The wire has been HOT right around the 3 PM deadline and its almost been too hard to keep up with all the last minute trades. Im just going to list them out below. The most significant for us is Boston trading away Kendrick Perkins, but you will see below after the jump:

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Let me put this out there first. I am an extremist first and foremost. When were on a winning streak where we win 20 out of 21 i believe nothing can stop us and we will dominate everyone in our path to a ring. Then we lose 4 straight and im praying we make it out of the 2nd round of the playoffs because i know were going to have to play Boston, Orlando, or Chicago. Sometimes i get a little too ahead of myself and i need to take a step back and breathe and refocus, and thats what i am doing now. We are just over halfway through the regular season and i know it hasnt gone how many people originally planned (breaking the 72 game record) but it is just about where i thought we would be. The notion of breaking the Bulls 72 game record i always thought was crazy. This is a team that still, even at this point, is still learning how to play with each other. It could take the rest of the year to find out their rythym with people coming in and out of the line up from injury. My original prediction for this year was that we were going to lose in the Eastern Conference Finals. Im not being pessimistic, but its just a prediction. At this point i just wanted to reassess the Heat as a whole. 

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Not sure what happened to the other game thread already set up, but use this instead. 

Hey guys. I have been out of town the last 2 weeks so sorry I haven't been around contributing much lately. I have been watching all the games thanks to NBA league pass and we have been really shutting teams down in the 2nd half. One thing I do want to mention is that when you watch on league pass you always get the home teams announcers. When were on the road its unbelievable how terrible other teams announcers are. Anyone else notice that? I'll be back this weekend. Until then, GO HEAT!!!

Dwyane Wade's New T-Mobile NBA Commercial - "Outta Here" (60 Sec) (via DimeMagazine)

 

 

This is set to debut during the Christmas day games. Great Spike Lee cameo, even though i cant stand him and the Knicks. Everyone else would love to have D-Wade wouldn't they? So Sorry! I thought everyone would enjoy. I cant wait for the Christmas showdown! But we gotta win tonight in Phoenix. Lets go Wade! Lets go LeBron! Lets go Bosh! Lets go HEAT!!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought David was back last night so i thought he would do a recap, but ill throw a recap/pregame for tonights game as well. 

Lasts nights beating of the Warriors was a tale of 2 halves. The first half the Heat played ok, but had a lot of defensive mishaps, along with some good Golden State shooting. They were tied most of the way until We nailed a 3 at the end of the half to go into halftime up 3. But in the 3rd qtr is when everything took off. Its like the Heat took their feet and slammed them on the accelerator. They started running and it they just went on a sick run which put them up 18 out of nowhere. A few nice dunks from LeBron (including a nice alley-oop from Wade) brought the Oakland fans out of their seats. It was nice to stay up late for this one. LeBron sat the whole 4th qtr as the game was way out of reach. 

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" I knew this team was small, but this is ridiculous!"

Hello Heat fans, and welcome to the 3rd game of the West Coast road trip. The Heat will enter the game with Golden State tonight 2-0 on this current road trip, and riding a 6 game winning streak overall. As you have noticed, the Heat have been playing much better lately. What ive noticed most is how Wade and LeBron are playing on the court together. With the PG's now taking up the ball, Wade and LeBron are able to stay out on the wings where they can do the most damage. As one of the superstars gets the ball, the other is finally learning to cut to the basket instead of standing in the corner just watching the play happen. I think that alone has been a big contributor to the Heats recent success. Dampier has been playing very well the last few games. It wont show up on the stat sheet, but his playing is helping clear out the middle. 

The Heat will meet the Golden State Warriors tonight who are posting a 8-14 record overall, but are in a 1-10 stretch. The also lost Stephen Curry on Wednesday night in San Antonio due to a sprained ankle, and his status for tonights game is uncertain. We will get to see our old buddy Dorell Wright tonight who has been starting for the Warriors and scoring 14.9 points per game. He may have to pick it up tonight for them to have a chance if Curry does not play. The off-season acquisition of David Lee has not turned out like they have hoped. Although he is playing well for them, it hasnt translated into wins. I think this team could be much better than their record shows, but they need time playing together to figure things out. 

