Ricky Davis Of The Miami Heats
This is a real ad for a bar named Fluid Lounge in Toronto. Apparently Davis and his “teamates” from the “Heats” will be attracting big crowds this Sunday. Obviously, Chris Quinn will have three “womens” draped on him at all times. Those guys better wear their jerseys if they want to get recognized. Except for the Canadian wonder Joel Anthony. He’ll be a big hit.
*Update: No show today. We apologize. Something came up last minute.
Comments (16)30 Teams / 30 Hours: Warming Up The Engine
You know, one can never have too many NBA season previews. (That’s a lie.) Which is why we present a new series to add to the list: The Basketball Jones’ 30 Teams in 30 Hours NBA Season Preview. Yup. It is what it is.
9:00a / Miami Heat: Superman never yapped so much; he let his leotard do the talking. At this point in his career, Shaq’s best asset may be his mouth, but it’s time to back it up with some basketball. This hasn’t been The Big Aristotle’s team for a while, but with Dwyane Wade out, someone’s gotta play a little 1-on-5. Moving Fat-toine Walker for Ricky Davis is like trading that annoying girl you can’t get rid of for a new one you wouldn’t kick out of bed, straight up. Even Shaq, The Obesity Officer, couldn’t deal with ‘Toine. Shaq Diesel has been refueling and retooling with some yoga, boxing, etc. Here’s hoping the old dog can bring back his wily self to go along with his new tricks.
Tas says: 2nd in the Southeast, 6th seed
Skeets says: 3rd in the Southeast, 8th seed
(If you’d like, sample Monday’s NBA season predictions podcast.)
Comments (3)Shaq, Did You Realize, That You Were A Champion?
Yesterday morning at Heat training camp Shaquille O’Neal picked up the old rock, looked deep in to its leather perforations and asked it, “Have I told you lately, that I love you?” He’s likely not saying this to his recently divorced wife Shaunie, but I think he’s about to rekindle his passionate affair with the game of basketball.
Some men would cower and play worse with all the emotional weight of a breakup, but not this big fella. I have to believe Shaq will turn those negative energies in to a release on the court. It’s been coming for a long while; he just hasn’t been himself the last couple years. We’re talking about arguably the most unstoppable presence this game has ever seen. Over the last two campaigns, his games played, minutes, points, rebounds and blocks have all declined.
Now, the man is still putting up decent digits, but you’ve got to believe he’s going to reassert himself. When he made the move from LA to Mee-ah-MEE three seasons ago, he was determined to win a few without Kobe Bryant. Yes, the Heat came out on top in 2006, but that wasn’t Shaq Diesel. That was the Dwyane Wade show. The Big Aristotle is better than that. His dad will tell you so.
It’s time this dominating beast becomes a beast again. He’s been training using some new techniques this past offseason. Yoga and ultimate fighting? He must be awakening the flexibility and fiery competitive drive he once had. I see - bold prediction coming up - 75 games in Shaq’s season. Can Miami overcome some poopy parts to its roster? Eee, that’s a lot to overcome. But, if the teams stays healthy, Mr. Shaquille can prove what he’s worth once again.
Comments (5)Shaquille O’Neal Ballin’ In Beijing
It’s tough to tell thanks to the Robitussin-less camera work, but I’ve got Shaq’s final stat line down at: zero points (on 0-2 shooting), two boards, one assist, one block, one steal and one blatant walk in just two minutes of heated three-on-three action. He doesn’t seem to be trying very hard, though, so I can only guess his mind is preoccupied with buying 24-inch dubs for Yao . . .
Shaq: I Will Give Yao Fancy New Wheels As Wedding Gift [China Daily]
Comments (13)Riley “Commits” To Three More Heat Seasons
Pat Riley announced Monday he’d be back to coach the Miami Heat for three more seasons. But knowing Riles, he’s already changed his mind since I clicked “publish.”
“I’ve decided that I’m going to coach another three years, the terms of my contract, and that’s why it’s taken so long for me to make this decision,” he said. “I don’t want to be a one-and-done guy every year. I have three years left on my contract and I will coach those out . . . unless somebody else makes a decision on me.”
Sure you will, Riles. Sure you will. As you may recall, Riley has twice before left the Heat hanging. Last season, he conveniently dicked off for 22 games to undergo hip and knee surgeries, and in ‘03 he abruptly “took a break from the game” a mere four days before the start of the season.
Put another way: Pat Riley is NOT going to coach out this contract. No way. Hell, he didn’t even “cross his heart and hope to die,” did he?
