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
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.”
Article exert courtesy of Ira Winderman at South Florida Sun Sentinel
MIAMI - Owner Micky Arison and center Shaquille O’Neal both took sarcastic note Friday of ESPN.com’s Mark Stein ranking the Heat 20th of the 30 NBA teams going into the preseason.
“I think it’s great,” Arison said, as he sat courtside at the team’s public scrimmage at AmericanAirlines Arena. “The more they insult Dwyane [Wade] and Shaq, the better it is. Get them angry.”
Asked about the ranking, O’Neal told 790 The Ticket, “Mark Stein has always been a stupid guy to me. I’m going to have fun making him look stupid.”
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.
Here’s some interviews I stumbled upon. The first two by Maurice Brooks at nba.com, J-Wills off of the nba.com/heat
BRIARCLIFF MANOR, N.Y., Aug. 20, 2007 – Two years ago, Alonzo Mourning and Shaquille O’Neal teamed up to help the Miami Heat win an NBA title. On Monday, the twin towers, along with Donald Trump, hosted the 4th Annual Zo’s Million Dollar Shootout at the Trump National Golf Club. NBA.com hung out with the two legendary centers on the 13th hole, between Mourning hitting the ball into the water and O’Neal swinging and missing.
Catching Up With Zo
Maybe Mourning will have a second professional sports career when he is done playing hoops. On second thought …
(David Dow/NBAE/Getty)
Brooks: What’s up, Alonzo? The East is going to be completely different this season with the Celtics acquiring Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. Talk a little bit about what Boston’s offseason deals do to the conference.Mourning: I think it is going to be great. This makes things more interesting and gives the East a totally different look. Everybody is always quick to label the East as a jayvee league, but we won the championship two years ago and the Pistons won it a couple of years before that.
I think Garnett will balance the league. Bringing over a great player from the West will help make things more competitive and I’m excited about the challenge. This is my last year and I expect my team to go out with a bang. I think this is great.
Brooks: You guys just got a little deeper by picking up Anfernee Hardaway. Do you think he still has anything left?
Mourning: I think Penny coming back is good for us. He’s healthy, he’s hungry and he wants to prove to the world that he can play this game at a high level. He’s talented and versatile and he can play the one, two and three, which gives us another dimension off the bench. People aren’t going to recognize him. He’s in great physical condition. He is going to shock the world when people see how well he can play the game right now. He has fresh legs and he is hungry. He’s going to get back in there and showcase his talents.
Brooks: He is not the only former star traveling the comeback trail. Allan Houston and Reggie Miller, two of the best shooters in NBA history, are also talking about lacing up the sneakers again.
Mourning: All you got to do is get Allan open and he can knock it down. I don’t know how well he is going to play defensively. You never know. He’s been out the game a little while, but if he gets into a rhythm he can be a very good player. He won’t be the player he was a couple of years ago, but he will be a very good addition to a team.
Brooks: What about the Knick killer (watch this)?
Mourning: Reggie is a Hall of Fame-type of player who can provide leadership off the bench. He is a veteran who will give a team a lift. He is a guy who is not trying to prove anything. He simply wants to help out and be a part of the process.
Brooks: A year after winning the title, you guys got swept by the Bulls in the first round of the playoffs. What happened?
Mourning: We had health problems last year. We were out of sync. We had some guys who came into the preseason very complacent. We had a lot of different health issues that affected our rhythm.
Chatting With The Diesel
Don’t let this picture fool you. Unless it is for charity, Shaq has no business holding a golf club.
(David Dow/NBAE/Getty)
Brooks: What’s the deal, big fella? What are your thoughts on the Celtics getting Kevin Garnett? Does it remind you of 2004 when you were on the Lakers with Kobe, Karl Malone and Gary Payton?O’Neal: Yeah, I played on the most stacked-deck team in the history of the game and we didn’t win the championship. Obviously having KG come over is going to make the Celtics better, but now they have a lot of pressure on them. They’ll be the most watched team in the league. They have a lot of heat on that team. A lot of heat. Ray (Allen) was the go-to guy. KG was the go-to guy. Paul (Pierce) was the go-to guy. One or two of those guys is going to have to make some sacrifices.
Brooks: Does this make Boston one of the top three teams in the East?
O’Neal: I never really thought about it like that. Cleveland is going to do what they do. New Jersey is going to do what they do. We’re going to do what we do. It’s going to be competitive. Boston is top five I guess.
