two weeks. But the same can not be said to King James and His men. NBA/

LeBron, is in pursuit of that elusive first NBA championship. He knows that the only way to have his name in the same sentence as Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson is by winning a championship. 

The question that rises now is who should Miami Heat fans cheer for? LeBron and the Cavaliers? Or Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic?

When talking to some fans about this, home-state pride was a big factor as to why they are cheering for the Magic. Other, like myself, want to see Stan Van Gundy win the eastern conference and go to the finals, a place he almost took the Heat in 2005, and prove that he deserves to be a coach in this league.

But, there’s that small few that have a ridiculous reason as to why they are cheering for the magic. They hope that in the summer of 2010 LeBron will come to Miami. As a Heat fan myself, I do not see this happening even if he losses tonight. If there’s one place James will be heading is New York . That’s if he leaves Cleveland (which I also don’t see happening).

Miami doesn’t need a player of James’ caliber. Okay I agree LeBron is a monster but Pat Riley would much rather get Chris Bosh than LeBron. Bosh is a Power Forward and James is a Small Forward, a position reserved for Michael Beasley.

So, with that being said, here are my reasons as to why Miami Heat fans should cheer for the Magic:

  • State prides should be a big reason83007883FM045_CELTICS_MAGIC
  • Another huge reason should be the fact that we as Heat fans are tired of seeing and hearing the Lebron James/Media love-fest. Yes you all know what I’m talking about… LeBron the MVP? That’s ridiculous! Dwyane Wade clearly had the best season compared to LeBron. Wade took a team that only won 15 games the previous season to a fifth seed playoff team the next. The media didn’t give the MVP to the right person this season. And for that, I am cheering to see the “MVP” and “Coach of the Year” out.
  • Stan Van Gundy is another person that was robbed of an award. The Stan the manCoach of the Year award clearly should be in Van Gundy’s house right now not Mike Brown’s. I understand that the Cavaliers had the best record in the league, but that doesn’t mean he automatically should win Coach of the Year. In just he second season, Stan Van Gundy is one win away from taking the Orlando Magic to the Finals (the first time since they were swept by the Rockets).

 Those three reasons should be enough for any Heat fan to cheer against the Cavaliers. Let’s see the King and his men be dethroned tonight in Orlando…

Removed From The Playoffs, Miami Begins It’s Search For the Missing Pieces

Posted in Black is Back, HEAT with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 4, 2009 by Pedro Heizer

Hawks Heat BasketballLast year when I wrote the last article of the season, it was a win over the playoff-bound Atlanta Hawks. This year, the last post of the season will be on a lost to those same Atlanta Hawks. But this time, it was on a game seven of the NBA playoffs. A place that no one believed Miami could be after only one year.

Miami, was blown out by the Hawks in game seven. The final score, 91 – 78. When asked by a reporter what Wade thought about this season he said, “I’m very encouraged by this season, The team that won 15 games last year came back to win 43 games this year and took [number four seeded] Atlanta to seven games in the playoffs. We’ve got something to build on.”

Heat fans should also be encouraged by this season. They lost in the 1st round, but as Pat Riley said last season, “We’re not going into next season thinking we’re going from 15 wins and go to 25 [wins]. No, next year we’re shooting for the playoffs” and he delivered his promise. He never said Miami would win the championship. All he said was Miami would make the playoffs, and they did. Now, there is much more pieces of the puzzle to be filled.

71797723ES013_Wizards_HeatTo begin, Miami needs help for Wade. No, Michael Beasley coming off the bench didn’t help much in the playoffs except for game six. Miami needs more firepower. What does that mean? Easy, they need a reliable 3-point specialist. They need a Jason Kapono-type of guy that can come in from the bench and drop a three from the corner with 10 seconds left. Miami was 4-19 from behind the arc during game seven.

Miami needs size in the center position. Yes, Jermaine O’Neal is great i’m not saying he’s not. But, we do need a reliable back-up center who can come in the game and change the momentum of the game. I hate to say it but, Miami needs a Alonzo Mourning-type of player. (Giving examples of players we had and we let go make me sad). But yes, Miami needs someone of that caliber. Jamaal Magloire is good, but not great.

