Well, it looks like it has come down to this. We’ve decided to discontinue the site. We’re not even sure anyone has been reading this so instead of continuing to throw money down a hole we’re going to cut our loses. If ever you have read any of our articles or have anything to say you can quickly create an account and post a comment for us to read. It’s been fun. Go Heat!
Team MHB
Ok. Yesterday we were successful in making a significant trade this off-season. The deal sending Antoine Walker, Michael Doleac, Wayne Simeon, and a future conditional draft pick for Ricky Davis and Mark Blount.
Immediately we have improved our offense. But here is what makes the move even more productive: Pat Riley freed himself from Walker’s abomination of a contract. I still don’t know how Riles got that sold but here’s some prospect of what next off-season could look like as reported by the Miami Herald’s Michael Wallace (no, not the 60 minutes guy)
The Heat could have as much as $21 million in expiring contracts next summer, making it a potential bidder for a 2008 free agents crop that could include Gilbert Arenas, Ron Artest, Corey Maggette, Elton Brand, Baron Davis and Jermaine O’Neal.
Pat, you’ve done it again.
According to espn.com’s Mark Stein, The Heat are close to signing a deal that will bring Ricky Davis and Mark Blount in return for Antoine Walker, Michael Doleac, and Wayne Simeon.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3077037
Sources told ESPN.com that the Heat will soon complete a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves to acquire swingman Ricky Davis and center Mark Blount.
The latest incarnation of the deal, according to one source, has Miami sending Antoine Walker, Michael Doleac and Wayne Simien to the Wolves for Davis and Blount.
Mark Blount is no throw-in either ( I picked him up off waivers in my fantasy league last season). This guy had some great spurts last season with some impressive numbers. Consistency was his only problem and the possible trade could be the answer.
We’re keeping our fingers crossed.
Could this be the end of Antoine Walker?
Considering the laziness of our MHB staff and the fact that my place of business seems to be in an ever increasing lull, I figured we can cover up to date on what I’ve seen/heard from the Heat to this point in the preseason.
Let’s start with Dorell Wright. Reading mostly from what Ira Winderman has seen as well as personally seeing the Heat play against the Hawks, I don’t think he will be our starting small forward this season. The feeling is that his game compliments Wade’s so they are going to put him on the back-burner until Flash’s return. At the Hawks game, he was jump-shooting and shot-blocking. The latter resulting in him fouling out (he must’ve been hanging with Zo). When he chose to fire up mid-range jumpers instead of slashing to the basket, he was pulled. To get back in the mix he’s either got to develop a jump-shot or return to a high-flier and get to the rim as well as rely more on team defense rather than blocking shots (which is awesome when he does but also gets him into foul trouble).
If this were a RPG, Jason Williams would have the dexterity of negative 100. He walks the ball up court, fires up air-balls, misses layups, and somehow manages to strain, pull, or bruise something every couple of games. I definitely think he would be an excellent candidate for a bionic man experiment. This season I am interested to see that if what the Heat camp has said about J-Will is true ( I posted the comment earlier), that he has gotten back to form from when he was with Memphis. I’m finding that hard to believe this preseason.
Smush Parker came here to give us help at the point. The role I could see him filling is a guard similar to Damon Jones. With Shaq in the middle and Flash on your side you have to improve your filed goal/3 point percentage. If he does fill a role like that he would be a better fit than Donkey was he won’t get posterized on defense ( I was at that game Bron Bron threw down on Damon, it was worse seeing it in person). BTW Damon Jones earned the name Donkey by the way he followed around Shaq like Donkey does Shrek (aside from his Kool-Aid smile).
If I’m correct, this will be the first off-season Shaq has had to rest. Since being in the league he has always advanced deep into the playoffs. Not counting his off court dilemmas ,his wife and him are on the outs, his conditioning for a full season sound like it should be interesting. Adding the ability to have Zo help out with minutes should allow the Big Diesel to roll season long, we can only pray.
Udonis Haslem. Finally some good news. Towards the end of last season Udonis was hurt and it showed. This pre-season he is showing that he’s healthy. That baseline jumpshot he has is there and he’s sinking them without Dwyane on the court, which was unheard of before. Look for UD to improve on his dependable 9 and 9 a game.
