Tag Archive for: NBA

Udonis Haslem has had enough of your garbage

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OK, that’s not the word he would use.

 

But this is a family website.

Five Reasons and Miami favorite Udonis Haslem posted on Instagram, to let people know what he thinks of them telling him he shouldn’t play anymore. He might tell you something different in person.

View this post on Instagram

I've never been the one to listen to outside noise. Key word is listen. Doesn't mean I don't hear. See the thing most average minded people don't get is if I let your expectations of me define me then I wouldn't be here today. Problem is majority of this world is average ASF!! Nobody ever expected shit from a young fat kid from liberty city. Hell why would they? But I'm thankful they didn't. I guess I shouldn't own Subways, and Einstein, and Auntie Ann's, and Starbucks, and 800 Degrees Woodfire kitchens either huh? What I've grown to realize in my life is that my obsession with success, my drive to overcome obstacles, and my overall work ethics is way higher than most. And I'm ok with that. It makes sense why most think I should retire at 39. Cause most would. Cause most are average minded. Most don't look like this at 39! Hell they ain't look like this at 19. Lol. So y'all keep worrying about the last spot on the roster while I sit back and stay ready so I don't gotta get ready. I'm not saying I'm playing next year but if u with me then u will support whatever I do!! Not tell me what to do!! And if that ain't good enough for u, in the words of Barbara Wooten f**k ya!! U was never wit me anyway!! Oh and one more thing. You out your 🐰 ass mind if you think I can't still play this game. I'll sleepwalk into a double double cause I'm just built different!! Y'all should know that by now but keep hating. I need y'all!! A chain is only as strong as its weakest link and if I'm the weak link that's a hell of a f**king chain!! ✌🏾️☑️💯 #og

A post shared by Udonis Haslem (@ud40) on

Our view on this:

UD should do whatever the f— he wants.

He takes the 15th roster spot?

So bleeping what.

The Heat have 2 two-way slots now. They can develop young players that way.

If he wants to play, he should play. If he wants to coach, he should coach. If he wants to run his restaurants — I was his Subway in Oakwood Plaza this weekend — you should get a meatball sub and like it. And order another.

And if he wants a podcast on the Five Reasons Sports network, get him a damn sponsor and let’s do it.

Very few athletes in South Florida history have earned this right. He has given himself to the Heat franchise and, more importantly, the community, in every conceivable way. His body. His soul. He is Heat Culture, if that really means anything.

Oh yeah, and he takes a photo with my daughter at every Heat family fest.

She chose that jersey for a reason.

So U do U, UD.

Forever and always.

Highlights of Heat’s draft night & Riley’s presser

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Alphonse Sidney (@Alf954) and I were at American Airlines Arena for the Miami Heat’s 2019 draft, and stuck around until past 1 a.m. to tape a couple of podcasts and hear from first-round pick Tyler Herro (by conference call) and Heat president Pat Riley.

Here are some of the highlights, tweet by tweet:

 

 

More to come….

 

Miami Heat draft Tyler Herro, fans not thrilled

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Sekou.

KPJ.

Bol Bol.

Three high upside players, which the Miami Heat need.

Even Brandon Clarke, the so-called safest pick.

Plenty of players thought to be Heat options were available at No. 13.

Pat Riley, however, went back to his alma matter, for a player — swingman Tyler Herro — who was projected in the 20s until recently.

Miami has done good work in the draft the past four years, so maybe this works out.

Herro was certainly happy.

But the initial reaction was mostly skepticism.

Early polling on @5ReasonsSports had about 75 percent of the fans against it.

Nor was there much excitement in the main bowl of AmericanAirlines Arena, where the Heat were hosting a draft party.

 

More on a podcast posting soon, plus comments from Herro and Pat Riley.

Miami Heat’s draft night gets busier

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Refresh our memories.

When is the last time the Miami Heat were the team giving up cash considerations?

Maybe it’s happened recently, but it doesn’t come to mind. The Heat have been in cost-saving, more than cost-adding, mode since the middle of the Big Three era — but apparently they like some of the prospects in this draft enough to pony up a little.

Here’s the trade they just made:

What’s interesting about this deal is that the Heat have done such an incredible job of developing undrafted players of late that it hasn’t seemed necessary to stockpile second round picks.