Pat Riley: I’ll Coach Three More Seasons [Sun-Sentinel.com]
Comments (0)Dwyane Wade’s Amazing Pain Threshold
Dwyane Wade has been out for six weeks, but is scheduled to participate in his first practice with the Heat later today. And while Coach Riley was quick to pussy-step his way around a possible return date, several Heat officials are confident Wade could be back in the lineup by April 11.
This is all pretty amazing news when you consider how Wade first handled the injury:
What? I laughed.
Comments (2)Live-Blogging Three Games … Sort Of
8:02pm: OK, the boys are here. Here we go. Again, I have no idea how this is actually going to work. The Hawks-Cavs game is currently being recorded, the Sonics-Heat is on the tube — in HD, yes! — and the Rockets-Griz starts… um… now I think? Shit. Oh, Kidney with a put-back — Sonics 11, Heat 11. BASKETBALL!
8:05pm: No Tracy, you’re a fool!
8:09pm: Watching games with fantasy die-hards is hilarious. It’s been 10-minutes and I’ve already heard, “No, no, shoot that,” “Alright, an assist for Ridnour,” “Yes, I need that three.”
8:12pm: End of the 1st Q.: Seattle 21, Miami 11. I’m real excited about live-blogging this game.
8:14pm: And we’re over to the start of the Rockets-Griz game. What!? Not in HD? What is this bush-league, amateur-hour bull-shit?
8:15pm: That was a lot of dashes. Back to the Sonics-Heat…
8:20pm: My D-Wade boner has faded over the last couple of months, but there’s two things I still love about his game: the deep kiss off the glass, and the way he can split two defenders.
8:23pm: I thought they were getting rid of that dead-ball rule at the end of the shot clock? Am I wrong? Why did I think this? KD? Evil KD?
8:25pm: Nice pass into Fortson. Two… and the foul. Timeout. Sonics 30, Heat 21.
8:27pm: Mike Miller looks like a girl I dated in the early 90’s. Rockets 17, Griz 8. Timeout. Pass me a cheetoh.
8:32pm: Grish: “Has Mutombo scored in the last few years?”
8:35pm: Back to the HD Sonics-Heat. Man, I love these stats at the bottom of the screen: Wade has scored double-digit points 78 of the last 79 games.”
8:37pm: Kidney with 2. The Heat have scored 8 straight … and Antoine with a put-back. Wow. Heat only down 2.
8:40pm: Looks like Yao thinks the Rockets are going to make the playoffs… he’s already growing the neck beard!
8:42pm: Damnit! We just saw the score for the Hawks-Cavs. Over we go… WHOA! What is wrong with the lighting in the Q? It’s so bright. Cavs 61, Hawks 59.
8:44pm: Text: “It’s an emotional game — Big Z” … Image: Big Z, completely zoned-out on the bench. Hahaha … Yeah, real emotional, Z…
8:46pm: FYI: Sonics up 6 at the half. Double FYI: Britney Spears broke up with K-Fed today.
8:49pm: Wisdom LeBron takes the charge. So wise…
8:52pm: And we’re back to the FedEx Forum. Oh, 27-21 Griz, 6-mins left in the 2nd. LIGHTS OUT! … Rudy with a jumper … Battier answers with a three; the crowd golf claps. That is polite.
8:57pm: Have the Griz played a Gay-Warrick-Swift line-up yet? I want to see that.
8:59pm: Biz LeBron with a beautiful pass to Marshall under the rim. Cavs up a couple.
9:02pm: LBJ iso on the left … blows by JJ baseline … scoops it up and in left-handed … Kid LeBron says, “Ooooooooooooo…”
9:07pm: Fact: Udonis Haslem was fat in college.
9:09pm: Alonzo just blocked an alley-oop. You think he blocs every shot his kids take on those little Fisher-Price nets? I do.
9:16pm: This is why I watch the game: 10,000 career points for Donyell. History, people. History.
9:17pm: JeffPotts, wins … CHUBBY HASLEM.
9:22pm: OK, back to the closest game: Cavs 84, Hawks 80. Under three to go…
9:25pm: LeBron chop-blocks Josh Smith, but no foul is called. Timeout Hawks. … Only 2 on the shot-clock … JJ WITH A MONSTER 3! Tie-game.
9:28pm: Hughes completely WASTES a possession … Gooden has to force a 3 … no good … Lue creates on the other end … Hawks score … LBJ comes back and settles for a deep 3 … miss … Lue fouled … misses the first … misses the second. OH MY GOD! GO TO BED, TYRONN! Timeout Cavs.
9:30pm: Simple, simple play drawn up by Coach Brown. LBJ dribbles to the top of the court … swings it to Hughes on the right … he rattles home a 3. Cavs up 1. 35 secs left.