I was disappointed the other day when Pat Riley had called out Antoine Walker in the media. If you listen to the LeBatard show, I had re-written Limited-Fake-Pavoratti’s lyrics to reflect the current state of affairs in Toine’s world:
Antoine no KFC
Stick to your Slim Fast meals
Well anyway, the real fake guy (limited fake that is) just so happened to rewrite the song with fat boy lyrics and call in before I had the chance. Aside from all that I don’t expect anything from him. The only role I would suggest for him to fill is to stand in the corner and chuck 3 balls to spead our offense. He’ll sink a few.
Penny has impressed a number of onlookers. I have not seen him play yet but from what I’ve heard he’s in better shape to make the team than Allan Houston is to make the Knicks. I’m hoping this guy is our off-season gem.
Out of our new recruits, I like Brian Chase, Devon Green, and Marcus Slaughter. Chase has a nice handle and shows a decent outside shot. Green shows decent fundamentals and Slaughter is a guy who can get up ( look for some alley-oops for him if he makes the squad).
Hopefully Wade can come back to us and return to Flash form, we desperately need him.
I wouldn’t mind seeing Riley pull one more move before the season starts. Towards the end of the Atlanta game, the Hawks stacked up in the middle and decided to let us try and shoot our way back into the lead. We failed miserably.
Gone our Kapono, EJ, and Posey. I don’t know if we have that guy to fill that void right now.
Article Courtesy of Chris Perkins for the Palm Beach Post
MIAMI — The summertime reports on oft-injured Heat guard Jason Williams were glowing. And as he zipped around the court with relative ease in Friday night’s intrasquad scrimmage, he again confirmed he was true to his rigorous off-season training program.
“I’m really pleased with him,” coach Pat Riley said. “I think he has been a standout this summer.”
The Heat had serious doubts about Williams’ health and durability after the season. While Riley wants his point guard to play at least 70 games, Williams has missed 23 and 21 games, respectively, in his two years in Miami. And frequently he was so hobbled it was counterproductive for him to practice.
“I’ve got to have somebody I can depend on and rely on,” Riley said. “And he understands this. He and I had this conversation. That’s why we went after (Milwaukee’s) Mo Williams.”
The Heat eventually addressed its concern about Jason Williams’ health by signing Smush Parker, a former Los Angeles Lakers point guard.
Jason Williams addressed the Heat’s concern by spending the summer working out 21/2 hours a day, five days a week. He worked on strengthening problem areas such as his knees, quadriceps and abdomen, all of which have caused him to miss games in the past two years.
So far it has worked. He now runs pain-free and walks without a limp. He has also lost 10 pounds and reduced his body fat percentage.
“He’s back to the Memphis J-Will,” guard Dwyane Wade said.
That would put Jason Williams on track to play 70-plus games, likely score somewhere between 10 and 14 points per game, and eclipse the hallowed 3-to-1 assists to turnovers ratio coveted by NBA point guards.
“I expect to play 82 (games),” said Williams, who added he feels the best he has felt in his career.
The Heat aren’t concerned about Williams’ talent. They’ve seen him run the offense with precision, both feeding the ball inside to center Shaquille O’Neal and keeping the ball moving around the perimeter. They remember him hitting his first 10 shots in Miami’s Eastern Conference title-winning Game 6 against Detroit in 2006. They recall the 14-assist, zero-turnover game last season.
Williams, who averaged 10.9 points per game last season while tying a career-best by shooting .413 from the field, also has proved adept as a three-point shooter, hitting at least 100 in each of his two years with the Heat.
If the Heat keeps him for the entire season and allows his contract to expire, that money is available to spend on a free agent next summer.
On the other hand, a good start by Williams makes him attractive trade bait for a team looking to cut salary for next season. In exchange, perhaps the Heat could land a veteran who could push their title hopes over the top.
“We’re not looking to trade him at all,” Riley said of Williams. “We just want to make sure we have him available. And he has been the one that has impressed me the most with his work ethic.”
In lue of the bucks matching our offer sheet for point guard Charlie Bell, let’s look at their off season moves:
They draft a Chinese guy, Jianlian Yi who wants to play in a city with a large Chinese population.
They overpay Mo Williams to the tune of 6 years $51M dollars.
