6 Thoughts
1) I was at the beach all day; I'm tired; I have sand in my booty; I need to finish my tax return; and 9 year old O.Minutos has figured out how to run his drum machine up through his guitar amp while practicing, and he's currently playing Linkin Park riffs with speed metal drums about 10 feet away from me. Solid win for Miami in a pointless game for them, but one the Knicks wanted badly. Let's go, let's get it done, and then take a nap...
2) I thought Miami respected the process today, it was a good job by them, a good, professional basketball game, when they weren't compelled to deliver one. The Knicks are probably solidly in the playoffs, but they would like to get up out of the 7th or 8th spot to avoid playing the Heat or Chicago in the first round. Miami could have gone through the motions and let the Knicks have it, but they didn't, they stayed in there, played their new lineup rotations, and defended. I thought they lacked energy and settled offensively, especially in the second half, but they defended enough to win. Carmelo Anthony blistered the Heat all game long...except for the latter minutes of the fourth quarter, when KJ James took him, and forced him into long fallaway jumpers as Miami pulled away down the stretch with a 18-3 run. If there one was "most encouraging" performance, it was Chris Bosh's. I thought his recovery and block of a Landry Fields layup during the closing run was the biggest play of the game. More than that, it just seemed he made a general effort to get to the ball off the glass. He's never going to be a great rebounder, because he is not explosive off the floor, or strong, and because he is a statue. But when you're 6'11" just making an effort to go get the ball once in a while matters. The Knicks play small, I'm not going to lie, but still, Bosh's 14 rebounds (and 16 points) against his one of his many nemeses, Tyson Chandler, was encouraging. When Bosh plays with a little bit of effort, it makes a huge difference.
3) So Coach Spo has switched up the rotations in anticipation of the playoffs. Halfway through the first and third quarters, Emcee Chalmers comes out, Mike Miller comes in, and the team plays with no nominal point guard - it's kind of dopey to say it that way, it's what people who don't watch Miami play every game say - "no point guard" - because KJ James has always been the offensive point guard since he has been here. It is more accurate to say they "go big." Both times it worked perfectly. I don't have the statistics, or anything - this isn't the kind of blog where we keep track of anything, if you haven't noticed - but Miami closed the first quarter on a rush to get to plus 9, and the big lineup played well again in the third. Miller didn't shoot it great - 1-4 - but I thought he hunted shots, and thus spaced the floor, and it is a strong defensive and rebounding group. But, what hasn't worked well is the smaller group that plays after that group's run is done. KJ plays with three shooters (out of the group of Miller, Battier, James Jones, and Chalmers), and one big. Theoretically, KJ James should do one of two things: either go down on the block, force a double team, and then spit to shooters; or, beat his guy off the dribble, force help, and spit to shooters. Instead, he tends to come off a screen and shoot open 18 footers while the defenders hug the perimeter. That defeats the whole purpose of that lineup - if KJ is going to treat those guys as floor-spacers, and try to score himself, then he has to try to get to the rim. He can get an 18 footer any time he wants no matter who is on the floor. Too often today, that group bogged down, and let the Knicks back in the game. Something to work on for the next couple of weeks.
4) Wade has now played more games in a Miami Heat uniform than anyone else, passing Alonzo Mourning. And Udonis Haslem is about to pass Zo as well. It is hard to imagine any franchise having both a more successful and more likable core than Dwyane, UD, and me. You're welcome, Miami!
5) Listen, Mike Woodson, how do you expect to beat a very good Miami Heat team when you only play Mike Bibby 5 minutes? Especially when Mike Bibby is your guy - that's treasonous. Mike Bibby should play, on the average, 42-44 minutes a night, and I'd like to see him take anywhere between 22-25 shots. You're not utilizing your personnel properly, Mike Woodson - I think your re-grown eyebrows are clouding your judgement. I can't lie: when Mike Bibby took his one shot, an open three in the second quarter, and it missed off the back iron, I let out an audible groan of disappointment, and drew a look of disgust from M.Minutos. I just don't know how to quit you, Mike Bibby.
6) Mario "Emcee" Chalmers' 5 Favorite Sandwiches: 5) Peanut Butter and Jelly; 4) Ham and Cheese, with bar-b-que potato chips crunched into it; 3) "The Gargantuan" from Jimmy John's; 2) anything with Fluff; 1) Bagel, Egg, and Cheese.
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This was the first game of four in five nights - that's absolutely brutal when you have nothing left to play for. Why doesn't the NBA just have us play every single night until the playoffs start? We play New Jersey tomorrow - let's hope a couple of guys get "preventative maintenance." I'd sit KJ tomorrow, and then sit Wade and Bosh Wednesday against Toronto, and then let everyone play as a practice game Thursday night against Chicago. If you need me before tomorrow, I'll be re-experiencing pounding Linkin Park riffs in my sleep all night long.
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