The following is based on watching (twice) approximately one and one-half minutes of highlights from last night's game.
The Miami "Heat" are a pain-in-the-ass team to play. They are so young and springy and bouncy, so energy and effort-expending, so enthusiastic and hyper, they pinball all over the court and off opposing players. Dallas looked like they were getting pissed, like, "Will you guys calm the fuck down?" In the first quarter (leading 30-11 btw) Myers Leonard posterized Dallas star Kristaps Porzingis and then did a hammer pump to the Dallas crowd, which booed. That's the highlight I watched. Over the video ESPN wrote "disrespectful." I literally laughed out loud when I read that (at 11:30 pm). Jimmy and Bam typify the Hyper Heat. They do everything, dish, score, rebound--with aggression and speed. They also typify Eric Spoelstra's position-less basketball creation. Jimmy had two 3Ws back to back this past week and Bam had one last night. Bam's was a record of some kind, youngest "Heat" center to get a 3W or something. Jimmy is fining Bam $500 for every game in which he doesn't attempt a trey. If Bam continues on his pace of points, boards and 4.4 assists per game he will be in league with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and some other names you'd recognize. No load management with Bam-Bam, he has played every game this season and last.
....
Betraying no consciousness of irony Ira Winderman writes this morning that what Miami really needs is a defensive center to play alongside Bam, a traditional space-heating center who can sweep the glass and block shots. (Bam is only 6'9") Both Ira and a reader who wrote in named former Pitt one-and-done Steven Adams as a custom fit. I love Steven. It would be too much to hope for to get a center who could lead the league in rebounds and in blocks, those are rare indeed. Oh right...We did have just such a one, Hassan Whiteside, whose name merited no mention in Ira's Q&A. Not enough "consistent" effort, night to night. Whatever.
...
Ex-Heater Wayne Ellington said last week the "Heat" Culture is built on Erik Spoeltra's path to coachdom (Wayne may also have said on owner Micky Arison's path at Carnival and Pat Riley's up the NBA). Spo started out in the video room in Miami. Riles thought he spliced tape together real good, I don't know. Anyway, up and up till now, second longest tenured coach in the league. Micky's dad Ted had Micky swabbing the decks or some similar video splice like role before turning over the keys to fleet. Riley was a player on the infamous University of Kentucky team that lost to Texas Western (now UTEP) in the national championship game in 1966. First time a team starting five black players won the title. Riles' springboard to coaching was the broadcast booth.
What all three principals in "Heat" Culture have in common is "coming up the hard way," "paying your dues," working hard and keeping quiet. All like finding diamonds in the rough, polishing them, and giving them a chance to shine. Wayne said this is really a big thing with Spo. He likes guys who came up like he did. And so: Wayne Ellington, Hassan Whiteside, Kendrick Nunn, et al. Very nice. Feel-good stories. Very noble "coming up the hard way," "paying your dues," working hard, 100% effort 100% of the time. None of it trumps talent. A guy can't work himself up from 6'9" to 7'1". You can't coach speed. You either got it or you don't. Pat Riley himself said "Hard work guarantees you nothing but without it you don't stand a chance." Considering all of this it is Erik Spoelstra's greatest coaching achievement that he took the first Super Team to two NBA titles.
The "Heat" has won championships with stars, guys who had it. Dwyane Wade and Shaq, the Big Three. You cannot win NBA championships with guys who don't have it. With Dion Waiters and James Johnson and Tyler Johnson. Yet, it was those acquisitions off the scrap heap that Pat Riley gave those humongous contracts to. Beguiled by the magic of 30-11 after 11-30 Riley betrayed the first clause in his axiom. Miami has one star now. Nunn and Herro are giving real indications of becoming two others. But becoming is not is. Miami needs two more stars to contend. Riley and Andy Elisburg are going to have to work their salary cap wizardry again, as they did in putting together the Big Three, as they did in getting Jimmy. Mining the G-League guarantees you nothing.
