6 Thoughts
1) Oh, my. Where is Dwyane Wade? This is why I'm retiring when Dwyane Wade retires, if not sooner. This is no fun at all. Even winning isn't that fun without Dwyane.
2) In fairness to LeBron, he looks positively gassed. For two straight weeks, with Dwyane out, he's carried a huge, huge chunk of the team's load. He has to create most of the offense; he has to finish a good chunk of the offense; he has to get everyone else involved; he has to defend; and he has to rebound. For the second straight night, he didn't have his legs, but made just enough plays at the end to win the game: lowered his head and charged to the basket, getting to the line and making six straight free throws; and twice found Chris Bosh at the rim with brilliant passes leading to two hoops in the waning moments. And, he played the entire second half - team needed him. But, up one, with 20 seconds to go, in space dribbling up top against 6'9" 165 pound Austin Daye, who had tackled him on his three previous drives, to suddenly decide to rise up and shoot a triple off the dribble was pretty much mindless stupidity, and incredibly frustrating. It was the exact opposite of what I think we all wanted him to do. Miami got a stop, LeBron made two more free throws (capping a 13-14 night at the line), and the Heat escaped with a win. He had solid numbers: 32 points on 20 shots, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds, but he's clearly a little worn down. Probably could use a few days off. If you watched the last two nights, you know why he needs Dwyane. But Dwyane doesn't need him. All Dwyane needs is UD and me! Although, more down on that in #4 (but, shhhh, keep it quiet).
3) Chris Bosh, for the second straight night, was absolutely fantastic. Scored 17 in the fourth quarter last night, and opened the first quarter in this game 6-6 for 13 more. 30 points in a half of basketball for LeBosh! Cue the "La" Bosh jokes! He finished with 27 points on 15 shots, and up one on the last possession, played good d and forced a tough miss out of Greg Monroe in an iso. These last two games have probably been the best Chris has looked in a Heat uniform. The shots are going in - that's one thing. But it is the assertiveness of the shots, and the prudent mixing in of drives, which has been so impressive. This is more like the player he was in Toronto - get the ball, create a shot. Unlike LeBron, he doesn't look too tired, and I don't think he needs any special extra rest. You don't get as tired when you neither run, nor jump.
4) (Shhhhhh - I'm going to tell you something, but you have to promise to keep it a secret. I'm putting it in parentheses so casual bystanders can't see it..Promise not to tell? Okay: Udonis Haslem has been atrocious all season long. His rebounding numbers look great, but it's more a function of the Heat's lack of other big men who rebound than it is an indication of how he's played. His legs look gone - he can't jump. He can't finish shots at the rim, he hasn't made a jumper all season, and he has trouble protecting the rim defensively. This is bad. This is very bad. Shhhhhh.)
5) Checking in on Shane Battier's latest activities: first, he announced on Twitter last night that he will be going to the Jimmy Buffett concert at The Trip Saturday night, but that he won't be drinking at it. That is pretty much the opposite of what he should be doing, that's 0-2 where I come from. Second, Heat reporter Brian Windhorst reported on the Jorge Sedano Show this morning that when the team flies after a game, Shane wraps himself in a tight compression suit so that his joints don't swell up. Offfff course he does, I could have told you that without a doubt, that's a no-brainer. Back to the Buffett thing for a minute. Is it possible that Battier is gaming us, that the whole thing is a bit of a put on? I mean no player ever in the history of the NBA, at least not a useful one, has ever liked Jimmy Buffett. And it's one thing to be unique, I mean it's absolutely cool to be different (not for me, of course, but for others), but specific to Jimmy Buffett, you really, really have to despise music to like Jimmy Buffett, and I don't feel that Battier has that level of hatred in him. I don't know, I think it all may be a big ruse, that the whole NBA-nerd thing is totally calculated and deliberate. M.Minutos says, No - it's Shane Battier. She makes a good point. Tough call.
6) Not many things we have written at this blog have ever generated as much response as our review of the great Robin Williams film Awakenings. Some people - the smart ones - agreed with the review. Others thought we were a little harsh on Robin Williams. Several thought it was stupid to write that much about Robin Williams - those people are clearly insane. However, two separate people wrote in to point out that Robin Williams is not Jewish, and the blog inaccurately claimed that he was. First of all, to you two readers, Robin Williams, and Christians everywhere, I apologize for threatening your very beings by incorrectly painting someone with the scarlett "J." Didn't mean to offend: Shabat Shalom, I write in peace...Second of all: what? You have to be kidding me! Robin Williams is not Jewish? I googled it, and the very excellent and well-written Wikipedia article on him claimed that not only is he Christian, but he isn't even from New York, he's from Detroit! What the...? What the hell is he acting like that for?...Third of all, I mean, if Robin Williams isn't a Jew from New York, if people from other parts of the country can act exactly authentically like a Jew from New York, we have to question all the anti-Semitic stereotyping we've been doing all these years, don't we? This changes everything we know and think about Robin Williams, doesn't it? I mean, besides the crappy acting and comedy - that's absolutely still the same...Fourth of all, he is from Detroit, and he attended high school at Country Day, a prep school in suburban Detroit. Know who else went there? All-time NBA great power forward Chris Webber. Know who else went there? Shane Battier!!! OF COURSE HE DID!!! THIS IS NOT EVEN REMOTELY A JOKE, AND WORLDS, TERRIBLE WORLDS, ARE COLLIDING!!! GOOD NIGHT EVERYBODY!!!
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Don't have anything else to say. Friday vs. Knicks. Let's get it.
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