Problems "Heat"ing Up

They can't close out games. They cry after losing those games. They blow 24-point leads in the second half. They're 1-9 versus the top five teams in the league. They're shooting 1-for-18 in the final 10 seconds of games within three points. They self-gloss themselves the "Heatles." And those are just the surface problems for the most hated team in sports these days.

Although all of the above issues are cause for concern, there are underlining, root causes to those problems that are the main reason for Miami's struggles.

No. 1: The Roster

There's no depth. The front court is soft, old and injured. Pat Riley got James and Wade together but really dropped the ball putting anything around them. Chris Bosh is a jump-shooting 4 who rarely plays in the paint. Miami doesn't need someone to score from the wing, that's why they have James and Wade.

Celebrating the signings like a championship - bad move.

They need bigs who body and bang opponents. Some protectors and bruisers. Kurt Thomas is the type of guy they needed. He was available and Chicago smartly scooped him up to provide toughness, enforcement and experience to its front court. It's paying off. Erick Dampier is that type to a certain extent, but they only pick him up after Udonis Haslem went down early in the year.

Just a reminder: Miami started the season with Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Joel Anthony, Jamaal Magloire, Juwan Howard, Haslem and Bosh as its bigs. It's questionable that Magloire and Howard are still in the league, much less on the same team.You don't have to be Red Auerbach to see this isn't going to get it done throughout the season, and certainly not in the playoffs. Damp has provided some grit inside, he even flagranted Tony Parker during Friday's blowout, but he's no spring chicken and certainly can't carry it by himself inside.

Bosh could be listed as a whole separate problem but I'll include him in this roster section. As mentioned before he shoots nothing but jumpers. He's putting up 15+ shots per game because he needs to get his numbers up so people think he's good. Maybe in Toronto just getting 20 and 10 was good enough but in Miami, with James and Wade, Bosh needs to forget about his stats and jump shooting ways. The only way he will benefit them is to do some dirty work. Unfortunately, that's not his game, never has been, never will be. You don't get the nicknames "Bosh Spice" and "Rupaul of Big Men" by mixing it up inside. He's soft and is holding back LeBron and Wade.

Riley's biggest mistake was giving Bosh a max-contract. Did you know he's getting paid more than Dwyane Wade? That makes me sick. It's not a "Big 3." It's LeBron and Wade dragging Bosh along for the ride and trying to win in spite of him much of the time. Don't be fooled by the All-Star selection and 18 ppg and 8 reb (not that 8 rebounds a game is good for a 6'11" All-Star.) If I'm in the Miami front office, I'm trying to trade Bosh for anything. Actually if I'm in the front office, Bosh isn't on the team in the first place.

Bibby isn't adding what the Heat needed

A couple more signings that made no sense: Mike Miller's $25 million deal. He's not stretching the floor, he's not making plays, and he's been hurt for most of the season. Signing Ilgauskas, as mentioned, was just silly. Why do you need another jump-shooting big? And one who can barely move to boot. Mike Bibby is the newest addition and is just as ludicrous as the others. What is Mike Bibby going to do for you? There's a reason he was traded, bought out of his contract and available after the deadline. How many inconsistent three-point shooters do you need? Miller, Eddie House, James Jones weren't enough, I guess. Better add another "shooter" instead of trying to sure up the middle, not that there was anything available in the post anyway.

What goes unmentioned much of the time is how well Dorell Wright is playing. He's second in the league in three pointers made and is having a breakout year in Golden State, averaging 16, 5 and 3. He was drafted out of high school by Miami in 2004 and after developing for six years, he was sent packing after the signing of James and Bosh. Wright is doing more this year than House, Miller and Bibby combined. Another swing-and-miss by Miami management.

No. 2: The Coach


It's easy to blame the coach. Man, it's easy. But sometimes there's a reason for blaming him. When your team is 5-13 in games decided by 5 or fewer points, a lot of that falls on the coach. When you consistently blow double-digit leads late in games, sometimes by 20+ points, the coach is going to take some blame. When you have an overhauled team, which features three All-Stars, yet you get out of the gate 9-8, the coach has to step up his game.