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"That Al Jefferson sure does look different from when he was in Minnesota"

The Heat enter their second contest of this 4 game road trip on a 5 game win streak. As of late the Heat seem to be clicking more than ever. Wade has finally found his shot the last few games while also contributing in the rest of the box score. It seems Wade and LeBron are starting to Coexist on the court much better. I have seen a few more 2-3 pick and rolls (which we didnt see any of in the beginning of the year). I think if they can work on those a lot more it can be a deadly offense to defend. Chris Bosh has become Mr. Consistent the past few games. His jumper is hitting and with his new found pump fake he is drawing defenders to just fly by him. I have also noticed the bigs are doing a good job of tipping the ball out on offensive rebounds. Juwan Howard and Erick Dampier are to credit for that. 

Now the Heat rolls into Utah to try and get revenge for the meltdown loss at the AAA a few weeks ago. The Heat shouldnt need any extra motivation for this game after blowing a 22 point lead at home. Maybe tonight we'll defend Paul Millsap who went off for a career high 42 points last game. I have a feeling he wont have the same kind of performance tonight. The Heat have won four of their last six visits to Utah, and have won five in a row overall. 

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To start off I saw this win as a little of the good, and a little of the bad. Going on a road trip you want to get off on a good start and you can say the Heat did that last night. I was optimistic going into the game and from the start i felt very good about it. 

Lets start with the good. Wade played out of his mind last night with his 25 points, 14 rebounds (a career high), 5 assists, and 1 block. He said he loves coming back and playing in the Bradley Center because of his days back in Marquette. The fans always give him the love and his number in already hanging in the rafters of their house. During the first half there were some highlight dunks by LeBron, including a sick transition pass on a break from Wade. The thunderous dunk from LeBron got people in Milwaukee out of their seats with the oohs and aahs. I cant say enough with how arroyo is playing.

I know he can be a defensive liability at times but he really is connecting on his jump shot and his teammates have confidence in him. Last night he went 6-6 to a career high of 18 points. James Jones also had a nice game for a guy who wont show up on the stat sheet. Taking charges is the most under rated quality and he has really learned from Udonis on how to do this. With UD out Jones has taken it under his responsability to shift into the right spots and drawing that offensive foul. The last point i want to hit is something we talked about in last nights thread and that is Chris Bosh's ability to pump fake.

Over the course of the year Bosh has been taking every 19 ft jumper that his come his way. That dosent bother me because he is so good at nailing it, but the last few games he has developed a pump fake that has every defender flying at him and he just dribbles a few feet closer for a wide open J, or a drive to the lane for a bucket or foul. That is what he needs to do all the time. GO STRONG TO THE RIM!

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The Sun-Sentinel is reporting that the Heat have waived (or in the process of waiving) Jerry Stackhouse to make room for Erick Dampier. Everyone knows that we need interior help badly and hopefully Dampier will add that. Hes above average in rebounding on both sides of the floor and will give the Heat a little more in a position were sorely lacking. Personally, im just happy were letting go of Stackhouse instead of Pittman. I know it leaves us a little thin on the perimiter, but i hate giving up on a young guy who never had a chance (I still am upset about De'Sean Butler, but thats another story). 

This season has started off rockier than any of us could imagine, but to all the real Heat fans out there who have dealt with the 15 win season and many other dissapointments we just have to hold out hope that this will fix itself. Riley has always said this team is not a finished product by any means, and i have all the faith in the world in him. No one swings for the home-run more than he does. I have said numerous times that i dont believe this team will hit its stride until after the all-star break, and now with the injury to Haslem that is even more evident. Be patient Heat fans, thats all we can ask for. Lets not knee jerk like many in our fan base is known for. 

Here is the story if you want a direct link: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-heat/sfl-miami-heat-jerry-stackhouse-s112310,0,6667549.story

According to Ira Winderman, the Heat have released Patrick Beverley and De'Sean Butler. 

Personally, im not a fan of this move because we have 4 centers on the roster with a coach who also likes to play his 4's at the center position every now and then. I understand everyones issue with Maglore being able to size up against the Lakers, but until the playoffs with this team we dont even know how much of a problem this will be. 

My first choice was to keep De'Sean Butler. I think having a kid who would have been a lottery pick if he didnt get hurt was wise for the future. I know were all about winning now, but you want to be able to look down the road as well. This team is deep enough to be able to hold him on the roster spot until he is healthy. 

Secondly, i would have been ok with keeping Beverley because of his defense at the PG position, which we lack consistency in. 

