Miami Heat Confidence Meter:  8.8 (Ridiculous pronouncements)

•  The Miami Heat this week followed a unengaged first half effort versus the New Orleans Hornets with a first quarter explosion in Milwaukee to score the most points in a quarter (40) than they had all year.  The Heat then proceeded to play selfishly, and sloppy to drop a second game to Brandon Jennings and the Milwaukee Bucks.  What happened in that game won’t be rehashed in this column, but what happened afterwards will.  A Team meeting was apparently called by team captains and coaches at the Philadelphia 76ers practice facility.  What was said, nobody but players and coaches know.  What we do know was the effort and crispness that they played with the following night in what was supposed to be a showdown game.  The Heat continue their domination of the 76ers, and there is plenty to suggest why that is.  The Sixers rely on “small” ball and speed down the stretch, and it plays right into what the Heat wants to do.  When your opponent is just better than you at many positions, and you decide to matchup with the same style, it doesn’t make for much success.  The Heat also confirmed what many thought in the first place.  This team has an arrogance problem and finds it difficult to play their “A game” night in and night out.  When there are moderate stakes at hand, you see the results.  The Miami Heat this year is running over and through the very best competition.  The Miami Heat is currently 10-2 versus playoff opponents.  Do you remember last year’s narrative, when it pertained to the Heat’s play versus so called “elite” teams?

• A little free agency news was made this week, as Kenyon Martin chose to sign a 1 year $2.5 mil contract with the Los Angeles Clippers.  The Heat was rumored to have offered a contract for the vet minimum, and it is easy to see why he would turn them down. The Clippers can guarantee K-Mart a rotation spot, plus more money.  So his decision was rather predictable.  Another name out there is Joel Pryzbilla, who the Heat has also rumored to have offered a deal to.  I can confirm that the Miami Heat extended a training camp invite to Pryzbilla, who then floated the idea of retirement.  What surprises me is that they would still pursuit him after he chose not to attend training camp.  That is not consistent with Pat Riley’s style.  Pryzbilla can still rebound, and will play physical basketball.  His six fouls would be useful in a prospective matchup with Dwight Howard.

(We are having a truncated Week in review this week, due to Super Bowl Sunday., A full week in Review returns next week, and every week till after the all-star break, when game recaps take it’s place on this front page.)

Heatfreak.com Power Rankings

(These power rankings are devised from a formula taking into account: Win%, Off. And Def. Eff., Reb. Rate, TO’s, SOS and PACE.)

Team                            Team Score
1.  Chicago Bulls                104.0
2.  Miami Heat                   102.7
3.  OKC Thunder                101.9
4.  Denver Nuggets            101.2
5.  Philadelphia 76ers         99.8
6.  Portland Trailblazers    96.0
7. San Antonio Spurs          95.0
8.  Los Angeles Clippers     94.2
9.  Indiana Pacers                91.5
10.  Dallas Mavericks          91.2
11.  Atlanta Hawks               90.0
12.  San Antonio Spurs       89.8
13.  Utah Jazz                       89.2
14.  Los Angeles Lakers      89.2
15.  Boston Celtics               89.0
16. Orlando Magic              88.8

Miami Heat Confidence Meter:  8.9 (Jordan Fist Pump)

•  The Heat grinded out some wins this week versus the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons on a back to back, in less than spectacular fashion, but more than made up for it in a showcase game on Friday Night versus the New York Knicks.  I picked the right game to chart in the Cavs/ Heat game, where The Heat had horrific performances from many and above average performances from few.  Chris Bosh after what was a sub par 1st quarter, ended up with a total game score of 4.66, which is above all-star level.  As for my chart system, I based it on a scoring system the Heat used to employ, and most likely still do.  My model, is not as intricate, but it is intricate enough for the purpose I use it for.  To give a general idea, I assign points for every single aspect of a NBA game, for every single player in a game, and for every single “play” a player makes that either facilitates scoring, or creates turnovers / stops on the defensive end.  I then use the positive plays and negative plays to formulate a ratio to arrive at a positive or negative number.  The higher the better, the lower, (including, negative numbers) the worse.

Using this system, I have found some trends, on some lineups that needed correcting.  The one in particular that Coach Erik Spoelstra has adjusted too, is the idea of playing Udonis Haslem and Shane Battier together without Chris Bosh on the court.  I don’t believe in +/- numbers as any indicator, but that lineup is a tempo/offense killer as each player needs a perfect setup to score.  Some teams, especially Boston and Atlanta used a zone defense to stifle that lineup in 2 games.  Coach Spo has canned that lineup, judging by his rotations these last two weeks.  He has seemingly made a concerted effort to insert those two with Chris Bosh on the floor and then run elbow offense for Bosh, almost exclusively, instead of the usual ISO offense with Lebron James, with those two limited scorers.

Friday’s game saw the return of Dwyane Wade to the lineup, and what a return it was.  Coach Spo said that there was a “franchise decision” made to hold out Wade and that he could have been fine to play in the Lakers game.  That was predictable, by anybody that saw those workouts prior to the many games since then, that saw Dwyane Wade moving freely and without any pain.  The Heat weathered a barrage from three point land, that saw the New York Knicks score a opponent record 18 three’s on 43 attempts for a very good 41.2%.  It is encouraging that this Heat team can absorb that type of game from an opponent and still win a relatively comfortable fashion.

•  The Popular pick out west are the Oklahoma City Thunder, and many are considering them a lock for a NBA Finals berth.  It has been a strange season for observers of efficiency ratings, and the Thunder are a prime example.  The only thing they do particularly well is score, and they are not in the top 3 in that category.  They do not rebound well, they do not defend well, and they turn the ball over too much.  Yet , there they are with the leagues best record.  Watching their games, you come to appreciate the change in tempo that they use as a way to create scoring spurts that help them put away games.  They are winning games, almost exclusively on the offensive end.  Is it a formula that is sustainable throughout an NBA season?  In my opinion, yes, with this truncated schedule, especially.  I don’t believe that there will be much change the rest of the way atop of the Western Conference standings.  You can pencil in OKC for the #1 seed.

•  This might have been the worst week in Orlando Magic franchise history.  Not only did they score 56 points on a Monday in a loss to the Boston Celtics, they then followed it with an impressive win at Indiana, only to then have a soul crushing collapse at home versus the same Boston Celtics.  The Magic managed to blow a 27 point lead to a Celtics team missing two of their best three players in Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo.  If that was not enough, they punctuated the week by getting beat down by what might be the worst team in the western conference, the New Orleans Hornets.  I remarked earlier this week on Twitter, that Dwight Howard might clearly be the most overrated player in the league.  He is.  Howard owns the paint, is a great rebounder and rim deterrent, but he could not be more worthless in close games, down the stretch.  He simply does not effect the game enough to be considered the first cog of a championship wheel.  He is a spectacular 3rd option as a support player, as he does not seem to have any chance of further developing his offensive game.  His free throw shooting is the one card that every opponent has in their back pocket to force the Magic into trading free throw trips to the line with a sub par free throw shooter instead of running offense.  He simply cannot be fed the ball on the block behind two possessions late in games.  He becomes a satellite player, and that is not the recipe for a championship.