Spoelstra might not be up to the challenge with this team

Erik Spoelstra seems to be a decent young coach in the NBA. He's done some nice things in turning around Miami over the past few years. I believe he can have a nice career as an NBA coach. But this challenge is too big for him. That become clear again this past week during Miami's losing streak. After Sunday's one-point loss to the Bulls he said there were "players crying in the locker room." I believe it was an effort to illustrate how bad the players "want" to win.

I didn't see the purpose of volunteering that bit of locker room info. And then, to make matters worse, Spoelstra back-tracked on the comments and claimed media "sensationalism" and they took his quote "out of context." He's not helping his cause with these explanations.

The Heat need a coach that can take charge of the team,and to a certain extent, the media. I'm sure James, Wade and Bosh respect him in terms of "he's-the-coach" respect, but they don't really RESPECT him. Because what's he done? He doesn't have the hardware, rings or experience. We've seen this already in Miami. Riley brought in Shaq, the Diesel clashed with Stan Van Gundy, Riley took over, Heat won championship. As Phil Jackson put it months ago, it "looks like a Van Gundy thing again."

In summary, the Heat have some problems and they're not complicated. It's the players and the coach. They don't have the roster to truly compete for a title this year, and it's causing a few more regular season losses than they planned on. They don't have a coach who can control two superstars and another All-Star who thinks he needs to shoot a lot of jumpers. And the combination of these players and this coach are having a hard time dealing with the constant scrutiny and pressure they face as the new villains of the NBA. They need to embrace it, not play the "woe is me" card like Wade did after the Bulls loss.

"Everyone is getting what they want, the Heat are losing games." Wade said. "The world is a better place now that the Heat are losing."

Poor, Dwayne. Use it as motivation and quit feeling sorry for yourself. Miami is still a good team. They're still third in the Eastern Conference. They're 43-20 and can easily go on another run. But the underlying root problems won't allow for a championship this season. It's a work in progress and this is year one of the movement in Miami.

Here's the way I see it playing out for the Heat: They simply have to ride out this year and take all the vitriol that comes with it. They'll get a top seed in the Eastern Conference. Maybe not the one seed but possibly two or three. They'll win one, maybe two playoff series. They don't make the Finals. In the off-season: New roster. Get some bigs that want to do dirty work. Get role players who want to play a role. Riley takes over. They shop Bosh around, hoping for a taker. They'll have a new outlook for the following season and how they are viewed by the public. They embrace their role as the "Hated Heat." They begin their quest for "five, six, seven" championships.

Not everyone is hoping the Heat fail and lose every game but most are. Only the guys in the locker room can do anything about it. And we all know there is only one way to get people off your back and in your corner: Win.

Early Injuries for Cards

The Cardinals may want to change its off-season conditioning and throwing program. Both aces for the Cardinals have been sidelined within first two weeks of spring training, one for the season.

STL Aces: Early injuries, one lost for season

Last week, Cy Young runner-up Adam Wainwright needed Tommy John surgery after a bullpen session. Yesterday, Chris Carpenter left the game with a hamstring injury after 2 2/3 innings. He felt a "twinge." The following inning reliever Mitchell Boggs left the game after straining his back.

Injuries happen. At times they're unavoidable. But these injuries have me a bit confused.

"It was kind-of head scratching," Tony La Russa said.

I'll say. I don't want to question a major leaguers workouts or preparation for the season but I'm just wondering how someone blows out an elbow ligament in a spring training bullpen session. An injury requiring Tommy John surgery typically doesn't happen on one pitch, especially during a bullpen.

Wainwright has been one of the best in the game over the past two years. Perhaps the innings logged over the past few years caught up with him. It just seems like this type of injury shouldn't sneak up on you after one bullpen session.

Carpenter, a Tommy John patient himself, tweaked his hamstring, which happens, but I can't help but wonder about his off-season training.

