The Tables Have Turned

The worst thing about playing a team you are guaranteed to beat is the outside chance you won't beat them. Welcome to the psyche to everyone who has to play the Nettes in the last couple weeks of the season. Seeing the Nettes on the schedule right now is worse than seeing the orange-hot Milwaukee Bucks, the streaking Phoenix Suns, The Jackson Five, or even the Promise Making Chicago Bulls. You never want to lose to the worst team. Ever.


As a Heat fan I went through it a week ago as D-Wade and Co went to the Meadowlands and I am staring down the barrel of another potential disaster the last game of the season in Miami.

Here is why it sucks. Lets say you are the Phoenix Suns who are a game out of second place in the Western Conference. One of your rivals, the Mavs, are playing a tough Grizzlies team on the road and the other rival, the Jazz are playing a tricky Warriors team at home. You've got the Nettes on the schedule. One of the 3 worst teams OF ALL TIME but who are playing like a playoff team now. Winners of 3 out of 4 including one over the Spurs. So the Suns are thinking they are moving up to at least the 3rd seed and possibly the 2nd. You have penciled in a win because you don't think you'll be the team to lose to them. You won't be one of the 10 wins they have all season....right?

So while one Lopez tries to get braggin rights over the other, I'll be biting my nails hoping that the Nettes can pick up a win or two against someone else so it doesn't have to happen to my guys.

Half Way Home

Most of the NBA teams have passed the half way point of their season, with the exception of those who are going on to the playoffs of course. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to get more involved in the analysis of my NBA team; the Miami Heat. Last I checked in with them, I was thinking NBA Finals when then unbeaten Phoenix came to town. Both teams were 3-0 so it was a little premature to say the least. Since then I have never quite had a chance to get too high on them since their longest winning streak of the season has been 3, and that has only happened twice. After last nights 39 point drubbing by the Scrap Heap, I have a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth. So excuse me if this feels a little "glass half empty".

Trying to assess my feelings about this team is hard. My feelings fall into three places. Beasley. Wade. 2010. Everything else, like the Dorrell Wright Experience, the point guard carousel and the $22 Million Man are points of question and fury, but this team hinges on the other three components.

One game Michael Beasley seems like a legitimate NBA player which convinces me that he would be a good asset to keep around. Then the next game it becomes blatantly obvious that Udonis Haslem is a saint for coming off the bench behind the Beas. UD could out hustle Beasley even if he were on crutches. So when Beasley's value is high, I want to keep him. When it is low, I want him dangled in front of every GM from Colangelo to Kupchak. Beasley needs to give this team something on a regular basis, we all know that. The question is whether its him maturing and finding consistency with the Heat or turning into someone who will. If I had to make a list of the top 5 guys filling Beasley's role (a great third option...lets face it, he is not a second banana) he would probably be fourth on the list behind a real legitimate big man like Bosh or Bynum. There is no way Toronto makes anymore trades with the Heat and the Lakers don't need another versatile big man after Gasol, Odom and Artest.

Next we have Wade. I feel like I'm in an abusive relationship. One day I feel extremely confident that Dwyane is a lifer. The next day he gives us a Vince Carter Special Delivery leaving me to think he is on the first train out of town come July 31st. Is it too late to be a Thunder fan?

Finally 2010. Someone is going to be the bride without a groom. There just isn't enough LeBron, Wade and Bosh to go around. I've had this t-shirt in my shopping cart about 5 different times, but never pulled the trigger because I was afraid to jinx the whole thing.

In the end, is 2010 the answer? Aren't there just too many missing pieces? Outside of Wade and Haslem, who is there on this team who can be considered a building block to a championship team? I guess I'm glad its not 2007-08 all over again. And I can still see the confetti falling onto the floor in 2006.

Jazz Beat Heat

or

Utah turns down the Heat

or

Miami wades to road loss

or

Miami wades unsuccessfully through Utah winter

or

Boozer's try out goes well

or

Charlie T's team loses to Spike's team

or

Charlie T looks at flying buttresses while favorite team gets flying buttresses kicked

or

Heat go cold vs Jazz

or

Heat glad to go home to warm Miami

Fueling The Fire

Apparently LeBron James thinks Michael Jordan is the basketball equivalent to Jackie Robinson.

I've got a different theory on the whole thing. It is widely known that the Miami Heat don't have much of a franchise history. To their defense, there is more of a history than some of the other teams that joined the league with them. That aside, the numbers hanging in the rafters are 23, 13, 33, and 10. Jordan, Marino, Mourning and Hardaway. The latter two make sense, the other two? Not hardly. Now that we have established that Miami has retired the number 23, lets bring Mr. James back into the picture and add this theory to the long list of "Where will LeBron go in 2010" theories.

LeBron won't be able to have #23 when he goes to Miami next season. If he can't have it then nobody can. Nobody.

Dear Pat Riley, xo- Carlos Boozer

Dear Pat Riley,

Enclosed you will find a set of multimedia materials:

- a DVD of my highlights from last night's Spurs/Jazz game at EnergySolutions Arena
- VHS and Beta versions of the same footage, because you're old school
- a quote from a reputed ESPN article that has Mehmet Okur saying, ""Everybody was active, especially from the defensive end," in which the term everyone must necessarily include myself and thus is a direct reference to my defensive activity.
- A screenshot of a few trade scenarios that worked on ESPN's Trade Machine.
- A box score that highlights my 27 points and 14 rebounds.
- A signed-in-blood covenant to always defer to Dwyane Wade and yourself.
- 3 complimentary cans of Dapper Dan hair pomade.