9:32pm: Solid perimeter D by the Cavs … the JJ/Zaza pick-and-roll isn’t there … ball’s swung around … J-Smooth has to force a jumper … miss.
9:34pm: Gooden hits both free-throws … 14 secs left for the Hawks … they need a three; where is Salim? … Tyronn has a Coke and takes in for an easy 2. Hawks down 1. 6 secs left. Timeout. Let’s talk about it.
9:37pm: LBJ fouled. At the line … he hits the first … misses the 2nd! … Hawks bring it up … Tyronn into the paint-by-numbers … TEARDROP! Tyronn ties ‘er up. OVERTIME, BABY!
9:42pm: Who are you Tyronn Lue? And why are you missing an “e” on the end of your name? Hawks up 3 … 3 1/2 left.
9:46pm: Joe Johnson gets 3 the hard way. (I heard that on TV once.) Hawks up 6. CAW-CAW!
9:47pm: Joe hits another 3! He’s gotta a li’l Melo-clutch in him, eh?
9:49pm: Quick look at the other games: Seattle 81, Miami 79 (5-minutes to go) … Rockets 64, Griz 60 (start of the 4th)
9:54pm: OK, we’re going to stick a fork in a McCain’s deep-and-delicious cake and then the Hawks-Cavs game. It’s over. Hawks win. JJ and Tyronn … well played, men man and boy.
9:57pm: Wade nails a 3. (His third of the game.) We’ve got ourselves another game here, folks … Sonics up 3, about 2 1/2 left.
10:00pm: What’s with all the superstars choking at the line tonight? First LeBron, then Wade, now Ray-Ray misses one. Seattle up 3 with only a minute left. Miami ball.
10:01pm: Ken, on the superstars missing free-throws: “It’s a role player’s game.” Hahahahaha…
10:02pm: Wade is fouled. (Surprise, surprise.) He hits both at the line.
10:05pm: Ray takes it to the net … draws the foul … hits the first … and misses the second … Wade brings it up, down 2 … pulls up for the jumper, but passes to Posey who knocks down the 3 … Timeout … Miami up 1. 19 secs. left.
10:06pm: Quick Rockets-Griz look-in: Dahtnay Jones — is that the right spelling? — with a monster dunk in some traffic. Nice timing with the remote there.
10:09pm: Damien Wilkins falls in the corner … jump-ball … and oh Lord, they foul Wade who tries to tip the ball down court … Wade hits both. Heat up 3 … no timeouts for Seattle … Watson pushes it up … Damien gets a wide-open look at the 3 … MISSES! Gerald would of hit that!
10:11pm: And Dominique would have dunked it … from behind the 3-pt line.
10:12pm: I hope Damien’s not invited to this year’s Wilkin thanksgiving dinner.
10:14pm: Is anyone still here? KD? Jeff? Mutoni? Nora’s dad?
10:15pm: Ken: “What’s your favorite player/luncheon meat combo?” Yup, we’ve reached that point…
10:17pm: Grish: “I’ll take a Garbajosa with cheddar”. Amazing…
10:19pm: Well, well, well… what happened here? Rockets up six, 50 secs. left. Cardinal misses a three, Chucky misses a three, Michael Dickerson misses a three…
10:20pm: …you’re still paying attention, yes?
10:22pm: Oh, Nora sees your “Darvin Ham on rye”, Jeff. And she raises you with a “Calderon Calzone”. I have no idea why this is so much fun…
10:24pm: And it’s over: Houston 86, Memphis 80. (No, they didn’t stop playing after 3 quarters.)
10:32pm: Well, I guess that’s it. Thanks for reading along, thanks for the comments, and goodni– NO! LAKERS … T-WOLVES … GAME 4 … NEXT!
10:38pm: I’m kidding, I’m kidding… thanks a lot, guys. That was a lot of fun. See you — and by see you, I mean you’ll hear me — early tomorrow morning. Don’t forget to get your questions in. I’m out.
Comments (20)Dwyane Wade Amazes Dwyane Wade
From Wade’s latest GQ feature and cover:
“Sometimes I’ll do things on the court and be like, Wow, where did that come from? And then I’ll go back and watch it later, ’cause I watch all the tapes, and I’ll still be like, I did that?”
OK, three thoughts here:
1) Shawn Bradley said the exact same thing in a 2001 Dallas Mavericks media guide. (Well, if you replace “I did that?” with “He did that too me?”)
2) You think you saw a lot of D-Wade last year? Muahahaha…
3) What the hell is up with that picture? Is D-Wade going to suck my blood in a Louis Vuitton hoodie and Prada coat? Because if so; the rest of the league really needs to stock up on garlic.