But apparently, the Heat scouts are intrigued by the depth in this year’s draft. And they also may see a need. The team’s depth, particularly in the backcourt, has already been thinned by the cost-related subtractions of Rodney McGruder, Tyler Johnson and Wayne Ellington — plus the retirement of Dwyane Wade.

Look for coverage from American Airlines Arena — on this website and on podcasts — from myself (Ethan Skolnick) and Alphonse Sidney. That will include a recap of Pat Riley’s remarks, which now figure to occur early Friday morning, when everything is over.

Goran Dragic, to no one’s surprise, opts in

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Point Guard Goran Dragic has informed the Heat of his decision to pick up his player option for the 2019-20 season.

The final year on Dragic’s contract is worth $19.2 million.

It was widely expected that Dragic would indeed opt in to the final year of his lucrative 2019-20 salary. What was much less expected is the timing related to the decision. 

Upon formally opting in, Dragic is now eligible to be traded. This is particularly interesting when you factor in the 2019 NBA draft being one week away. 

The NBA draft is typically accompanied by a flurry of trade activity and this decision by Dragic drastically increases the chances he could be dealt prior to next season. 

Dragic is still a useful veteran point guard on an expiring contract.

He will have interested trade suitors.

Have the Heat presented Dragic with trade scenarios that would require him to opt in but also give Dragic say in where he lands? Or did Dragic opt in because the Heat assured him he wasn’t on the trade block? And what does this mean for Justise Winslow, who showed promise as a point guard option, even if the Heat keep touting his versatility instead?

Plenty of questions remain as we prepare for next Thursday’s draft and free agency in July. 

Warriors look like end of the Big 3 Heat

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All the signs were similar Friday night.

Not closing out on rotations. Hands on hips. Looking lost. Looking spent.

As the storyline shifts to whether a superstar leaves this summer.

The 2018-19 Warriors have become the 2013-14 Heat.

Now, some will — and did — point to the absence of Kevin Durant as the real reason why the Warriors have fallen behind 3-1 to Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors. Naturally, that’s a huge component, though the Warriors were nearly unbeatable this season when Steph Curry and Klay Thompson played, and Durant didn’t. There seems to be something else at play here. Teams get tired of each other. But they also just get tired. Tired of all the extra games. Tired of all the roster attrition. Tired of all the media. Tired of all the expectations.

Remember what Dwyane Wade told me after the 2013-14 season?

“Last year wasn’t fun.”

Here was that story: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2217199-the-exclusive-d-wade-qa-on-why-last-year-wasnt-fun-and-life-after-lebron

It wasn’t fun for anyone. Not the players. Not the coach (seen here in one of the grainy photos I took on that final night in 2014 in San Antonio.)

And now, here we are again.

And it’s Kawhi — and to a much lesser degree, Danny Green — again.

A much hungrier team.

A much seemingly happier team.

And the likely end of a mini-dynasty.

Our own Ricky Marc had an astute observation:

Could Miami Heat make a play at Anthony Davis?

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Any time there’s a prominent player ready to move, you’ll hear the Miami Heat mentioned.

This is still a desired destination, even if the Heat’s disastrous summers of 2016 and 2017 have prevented Miami from being in position to receive anyone. Pat Riley said, during his end-of-season presser that he was essentially waiting on a star to force his way here — which means then telling GM Andy Elisburg to make the damn numbers work.

Could they work for Anthony Davis?

Davis is the prototypical Riley target, like Alonzo Mourning, Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Hardaway and so many others after. He is disgruntled. He wants out, even apparently after the Pelicans lucked into position to draft Zion Williamson to play with him. And he has something to prove, after never lifting his team to a conference finals.

Then, today, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders put Davis on a list of teams in the hunt for the former Kentucky star.

How does this happen?

Well, the Heat would have to gut the roster. All the talk of pivoting to the Kids. Yeah, that wouldn’t be happening. At least 2 would have to go, most likely, plus contracts to make the money work.

Would it be worth it?

I posed that question, and most say yes.

It’s roughly a 2-to-1 margin.

And this makes sense.

Waiting is not the Heat way.

You have Caron and Lamar, you flip them for Shaq.

Get the star. Sort the rest out.

I love Bam Adebayo’s potential and personality.

But this is an impatient fan base at this stage, and that matters.