The Miami "Heat" are a pain-in-the-ass team to play. They are so young and springy and bouncy, so energy and effort-expending, so enthusiastic and hyper, they pinball all over the court and off opposing players. Dallas looked like they were getting pissed, like, "Will you guys calm the fuck down?" In the first quarter (leading 30-11 btw) Myers Leonard posterized Dallas star Kristaps Porzingis and then did a hammer pump to the Dallas crowd, which booed. That's the highlight I watched. Over the video ESPN wrote "disrespectful." I literally laughed out loud when I read that (at 11:30 pm). Jimmy and Bam typify the Hyper Heat. They do everything, dish, score, rebound--with aggression and speed. They also typify Eric Spoelstra's position-less basketball creation. Jimmy had two 3Ws back to back this past week and Bam had one last night. Bam's was a record of some kind, youngest "Heat" center to get a 3W or something. Jimmy is fining Bam $500 for every game in which he doesn't attempt a trey. If Bam continues on his pace of points, boards and 4.4 assists per game he will be in league with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and some other names you'd recognize. No load management with Bam-Bam, he has played every game this season and last.
....
Betraying no consciousness of irony Ira Winderman writes this morning that what Miami really needs is a defensive center to play alongside Bam, a traditional space-heating center who can sweep the glass and block shots. (Bam is only 6'9") Both Ira and a reader who wrote in named former Pitt one-and-done Steven Adams as a custom fit. I love Steven. It would be too much to hope for to get a center who could lead the league in rebounds and in blocks, those are rare indeed. Oh right...We did have just such a one, Hassan Whiteside, whose name merited no mention in Ira's Q&A. Not enough "consistent" effort, night to night. Whatever.
...
Ex-Heater Wayne Ellington said last week the "Heat" Culture is built on Erik Spoeltra's path to coachdom (Wayne may also have said on owner Micky Arison's path at Carnival and Pat Riley's up the NBA). Spo started out in the video room in Miami. Riles thought he spliced tape together real good, I don't know. Anyway, up and up till now, second longest tenured coach in the league. Micky's dad Ted had Micky swabbing the decks or some similar video splice like role before turning over the keys to fleet. Riley was a player on the infamous University of Kentucky team that lost to Texas Western (now UTEP) in the national championship game in 1966. First time a team starting five black players won the title. Riles' springboard to coaching was the broadcast booth.
What all three principals in "Heat" Culture have in common is "coming up the hard way," "paying your dues," working hard and keeping quiet. All like finding diamonds in the rough, polishing them, and giving them a chance to shine. Wayne said this is really a big thing with Spo. He likes guys who came up like he did. And so: Wayne Ellington, Hassan Whiteside, Kendrick Nunn, et al. Very nice. Feel-good stories. Very noble "coming up the hard way," "paying your dues," working hard, 100% effort 100% of the time. None of it trumps talent. A guy can't work himself up from 6'9" to 7'1". You can't coach speed. You either got it or you don't. Pat Riley himself said "Hard work guarantees you nothing but without it you don't stand a chance." Considering all of this it is Erik Spoelstra's greatest coaching achievement that he took the first Super Team to two NBA titles.
The "Heat" has won championships with stars, guys who had it. Dwyane Wade and Shaq, the Big Three. You cannot win NBA championships with guys who don't have it. With Dion Waiters and James Johnson and Tyler Johnson. Yet, it was those acquisitions off the scrap heap that Pat Riley gave those humongous contracts to. Beguiled by the magic of 30-11 after 11-30 Riley betrayed the first clause in his axiom. Miami has one star now. Nunn and Herro are giving real indications of becoming two others. But becoming is not is. Miami needs two more stars to contend. Riley and Andy Elisburg are going to have to work their salary cap wizardry again, as they did in putting together the Big Three, as they did in getting Jimmy. Mining the G-League guarantees you nothing.