They re-sign Desmond Mason, who “felt angry and betrayed when he left Milwaukee less than two years ago.”
Refuse to offer Charlie Bell a $3M a year contract until the Heat offers him $18.5M over five years. Since he is a restricted free agent however, they have the right to match the Heat’s over and thus retained him. All of this done after Bell states he does not want to play in Milwaukee and they signed Royal Ivey to fill his postion.
Oh, it’s not over. Here are some comments the GM, Larry Harris made after matching our offer:
“It’s going to sound funny saying this, but some things that Mo Williams did with his contract, (he) made a great sacrifice for Charlie Bell. I think that says a lot without going into too much detail,” Harris said. “I give Mo a lot of credit. He did some things to help us do what we needed to today.”
“The sun will shine here just as it does in Miami,” Harris said.
It sounds like half that team may try to claim assylum during one of their road games.
With the addition of Charlie Bell we will be overstocked at the point. A lot of people feel we should go after Michael Pietrus sending the Warriors J-Will’s expiring contract.
I don’t feel comfortable with this unless they throw Matt Barnes in the deal. I also have another solution…..
AK-47. Andrei Kirilenko is not happy in Utah anymore and is asking for a trade. Is there another player in the league who is a more ideal fit for Riley’s system that this guy? Under the tutelage of Riley and Askins, wouldn’t his defense become even more locked-down? I think he would be a perfect fit for the hole we have at the 3 spot. If your gonna trade white chocolate, get an AK for ‘em.
Celts pick Posey to get tough
By Mark Murphy
Boston Herald Sports Reporter
Sunday, August 26, 2007Reggie Miller would have added a nice offensive punch off the bench.
But James Posey, the 6-foot-8 forward who agreed to a two-year, $7 million contract with the Celtics [team stats] yesterday, offers an upgrade in two areas of greater need.The swingman, who alternated with Antoine Walker as sixth man when the Miami Heat won the 2006 NBA title, is one of the most energetic players in the league, as well as one of its finest defenders.
That combination makes Posey one of the NBA’s most highly regarded role players, and it has earned him a reputation for tough defense and the eternal scorn of Chicago fans after two playoff appearances against the Bulls.
As playoff matchups against Richard Hamilton, Vince Carter, Richard Jefferson and, in particular, the Bulls’ Luol Deng and Tyrus Thomas have illustrated, Posey is a rugged defender who relishes tough assignments. His defense on Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki during the 2006 Finals was vital to Miami’s defeat of the Mavericks. His rough play against Deng, Thomas and Kirk Hinrich over the last two playoff seasons has earned Posey two ejections.
In terms of grit, no addition could have been more important for a Celtics team that already has Paul Pierce [stats], Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.
“The sixth-man role in Boston has always had a special meaning, and that is a role that James is perfectly suited to - that he thrives in,” Posey’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, said yesterday.
Posey, who had been close to signing a deal with New Jersey, was initially considered too expensive for the Celtics when director of basketball operations Danny Ainge expressed interest in early July.
But after Miller decided Thursday night to remain retired, the talks with Posey gained new life.
A downturn in the free agent market also had helped lower Posey’s price. The Celtics, with approximately $3.5 million of their $5.6 million mid-level exception left after signing Eddie House, suddenly became one of the best deals remaining on the market. Reportedly, the Nets had only their $1.8 million biannual exception to offer.
But it was the allure of playing with Pierce, Garnett and Allen that ultimately won Posey over.
“He got the taste of winning a championship in Miami, and you don’t lose that taste,” Bartelstein said. “Financially there were some better situations he passed up, but he’s very excited to be with the Celtics.”
Posey’s contract includes a player’s option for the second season.
Click Here for the link to the original story in the Boston Herald.
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Published: Aug. 18, 2007 at 12:23 AM
Internet addiction more serious than OCD
TEL AVIV, Israel, Aug. 18 (UPI) — Internet addiction should be grouped with extreme addictive disorders such as gambling, sex addiction and kleptomania, an Israeli psychiatrist said.
Dr. Pinhas Dannon of Tel Aviv University’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine said 10 percent of Internet surfers are afflicted with “Internet addiction disorder,” which can lead to anxiety and severe depression.