Sincerely,

Carlos Boozer

Big Night for the 910 Conversation Story Lines

CP3=KG: 1
We know its early in the season but in the game against Boston, CP3 showed some true frustration...and KG envy. A loss last night to the Knicks probably didn't help matters.

Memphis Thirtysomethings: 2

Last night was the first of many disgruntled performances from Allen Iverson, the thirtysomething darling of the Grizzlies. We put you as the first thirtysomething Allen not because we want people to know how old you are but because we knew this would mean a lot to you.
We did what you said, "Go look at my resume and that will show you that I'm not a sixth man," Iverson said. "I don't think it has anything to do with me being selfish. It's just who I am. I don't want to change what gave me all the success that I've had since I've been in this league." And you're right. You are not a sixth man, you're a thirtysomething man...and the first one in our books.
It was also the first thirtysomething point total by a Grizzly of the season, Mr. Zach Randolph. Mayo messed up his chance to be the first by trying to go shot for shot with Carmelo. (for those of you keeping score at home Carmelo's 40+ pt effort doesn't count towards TBC eating a Caramello...because it was against the GRIZZLIES...the same grizzlies who made Kevin Martin look like Kobe Bryant last night)

Sactown Race To 14 Wins: 1

The Kings are moving along at a 25% clip, right on pace to put us in the lower bowl right behind the Osmonds.
Something tells me this won't last.

TBC Smart Points for Daryl Morey: 1

@ricbucher tweeted last night after the Rockets pulled away from the Jazz that "HOU is a 5-man symphony"
We knew after last year they would be scrappy and win some tough games, but with Lil' Chris Rock leading the squad full time now they are looking mighty impressive.

Heat vs. Suns tonight

One loyal reader and Suns fan wrote in wondering if this is a preview for the 2010 NBA Finals.
One can dream...one can only dream.

910 Conversation - Southeast Division

Atlanta Hawks

Every season starts with plenty of expectations that cloud our view of reality. As a fan, your team is always going to win about 10 more games than they actually do and you never expect them to do worse than they did the year before. (Trust me, I talked myself into the Heat making a run at the playoffs about 5 different times during their incredible 15 win season.) Inflated expectations are a tough thing to manage throughout the season but they at least can give you hope before you finally succumb to reality. Lets be clear, overachievers do not have to worry about expectations. Its the achievers that have more and more to live up to each year (see: James, LeBron)
There was a heavy debate between Spike and myself about this Hawks team. They took a huge step in managing the expectations following their coming out party against the eventual champion Celtics two years ago by making it to the second round. Now their expectations have been raised so high that they will have to equal the greatest Hawks team (the one lead by the Human Highlight Film himself Dominique Wilkins) and make it to the Conference Finals.
So will this Hawks team live up to expectations or will they weight be too much to bear? Will a team that keeps adding interesting pieces (Jamal Crawford) and continues to retain vital ones (Mike Bibby) continue their climb into the Eastern Conference elite? Or will this just be another ho-hum Hawks team in the vein of those led by Adam Keefe?
Only time (and us) will tell...expectations vs reality...Adam Keefe or Dominique.

Charlotte Bobcats

Look at this roster. Is there any actual direction to the addition or subtraction to players on this team? When I try and figure out how this team came to be all I can picture is MJ, and whoever else has been involved, taking a boat out to the Island of Misfit Hoopsters and loading up on whatever was on sale at the time. Boris Diaw, Tyson Chandler, Larry Brown, Vladimir Radmanovic, the list goes on. The Bobcats are as close to a scrap heap as you will find. The only thing we find remotely interesting about this team is the looming possibility of another trip to the Island of Misfit Hoopsters. Stay tuned.

Miami Heat

As a longtime fan of the Miami Heat, I will be following their every move. Every twitpic of Michael Beasley, every 2010 rumor, every Dwyane Wade 50 point game to put away a team they should beat without Wade. And I will comment as I see fit, with no rhyme or reason other than this is the team I am interested in.

Orlando Magic

Would the Nets have traded Vince Carter to the Magic for Hedo Turkoglu straight up at any point during last season? Yes. Would the Magic? Doubtful. So what makes Vince Carter so appealing to the Magic fresh off a run to the Finals? We are not sure. They guy has shown up to a grand total of one dunk contest, a few college games and one Olympic Games. (on a side note, I wish Carter and Gary Payton would bring back the mini-afros they grew that summer) Other than that he has racked up quite the postage bill mailing in performances from around the globe.
We have all heard how he will be extra motivated because he will get to live in the house he owns just down the road from Tiger Woods, but nobody really believes he will actually show up for every game of the season. He will mail some in. Its just that simple. So we have decided to track the postage bill that he accumulates during the year. For example, first class postage for a 12 oz package from Oklahoma City to Orlando? $3.09. Maybe he just sends a postcard from Minnesota, $0.28. How he choses to send his "mailed in" performance depends on how big of an envelope he needs to pass the stink bomb onto the hometown fans. If he crack $20.00 worth of postage, Magic fans might want to start looking for a paper sack and some matches.

Washington Wizards

The Wizards have failed to live up to expectations since they tried to distance themselves from the the name Bullets and DC/Baltimore area crime. The reason they haven't lived up to those expectations is because of injuries, injuries and more injuries. They have yet to play any real big stretch of games with all their guys healthy on the court. Some call it bad luck, but we know different. You can try and leave a life of crime but it just won't let you. We call this The Curse of the Baltimore Bullets. The bullets, and injures, are going to keep flying until the Wiz make amends. Many professional analysts have the Wiz making a return to prominence and the playoffs. We've got them dealing with more injuries.