Poe

I honestly don't know what to predict. I think LeBron is in more control over that than the Heat team. I think it'll just be up to Wade to match it.

I think so, too. It really exposed everything that Coach Spoelstra has stressed all season into a single game. Thing is, I hope it's the last time the Heat need a reminder like that. It's about time this team has found it's consistency.

Keyon Dooling last year averaged 9.7 points, 3.5 assists, and 2.0 rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench. Delonte West last year averaged 11.7 points, 3.5 assists, and 3.2 rebounds in 34 minutes as a starter. For New Jersey, Kris Humphries is averaging 12.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and .7 blocks in 23.5 minutes off the bench. This year, Anderson Varejao averages 8.3 points, 8 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks in 30 minutes off the bench. In his rookie year, Terence Williams is only averaging 7 points, 3.7 boards, and 1.6 assists in 20 minutes off the bench. With Big Z getting old, he's only averaging 7.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and .8 blocks in 21 minutes off the bench. There is more than enough comparison. Come on dude.

Miami has enough defense to hang with any team. I'm predicting a win for the Heat tonight.

...why? Last time the Heat played them, they lost by only 7 at their home court, with the key factor being Chalmers' poor defense on Mo Williams, who shot 10-15 scoring 25 points. Now the Cavs have lost two key players for this game, and the Heat actually have a decent point guard at the defensive end, plus it's being played in Miami... so in conclusion, you think the Heat will lose by double digits... I see.

No Mo or West. The Heat need to capitalize on this. Wright should play some PG today.

I don't like the games themselves either. It means a lot to the players, though. It's like a milestone for them, an accomplishment, and also a recognition for what they've done. To the players, the fact that they were chosen to be an all star means something, even if the event itself is meaningless.

Key word: some people. If someone wants to make a league with a variation of the game with changed rules, that's fine. Just don't have the rules include excluding people for the way they look.

They lose to Miami :glasses: Other than that, I'd say they lose their away game to New York and at home to Memphis, for all the rest I'd say are nearly sure victories.

I saw a comparison between Harris and Mo being combo guards with a scoring mindset, Courtney and Parker being role playing wings who aren't relied on to create their own shot, and Lopez being almost like a new Shaq as far as being the main option in the post. I suppose Moon/Hickson versus Roberts/Yi would be like substituting defense for offense. Still, I think we at least agree with the general idea that the Cavs simply aren't nearly as good without LeBron. The way the Cavs' team is set up, they completely revolve around him. Maybe some could say the same thing about the Lakers, but they at least have players who can create (Gasol, Bynum, and Odom on a good day). The Cavs just have matchup pieces for defense, and players that can shoot and space the floor on offense. With LeBron as the focal point, they are a 60+ win team. Without him, they become a team that solely relies on their defense to win games with no real first option offensively, therefore a 30 win team at best... kind of like the Bobcats before getting Jackson. So I suppose you're right when it comes to comparing those teams collectively.

I don't see the comparison as far as individual players go, except for Moon being a deadman's version of Wallace. I do agree that the Cavs have good team defense, though not quite as good as the Bobcats on that end without LeBron, plus they got the wrong Brown. 25-30 wins sounds about right, and I'd also say a healthy Nets team with Lawrence Frank coaching should also have a 25-30 win record if they weren't tanking. Neither team is playoff material, though, and in that situation, the Cavs would be looking for a new face to cover their franchise.

The Nets also have Dooling, Williams, and Humphries. Maybe not quite as good in comparison, but they are also capable role players. But you're right, they are tanking... for a reason. They couldn't get very far with VC, so without him.. might as well tank all the way down and get an extra piece or two for next year. Anyway, the Cavs originally tanked to get LeBron, so if they lose him, well.. let's just say history tends to repeat itself.

Smart man.

The Cavs without LeBron... Williams - Parker - Moon - Hickson - O'Neal Kind of reminds me of... Harris - Lee - D-Roberts - Jianlian - Lopez

I don't understand why he has to waste what could have been his first pro year in college.

They've already broken a record or two.. I don't see why not?

What about a redheads only league? Or a blue-eyed blonds only league? The only separations in basketball leagues should be for physical attributes like age, sex, and physical condition (handicapped). Separating leagues based on color is just... stupid. Sorry, but telling a black or an asian that they can't be a part of a certain basketball league based on something they can't control and not based on their skill level or physical condition isn't morally correct.

Ladies and gentlemen, what we have here... is racism. No further explanation is necessary.

I was going to post it for you earlier today when I saw you post in this topic, actually.. but it wasn't working for me at the time, either. Well, now it does, strangely enough... so take a look:

Sounds great, man. It should be a good game if the Heat start the first quarter strong like they've been doing recently.

I... disagree, mostly. - Though JO is individually inconsistent, the main problem has been the team's collective inconsistency. - The Heat just signed an effective point guard not too long ago, and I believe he was on an NBA Finals team last year. - Even though Wright doesn't have the ideal scorer's mindset, he's been the Heat's best young playmaker off the bench, and he's been getting better each day. - I know the Heat's record is mediocre, but when this team brings the right energy in games, they can hang with the best.

Don't be so focused on how good or bad Beasley is now versus how good he'll be tomorrow. Sure, maybe he has shown some difficulty to make plays consistently as the main option, but putting Beasley in a position to lead a group of guys for a period of time during the game is only going to make him better. He will learn from his mistakes, and as he gets used to having more pressure, he will continue to grow as a player. Also, Haslem is not effective as a center. He is simply not big or athletic enough to guard centers on a regular basis unless the match up is favorable. When Beasley gets extra minutes, it will be at the SF position. He can at least potentially be developed there, instead of using an undersized PF at the C position. The thing about Jermaine is that he's too used to being a skill-based player who relies on athleticism to make plays, and is now expected to do more dirty work down low. This is part of the problem with the Heat's inconsistency as a whole. They need a center who hustles on the boards game in and game out, and not just when he feels like it. He'll be a guy the Heat will need to replace come 2010, because he won't get those iso's that he's so used to throughout his career once the Heat grab an all star to pair with Wade. Anyway, despite your perspective on the team, I think the Heat truly have enough in their roster to possibly reach the 3rd seed and finish at the top of their division. I know I sound like a broken record of a homer blindly overrating his favorite team. With the Heat, it's all about bringing consistent effort, and I'm mainly looking at Q-Rich, Beasley, and O'Neal. When this team is blowing out a team one game, getting blown out the next, and then blowing out teams two times straight.. I know the talent level isn't the case for their record being subpar to what I expected. It's that addition of an all star talent next year that will push them even further and over the top.

The blowout wins come from the Heat playing with full intensity from the get-go, dictating the tempo early on, and sustaining it throughout the game. The only reason why this type of play resulted in blow outs was because of the level of competition they were facing. The Heat should be beating most under .500 teams by double digits consistently. This is how the Heat will need to play in order to put themselves in a position to beat the Cavs, and hopefully move up a seed or two in the East later on.

Nice

Another game decided in the first quarter... let's just hope the good side shows up against the Cavs on Monday.