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?
I’m sure you heard about Shaq scouting Brian Chase for Pat Riley. Here’s how it happened, courtesy of the Miami Herald:
The way O’Neal tells it, he was at Wizards All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas’ charity event this summer, when Chase caught O’Neal’s attention.
”I saw a little man go at Gilbert Arenas like I’ve never seen anybody go at Gilbert Arenas,” O’Neal said.
So O’Neal approached Arenas.
‘I said, `Hey, who’s that?’ ” O’Neal said. “[Arenas] said, `He’s about to sign with the Wizards.’
‘I said, `No, he ain’t.’ And I made the call.”
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.”
The Saints and Titans will be mixing it up tonight on Monday Night Football from the Louisiana Superdome. New Orleans is still recovering from Hurricane Katrina, and that will undoubtedly be mentioned repeatedly (and rightfully) throughout the broadcast. If anyone reading this has the means to give a little something toward that effort, Habitat for Humanityhas done some outstanding work in the ongoing relief effort. They are in partnership with the New Orleans Hornets in a program called Hoops For Homes.
We don’t have any association with Habitat for Humanity but there charity work in the Gulf Coast relief effort has been amazing. If you get a minute and can spare a few bucks, check it out and do some good. Your Halo 3 party isn’t till later anyway so you’ve got some time!
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.
From Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Restricted free agent guard Charlie Bell has received a five-year, $18 million offer from the Miami Heat, according to National Basketball Association sources.
The Milwaukee Bucks will have one week to match the offer or relinquish the rights to Bell.
Bell said on Saturday that he did not wish to return to the Bucks. Milwaukee had offered a three-year, $9 million contract to the former Michigan State player.
Bell’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, confirmed the Miami offer sheet and said Bell had visited with Heat officials in Miami on Friday and Saturday. Bell met with Heat president and head coach Pat Riley.
“I think he’s excited about it,” Bartelstein said. “He had a real good visit. Now it’s obvious the Bucks have to make a hard decision. I’m frustrated it came to this point, but it did.”
Click here for the full article.
The Bell story is also being reported by Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
In extending an offer sheet Monday to outside-shooting Bucks guard Charlie Bell, the Heat showed it is willing to invest more than $18 million on an already crowded backcourt.
After losing out on Bucks point guard Mo Williams earlier this offseason in free agency, the Heat on Monday put in a bid for his frequent 2006-07 Milwaukee backcourt partner.
However, because Bell is a restricted free agent, the Bucks now have until next Monday to decide whether to match the five-year, $18.3 million offer.
Click here for the full Sun-Sentinel article.
We’ll have our take on this soon enough. I’ll go on the record right now by saying that I love this move, if it actually happens. There’s no telling what the Bucks are going to do. Until then, enjoy the articles and check back soon to hear our what we think about this.
Since I am a hold over from the old days where we had one of the greatest rivalries in recent basketball history, I have a special place for the Knicks. I found this today and had to post it here on our site.
Isiah Allegedly ‘Don’t Give A [Expletive] About These White People’
The trial of Isiah Thomas on sexual harassment charges is now underway, and fired Knicks exec Anucha Browne Sanders has delivered some testimony of varying humor. (The variation is based on whether you work for the Knicks.)
The New York Daily News details some of the lleged unsavory remarks Zeke made to Browne Sanders in their work-related discourse.
Browne Sanders said Thomas bristled at her efforts to get players to turn out for corporate events scheduled long before he took over the team in December 2003.
Click Here For the rest of the original AOL Fanhouse article.