•  Is Shaquille O’neal serious with his axe grinding on the “Superman” nickname on the TNT pregame/postgame show?  It seems so.  So far this season, you gotta say that his analysis has been lacking but the entertainment value has been high.  His Al Bundy impersonation lately, has taken a “sad” tone.  I always felt that there was a insecure streak to SHAQ, and now it is on full display on that TNT show.  Let’s hope for our sake (the viewers) that it ceases to exist.

Heatfreak.com Power Rankings

(These power rankings are devised from a formula taking into account: Win%, Off. And Def. Eff., Reb. Rate, TO’s, SOS and PACE.)

Team                            Team Score
1.  Chicago Bulls                 106.2
2.  Denver Nuggets            101.0
3.  OKC Thunder               100.0
4.  Miami Heat                     99.8
5.  Philadelphia 76ers         98.4
6.  Portland Trailblazers    97.6
7.  Atlanta Hawks                97.0
8.  Houston Rockets           93.6
9.  Indiana Pacers               92.4
10.  Dallas Mavericks         91.2
11.  Orlando Magic             89.8
12.  San Antonio Spurs      89.8
13.  Los Angeles Lakers     89.8
14.  Utah Jazz                       91.2
15.  Memphis Grizzlies       89.2
16.  Los Angeles Clippers   88.6

Miami Heat Confidence Meter:  8.3 (Giddy)

• The Miami Heat came back home this week and demolished the San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Lakers to make all forget about their failings on the west coast.  In doing so, they discovered their three point shooting, and half court defense.  In the San Antonio game, the Heat had what seemed like a west coast hangover, where their rotations were terrible, they failed to box out simple misses, and their offense looked out of sync.  Then it happened.  With 6:53 to go in the 3rd quarter and the Heat down 68-61, James Jones is fouled taking a three, made all three Free Throws to make it a 4 point game, and the avalanche of threes that followed was that of legend.  6 in total in the quarter to open a insurmountable lead, that the Spurs never threatened.  Then the Heat, rather easily defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in what was billed as a Lebron versus Kobe showdown game.  In what were consecutive masterful performances, Lebron James made easy work this time from the outset of an opponent that always gets the needle moving.  It is no secret that Kobe Bryant “cares” rather deeply about any game that features Lebron James or Dwyane Wade.  He seems to press a little more, yet the result don’t seem to follow.  Simple fact is that the Heat’s defensive system and personnel is a bad matchup for the Lakers.  Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum you say, should have their way with the Heat?  Well, not when the Heat makes it their mission to pack the paint and disrespect the Lakers three point shooting, which is the worst in the NBA.  Then you have Kobe Bryant to guard, and the Heat has a plethora of talent on the wings to matchup, including notorious Kobe “stoppers”, Lebron James and Shane Battier (don’t forget Dwyane Wade).  What this week showed, was a return to normalcy.  The Heat just succumbed to the usual malaise that afflicts them on the west coast on the “circus” trip.  The real important stretch is now, when they are engaged in a 8 of 9 home stand.  Something to reflect on:  In his first 13 games this season, Lebron  James has a higher Player Efficiency Rating (PER) than any other, ever in NBA history in his first 13 games of a season.  This is legendary stuff that we are witnessing from the King.

• The Atlanta Hawks have been fairly consistent this year, and facing the prospect of being without their most consistent performer Al Horford for weeks to come, they have settled into playing pretty good half court defense.  They had a rough assignment on Friday night with the Philadelphia 76ers, on the road, and as usual, the Hawks fell short.  Atlanta makes it a habit to lose every game that can be a turning point, or “statement”.  Jeff Teague turned a lot of heads last year and was a common pick for many as a breakout performer this year.  His performances have been uneven to say the least.  His turnovers as of late are a concern, and the Hawks traditionally have never been crisp as an offense, so Teague has conformed to the Hawk Way.  If there is a team primed for a steep drop in win percentage, it is the Atlanta Hawks.

•  Chicago Bulls fans are sweating bullets with this mysterious Turf Toe injury that Derrick Rose has.  Traditionally, a turf toe injury lingers and only gets better with plenty of rest and eventually, surgery.  It has been common in the NFL, for that injury to end careers.  The Bulls have not elaborated on it much, so all we can speculate on is that if it is a true turf toe injury, it is one that will not go away during this season, and will regularly rear it’s head.  The Bulls however in his absence, have found their footing after a MLK Day annihilation at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies.  CJ Watson has found his scoring touch as of late, and Carlos Boozer has contributed as well.  What I have found interesting is how Joakim Noah can get off to such a terrible start and yet the Chicago defense is as consistent an aspect of any team in the league.

•  What was billed as a marquee matchup between the best two centers in basketball turned into a predictable dud.  While Dwight Howard was fresh to dominate, Andrew Bynum was on a second of a back after playing tough minutes versus the Miami Heat the night prior.  Obviously, the NBA did not take into account a lot of these made for TV matchups when making it’s schedule.  The Orlando Magic continue to play well, but continue to be a boom or bust team solely relying on the three.  Nothing has changed.  It will be interesting to see if this team success, forces Orlando General Manager Otis Smith to ride out the trade deadline and take his chances by calling Howards bluff and force him to take a severe paycut to leave.

•  Kyrie Irving will be a star.  He plays with speed, and can drive hard with either hand and finish.  Sometimes, there are players that all of a sudden look better in the pros than they ever did in college.  In the NFL it is a common occurrence with young players such as Cam Newton.  This is the case with Kyrie Irving.  He seems like a much more explosive player now.  Playing with freedom can do that for athletically gifted players such as this.  The rookie of the year battle has been joined, and I think we have a 2 horse race in Irving and Timberwolves playmaker Ricky Rubio.

•  The Utah Jazz had a great opportunity to make a little noise with a victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night, but they fell victim to some poor officiating.  It is no secret why the Jazz are a competent and certain playoff contender.  The Jazz front line of Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap is as good as it gets in the NBA.  You sprinkle a little Derrick Favors in, and you have the beginnings of a pretty impressive roster.  The Jazz guard play so far has underwhelmed, and they lack consistent shooting that will surely keep them from being a serious threat to the upper echelon in the western conference.  But for a team that dressed down and began a rebuild, they are well on their way back.  Tyrone Corbin is a serious contender for Coach of the Year, if the Jazz can maintain their current win percentage.