Davis makes the Heat relevant again, immediately. He rarely stays healthy, but maybe would here in the Heat’s conditioning program. He’s not known as a problem guy. He has every skill imaginable.

Please, for the sake of interest in our network, make it happen, Pat. It’s your parting gift to South Florida, before you retreat to Malibu.

Playful Kids — Bam, DJJ — want to take Heat into future

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As we wait to see what the Heat will do with the 13th pick in the draft — and we say they take a risk rather than play safe — the Heat’s existing core of young players seems eager for more responsibility.

Justise Winslow has made it repeatedly clear he wants to be one of the new faces, if not the face, of the team.

And yesterday, close friends Bam Adebayo and Derrick Jones Jr. appears at a new Learn & Play Center at Jose Marti Park and expressed similar sentiments.

The great thing about this group is all have likable personalities. That’s a start. Now the question is how much they can grow, to fill a little of the void Dwyane Wade has left.

One of our Miami Heat Beat podcasters, Alex Toledo, was there, and posted the highlights on Twitter.

Here’s his string:

 

 

 

Justise Winslow

Justise Not Served? Heat Linked to Point Guards

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The Heat don’t have a starting forward on their roster.

Not one.

Yes, Kelly Olynyk can play power forward, but he’s really best at center, where the Heat have Hassan Whiteside (who is likely not opting out) and Bam Adebayo (who needs to start).

Yes, Derrick Jones, Jr., played both forward spots last season, and he’s improving rapidly, but he’s not quite at the level where he would start for most teams either.

Yes, James Johnson is paid a lot. But, well, you know.

They do appear to have two starting quality point guards, however, and yet, oddly, they keep getting linked to any and every point who may be available. That’s with Goran Dragic likely to opt in for the final season of his contract — and with Justise Winslow showing last season that it is by far his best position.

So what’s happening here?

Both Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra made a point, during their end-of-season press conferences, to spotlight Winslow’s versatility. That was a telling, and somewhat troubling, sign. What is it going to take for them to see that Winslow is not suited to be a smallball power forward or a stand-in-the-corner wing as much as he is equipped to be someone with the ball in his hands, making plays for himself and others? That he feeds off that responsibility, gains confidence, and plays better?

My belief was the Heat should have taken that approach with their postseason talks. Tell Winslow and the world that he can be the guy there if he enhances certain aspects of his game. He’s a hard worker, and has already made great strides as a finisher and as a range shooter. Now get him running thousands of pick-and-rolls all summer long.

Maybe the Heat are.

And maybe they plan to deal Dragic, to clear more time for Winslow at the spot.

But why then are we hearing all of this, and is it just coming from the other side?

And this:

OK, that one was Brian Scalabrine, and apparently it was prior to Winslow’s point guard emergence.

That was our own Greg Sylvander (@Lefty_Leif) who reported that one.

And, finally, there’s this rumor, which has the most credibility, because the Heat have loved this player for a long, long time:

OK, now, the Conley thing makes some sense.

I’ve always been a fan as well.

One thing that isn’t well known is how much respect Dwyane Wade and Conley have for each other, and clearly Wade still holds some sway around these parts.

Here was Conley when I asked him at NBA All-Star Weekend about swapping jerseys earlier in the season:

He’s Heat Culture, through and through. Selfless. Determined. Consistent.

But again, would his arrival mean the departure of Dragic, the departure of Winslow or the shifting of Winslow to a position where he is not as naturally comfortable?

 

 

 

Five Reasons: NBA Finals Predictions

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As the NBA Finals start Thursday, we sampled the opinions of the various members of the Five Reasons Sports Network — because, naturally, we know better than anyone.

And, naturally, our first host didn’t really give a result.

Here you go…

 

Giancarlo Navas, Miami Heat Beat:
My heart is telling me Raptors in 5 but my brain is saying Warriors in 7, it’s a huge gulf so it’s probably something in-between. Raptors in 7? Can’t see them winning a closeout in Oracle (the last game that will be played in that arena), and 5 seems a bit ambitious on my part.

The Raptor defense has been incredible this post-season, but the Warriors will present more off ball movement than any other series for them. The Sixers and Bucks offense wasn’t incredibly motion and ball movement based so the question of how much the Raptors will switch off-ball screens is front and center. They have the defensive versatility to switch 1-4 and maybe even 5 on some occasions with Ibaka and Siakam if he sees time at center, which is a possibility if OG Anunoby will be back this series.