Internet addiction is classified by mental health professionals as an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a mild to severe mental health condition that results in an urge to engage in ritualistic thoughts and behavior.
“Internet addiction is not manifesting itself as an ‘urge.’ It’s more than that. It’s a deep ‘craving.’ And if we don’t make the change in the way we classify Internet addiction, we won’t be able to treat it in the proper way,” Dannon said Friday in a release.
He said the two groups at greatest risk from Internet addiction disorder are teenagers and people in their mid-50s suffering from the loneliness of an empty nest.
Wife: “Honey, dinner is ready!”
Husband: ::thinks to himself “I love my wife’s cooking but I can’t break free from this computer”
Narrator: Now there’s help……..blah,blah,blah…………….side effects include: cross dressing, self mutilation, blood in the stool, increased increased internet addiction.
I figured that since most of the news in NBA land is regergitated rumors, theories, or complaints maybe we’ll go over some of my projected fantasy picks this year for all you fantasy basketball players. Last year was my first year playing and unfortunately I got stuck in a public roto-league, missing the opportunity to sign up for the league Erik and Ben were in.
If you have the chance, I highly recommend setting up a league with people you know. Playing in a public league, I lost out on any trash talking at all and no one wanted to trade anything! That’s half the fun, owning your friends and humiliating yourself by trading players that turn out to be saviors of your team.
Of course everyone knows the superstars of the league: the Kobes, KGs, V. Carters (this will be the only time I ever write about Vince Carter, he is the biggest p*ssy but puts up great fantasy numbers) I wanted to show some of the guys that I picked up off the waiver wire and turned out producing solid for me. These are the diamonds in the rough. There is nothing better than finding a guy that everyone passed up, picking him, and torching your competition with his numbers, so here we go:
Mark Blount (C/Minnesota) : He gave me some nice 20 and 10’s in the middle of the season. With KG gone maybe he can benefit?
Monta Ellis (G/ Golden State) : Had trouble getting enough playtime but when he did, he filled it up. I traded him for Ben Gordon straight up right before Boom Dizzle came back.
Lamarcus Aldridge (F/ Portland) : Portland might be one of the best teams this upcoming season. With Randolph gone and Oden in only his rookie season, maybe Lamarcus can capitalize.
Ruben Patterson (F/Milwaukee) : Nice string of 15 and 10s. Don’t know where he is going to land but pay attention.
Delonte West (G/Seattle) : When he got the time he put up some scoring/assists. Will he have to share time again on a new team or can he become a starter?
Matt Barnes (F/Golden State) : Another victim of playtime. He had a breakout year and wants big bucks after this season, look for a show from the bay area.
Nick Collison (F/C Seattle) : Rebound machine. Both him and Chirs Wilcox were sporatic. However when they were on they were on.
Nene Hilario (F/Denver) : He finally started to show what everyone expected from him. Having the summer to fully heal and jel with AI should benefit or will K-Mart’s return effect his playtime?
Those are they guys I picked up through the season last year and gave me some nice numbers. Let’s take a look at a few players I predict will benefit from off-season moves:
Jason Williams/Smush Parker (G/ Miami) : Yeah, I’m a homer. Whoever wins the battle between the two will earn the starting job on a team with Wade and Shaq. Just look at what that has done for Damon Jones and Jason Kapono. I think it’s all dependent upon J-Will being healthy.
Mo Williams (G/Milwaukee) : Ah-hah! You thought I was gonna promote this chump! Screw Mo Williams
Darko Milicic (C/Memphis) : I have a feeling Memphis is going to be an up and down team most of the time. If the 7 footer can keep up, look for a monster season rebounding.
Morris Peterson (G/ New Orleans) : He got out of Toronto, can he do what he claims? Dependent on Stojakovic’s back.
Boston Celtics: When I say this I mean KG, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen. Can they co-exist on the same team or is this just another Houston experiment (Olajuwan/Pippen/Drexler). Being in the East, they’ve got a decent shot.
I highly recommend your first two picks you do not select anyone who has had a history with injuries. Being stuck with your highest pick on the bench sucks. Anyway I hope some of my insight will help (I’m sure I just screwed myself in my upcoming season by sharing this). Oh, and screw Vince Carter =)