Nothing is longer than a Major League baseball season. Pitchers report mid-February and can possibly play into November. Spring training is a time to get ready for the season, I get that, I've done that. Why not use the six weeks of training to prepare? Use the three-month off-season to relax from the grind that is baseball.

In my experiences, going from inactivity to practice is the leading cause of soreness and injuries. During one spring training I had to battle through what may have been a strained/pulled groin muscle because I wasn't going to acknowledge I'd "tweaked" a muscle during the first few weeks of practice. To me, that's admitting you haven't properly prepared yourself for spring training. I got through it and was fine. That's why I've raised an eyebrow at some of these injuries. But as I've said before, injuries can happen to the most in-shape, best-trained athletes in the world. Both Cardinals injuries could have been coincidental.

However, the facts remain. If you barely throw for a couple months, then try to hit spots in a bullpen, you're arm is going to get sore. If you've barely ran in two months, then start doing conditioning drills, you're legs and muscles will be sore and more susceptible to injury. If you get injured during spring training, you've cost your team time and money. You have to be in shape enough to allow yourself to get ready.

Other Injuries:

Padres closer Heath Bell appears to be a prime example of the inactivity theory. He strained a calf muscle during the FIRST DRILL on the first day. That's impressive. As a closer, no one expects Bell to be in tip-top shape but that's taking it to a new level.

He was on Jim Rome is Burning a couple weeks ago and even said about the injury, "It gives me an excuse not to do any running and just hop on the exercise bike." That's what got you in this position, Heath. But Bell, like many pitchers, isn't concerned with being ready for spring training, especially when you've reached the level of high-performing closer. If he goes down with a minor injury like the calf strain, or Carpenter's hamstring, it's just less work and travel during spring training. In a sense, he played it perfectly. Do little-to-nothing during spring training. Checkmate.

BP Injury: The Red Sox should be in the market for a new coach to hit fly-ball fungos during batting practice after Josh Beckett got drilled in the back of the head by a Boston assistant coach, causing a mild concussion and at least one missed start. That's bad luck. Shagging balls in the outfield is how a pitcher spends most of his time during spring training. Rule one is pay attention. Nothing is more embarrassing or painful than getting hit, unexpectedly, by a batted ball. It's just you're usually paying attention to the batter, not the coach. Beckett will keep an eye on him from now on, I guarantee it.

(Photo credit: Dave Einsell, USA Today)

Boston Shakeup

Danny Ainge made a very bold move at the NBA trade deadline last week. The Celtics GM decided to trade the team's starting center, Kendrick Perkins, an integral piece of Boston's chemistry and defense, to Oklahoma City for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic. Boston also moved back-up Nate Robinson in the trade.

Teams across the league were very active at the deadline this year, including 20 of the 30 teams being involved in some kind of trade or acquisition. Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks was the biggest name to move but the Celtics' was the most surprising.

Perkins provided the force in the paint

Doc Rivers and Boston fans were quick to point out over the past three seasons, which featured a title in 2008 and another Finals appearance last year, that its "original starting five" (Rondo, Allen, Pierce, Garnett and Perkins) had never lost a playoff series. That's what is so puzzling about the move. That starting five will remain undefeated.

Perkins is recovering from a torn ACL, suffered in game six of the Finals last June, and played in 12 games this season. He recently strained an MCL prior to the trade and will miss the next week or so. Maybe Ainge and the Celtics know more about his knee than the rest of us. Maybe that's what caused the move. Maybe it Perkins' upcoming extension that Boston knew it wasn't going to pay. Regardless, it brings up whether or not Boston can now beat some of the league's bigger front courts, like the Lakers. The Thunder aren't concerned with his knee; they quickly inked Perkins to a four-year, $34 million extension.

Perkins' interior defense, widely regarded as the league's best one-on-one post defender, was critical to the success of the Celtics versus the Lakers and its trio of 7-footers. If Perkins hadn't gone down last year the Celtics may have been able to hand the Lakers its second Finals loss in three years. That didn't happen and now they must relay on a very limited and aging Shaquille O'Neal to supply the minutes, defense and rebounding during this year's playoff run.