•  The Memphis Grizzlies are riding a 5 game win streak with some soft landings ahead.  Rudy Gay has elevated his play since Zach Randolph left with injury, and the Grizz are getting stellar play from point guard Mike Conley.  Lionel Hollins gets the Grizz to play with consistent effort every night and Hollins deserves recognition as one of the very best coaches in the NBA.  While a team such as the Hawks look to trend down, the Memphis Grizzlies are on the improve, with a star power forward coming back in a month or so.

•  It was a particularly rough week for TNT.  First you had Steve Kerr during the Lakers/Heat broadcast, remark that the Heat lacked “depth” and had figured out their “late game troubles”.  There really needs to be a central clearing house for the media to get their Heat of the Day cliches.  We all know how deep this Heat team is, and how there are no “late game troubles” to figure out.  I really wish that these analysts would give some credit to their viewers and not assume that they are all idiots.   But the sad reality is that most analysts do not watch enough games to be well versed on every team.  It is becoming more and more apparent with every broadcast.  The misinformation is staggering.  On the Inside the NBA set, Shaquille Oneal should have some interesting things to say in the coming week seeing as Dwight Howard fired back with some comments in retaliation to Shaq’s constant barbs.  It is safe to say that Shaq’s musings of Andrew Bynum being better than Dwight Howard have completely blown up in his face.  Oddly enough, Shaq was very good in studio this week, while Charles Barkley did his regular dumb analysis of the Miami Heat during the postgame of the Heat/Lakers matchup (why bother with yet another rehash).  His comments are not only uninformed, but completely wrong, he is perceiving a lack of aggression on behalf of Lebron James when Dwyane Wade is on the floor, that simply does not exist.  The ESPN studio show is so bad, that it really doesn’t deserve any mention.

Miami Heat Confidence Meter:  7.1 (Guarded)

•  The Miami Heat had a rough week out west, that started with a 4th quarter collapse in Golden State versus the Warriors, that saw Lebron James not shoot for the entire 4th quarter.  They followed that up with a back to back meeting in Los Angeles with the Clippers.  In that game, the Heat carried over their free throw shooting problems and in this case, it directly cost them a game.  What you can take from those two games, was the beginning of a pattern of sloppy execution of their UCLA principles, which this year, seem to be the dominant direction of their offense.  When screens are not crisp, and cutters move too early, you end up catching the ball on your cuts with a defender in your hip pocket.  Terrible screening, can ruin the timing of the entire offense and lead to lulls in scoring such as we saw in both games.  The culprit for this seems to be everybody not named Joel Anthony.  In the Clippers game especially, Shane Battier was guilty of setting two sloppy screens that led directly to broken plays, in which oddly enough Lebron James managed to score on.  In another instance, it could lead to turnovers and dunks on the other end.  When the Heat showed up in Denver, they seemed to leave their defense behind, because that was not Heat Basketball.  Denver has been a snake pit for this franchise going back a decade now.  The annual “circus” road trip for the Heat has historically been a thorn in their side as well.  Just last year, the Heat went 2-3 on this same trip, losing 3 in a row with a annihilation at the hands of the Denver Nuggets.  Sound familiar?  Well, they finished this one off 2-3 as well, with another loss in Denver and another 3 game losing streak.  Weird when that happens.

A pattern that has run it’s course, and in my opinion, must end, is Coach Erik Spoelstra’s insistence on playing Shane Battier with Udonis Haslem as the first two Subs off the bench, and in the process taking out Chris Bosh.  The sample size is small, but the evidence is becoming clearer, that Battier and Haslem are a bad fit together.  The problem with the two is that they tend to occupy the same areas on either of the court as called on screeners, and teams are sagging and clogging the lane.  If you notice, the Heat manages to gain a lot of open three point looks with those two on the court, and when Mario Chalmers hits a few, it covers up the deficiencies of that group.  Battier is best as a add on to the starting lineup, for a short stint in the first half to gain some rest for Lebron James, but must be played with Chris Bosh, since they both compliment each other well in the Heat’s corner principles and Battier is a good passer into the post.  On the bright side to all this, is that Mike Miller will return soon, and force Coach Spo’s hand in this regard, and the Heat will gain some badly needed scoring with the second unit.  The Heat will return with rest to defend home court versus some tough and interesting opponents, and this could be as interesting a week as you can have, early in a NBA season.

•  Interesting game on Thursday night between the Golden State Warriors and the Orlando Magic.  Mark Jackson has done a decent job so far, and his coaching style has made his team interesting to watch.  To say that Mark Jackson is detail oriented, is an understatement.  In that game, after a Klay Thompson three point shot with 11.1 seconds left in the first quarter, the Warriors then sought to foul Dwight Howard, to gain another possession before the end of the period.  Howard made 1 of 2 and Golden State then turned it over in the last possession.  It is that type of attention to detail, and attitude that can keep a young team interested during the season.  So far, so good for Mark Jackson, but it has only been 10 games for the Warriors, so let’s see how it’s working down the road.  In my opinion, Mark Jackson is “over-coaching”, which takes us to the most interesting aspect of this game in which Orlando won 117-109.  That would be the Hack-A-Howard defense that ended with Dwight Howard taking 39 Free Throws and making 21 of them.  Is it a good strategy when you are handing an opponent 21 made Free Throws?  No.  It is a dumb one.  His reasoning for it was that it would “mess with their rhythm” offensively and that it was better to put a bad free throw shooter on the line instead of allowing him touches and attempts in the post.  Seeing as the Magic scored 37 points in the 4th quarter, when the strategy was completely implemented, it is fair to suggest that Mark Jackson flat out blew a game for his team.
• The Oklahoma City Thunder and the L.A. Lakers were tops in the Western Conference this past week.  Behind some vintage Kobe Bryant performances, and some stifling defense, the Lakers showed that they are not ready to just hand over the western conference mantle to their competitors.  I however would caution Lakers fans to temper their enthusiasm.  The Lakers play best when they play inside out, and run their offense through their pair of seven footers.  The way Andrew Bynum is playing this year, there is just no way to justify Kobe Bryant being a volume shooter.  In the end, Kobe Bryant’s ego will defeat the Los Angeles Lakers.  On the flip side, you have the Oklahoma City Thunder who have found their identity and are very comfortable with it.  The Thunder are being efficient on offense, and are making the plays necessary down the stretch in games in order to win.  However, in the macro sense, OKC has some indicators pointing downward.  Their Defensive Efficiency is tumbling, and their Rebound Rate is holding steady, but the main indicator that must be corrected is their lack of assists, (rank 20th at 13.8 per game).  The Thunder become very predictable, when they offer no movement and seek to clear out for Russell Westbrook or Kevin Durant.  Ultimately, their lack of a two man game could hurt them versus a team that executes down the stretch with their base offense, such as San Antonio and Portland.
• The Chicago Bulls had a setback this week, having their superstar Derrick Rose succumb to Turf Toe, that had him miss a meeting with the Washington Wizards.  Turf Toe is one of those injuries that can linger and in the end, damage a career.  As with all things, it is a matter of degree.  What is not a matter of degree, is the Bulls defense, which has been stellar.  The Bulls are improved across the board, except that Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer are contributing uneven performances on an almost nightly basis.  As the team keeps rolling, two major pieces of that team are trending downward, and it could spell for some rocky times ahead.  However, it is my opinion, that as a whole, there is not a more consistent Team in the NBA than the Chicago Bulls.  Their commitment to their “game” is reminiscent of the 1990′s Heat teams under Pat Riley.  With the dedication the Bulls display on a nightly basis to defend and keep to their rebounding principles, it is a shame for Bulls fans that they did not address their scoring woes, to put a proper scare into the defending Eastern Conference Champs, the Miami Heat.