Brooks: I talked to Alonzo earlier today and he was going on and on about how Penny is in tremendous shape.
O’Neal: Yeah, Zo said Penny looks fabulous. He says he looks good, but I haven’t seen him play yet. You can tell he wants to play because he signed a non-guaranteed contract. He wants to come out and prove himself. Hopefully he comes in and plays well.
Brooks: I read that you said you were going to get Yao 24-inch car rims as a wedding gift. Did you keep your word and what made you think of that as a gift?
O’Neal: They asked me what I was going to get him and that was all I could come up with. I haven’t got them for him yet, but I live in Houston, too. I may just go by his house one day and take his car.
Brooks: I’ve been checking out your golf swing. Do you play much?
O’Neal: I don’t play at all. Zo asked me to team up with him two years ago for his charity and I’m here for a good cause. I’m having a good time.
Brooks: Let’s talk hoops for a second. The postseason didn’t end well for you guys. What went wrong?
O’Neal: Last season wasn’t our time. We had a lot of injuries and stuff like that. It just happens. This is the first time in my career that I’m going to have over four months to rest in the offseason, so this year there are no excuses.
Insider Interview with Jason Williams
Want to know what your favorite HEAT player is up to during the dog days of summer? HEAT Insider sat down with Jason Williams for this exclusive interview to discuss his knee, the HEAT off-season moves and his future with the team.
HEAT Insider: How is your summer going, and how do you stay busy during the off-season?
Jason Williams: “I don’t do too much. I have a house up in Orlando , so I spend much of my time there. Other than that, I work out preparing for the season, play a lot of golf and hang out with the kids.”
HI: How about your knee? How is that coming along?
JW: “It feels great – just about pain free. This is the best I’ve ever felt. I’ve been doing a lot of weight training on my knee – about five days a week. You wouldn’t even know that I had surgery. I should go into the season at 100 percent.”
What preventative measures are you doing on your part to keep healthy this season?
JW: “I’m keeping a positive attitude and hoping for the best. I’m going to continue taking care of my knee. The best thing I can do for it is making sure it’s stretched.”
HI: The HEAT has made several new additions to the team, such as Smush Parker and Penny Hardaway. Are you excited about playing with these guys?
JW: “Yes. I’m excited, but being in the NBA you get used to roster changes. Ever since I’ve been in the league, I’ve had new teammates every year. It’s something that you get used to. Pat (Riley) knows what he’s doing, so if we have new guys here, you know they can play and they deserve to be here. I can’t wait to get back on the floor and play with my new teammates.”
HI: Are you expecting the team to bounce back this season?
JW: “I expect to win the championship every year. If you don’t expect that why even play? We’re going to get back here in October (for training camp), take it one day at a time and see how good we can be. Hopefully, we’ll be hoisting the trophy come June.”
HI: You’re heading into the last year of your contract. Are you looking to end your career in Miami?
JW: “I would love to end my career here. I love the city and the fans. If it’s up to me, I’ll stay here. All I can do is play well and hopefully everything else will work out.”
Free agents sit and wait for payday
NBA teams have full rosters and payrolls, making them loathe to spend on an average talent field
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
GEOFFREY C. ARNOLD The Oregonian Staff
Ruben Patterson remains confident he will play in the NBA this season, even though he’s waiting to sign a contract. Count Patterson, who finished last season with Milwaukee, among free agents who are trying to secure deals as teams finalize their rosters and money evaporates.
“No question it makes it harder,” said John Hammond, the Detroit Pistons’ vice president of player personnel. “You can count heads around the league right now, and many teams have (the maximum) 15 players, or more, in some circumstances.”
Advertisement This year’s free agent class, with few superstars, was considered average at best. Many teams chose to wait for next year’s class, with players such as Tim Duncan and Jermaine O’Neal possibly becoming available. That left some players — such as Patterson, P.J. Brown, Anderson Varejao, Earl Boykins, Adonal Foyle, Troy Hudson, Chris Webber, James Posey and Mickael Pietrus — waiting.