Shaq hasn't played since Feb. 1 and is averaging 9.3 points and 4.9 rebounds in about 20 minutes per game. Right now he's "rehabbing" and his return is uncertain. He'll, no doubt, be giving plenty of time to heal up and recharge for an important role in the playoffs. Glen Davis will be counted on in crunch-time, much as he was in 2009 when KG went down. The Celtics were unable to get by Orlando that year.

Krstic will provide a big body but won't produce much in the middle. Green is a nice player but plays the 3 or 4 position, doesn't provide much in interior defense and can be inconsistent. Picking up Green is a good move for the future of the Celtics but will it help this year? Boston's other off-season acquisition, Jermaine O'Neal, is even more uncertain than Shaq. He hasn't played since Jan. 10 and is recovering from a knee injury "in hopes" of returning for the playoff run.

Prior to the Perkins deal, Boston was the front-runner for the title again this year. With the new look, I'm not so sure. They face two much improved teams that weren't a factor last year, Miami and Chicago, and Orlando will provide plenty of problems for them as well in the Eastern Conference. We can no longer assume Boston is the favorite in the East. If they are able to get past those three teams and make the Finals, how will they be able to match up with a team like the Lakers? They always had the edge on LA due to its physical-style of defense provided by Perkins. Now it's a whole new ball game.

The move Ainge made was aggressive and questionable. The veteran staff and roster will provide the backbone they need to once again hoist the O'Brien Trophy but can they do it without Perkins in the middle?

Griffin Simply Given Dunk Title

Blake Griffin could have just showed up, done run-of-the-mill, recycled dunks and been handed the Dunk Contest trophy Saturday night. And that's exactly what happened.

In today's dunk contests, it's rare to do anything - ANYTHING - that hasn't been seen before. Creativity is essential but now it's all props and gimmicks. JaVale McGee's two-basket, double-dunk was impressive but when you have to wheel in another basket, it's not a true dunk. Dwight Howard's from 2009, with the extended 11-foot basket, was also new but very gimmicky. And that's what the dunk contest has become. 

DeRozan should have made finals

Maybe that's why I felt DeMar DeRozan got hosed on his scores. A between-the-legs dunk from the baseline off a pass off the support system deserves higher than 44. Missing the first few attempts probably hurt that particular dunk and the fact it was the first dunk of the night didn't help his score. McGee and Griffin missed even more attempts yet weren't dinged on their scores. 

DeRozen didn't need any props for his attempts. He was the only one that didn't use any, or he was saving them for the final round. DeRozan scored one of the two 50s in the first round with his second attempt, yet didn't make the finals. That's not a surprise when Griffin had already been penciled in for one of the spots.

Griffin's dunks weren't anything new or impressive. He moved on through the competition based on the fact everyone wanted to see him win. His first dunk attempt looked like it was going to be very impressive. However, after two misses he modified it to a standard 360 cock-back dunk. Every person in the contest can do that dunk. His second attempt was even more run-of-the-mill. A baseline windmill from a pass off the side of the backboard.....after seven attempts. And the worst part is it got a 46, better than DeRozan's between-the-legs dunk. It was clear at that point, the fix was in. No matter what Griffin did he was going to win. He shouldn't have even made the finals. DeRozan and McGee were the two best dunkers of the first round.

The one Griffin dunk I did like was his rendition of Vince Carter's arm-in-the-rim dunk. Griffin tossed it off the backboard before powering it through. Even though we've seen that type of dunk before, I'll take it because he tweaked it and added some of his power to it. 

Good idea but jumping the hood isn't that great

And that brings me to maybe the most overrated dunk there's ever been. When you say "he dunked over a car" it sounds impressive. Unfortunately it wasn't in this case. The small Kia they wheeled out was placed under the basket so he didn't have to jump far. Going over the hood meant he didn't have to get very high. The whole thing was set up long before the event even started. They would use the "official car of the NBA" to bring down the house with everyone's "favorite dunker", Blake Griffin. Cue the choir singing "I Believe I Can Fly." (Another low-light.) 

