6 Thoughts
1) Gut-check, hang-around-in-the-playoff-chase kind of win, on the road in Atlanta, where the Hawks had been 21-5 this year. Both teams were on the second night of a back-to-back, and both teams traveled last night because the Hawks were in Memphis. In the NBA, that means one thing: the team that sucks it up harder is going to win. Tonight, that was Miami. Gut-check.
2) For the second straight night, the hero wasn't Dwyane Wade (18 and 11 assists), or Jermaine O'Neal (very solid with 19 and 10). Nor Mike Beasley, who continued ten days of fairly terrible play with 7 points on 3-11. Tonight, not even last night's unlikely hero, Dorell Wright, though he too was solid with 10 points and 3 assists. Tonight's hero was Daequan Cook. Daequan has been missing his jump shot all season - I mean all season, like painful-to-watch all season. Then suddenly, with no real warning, with the game tied at 71 in the fourth quarter, Daequan went off: 8 straight points to give Miami the lead, and 13 for the quarter, with 3 triples, as Miami cruised home. Big, big smile for Daequan in the winner's circle with Jax after the game. Had to feel good to struggle for 50 games, then suddenly bring it.
3) Rotation changes afoot the last couple of nights. More playing time for: Daequan Cook and Dorell Wright. Less playing time for: Quentin Richardson and Mike Beasley. No longer featured as go-to scorer on the second unit at the beginning of the second and fourth quarters: Mike Beasley. In for Mike: Jermaine O'Neal. This latter change is smart - why didn't someone think of it sooner? And by someone, I mean at least me. Jermaino spent several seasons as Indiana's go-to crunch-time scorer. Was he good in that role? Well - let's just say he was their go-to crunch-time scorer. But at least he is accustomed to the responsibility, and he is capable of delivering "relief baskets." Toss him the ball on the block, let him face his man, take a dribble, and shoot the jumper - it is a relatively quality look most times. Mike hasn't demonstrated himself capable of handling that responsibility yet, and he's had 50 plus games to try. He tends to catch it at 20 feet, bend over at the waist, and swing the ball down by his legs, then try to work from there. That's the Vince Carter approach to creating offense. Too hard to generate offense from that spot. That he generates any at all is testimony to his shot-making ability. But over the past two weeks, in conjunction with his hyperextended knee, he seems a little out of it. Switching to Jermaino in these spots was smart of Spo, and Miami is 2-0 with it.
4) Tone set in the first half when Udonis Haslem and Joel Anthony came down with a rebound, locked up, and neither would let go, swinging each other back and forth in a frenzy, trying to rip the ball free. By the way, in case you are new to the blog - they are on the same team. Hawks center Al Horford watched for several moments, stunned by the teammates battling over the ball, then politely reached a hand in to the scrum, bailing the refs out by allowing them to blow the whistle and call a jump ball. Thanks, Al Horford, because it is unclear how long they would have battled for! That's how you go get it, though - you see that, Mike Beasley? That's how you go get it!
5) Not to stay on Mike Beasley, but we are going to stay on Mike Beasley one more minute - he seems to respond to these chats. One, you have to get to the line - you can't be a starting NBA power forward whose only plus skill is scoring, and get to the line only an average of three times a game. Especially when you are this good off the dribble. Stop trying to avoid contact, get around your guy, then force the ball to the rim and make them foul you. Yes, you are a little short, and a little underathletic, and you are going to get shots blocked. But this leaning away in hopes of banking in the tough runners off the move must end. Two, had a long chat with Scotland's biggest Heat fan, Faither, about Mike today. Faither loves Mike, thinks he has been mismanaged by the Heat organization, thinks they haven't showed the confidence in him, and that this has hurt his development. Maybe. I don't agree with that, but I have been wrong before. But I'll tell you one thing - if I could trade him for Amare Stoudamire, as it has been rumoured Pat Riley is trying to do, I'd do it in 5 seconds, and never even think about it. I don't think there is any chance Phoenix makes that deal - I am not sure who, exactly, Mike could be flipped for with what he has shown so far in his career, but I don't think it even remotely approaches Amare Stoudamire level yet...
6)Music review: Squid's new album! Just kidding. For real, Hot Chip: “One Life Stand.”
Sounds like: The Pet Shops Boys if…no “if” – are we sure they are not the Pet Shop Boys? Lush, dreamy, synthetic, a little bit jittery around the edges. Singer with an easy, non-aggressive croon. Nothing on this disc is as cool as the dance-y jam “Ready for the Floor” from their last album. "Ready for the Floor" is worth downloading as a single for your iPod.
Good for: A really long road trip, near the end, when you are tired of talking to your wife, and bored of singing along to old Pearl Jam songs.
Bad for: Booty-time. Not amp’d up enough.
Best song: “One Life Stand.” It is like the Pet Shop Boys covering a decent Prince song.
Worst song: “Slush.” Sounds like the Pet Shop Boys mashing up a children’s lullaby with a crappy Elvis ballad – not as good an idea as you would think.
Overall, I give it a 5 out of 10. On the Heat, I think Yakhouba Diawara might like it, ‘cause he’s chill and not from America, but Mike Beasley would hate it because you can’t two-step to it.
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Okay - we have All-Star break until next Tuesday, the Heat are one game under .500, in the eighth and final playoff spot in the East, and still have a ton of games on the road in February, before finishing up with a more forgiving schedule. Also, even with their struggles, still 21 and 1/2 games in front of the 4-48 New Jersey Nets. We'll be at you over the weekend with the year's first edition of RBT's: Rejected Blog Topics. Things that we discussed in the Dos Minutos International HQs which, for one reason or another, never made it in to the blog. See you then!
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