Patterson said this is the longest he has waited before knowing what jersey he will wear when camp begins in October. The former Trail Blazers forward acknowledges he’s getting a little nervous. “You could say that. I know it’s the middle of August,” Patterson said last week during a telephone interview from Cincinnati. “You got a lot of guys who haven’t signed.” Some of them will sign, but others won’t. Even those who do sign a contract probably will not get the kind of deal they envisioned when the free agent period began July 1. Then, there was plenty of money available from teams. Now, with many rosters essentially set, many teams want to avoid paying the luxury tax, a dollar-for-dollar penalty for teams that exceed the team payroll salary limit. “If there’s a free agent available and you pay him $1.5 million, it’s going to cost you $3 million ($1.5 million in salary and $1.5 million tax) with the luxury tax,” Hammond said. “It makes it pretty difficult.”
Patterson’s options decreased further when teams decided to consider signing retired players Allan Houston, Reggie Miller, Charles Oakley and Anfernee Hardaway. Hardaway, 36, who last played during the 2005 season, signed with Miami on Aug. 9. Miller, who retired two seasons ago after spending his entire 18-year career in Indiana, is considering a comeback offer from the Boston Celtics. An arthritic left knee forced Houston to retire in October 2005 after 12 NBA seasons, but he’s also working out in preparation for the season.
Patterson said he would prefer to sign with Boston or Miami, and added he’s not concerned about Hardaway signing with the Heat and Miller considering the Celtics.
“It’s going to be interesting,” Patterson said. “Reggie is what, 41, 42? He’s going to be just shooting threes, and he isn’t going to be a 30- to 40-minute per night guy.
“You look at those squads (Boston and Miami) — where’s the stopper? The energy guy? The defensive guy? That’s me. I’m the only guy they’re missing.”
Some players who had breakthrough seasons, which in the past might have translated to big pay raises, had trouble cashing in this offseason.
Golden State’s Matt Barnes attempted to sign a new deal after coming off a strong season during the Warriors’ playoff run. Barnes had hoped to receive a multiyear deal that included a team’s entire $5.36 million annual mid-level exception early in the free agent period. He didn’t receive many offers and signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal with Golden State on Aug. 13.
“I’m sure I’m not the only one the market got up on,” Barnes told reporters last week.
Former Blazers forward Ime Udoka signed a free agent deal with San Antonio for two years and about $2 million, less than he and his agent had sought.
Miami reportedly was interested in Pietrus, but the Heat, with a team payroll of $69.5 million, exceeds the luxury tax threshold and backed off.
Another problem for some players is the lack of competing offers, which weakens their bargaining position.
A player’s current team isn’t going to bid against itself, so decision-makers -wait to see if a player receives an offer. Stars such as Vince Carter or Chauncey Billups — two of the big-name free agents going into the summer — didn’t need to fret about such issues. However, for Patterson, a lack of competing — or any — offers is a big problem.
The unsigned free agents know teams are reluctant to spend much money at this point of the summer. Twenty-two of the league’s 30 teams have payrolls that exceed the salary cap ($55.63 million ), and eight teams exceed the luxury tax limit ($67.865 million).
“There used to be a salary cap number that teams looked at; now people are worried about the tax number,” Hammond said. “That’s what everybody is working around.”
Players who held out or scorned a less lucrative deal in search of something better sometimes regret their decision. That’s what happened to Bonzi Wells two seasons ago. Wells, coming off a stellar playoff performance with Sacramento, rejected a five-year, $37 million deal from the Kings, thinking he could command more on the open market. The market dried up, and he signed a two-year, $4.5 million contract with Houston.
“There’s a certain amount of anxiety that exists with agents if their guy doesn’t sign early in the process,” Hammond said. “Then you have the fear factor — some agents might be saying, ‘Here it is August and my guy is still not signed.’ ”
Patterson would be thrilled to sign a one-year deal at this stage of the offseason. The veteran forward wants to play basketball, and he’s angling to play for a championship contender.
“I’m 32. I’m not old yet, but I’m up there. I’m just trying to win a championship, even if it’s a one-year or two-year deal, I’ll be happy,” Patterson said. “I’m just going to sit back, relax and see what happens.”
Geoffrey C. Arnold: 503-221-8556; geoffreyarnold@news.oregonian.com Catch his radio show, “Spirit in Sports,” Sundays at 5 p.m. on KPDQ 93.9 FM
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 =)
Do you live or work in the city? Do you see the smoke and smell something burning? Here’s what it is:
Here are some links for today’s top happenings in the NBA:
LOY’s Place wonders if Reggie Miller will come back to be a Celtic.
Mobilewhack.com shows off a cool new phone that NBA fans will want for Christmas.
Steve Nash plays the game like a Soccer player. Becuase he is. Via TheAssociation.