• In the Philadelphia 76ers, we have a team, that before they laid an egg in New York versus the New York Knicks, were putting up a rather impressive start to the season, in almost every single team category except Rebounding.  What was impressive about their start was how well the Sixers were executing in the half court, and how well they were defending the passing lanes.  A very interesting characteristic of this Sixers team is how they make opponents go deep into the shot clock for a shot and how well, they force teams into rudimentary offense.  Their Achilles heal however will continue to be, where they go for offense down the stretch in close games.  The have a collection of “setup” players and don’t have any one great or even “good” one on one player.

•  The Portland Trailblazers are finding that they are a much better team, when they reign in Jamal Crawford’s erratic shooting.  Jamal Crawford is averaging 15.6 shot attempts in the Blazers three losses, while averaging 9.2 shots per game in the eight wins.  It is not statistical noise though.  The Trailblazers are best when the Pick & Roll game is working with Ray Felton and Lamarcus Aldridge.  The Trailblazers boast the best turnover differential in the game at -3.3 and they continue to have the look of a contender instead of what they have been in years past, a pretender.

•  The New York Knicks took a 4 game win streak into Memphis on Thursday night, where they were demolished 94-83, and it really wasn’t that close.  Hear any Knick fan tell it, and you would think that Iman Shumpert is a shoe-in rookie of the year candidate.  What Shumpert brings in athleticsm, he lacks in basketball IQ.  Shumpert regularly makes bad decisions within the offense, and takes some shots, that are ill-advised to say the least.  As for their offense, The Knicks come to a screeching halt with Carmelo Anthony on the floor.  If he catches it on the wing in the half court, count to 6 and a shot is going up.  To say that the ball sticks with Melo on the floor, is an understatement.  It is a fact that Amare Stoudemire’s game is suffering with Tyson Chandler as his front court mate.  Whenever he moves toward the rim, he is drawing Chandler’s man as well, and is having to try to finish against not one, but two bigs usually.  A severe failure in roster construction.

•  In Media this week, Shaquille Oneal dropped a S-bomb on TNT on Thursday, but that was the least of the hilarity.  This week seemed to be the week for outlandish statements.  Chris Webber mused that Andrew Bynum was the best big man in the NBA on NBA TV, then Shaquille Oneal agreed.  Later that night of course, Dwight Howard had a 45 and 23 game.  On ESPN, we were made aware of Ric Bucher’s uncanny ability to read body language as he observed that Lebron James’ body language “did not match his facial expressions” in the Clippers/Heat Tilt on Wednesday night.  Of course, whenever the Miami Heat lose a game, the media use it as an excuse to do a introspective on everything from Lebron James free throw shooting, to quotes from Chris Bosh in a GQ article.  Predictable, and boring at this point.  What wasn’t predictable or boring was a feature Kenny Smith did on Inside the NBA on TNT, where he broke down with film, the “clutch” moments from Lebron James and Kobe Bryant in their last games (James versus Clippers, Bryant versus Jazz).  What the film showed was roughly a similar success rate in decision making down the stretch, with a slight edge to Lebron James,  but one guy got bailed out with a win, while the other lost, yet one guy got to be “The Black Mamba”, and the other gets ridiculed.  That show is still the best studio show in basketball, for it’s entertainment value, but now they added a little substance to the mix.  Apparently, not even Shaquille Oneal can ruin that program.

• The Heat finish the week up strong with a thrilling triple overtime victory in Atlanta behind great games by Chris Bosh and Mario Chalmers.  A game like that would not have been won last season.  This Heat team is as deep as I can ever remember a Heat team being.  A good rookie point guard off the bench (Norris Cole), four capable wing players (Shane Battier, James Jones, Mike Miller, Terrel Harris) , and a 6th Man of the Year candidate in Udonis Haslem makes up, what is in my opinion the deepest bench in the NBA.  They lack at Center?  Not necessary in today’s NBA.

•  Andrew Bynum has staked his claim as an elite player and easily the second best center in Basketball.  If we didn’t know his injury history, he would have more promise than Dwight Howard.  But the truth is that Howard and Bynum are irrelevant in today’s NBA.  Defenses cater to nullify the impact a big man can have on the offensive end, and it reduces the gameplan versus a dominant big man like Howard or Bynum to figuring out how to lessen their impact on the boards. We are a long way from the hey day of the big man in the NBA.  It’s a guards league now.

• Portland is the early “wise guy” pick to make the Western Conference Finals.  Their collection of Wing players is only rivaled by the Miami Heat, and they are finding timely scoring from Jamal Crawford.  Will that last?  It might not matter.  The key to this team is their front line and their wing players.  Nate McMillan has them playing at a fast pace while still hugging the Top 5 in Offensive and Defensive efficiency and boasting the NBA’s 5th best rebounding rate.  There are a lot of indicators early on that suggest that Portland will be in this for the long haul.  A Trailblazers / Thunder Western Conference Finals would be entertaining for it’s matchups and for the clash of styles that could lend itself to some really entertaining basketball.

•  The Lakers struggles seem born out of Kobe Bryant’s stubbornness and a lack of athleticism.   Bryant’s play this season at times has been clownish.  Unworthy of the legacy of allegedly a Top 10 all-time NBA player.  No team can boast the size the Lakers can project, yet their three point shooting has been miserable.  Why is that?