Most important in this series is the way that the Raptors defend the Draymond/Steph high screen and roll. It’s been the key to the Durant-less offense and it looked lethal against the Blazers (ranked 16th in defense for the season for what it’s worth). If Durant plays in this series it will be a far less motion based offense and more elbow and isolation sets with Siakam and Kawhi probably sharing the Durant responsibility. I also feel this will oddly be the best series for Lowry, he will have the most space to operate against a small Warrior team unlike the giant Bucks and Sixer teams and it will be empirically the worst defense he will have seen these playoffs (Orlando was a top 10 defense this year!!!!). Look for a healthy dose of pick and roll for Kyle as the ball handler and screener. Klay will likely see the most time on him so Steph can’t be so easily put in pick and roll, he will likely be hidden on Danny Green who has been cold all post season. Similar to the Sixer series where they got away with leaving JJ Redick on him. Danny Green will be able to shoot over Curry so easily so if he gets going and Steph has to be moved onto Kyle that will change things dramatically.
*****
Alex Toledo, Miami Heat Beat:
As much as I want to go with the Raptors here, can’t say I believe the Warriors are losing until I see it. They also need to be the best version of themselves on the offensive end, which is gonna be tough considering Boogie Cousins is active for Game 1 and KD might be returning later in the series. The Raptors’ brilliant defensive scheme is what really gives them a shot, but the Warriors simply will have too many weapons for the Raptors to try and contain. Warriors in 6
*****
Ricardo Montes de Oca, Cinco Razones:

Warriors in 5. Yes, Kawhi is the best player in the world right now. Yes, the Raptors story is refreshing. And yet the Warriors, probably without one of the best player in this generation and with one of the starters with little minutes, are going to have an easy path for a three-peat. I cannot see Lowry and Gasol having a good series and I am giving one game to the Raptors, just because they have Kawhi.

*****
Jeremy Tache, Swings & Mishes:
In what world would I pick against the Warriors? I just…I can’t imagine that team losing 4 of their next 7 games after what I saw from them against the Blazers. While I think the Raptors are better than some might, and I believe Siakam and Lowry will outperform expectations, Curry and co. will be too much to handle. Yay for dynasties.
*****
Alejandro Villegas, Cinco Razones:
I think the Golden State Warriors will take it in six games, even though they´re probably not going to have Kevin Durant at all for the series. Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors are going to make it interesting and give us a better NBA Finals than what we had last year, but I don´t see the Raptors winning four times against this Golden State team.
*****
Chris Wittyngham, Five Reasons flagship:
Warriors in 4. I think Giancarlo is going to occupy my “I think this series is closer than you think” corner. So I’m going the exact opposite end of the spectrum. As a basketball public, we spend a lot of time talking ourselves into competitors. For LeBron in the East. For the Warriors. Sometimes, there are no peers for the greats. This Golden State team is one of them. Sweep
*****
Alfredo Arteaga, 3 Yards Per Carry
The Raptors genuinely have one of the better teams to face Golden State by eastern conference standards, and might have the best player in the series. In the end, the greatest team of a generation has the experience and the collective will to impose their game on this series. Intangibles such as experience tend to matter much more in the championship rounds. Kawhi and a good Toronto team make it interesting, but fall short of a 7th game.
Warriors in 6.
*****
Josh Houtz, Fantasy On 5:
I’d be lying if I said I let the outcome of a basketball ruin my day. Truth is, I have not cared much about the sport since Alonzo Mourning, Larry Johnson and Muggsey Bogues played for the Charlotte Hornets. So it’s been awhile.
With all that said, I have watched more basketball over the last two months than I have in the last three years combined. And although the Golden State Warriors have reached Brady and the Patriots level of hatred, it’s still not the same.
However, my Finals prediction isn’t the same either. And while so many are taking the Warriors to win the series, I’m not. Instead, I’m going with the King of the North and NBA MVP Kawhi Leondard. He’s the best player on the court in these finals and when the  dust settles, he will be the one holding up the, *googles NBA trophy name* Larry O’Brien trophy?
Raptors in 6
*****
Greg Sylvander, Miami Heat Beat:
Warriors in 6
Steph Curry Finals MVP