What should Heat fans expect in the off-season? Should they expect a blockbuster trade? No and yes, I don’t see Pat Riley pulling the trigger in many blockbuster trades.

Riley could pull the trigger in one blockbuster that would include shipping Joel Anthony and Udonis Haslem to the Toronto Raptors for Chris Bosh. But that’s yet to be seen. If it happens, we could see an immediate chris_boshimpact to the roster. Spoelstra would have Beasley play small forward and Bosh play power forward. He would have O’Neal at center, and Wade and Chalmers in their regular places. That alone would be a great trade. It would leave Miami to bring Jamario Moon, Daequan Cook, and  James Jones to come off the bench. Those players are important to Miami, but the Heat needs them to come off the bench, not start.

This is one of my favorite time of the basketball year. The off-season, where champions or losers are made. Miami was a loser in the 2007 off-season, a winner in the 2008 off-season, and what about the 2009? Only time will tell…

Heat Torch Hawks by 26, Game 7 Here we come

Posted in Black is Back, HEAT with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 2, 2009 by Pedro Heizer

86012998VB031_Hawks_Heat“He was a titan tonight,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Dwyane Wade.

As usual Wade did a little of everything. Wade, the do-it-all guard for the Heat, was all over the floor. He had 2 Blocks, 5 Rebounds, and 41 Points (Back to his normal self?).

Miami came out with a sense of urgency. Being behind 3-2 in the series, there was not margin for error in the Heat’s part. Miami fell behind only once and that was by one point. Miami saw themselves go ahead by 15 in the opening quarter. Their lead grew to as much as 30 at one time. The Hawks tried to crawl back in the game during the 2nd quarter by getting as close as nine points, but they never reached any closer.

Wade spent two days imploring his teammates to match the Hawks’ challenge. He mentioned Beasley by name, asking the rookie to live up to his star billing. Beasley, scored 22 points and grabbed 15 boards. It seems as if he listened to his Captain’s orders. Before this game, Beasley was in a huge slump scoring a total of 46 points in the first five games combined.86013002VB007_HAWKS_HEAT 

Now, on to game seven. Atlanta, as you can recall, lost a game seven last season against the Celtics. But, that was a complete different story. Celtics were the number one seed and the Hawks were the number 8. This time around, Atlanta has home court. ‘

When asked by a reporter if there is any type of pressure to go into the Phillips Arena for game seven, Wade coolly responded, “No pressure on us, we are the underdogs in the series” he also added, “We are going to come out and play aggressive [basketball]“.

Erik Spoelstra believes “We have got to maintain this edge, whatever it takes”. And he is right, the entire series have been decided by double digits. the team that comes out aggressive wins. Atlanta’s wins have been by 26, 10 and 15 points. The Heat have prevailed by 15, 29 and 26 points. 

Will Sunday be the game that everyone has been waiting for? A tight nail-biter, or will it be another blow-out? Regardless of the outcome, one thing is certain, King James and his knights are watching… Waiting.  

Notes: Wade finished 16-of-17 from the foul line. Jermaine O’Neal didn’t play at all, thanks to a concussion suffered when Pachulia struck him during Game 5.

Black is Back!

Posted in HEAT with tags , , , , , , on April 14, 2009 by Pedro Heizer

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With the smell of the post-season just days away, the Miami Heat began their new campaign “Black is Back”.

The promo video begins by saying “Color signifies promise”. The it goes on to describe the three colors. “First there was Black (Back in Black 2004), then came Red (Red Zone 2005), But White Hot burned brightest (2006 Championship). Now, Black is BACK”

Indeed, Black is back. Miami is back in the post season and it seems appropriate to have black as the theme this year for the playoffs. Heat Executive Vice President / Chief Marketing Officer Michael McCullough said it best:  ”Black is the absence of color, the absence of light. The absence of everything. The possibility of everything. From this absence something greater emerges. Something bigger. Badder. Quicker. Stronger. Black is Back,” 

Don’t Expect much from this young Miami team. I predict them going to the 2nd round of the playoffs, but I don’t see them beating Orlando. I can be proved wrong but i doubt it. 

First game is Saturday in Atlanta. GO HEAT and remember… BLACK IS BACK