Well, Pau Gasol is first of all, getting reduced touches.  Second of all, Mike Brown has Bryant seemingly calling the signals down the stretch, and he is isolating way too much.  Sad is it might be for Kobe fans, teams do not help on Kobe anymore.  Teams are staying home on three point shooters. And when a perimeter player such as Kobe Bryant is dominating the ball, it lends to big men such as Gasol and Bynum to lose interest.  The Lakers have a mess in what their “game” should or could be.  It is an identity crisis, and it is the aging superstar that is resisting necessary change.

•  The Chicago Bulls are back, and the inevitability of a Heat/Bulls Eastern Conference Final is rather stark.  The Bulls consistency on defense reminds me of those Pat Riley Miami Heat teams of the 90′s.  Carlos Boozer is still a liability for the most part, but they have found a comfort zone in their rotation, and it seems to be working out.  The Bulls’ defense is good enough to pile up a lot of regular season wins again, but in the playoffs, versus a team that has many scoring options, the Bulls will have to rely heavily on Derrick Rose, yet again.  I don’t believe that the Rip Hamilton signing was much of a difference maker, but it does add another option that can become useful.  The Heat has been fortunate in what their direct threats did this offseason.

• The Studio shows on ESPN and TNT have taken a severe turn for the worse.  On ESPN, we are reduced to Mike Wilbon waving Chicago Bull pom poms and Jon Barry taking “Heat Hate” to the comedic stages.  The actual basketball analysis is terrible except for Chris Broussard, who does a very good job.  I cannot understand why they did away with a studio host on that show.  The flow seems clunky now, and they are reduced to PTI type gimmicks such as “over/under” to fill time.

I feel as if the Mike Breen/Jeff Van Gundy commentating team has suffered with the loss of Mark Jackson to Golden State (yeah, I am the one). Meanwhile, I am taking a liking to the Kevin Harlan / Reggie Miller combo.  Reggie is rather informative and has been informative on the broadcast for a while.  Last season, he seemed to want to pile on the Miami Heat for whatever reason, and he definitely bought into the group think while pushing the common non-stories about the Heat.

The TNT studio show went under some changes with the addition of Shaquille O’Neal. And so far, it has been a dud.  We all know that the only guy that offers any type of real analysis on the show is Kenny Smith. And Charles Barkley is there for comedic relief.  SHAQ, just doesn’t fit in.  He has no role.  He is not particularly smart about Basketball.  He doesn’t seem to know the teams.  He is not particularly funny in this format, and he mumbles.  Other than that, he’s great!

I am just not a fan.  Thank You for our championship in 05-06′, now get off my screen.  His presence is also affecting the dynamic between Kenny and Charles.  Ernie Johnson keeps looking at him with this “worried” look on his face, while Kenny Smith, for whatever reason, feels the need to stroke SHAQ’s ego constantly with unnecessary compliments that seem totally out of place.  Barkley treats him as a equal, as he should, because Sir Charles is a media pro, and is acting like it.

We can only hope it gets better, because it would be a shame if the best studio show in all of sports gets ruined.

A week into the NBA season, and you can’t say that you aren’t entertained.  The Miami Heat, with their “new” Pace and Space offense has filled highlight packages everywhere.  Even when they play about as bad as they are capable of playing versus the Charlotte Bobcats on the second of a back to back, the Heat still manage to come back in stirring fashion, with a fill of drama to boot.

The first week of the season, has been a feeling out process for the Heat, with a couple of new faces integrated into the rotation.

On opening day, the Heat pushed a break neck pace and ran away with the game, while calling (to the naked eye) less than one handful of sets.  I managed to count upon further review, two very distinct UCLA sets in the 1st quarter, and a handful of corner sets the rest of the way.  If you guessed less than 10 “called” sets for the entire game, you would be right.

Something that started last year, is now the reality.  Last year, Coach Erik Spoelstra trusted Dwyane Wade and LeBron James to “quarterback” the offense for stretches. Now they are trusted with a larger role in managing the offense.  Except for obvious out of timeout situations, or possession for possession situations, Coach Spo won’t call too many plays.  When you have two of the highest basketball IQ’s in the NBA playing for you, you can do that.  You don’t hand Peyton Manning a play sheet.

Of the new faces added to the roster, the most promising is easily Rookie Point Guard Norris Cole.  As stated in my Draft Review, Norris Cole’s biggest asset is his speed, and he has used it to benefit the Heat tremendously in this young season.

Certain players are easier to project into the pros, because of their film.  Sometimes, a guy’s film just pops.  Watching a couple of his games is what led me to raving about him on Twitter.  I am glad he has vindicated me somewhat.  I am not sure what the rest of the league saw, that he wasn’t a lottery pick.  His development the rest of the season has to come in his pick and roll game, to take advantage of the bevy of pick and roll partners on this team.  We have seen a smidgen of what his offensive game can and should be.

The other new face that has been slowly integrated is Shane Battier.  After a mere trial run versus Dallas in the opener, he saw a few more minutes versus Boston before turning in a fine performance versus the Charlotte Bobcats.  I do not buy into the “No stats all-star” talk, but as a source with some knowledge told me: “Some guys have film that is off the charts.  Shane is one of those guys.”

I think I am beginning to understand what he meant, watching Shane Battier’s off-the-bench stint that started in the 3rd quarter versus the Bobcats.  It was a 7 and a half minute stint that found him with some positive numbers such as 2 block shots and a steal, but what the box score doesn’t show is that he had five deflections, altered two Charlotte sets by denying a couple of high post entries, and was not late on one single rotation.

I watched the same 7 and a half minutes twice to focus on his play, and you can see what Pat Riley saw in him.  He will be a useful player if he can give that same effort and contribute the occasional open corner three.

A practice inside of a game

I found it interesting that during a stretch where the Boston Celtics ran a 3-2 zone, the Heat inserted a lineup it had not used, and Coach Spoelstra then called every single play from the sidelines.

Upon further review of this period, you see 6 distinctive sets run for each guy that would — in a future situation — be a zone busting weapon, minus of course Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and James Jones.  Why would Spoelstra do that?  Well, the obvious answer is that he was working out newer options in that situation.  Of the 6 sets, 5 ended with the right look.  As Coach Spoelstra likes to say “It is a make or miss league”.  They just missed.

Does it show a special disrespect to launch an in-game tutorial versus a rival with a big lead?  No.  It shows that you sometimes have to take advantage of situations you are presented with as a coach.

As for some magic elixir to defeat the zone that some teams go to versus the Heat, there is none.  It is about making open shots, and using your defense on the other end to break the zone naturally with transition offense.

As we embark on the 2011-2012 NBA season, we find that the contenders for the title, for the most part (with the exception of Chicago), find themselves weakened, while the defending Eastern Conference Champions are pretty much the same.  We have slight improvements to the New York Knicks and a vast improvement to the Indiana Pacers.  We have a much improved Clippers team out west and the natural progression of teams such as the Memphis Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder make them teams on the rise.