Dwyane’s World [GQ.com]
Comments (1)NBA Prep Work: Heat
As part of The Basketball Jones extensive ‘06-07 season preview, I’ve been awarded the honor of going “one-on-one” with a representative from all 30 NBA teams. (No, not really.)
Today I sit down and chat with Miami Heat forward Antoine– WHAT!? No!
ONE-ON-ONE WITH … ANTOINE WALKER
J.E. Skeets: Oh, no. No, no, no, no…
Antoine Walker: What?
Skeets: No, no, no, no, no…
Walker: What? What’s wrong?
Skeets: [to producer] You said at the very least — the very least — we’d get Doleac.
Walker: Is there a problem?
Skeets: Hold on. [to producer] Is this a joke? Honestly. Who did this?
Walker: Can I help at all?
Skeets: Woah, does it look like I’m talking to you?
Walker: Sorry.
Skeets: [to producer] No. No. No. I specifically said I’d do Wade, Shaq, Haslem, Alonzo…
Walker: Very funny…
Skeets: Am I smiling? [to producer] J-Will, Payton, Shandon Anderson…
Walker: OK, I’m sitting right here…
Skeets: … Kapono, Simien, Doleac…
Walker: Done yet?
Skeets: … Pat Riley, athletic trainer Ron Culp, or Burnie.
Walker: I don’t believe this.
Skeets: Look, I’m sorry. It’s… um, it’s not you. Yeah, it’s me.
Walker: Really?
Skeets: No, it’s you.
Walker: Wow…
Skeets: Yeah, I just… I just really dislike you.
Walker: Um…
Skeets: But hey, try the Chex mix — solid amount of pretzels in there. In fact, take some home with you if you want. Um, OK… bye.
Walker: Um… bye.
“Foul … Number 32 … Goofy.”
Quiet day in the NBA blogosphere today: FreeDarko’s still helping Lamar, Henry’s recycling a Big Ben article, and YAYsports! is nowhere to be found — although lucky for you ladies, he’s left a picture of one strapping lookin’ young man.
[Note: YAYsports! just posted. So … YAY!]
Umm… what else is there? Oh, it’s a couple days old now, but rumor has it Wade’s going to sign … with the Raptors. Yeah, who knew? Apparently Wade’s baby-momma’s got a thing for maple syrup. Kidding. He’s signing with the Heat. Here’s Ira with the indented grapes:
“Henry Thomas, agent for Heat guard Dwyane Wade, confirmed Monday what has been apparent for a while: Wade will sign a maximum contract extension with the Heat once allowed by league rules on July 12.”
– snip, snip, snip –
“Basically, it means Wade will play the coming season under the final year of the rookie scale and then receive a five-year extension beginning in 2007-08. The extension is limited to five years because a player, under collective-bargaining rules, cannot be under contract for more than six total seasons.
Because Wade’s extension will be based on the 2007-08 salary cap, the actual value won’t be known until a year from now, but the five-year package should fall in the $80 million range.”
So there you go. Heat fans everywhere can breathe a huge sigh of relief. You’ve got your Ahmad Rashad main man back. Next up, Cavs fans.
And oh, just thought of something else. I’m currently reading Chris Palmer’s book, The Sixth Man: A Season Inside the NBA Playground and well, something on page 158 caught my eye this morning:
April 10, 2005
“Van Gundy hates these hiccups in his plans [Shaq’s nagging thigh injuries] and why shouldn’t he? He’s under enormous pressure. In the last two years, twenty-three of his peers have lost their jobs, including every head coach in what had bee, before this season’s realignment, the NBA’s Atlantic Division. What’s more, Van Gundy’s leash is a good bit shorter than most, because Miami’s front office has done such a terrific job of assembling a championship-caliber team. To save his head, Van Gundy has to win and win big … with Pat Riley watching from the shadows. As the team’s president, the man who put all of those pieces together, Riley doesn’t meddle in Van Gundy’s business. In this, the Heat’s best season ever, he’s rarely quoted in the newspaper. He surfaces just long enough to make it known that he has no designs on Van Gundy’s job. But Stan Van Gundy is a basketball coach and basketball coaches know not to get too comfortable. And Pat Riley is an ex-basketball coach and ex-basketball coaches never get the itch to coach out of their systems. Van Gundy is no fool. Neither is Riley.”
Good call, Chris.
Comments (2)About
The Basketball Jones is a NBA blog and podcast, written and recorded five times a week by J.E. Skeets, Tas Melas and Jason Doyle. Comments, questions and cold hard cash are always welcome and much appreciated. Contact us.
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