6 Thoughts
1) The Heat got blown out in San Antonio on the second night of a road back-to-back on New Year's Eve: this is the type of schedule-making that teams without Dwyane Wade don't have to deal with. I watched this game after getting home from a New Year's Eve Party. It's 2 am, the game blew, and I may or may not have low-grade alcohol poisoning: let's do it.
2) Mike Beasley went bananas in the first half. Immediately scored two quick baskets on Spurs rookie forward DeJuan Blair, who is neither quick enough, nor long enough, to guard Supercool. San Antonio then tried Richard Jefferson on him, but had the same problem - not quick enough, not long enough. Finally, had to put Duncan on him to slow him down. Mike scored 20 in the first half on 10-15: inside, outside, off the dribble, off the catch - Mike was doing it all. Probably the best offensive half he has played in the pros.
3) Which leads to a problem. Dwyane Wade was brutal tonight - another vaguely disinterested night in a season with a few too many of those efforts by Dwyane. He's entitled - all players are entitled once in a while - but on this night, with the Heat down 9 at half, the third quarter needed to start with the offense being force fed through Beasley. Instead, Wade dribbled, he dribbled, he shot fade aways, he turned the ball over - all while Mike watched. Mike got only 6 second half shots, most of those in garbage time in the fourth quarter. Wade ended up 6-18 with 7 turnovers, most of his damage done in the third quarter, which the Heat lost 28-13, ending the game. If Wade is going to be only 60% engaged in a game, the ball should probably run through Mike a little. Don't know what's up there.
4) Richard Jefferson needs to lose 15 pounds and start attacking the rim. Right now he looks awful. Spent his first seven season with the New Jersey Nets, during which time Plumber asserted that the Nets would never consider trading him straight up for Dwyane Wade. Whoops. In a related story, the New Jersey Nets are 3-29...
5) San Antonio plays as much music during game action as any team. Not sure why they need it - Tim Duncan isn't that boring. Highlight of the night: when they went Nenah Cherry, "Buffalo Stance," early in the fourth quarter! As far as mid-to-late 80s hip hop, one shot wonders, Young M.C.'s "Bust A Move" is more famous, but "Buffalo Stance" is the better song. Right?
6) Seems like all we have been doing in this spot lately is apologizing. Several readers wrote in to point out that we conflated (that's a word, right?) deposed Texas Tech coach Mike Leach with current Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy. Yes, we erred. For the record, Mike Leach is the super-white, angry former coach of Texas Tech, who locked a kid in a closet because he didn't want to play with a concussion. Allegedly. Mike Gundy is the super-white, angry current coach of Oklahoma State, who screamed at reporters when they criticized one of his players, famously yelling at them, "If you want to go after someone, go after me! I'm a man! I'm forty!" I don't follow college football that closely, so I actually didn't conflate them, as much as I didn't even know that they were two different guys. Also, didn't know that Texas and Oklahoma are different states, but it seems that they are. Okay, great.
Next game: Saturday at home versus Charlotte. Going to the game with O.Minutos and P.Minutos - first live game ever for P. It's unclear he knows what he is getting into - not a big basketball watcher, unlike his brother - but they have pizza and ice cream at the arena, so he should be fine. See you then...Happy New Year!
-----