We are set for a memorable season, as the Miami Heat set out to win the first championship for the “Big Three”.

Eastern Conference

1.  Miami Heat  (50-16)  Key Addition:  Shane Battier.  The Miami Heat, in a shortened, more compact season, will rely on their veteran presence and familiarity.  Chris Bosh will benefit greatly from having a year under his belt as should Head Coach Erik Spoelstra.  It is never easy, and it won’t be for year two of the Big Three, but it will definately be “easier” than last year, which places them back in the NBA Finals.

2.  Boston Celtics  (45 to 48 wins)  Key Additions:  Brandon Bass.  The Celtics with their age, should be hindered in a compact 66 game season, but their experience, as well as a slight regression from the Chicago Bulls, will find them as the number 2 seed in the EC.  Age and a lack of depth will come back to bite them again, as the Celtics last hurrah falls a bit short.
3.  Chicago Bulls  (43 to 46 wins)  Key Addition:  Rip Hamilton.  Last year, the Chicago Bulls gained the overall #1 seed, but I project a step back, as players that had near career years last year, should return to the mean.  Come playoff time however, the Bulls will be formidable, and a rematch with the Miami Heat in the EC Finals, is a realistic destination.
4.  Orlando Magic  (40 to 43 wins) Key Addition:  Glen Davis.  On Dwight Howard Watch all year, it has to take it’s toll, and a lack of improvement on the roster, will find them on a continued downward trajectory.  Another 1st round, knockdown, draggout series awaits, as another 1st round exit is certainly possible.
5.  New York Knicks  (38 to 41 wins)  Key Addition:  Tyson Chandler.  Arguably the best front line in the NBA, the second year of the Melo/Amare combination will bear fruit, as the Knicks will be vastly improved with a year under their belt.  Landry Fields, should be a more consistent contributor and the Knicks natural front Line advantage, will lend itself to many regular season wins.  Come playoff time, their deficiencies in the back court and perimeter defense will be exposed.
6.  Indiana Pacers  (36 to 39 wins)  Key Addition:  David West.  Under 1st year Head Coach Frank Vogel, the Pacers caught a nice roll to get into the playoffs, and then push the Chicago Bulls in their first round series.  Their defensive style, and good shooting will lend itself to alot of regular season success, which will put them in a position to be the NBA’s most improved team.
7.  Philadelphia 76ers  (33 to 36 wins)  Key Addition:  None.  A young energetic team that gave the Heat some trouble in the 1st round last year, find themselves in year two under Head Coach Doug Collins. A slight improvement is in the cards, and I project that we will finally see the Sixers fans “dream” matchup of a Celtics/76ers 1st round tilt.  I expect Thad Young to challenge for the most improved player award.
8.  Atlanta Hawks  (33 to 36 wins)  Key Addition:  Tracy McGrady.  Another team on a never ending downward trajectory, that managed somewhat of a upward tick last year, winning two games versus the Bulls in the second round.  The Hawks remain a piece away from serious contention.  A piece, it seems, that they will never gain.

Western Conference

1.  Oklahoma City Thunder  (48 to 51 wins)  Key Addition:  None.  It’s popular to go with the young team progressing, and say that they will naturally take the next step, so allow me to join the chorus.  OKC will relieve the Mavs of the Western Conference crown, and it could be theirs for the foreseeable future.  It usually takes a year and a half for players to fully recover from Torn Ligaments in the Knee, and Kendrick Perkins should be rounding back into form this season.
2.  Dallas Mavericks  (46 to 49 wins)  Key Addition:  Lamar Odom.  The loss of Tyson Chandler was big, as he made all the difference in the Mavs Zone defense.  The Mavericks should be improved offensively with the addition of Lamar Odom, and they will rebound just fine, but I feel Brendan Haywood is a severe departure from what Chandler brought them.
3.  San Antonio Spurs  (43 to 46 wins)  Key Addition:  None.  In what could be Tim Duncan’s final charge for one last title, the Spurs will be plenty good in the regular season.  Gregg Popovich will marshall his resources well, and the Spurs’ three point shooting, will be condusive to regular season success.  Come playoff time, rebounding could become an issue and keep them from going deep into the playoffs.
4.  Los Angeles Lakers  (42 to 45 wins)  Key Addition:  None.  They will still be the Lakers, which means that they will have Kobe Bryant and a formidable front line.  Mike Brown will stress defense, and the offense will most likely come from alot of Kobe Bryant freelancing.  it won’t be pretty, or coordinated as the triangle, but effective enough, for Kobe’s last stand.
5.  Memphis Grizzlies  (38 to 41 wins)  Key Addition:  None.  The Grizz were the story of the 2010-2011 NBA Playoffs as they threatened to reach the WC Finals from the #8 seed.  A tough team on their front line, that is getting back near all-star Rudy Gay.  I would expect them to improve and for the development of PG Mike Conley to continue.  They have the look of a team that could be challenging the OKC Thunder for the WC Crown for many years to come.
6.  Los Angeles Clippers  (37 to 40 wins)  Key Addition:  Chris Paul.  The Clippers had a very good offseason, adding Superstar Point Guard Chris Paul in a trade, Caron Butler in Free Agency (if healthy) and retaining Most Improved player candidate DeAndre Jordan.  There will be a Buzz in the Staples center year round, and it will make for some very interesting Laker / Clipper matchups.  Maybe even in the playoffs.
7.  Portland Trailblazers  (34 to 37 wins)  Key Addition:  Jamal Crawford.  Portland was pretty strong on the perimeter last year,ang it will be no different this year.  In Nic Batum, and Gerald Wallace, The Blazers possess just the right type of wing players to compete with the bevy of Lengthy wing players in the Western Conference.  They will be a tough out.
8.  Denver Nuggets  (33 to 36 wins)  Key Addition:  None.  The Nuggets post Melo Trade were pretty impressive, especially at the pace they were able to play at, night in and night out.  The Nuggets play hard, and have a favorite of mine emerging this year to take over the PG duties (Ty Lawson).  They will  be fun to watch, and as long as they can tread water till the “China Two” (Wilson Chandler, JR Smith) come back, a return to the playoffs is likely.

The Miami Heat Defeat The Oklahoma City Thunder 4-2 in the NBA Finals.

NBA Awards

NBA Most Improved Player:

DeAndre Jordan – Los Angeles Clippers.  After cashing with a nice contract, DeAndre Jordan will produce at a level that was expected.  A 13/10 season, plenty of highlight Lob dunks, and 2 blocks a game, will net him the award.  The most athletic 7 footer in the league (interesting how he shrunk to 6′-11″ in listed height), now becomes a useful player, and near all-star.