I would have much rather kept either of those 2 players instead of Maglore. Dont get me wrong, i like the Big Cat but i honestly think we could have used the other 2 players more. 

Some interesting information was released by New York-based analyst Rich Steinlauf who gave his findings to SI.com. When you first look at the headline for this you might have gone cross-eyed, but after looking at the total impact (not just on the court) of these 3 players he is right. Check it out:

Steinlauf, who has worked with several NBA teams and gained respect for his system that rates each player's dollar value, claims Riley actually found a few blue-light specials, even after spending nearly $330 million on his big three.

According to Steinlauf's calculations, James' $14.5 million salary for 2010-11 is less than half his expected impact value of $31 million with the Heat this season.

By Steinlauf's calculations, Wade is expected to provide a $22.5 million contribution this coming season while earning $14.3 million.

Similarly, Steinlauf projects Bosh with an $18 million contribution this coming season, while earning the same $14.5 million from the Heat as James.

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This story below was a day or 2 old, but word out of the beat writers is that the Heat have signed Hasbrouck to a 10 day deal.

MIAMI -- With two roster spots available to fill, the Miami Heat are on the cusp of signing former Siena shooting guard Kenny Hasbrouck, a deal that could be done as early as Monday.

Barring an unforeseen development, Hasbrouck is expected to fly to Miami on Monday. If he passes a physical, he'll be offered a contract.

Hasbrouck was with the Heat for several weeks last summer, then got hurt shortly before training camp -- which essentially cost him a chance to be with Miami during the 2009 preseason. Of late, Hasbrouck has been in the NBA Development League with Rio Grande Valley, averaging 16.9 points in 10 games since joining that club, including 13 points Sunday night in a 106-101 win over Tulsa.

The Heat had been carrying only 14 players on the roster, one under the league minimum. A second spot opened Friday night when Miami moved Rafer Alston to the suspended list for the remainder of the season, making it clear that Miami was going to strongly consider adding some depth.

"Like a lot of teams that have a spot, you're weighing whether bringing somebody in can actually help, whether it might be a development player [or] somebody you can secure for the summer," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said earlier this month. "And you're also weighing whether that person can disrupt the continuity based on their expectations."

Hasbrouck averaged 14.9 points in 129 games at Siena, helping the Saints of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference win first-round NCAA tournament games in 2008 and 2009. The Saints won the MAAC title again this year.

"Act like you care,'' he said after a loss to awful Golden State. "We need to do the things that win. We don’t do the things that win. I’m going down and playing offence on their side of the court and their (bench) is louder than we are. That doesn’t make any sense. They’re not playing for anything. We’re trying to make the playoffs. We’re trying to get the fifth seed but that is, like, slipping away every day."

And: "We’re supposed to be gearing up for playoff basketball and this is not playoff basketball," Their bench is more active than ours is. They’re players are getting more stops. They’re getting more offensive rebounds. Everybody is doing everything. If you look on the schedule now and see Toronto, I’m sure people are checking the win box. I can understand if we lose a game going down fighting, but we’re not fighting at all."

Miami Heat forward Dorell Wright was arrested early Thursday morning by Miami Beach police and charged with driving under the influence.

According to an arrest affidavit, an officer stopped Wright about 3:37 a.m. at 12th Street and Alton Road after spotting him speeding in his white, two-door Bentley.

The officer wrote that Wright, 24, had red eyes, slurred speech and smelled of alcohol.

Wright could not find his proof of insurance, knew he was driving on a suspended license and refused to submit to a sobriety test, according to the affidavit.

Wright was booked at Miami's Pretrial Detention Center about 10 a.m and released just before noon on $2,000 bond.

Wright has played with the Miami Heat since the organization drafted him as an 18-year-old in 2004.

From ESPN:

Rafer Alston is content with his decision to leave the Miami Heat, because it wasn't about losing his starting job. It was about being told he was no longer going to play and deciding that looking after a twin sister who tried to take her life just a few days earlier was more important.

"The way I handled it was wrong," Alston said Tuesday in his first public comments since leaving the team last Friday. "I didn't really tell [team officials] why I was leaving."

Alston

He said he texted team officials that he was going to Texas to be with his family rather than call or meet face to face out of fear his emotions would get the better of him. He was already coping with his twin sister Racine's attempted suicide when coach Erik Spoelstra pulled him aside and said he was being dropped not only from the starting lineup but also from playing altogether.

