6 Thoughts
1) I give the Heat a ton of credit. On the road, back-to-back, against a top five team, down 15 early, it would have been easy to fold. But they didn't, and there they were, down 7 with the ball with 3 minutes to go. They never got over the hump, but they scrapped the whole way.
2) Part of the scrappiness was from Spoelstra. He got his first T of the season, and was clearly frustrated on some of the bump fouls called aginst Paul on plays where he intiated contact himself. When you coach Dwyane Wade, this probably isn't your strongest area of argument, but it was good to see the young fella fired up.
3) Chris Quinn can shoot it. A night after going 5-6 on triples, he was 4-7. He takes good, open shots in rhythm in a way that Daequan Cook does not yet grasp.
4) I don't think this New Orleans team can win a title. I don't know, I just feel that West and Chandler and Peja - they are all one half-level below championship caliber. I would take Utah and the Lakers in the West over them in a 7 games series, and potentially Houston as well, and I would take Boston and Cleveland in the East. I guess that makes them 5 (or 6) on my list.
5) At halftime we learned that, growing up, Mike Beasley's favorite player, the player he modeled his game after, was DerMarr Johnson. DerMarr Johnson? First of all, how young is Mike Beasley, because isn't DerMarr Johnson like 26? Here are DerMarr's career numbers:
344 career games, averages 17 minutes, 6.2 points, and 2.2 rebounds. Oh, and he's actually 28.
We also learned Mike's favorite rapper growing up was MC Ren, his favorite actor was Richard T. Jones, and he loved the McDLT. It kept the hot side hot, and the cool side cool. DerMarr Johnson? My God, was that a single parent household? Wasn't there anyone there to tell him that DerMarr Johnson might not be the guy to pattern your game after?
6) As my late grandfather Mike used to say about Joe Paterno: "God love him, but he is too old, barely coherent, and has no business coaching college football...and he is also a dear, dear friend." It was sad to see JoePa lose today, and end his chance at one more shot at a national championship. God bless JoePa, and God bless my Papa Mike in heaven.