Of course Griffin would have to be in the finals. Sorry, better dunker, you're gone. The Blake Griffin cash cow must be milked. It's been set up for months now.

At least Chuck called it like he saw it.

"I hate to say this but that's not the greatest dunk," Barkley said. 

"But the presentation was pretty fun," Kevin Harlan said. 

"Yeah, but that's like when you have a pretty girl. If she's dumb, it don't matter."

The other dunker, Serge Ibaka, didn't 'wow' me with his rendition of the "free throw line" dunk. He took off right at the line, which is further back than we've seen, but he's 6'11" so it cancels out. Brent Barry could take off from near the free throw line. Grabbing the toy with his mouth hanging at the rim, and especially the kid actor, was silly. 

I watch the dunk contest every year. I get what the league is trying to do with it - get people watching and create a spectacle. However it's getting a bit out of hand at this point, which is hurting the event. The contestants don't need "coaches", especially yelling at the crowd and commentators, and pumping up the crowd. No more bringing extra baskets out. No more cars. It's time to eliminate the props. 

The real "best ever"

Maybe I'm a stick in the mud but I know what I'm looking for and I haven't been seeing it lately. Maybe I'm not embracing the new-school dunk contests. But I saw the highlights of MJ and Dominique battling. There were no props there. Just high-flying, power dunks.

I saw the best dunk contest ever in 2000 with winner Vince Carter and Steve Francis and Tracy McGrady. There were no props used. Vince Carter didn't miss one of his dunks. They were fresh and incredible. Jason Richardson did some amazing dunks that hadn't been seen before when he won back-to-back titles. The closest thing to those two is DeMar DeRozan. He is doing some dunks no one else playing right now can do, and he's doing them so easily I think it's hurting his scores. And he doesn't have the name recognition, that's his biggest problem. And being a good player should factor in to it. 

I'll keep watching All-Star Weekend, always. The dunk contest has the ability to be great. It just wasn't Saturday night, and it hasn't been great in the past few years. Maybe my standards are too high. 

(Photos: ESPN, Getty Images)

Phil Jackson on Dan Patrick Show

I don't listen to the "DP Show" too often. I won't go into a diatribe here about how his comedy stylings and talkative crew turn me off to the program, I'll just say he does a nice job with interviews. Phil Jackson called in this morning. Thanks to my twitter feed (from @AndrewSiciliano), I got the rare national interview by Phil on my radar. I needed an appointment to catch the appearance because he's rarely, if ever, on the shows I frequently listen to (The Herd, The Jim Rome Show). Any Phil interview, at any time, is intriguing. Including those in-game interviews.

Phil Jackson's thoughts on the Lakers and league, courtesy of the Dan Patrick Show, Feb. 16 [AUDIO].

Some excerpts:

On Blake Griffin: "He's going to be a multi-dimensional player, and doesn’t look like he’ll be content just doing those whirly-twirly dunks he can do. We all hope he’ll have the ability to monitor when it’s important to do that type of slam because there’s a reason his knee gave out last year. You can only exhort and expend that body that way so often and sometimes it’s going to get you in trouble…. You learn that as you grow and age in this league.”

Last season? "I'm fully determined to end my career as a coach. (pause for laughter) Did you like that?"

Another Quotable: "I have to watch Modern Family. That's what my kids tell me I have to watch."

Jackson says the only thing the Lakers need to add is Matt Barnes back to the lineup, who's been out 4-5 weeks with a knee injury and his absence has affected the second unit. Jackson also talked about the long road trip and Jerry Sloan.

The Lakers have one more game tonight at Cleveland, which will be a nice break after two bad losses, before resting for the All-Star break. I don't read too far into the losses at Orlando and Charlotte. Four games in five day, three on national TV. The Bobcats "have the Lakers' number", whatever that means. Los Angeles has dropped 8 of last 10 in Charlotte.

