1) This was a tough one to watch, a loss on the road against a bad team, without their best player (Devin Harris out with a strained shoulder). Wade was back, and even though the numbers looked ok (27 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists), he lacked his usual zip. Just one of those nights, I suppose, that happens over the course of 82 games - you just come out flat against a loose team playing out the string and making shots. Coach Spo searched all nights for answers, playing 11 different guys a minimum of 9 minutes - that rarely works. Miami is just 1-6 on the road since the all-star break, with 8 of the last 14 away from Miami. Just have to hang in there, move on, scratch out a few more wins.
2) There is a problem at the power forward spot. Udonis Haslem is a warrior, doesn't demand any shots, and plays as hard as anyone in basketball trip-for-trip. But right now he looks worn down by a long season, and, perhaps, limited by his back which reportedly has bothered him since a nasty fall several weeks ago. He can't finish at the rim - he is repeatedly getting his shot blocked, or missing layups. On the other hand, Mike Beasley showed his scoring ability again tonight, making 8-11 shots for 17 points in only 26 minutes. The Nets didn't have anyone who could stay in front of him - he went around Yi like Yi went around the chair in the infamous pre-draft workout tape. One, Mike needs more shots - especially when playing with the second unit, the ball needs to go through him, repeatedly. Two, perhaps it is time that minutes get funneled away from Udonis and towards Mike. He played 26 tonight - more than his average - because Udonis got in foul trouble, I suspect. He got pulled with 5 minutes to go in the fourth quarter because he lost focus on an offensive possession and got the ball stripped. Okay, it was twice - but it was the same possession. Coach Spo is hard core about focus - call a timeout, yell at the kid, fine. But I think he needs to be left in there to make some mistakes and, just maybe, to help win a game.
3) This Luther Head, recently signed by Miami to try to replace Chris Quinn as the backup point guard - Jesus. 1-6 from the floor, quite a few bad decisions. It seems to me the Heat spend a lot of time trying to replace Chris Quinn as the backup point guard, when the best option, from Dos Headquarters, looks like Chris Quinn. Let's move Luther Head a few seats down the bench for now, please. And make room down there for James Jones.
4) CDR. Big night, career high 17 points for New Jersey, dagger 3 to seal the win. He has a slight whiff of a guy posting numbers for a team that has ceased to care a little, but let's give him a chance, he's just a rookie. Could end up being a scorer off the bench for someone some day.
5) Brook Lopez is so Ilgauskas-like it is almost eerie. One - good shooter. Two - good footwork in the postup game, but very deliberate. Three - never jumps. Four - goober-y looking. Also, good offensive rebounder, keeps the ball high, drops it back in. It is easy to see why he slid in the draft to the Nets at 10 - you wouldn't exactly call him athletic. But it is also easy to see why he is going to be a productive player in the league for a long time - good fundamental skills. And, at the center spot, that is saying something, that makes him a valuable commodity.
6) The AIG thing is bizarre. This is the thing we can all agree on? We are going to take out all our frustration on these guys? We are wasting time on needless legislation to tax these bonuses? Even Republicans are on board with a 90% tax that appears to just be a defacto violation of contracts these employees signed? I, personally, could care less - if people want to throw these guys under the bus, if that is going to make everyone feel better, great. Just seems like an odd waste of energy and resources.
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