Rookie of the Year:

Kemba Walker – Charlotte Bobcats.  Tempted to take Derrick Williams, but he has a minutes crush in Minnesota, Kyrie Irving’s game is not polished enough, and Enes Kanter will also have a minutes crush.  So that leaves us with a looter in a riot on the leagues worst team, filling up the scoring column for rookie of the year.

Sixth Man of the Year:

Udonis Haslem – Miami Heat.  UD finally gets his due.  Puts in a 11/9 season, and gets the notice of the national media.  It translates to a much deserved award.  Udonis Haslem will have the perfect storm in order to win the award this year.  In my opinion, only health can derail him.

Coach of the Year:

Scott Brooks – Oklahoma City Thunder.  Politics, and a good record, will hand Coach Brooks the award.  An even, steady, regular season performance and a #1 seed is enough.  Brooks is the pick here.

Executive of the Year:

Neil Olshey – Los Angeles Clippers.  The Chris Paul trade, and a vault from obscurity to the playoffs and national prominence, will make Olshey a name that will be mentioned for the award.  He wins, based on the teams’ winning percentage improvement.

Defensive Player of the Year:

Dwight Howard – Orlando Magic.  The voters are too comfortable voting for prolific shot blocking centers that have gaudy rebounding numbers.  The intelligent NBA fan would give serious consideration to guys such as LeBron James and Gerald Wallace.  But they (the voters) won’t.

NBA MVP:

Kevin Durant – Oklahoma City Thunder.  Process of deduction.  Chris Paul’s team won’t be good enough.  Same for Dwight Howard.  LeBron James will split votes with Dwyane Wade.  That leaves us with Dirk Nowitzki, Derrick Rose, and Kobe Bryant as serious contenders.  A #1 seed and another scoring title wins Durant his 1st NBA MVP award.

A lot was made of what a prospective CBA would look like, and its effects on the Miami Heat.  We heard talk of “breaking up” the big three, of draconian tax tables for tax paying teams, and the term “Hard Salary Cap” used in all types of ominous tones over the last few months.  After a quick perusal of the prospective CBA, we find that, none of it came to pass.

The Players, while making considerable concessions on BRI, managed to preserve much of the system they enjoyed, during the last CBA.  The biggest of which was in the way, the MLE (Mid Level Exception) is implemented.  The new system is favorable for Non-Tax paying teams, if they wish to exercise the use of the MLE.  Tax paying teams can offer $3M per year for 3 years, while Non-Tax Paying teams can offer the full MLE of $5M per year for 4 years.

Simply put, no team is in a better position for this upcoming free agency period than the Miami Heat, being that they already have three stars on the roster, with the ability to add a player at the full MLE.  Their competition for the MLE type of free agent will come from Chicago, New York, and to a lesser extent Oklahoma City.  None of the three have a third All-star caliber player on the roster and will have that in mind when committing more dollars to a salary structure that will tighten toward the end of the opt out period of the CBA.  The Miami Heat could have the market all to themselves.  The market however is rather limited.

Amnesty

A new feature in this CBA, is the Amnesty Clause, of which many had speculated, would be used on Mike Miller, who would be waived in order to gain his cap charge to use on another player or two.  How it has been reported, the Amnesty Clause, can be used once during the entire run of the new CBA.  It just doesn’t make sense to use it on Mike Miller, when his contract is not burdensome, and the Miami Heat still has the means to add any pieces they may need.  The Amnesty Clause is not something I believe the Heat will use for the foreseeable future.

Miami Heat Free Agent Targets

Mario Chalmers – PG  6′ 2″ - Their own free agent, he should be the top priority, but don’t think he won’t be coveted.  In a weak PG market, Chalmers will command a look by many teams, and the Dollars could be ratcheted up.  Mario Chalmers, is a restricted Free Agent, so the Heat can match any offer he receives.  I expect him to have suitors, but a return to the Miami Heat is expected.

Samuel Dalembert – C  6′ 11″ - Nobody has been talked about more than Dalembert as a Heat Target/priority for Free Agency.  He just makes sense.  A good rebounder, with good feet around the basket.  In the Heat’s system, Sam could be a shot challenging machine with a hint of offense.  Think Joel Anthony with better hands.  Speaking of which, it’s a real possiblity that Joel Anthony will be the main chip traded in a sign and trade for Dalembert.  The Kings would be smart to finesse Anthony out of Miami.

Pipe Dream Scenario of Tyson Chandler, DeAndre Jordan or Nene Hilario – C  7′ 1″,6′ 11″, 6′ 11″ - $20M for 4 years is just not enough to compete seriously for their services.  Signing any of these would amount to the greatest coup in Free Agent history, to gain an all-star caliber Center for the MLE.  Can’t see it happening, but it doesn’t mean that the Heat won’t explore it and offer their best pitch.

Thaddeus Young – F  6′ 8″ - A restricted Free Agent, who’s qualifying offer makes him a candidate for the full MLE, will likely have his offer sheet matched by the Sixers.  Spending resources on non-essential personnel is not Riley’s style.  The talent however is there.  Prying him out of Philly, would be a great move for any club.

Tayshaun Prince – SF  6′ 9″ - A Riley favorite, who can allow the Heat to play a “bigger” lineup with Lebron James running the point.  Truth is that Mike Miller is a better fit, being a better shooter than Prince.  The argument for Prince is that his defensive presence can allow Lebron James and Dwyane Wade to concentrate on executing the offense instead of matching up with opposing guards and small forwards.

Shane Battier – SF  6′ 8″ - Interesting for the same reasons Prince is interesting, but a better fit in this sense:  Battier is a career 38% shooter from three, and his corner three is perfect for the Heat’s UCLA and Corner Offense concepts.

Grant Hill – SF  6′ 8″ - Coming off a great year, he will be a hot commodity for title contenders at something close to the Veteran’s minimum.  Grant Hill has been very productive the past two seasons in Phoenix, and his three point shooting has become a weapon.  A very good option for the price, especially if James Jones finds a suitor.

James Jones – SF  6′ 8″ - The Heat got plenty value out of James Jones salary slot last year, but I don’t expect that to continue.  Three point champions, usually get a look further than a mere Veterans minimum offer.  Somebody will use the mini-MLE (bi-annual $1.9M Exception) which is almost double the Vets minimum.  After committing to Mario Chalmers, I don’t see how the Heat would want to commit more salary to somebody who’s minutes will be reduced with a healthy Mike Miller returning.  Especially, when there are better veteran options at the same price.

Caron Butler – SF  6′ 7″ - A return would be well received in the Heat lockeroom, as well as in the stands, but Butler has the look of a guy that is done physically.  Buyer beware.