Lakers Won't Trade Bynum for Melo

The report of discussions to trade Andrew Bynum for Carmelo Anthony is purely gamesmanship on the Lakers part. They can't give up Bynum this year and win an NBA Finals. Letting this "rumor" out serves them two purposes. 

1) It lets Carmelo know when he becomes a free-agent in the off-season, the Knicks aren't the only major market team interested. 

2) It motivates Bynum. He picks up his play to prove how much they need him and it gives the team, who had been in another lull, a boost with all eyes and doubters focused on them.  

Melo isn't going to be a Laker....this year

Both things will serve them will moving forward. I believe Chris Broussard was hoodwinked again by Lakers or Nuggets executives and his "sources." The Lakers wanted the rumor to get out. Not because they were actually going to make the trade, but to put the image of Melo in a Lakers uniform in everyone's head. And what a sight that would be.

Can you imagine? You wanna talk "Big Threes?" Try Kobe, Melo and Pau. "Big Four" like Boston is boasting these days with Rondo? Just add Lamar.

But that's only if Melo decides to sign up with Los Angeles in free-agency. The Lakers aren't going to trade for him, and they shouldn't. They can't give up Bynum and expect to beat Boston in the Finals. Boston a serious road block on the path to another Phil Jackson three-peat. Right now, Boston is the favorite to win the Finals. 

While adding Carmelo adds a top-3 player in the league, he doesn't play center. An unquestioned talent and the most effortless scorer in the league, Carmelo can add so many things it's worth making a sacrifice.  But this year's Lakers cannot give up Bynum's size, power, presence and expect to compete with Boston's bruising frontcourt.

If Bynum isn't there, Pau is forced to bang on fives and play center. That's not where he lives. This was proved in the 2008 Finals. Bynum was injured and LA got worked over physically and overall. You can't replace Bynum with Carmelo based on size and position. 

The Lakers know this, but they still would like Carmelo to consider playing for them. They'll be needing a three next season to replace Ron Artest, who helped get them one ring and possibly another but is near the end of the line. 

If the Knicks  become contenders if they can simply sign Carmelo without giving up some of their young talent, the Lakers would become an unstoppable force. It's a long shot for the Lakers but a shrewdly played by the front office. Knowing Broussard will report anything and ESPN will make it a top story, it caused a stir. More "motivating through the media" from Phil and Lakers brass. But if they could land the biggest free-agent since, well, last summer, that might even make Phil pull a Favre and renege on his "last season" statement.

Class Act

He waited through nearly the entire first round in the green room on draft day. He rode the pine for three years behind a legend, amid doubts. When he finally got his shot to take over the team, fans cussed at him and wanted to fight him. He went 6-10 in his first season as starter, creating more doubt and animosity. When he took the Packers to the playoffs last year, he lost and got the unfair rap of being "unable to win in the playoffs."

Rodgers reached the pinnacle by staying classy

He's answered a thousand questions about Brett Favre. He continued on, putting in the work to be the best, though not many noticed. He got back to the playoffs. He won the Super Bowl. And one thing remained a constant through his first six, turbulant years: Aaron Rodgers handled it all with class.

It's a trait often forgotten about in today's world but when you see it, you realize how great an asset it is. No one could blame him if he took a Shaq moment. No one deserves to call out all the doubters, haters, Favre-worshipers, disloyal Packer fans more than Rodgers. But he's too classy. That's not where he lives. He lives up on the high road, far above the negativity that tried to bring him down for so many years. Now he lets his ring speak for itself.

After his Super Bowl performance, which some have called one of the greatest by a quarterback in the big game, he is officially in that "elite group" of NFL quarterbacks. His ring and Super Bowl MVP trophy confirm  it. He needed to play a flawless game versus Pittsburgh and he did just that. He's one of the best playing the position right now and he's one of the classiest professional athletes in any sport.

Rodgers deserves to let people know they wrongly doubted him. But don't expect him to anything of the sort. He's too grounded, puts in too much time, works too hard to succumb to that pitfall. He'll continue on the way he always has: with class.