"There was no argument or anything like that," Alston said. "I've never been a quitter and I still want to go back and tell them face to face. But after I had a little time to think about the fact that I wouldn't be playing any more, I felt the best thing was for me to be with my loved one. I just knew if I'd gotten on the phone and they said the wrong thing, voices would've been raised. I know myself. It would get bad."

Alston's exuberant and fiery personality has been a source of both strength and trouble as the slender (6-foot-2, 180 pounds) New York City playground legend carved out an 11-year NBA career. Nicknamed "Skip to My Lou" and known as "Skip" for short, he is the first and only And1 Mixtape Tour star to make the jump. But right before getting drafted, he was required to take a one-year anger-management course after pleading no contest to assaulting a former girlfriend. Even after being made the 39th pick in 1998 by the Milwaukee Bucks, he was dismissed early on as little more than a flashy ballhandler who couldn't shoot or defend.

But he worked on his 3-point range while languishing for three seasons on the bench with the Bucks; after two seasons split between Toronto and Miami, he returned to the Raptors and became a full-fledged starter. While he spent the next 3½ seasons in Houston, the pinnacle of his career came last season when the Orlando Magic acquired him at the February trade deadline to fill in for injured point guard Jameer Nelson. Alston was a key contributor to the Magic's unexpected run to the NBA Finals, averaging 12 points and five assists in 29 games, 28 as a starter.

With Nelson back, Alston was on the move again. The Magic dealt him to the hapless New Jersey Nets over the summer as part of a three-team trade that netted them Vince Carter. The Nets, much like the Heat, used Alston initially as a starter but then dropped him from the rotation in mid-December. His stay in New Jersey was marked by a locker room squabble in which he questioned how hard some of his teammates were playing. He negotiated a buyout of his contract a few weeks later and signed with the Heat.

"It's been a tough and long year," he said. "I'll be 34 in July. If I can come back and play one more season, that would be great. But if not, I'm still happy with my decision. I played 11 years and had a solid career. Maybe I didn't leave Miami the right way. But I left for the right reason."

The Miami Heat plan on making a big splash in free agency this summer. They'll need to fill out the roster with low-dollar players if they can land one of the top free agents to join Dwyane Wade. There's the possibility the backcourt could feature two players who went to college in South Florida.

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel writes the following:

"Don't be surprised to see Warriors swingman Raja Bell as one of the Heat's low-budget additions this offseason, possibly as part of an Florida International University reunion with Carlos Arroyo."

I have been thinking about this over the last few weeks (more or so when we acquired Jermaine and Moon) but it seems like Udonis's production has really gone down, and the mid range jumper that used to be automatic for him has fallen into the "hopeful" range. Dont get me wrong, i still love UD and i love what he does for this team. All the intangibles are priceless. But lately it seems as though Beasley has been working his tail off on both side sof the court.

What really stood out and made the mark for me was during last nights game against the Suns when Beasley went for a shot and missed. He followed up his own miss and went for the rebound. When it got tipped away from him he dove for the ball and smacked it out of the hands of the opposition. It is just another way that Beasley is showing he understand this game is more then scoring. He is putting his body on the line and doing the little things to help us win.

Now i dont know if its worth that starting spot yet. He has been play very well and a switch in the rotation could mess with their heads. But Beasley is still playing in the mid 20 minutes and id personally like to see him hit the 30+ mark.

Wade cant do it all himself and he needs another offensive supporter. With consistent 30 minute games i think Beasley can be that second option. But maybe learning on the bench this year is best and then move him to starter next year.

What are your thoughts?

Heres a question for everyone. Would you want Jason Taylor back now? I wouldnt necessarily since we have a nice little thing going on now, but im curious to see who would want to see JT back in a Dolphin uniform. His one year up in Washington seemed to be plagued by a lingering injury. He never seemed to be 100% healthy. Dont get me wrong, i appreciate everything hes done for us over his career, but i just think that ship has sailed.

Your thoughts?

Im hoping that this was the right move and now we have some interior presence. Plus in 2 years we'll have the cap money to resign Wade and bring Bosh in. I was getting more and more skeptical of the Amare trade by the day because i really didnt want to give up Beasley. How can you give up on a guy already? Hes 19 years old and half way through his rookie year. He will be good, but he just needs time.