Jamal Crawford – SG  6′ 5″ - See the Tyson Chandler and Nene scenario.  Crawford will get paid.

J.J Barea – PG  6′ 0″  - Finals Hero, and spark plug for the Dallas Mavericks, makes sense on paper, but not in reality.  Barea is a specialty player that would have a hard time gaining minutes with the Heat.  Does not fit in any way, the mold Pat Riley has in mind for a point guard on this team.

Kris Humphries – PF  6′ 9″ - The prime candidate to get an inflated contract that will be later “Amnestied” down the road.  I don’t see the Heat as suitors for Humphries as his services will command a large commitment.  10/10 Power Forwards command large salaries.

Roster Filler, Vet. Minimum Types:

Kurt Thomas – C/PF, Kenyon Martin – PF, Chris Wilcox – PF, Tracy McGrady – SG/SF, Michael Redd -SG, Josh Howard – SF.

If you have been following the lockout on Twitter, ESPN, the newspapers, radio, etc., you have noticed a turn to what can only be described as “silly”.

You have, as of late, a Players Association President (Derek Fisher), an Executive Director (Billy Hunter), a League Commissioner (David Stern and a Deputy Commissioner (Adam Silver) engaged in all the spin, finger pointing, and recrimination usually reserved for political campaigns.

One side however (The Owners), seem at least halfway competent in getting their spin accepted as fact.  The other (The Players),  is at a severe public relations disadvantage.  What makes this so silly, is the gossip that is being fed and spread through both parties.

On Friday the 29th, a Foxsports Report by Jason Whitlock alleged that Derek Fisher was selling out the union and cutting a side deal for 50/50 of BRI.  Yesterday, a Yahoo! Sports piece by Adrian Wojnarowski put the blame squarely on Billy Hunter and alleges among other things, incompetence.

What can be made of these reports?

Unless both of these guys are flat out making this up (they are not), they are being fed a spin for public consumption. To be clearer, they are being fed competing spin from within the same organization that can only serve to divide.

The main area of contention for the Union here is the final number of BRI (Basketball Related Income).  The owners, in exchange for what they consider “system concessions” (they are not concessions at all), would accept a 50/50 split of BRI.  The players consider a 52/48 split adequate for the concessions they have made on the system, including a drastic cut to the Mid Level Exemption.

It seems that the NBPA, while accepting the parameters of the system changes, has painted itself into a position where, if they want a deal, must accept the owners 50/50 BRI offer to keep the meager “concessions” they gained on the management system.

The players feel as if they can “live” with the system changes they negotiated, but only if they can preserve a 52/48 split.  The players see the system and BRI as separate items.  The owners don’t, and are tying system changes to percentage points of BRI they are willing to concede.  The Owners have staked out their position and have promised to reduce their “generosity” as games are lost.

The Owners simply look more prepared to miss the entire season than the players do.

There are already rumblings, of some players urging Derek Fisher to bring “something” to the rank and file for a vote.  Just like some in the media where contacted by several owners to protest their “inclusion” into the ranks of the intransigent, there are now some players who are making it known that it is time to deal.

The time is over for slogans and snappy t-shirts.  The “work” of Billy Hunter, and to a lesser extent Derek Fisher, has brought the negotiations to where they are.  Where they are is at a position of making all of the concessions and gaining nothing in return.

So what happens now?

In my opinion, the charge of Billy Hunter and Derek Fisher should be to preserve system aspects that allow tax paying teams to continue to add payroll, when they deem fit.  Any restrictions to the Mid Level Exemption and any draconian tax tables serve as a back door hard cap, which would bury the membership in the long run.

What is likely to happen is a ground swell to finalize something to bring to the 450 some odd members to vote on.

With every passing day, Derek Fisher’s position improves while Billy Hunter’s suffers.  A deal is to be had at 50/50 and they all know it (as Wojnarowski states in his piece).  Dishonest accounting and number fudging aside, the players know the only way to preserve favorable system conditions is to accept the deal of the moment.  It only gets worse from here.

As for the fans, if you are really “pro-player” in this labor dispute, you should be cheering for the players to “leave it” in this take it or leave it scenario.

But we all know that in the end, fans are selfish by nature. And their self-interest of seeing professional basketball will supersede any opinions/convictions they may have of the fairness of these negotiations. They are evidence of the failure in PR on behalf of the players association.

The “Indigent Rich” have won the day.

The Big Three Basketball Classic.  (Three on Three Tournament)
Thomas and Mack Center/ MGM Grand Arena (Finals), Las Vegas, Nevada. Time:  Tipoff Friday Night (Play in Game) 9:00pm Eastern, October 14th through 17th, Call your local PPV provider, $54.95 for all three nights of coverage.

Rules
•Games will be to 21 and half court, with FG’s counting as 1 and 3 pt. FG’s counting as 2. When FT’s are warranted, only one FT will be taken.   Make it Take it rules apply till the last 2 minutes of play, with mandatory change of posession after 3 consecutive field goals, the shot clock will be set at 20 seconds.

•Each game will have a running clock set for 30 minutes.  The game ends on game point, (must win by 2), or when the 30 minutes runs out, (clock stops in last 2 minutes for side out of bounds, FT’s and change of possesion.

•One Referee assigned per game, Players call their own fouls, but can be overuled by the Referee.  Referee makes all out of bounds and 2 pt. FG calls.

•Teams consist of 4 with one Inactive emergency alternate, with 3 playing, each team allowed 2 timeouts per game.

•The Tournament is double elimination, through the Finals.

•The Finals is the only Timed game/s.  It will be Two 15 minute halves, with the clock stopping for change of posession, Timeouts and FT’s.

First Round Matchups:

#1 Seed:  Team Miami:  Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Udonis Haslem. Alt: Mario Chalmers
#8 Seed: Winner of Play-In Game.

#4 Seed:  Team OKC: Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Serge Ibaka.  Alt: Eric Maynor
#5 Seed:  Team Young Stars:  John Wall, Blake Griffin, Kevin Love, Tyreke Evans.  Alt:  Stephen Curry

#2 Seed:  Team LA:  Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher.  Alt:  Andrew Bynum
#7 Seed:  Team New York:  Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Landry Fields.  Alt: Tony Douglas

#3 Seed:  Team Boston: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen.  Alt: Jeff Green
#6 Seed:  Team Dallas:  Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Tyson Chandler, Jason Kidd.  Alt: Shawn Marion

PLAY IN GAME:
Team Memphis:  Zach Randolph, Tony Allen, Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol. Alt: OJ Mayo
Team Chicago:  Derrick Rose, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah.  Alt:  CJ Watson

Who you Got?