'13 All things Heat thread

[Smithian]

I am absolutely shocked by the Wizards slow start. I blame injuries.

[Smithian]

Originally Posted by Ben

Before I post this, I'll start by saying I am in no way on the trade Wade wagon, I love Wade and everything he's done for this franchise.

However, do you think the fact that Wade is such good friends with Bron/Bosh is going to hurt us in the long run? Dwyane is 30, LeBron 27, Bosh 28. Dwyane's the one who seems to have lost a bit of what he used to have.

I think Jace said it in a thread, Wade is far too proud to change his game and settle for a lesser role. And I just can't see with LeBron and Bosh here, that he'll change that. We all know what close friends do, they compete. Wade won't want to be seen as the lesser player from those 2, so will try and get his, which as we saw in the Grizzlies game, cost us a bit.

The way I see it now, with LeBron and Bosh playing as they are now, Wade is basically the x-factor to whether we win or lose. If he plays non-selfish, sensible ball, we can beat any team. If he plays his selfish, half-assed ball, it could be a frustrating season.

Dude, no one could have predicted Wade would want the spot light he isn't deserving of any more! You know, except most of us on this forum.

Originally Posted by Smithian

SG: Wade - I think he'll have a small step back this year with lots of awkwardness as LeBron continues to try to shine the light on an older, slower, less consistently hustling player. Wade likes being a superstar. He works his butt off, he is a top 5 or 6 player still. If not? We'll see.

Trade Wade for young players and cap breathing room!!!!

[Dee-Zy]

No.

[doctordrizzay]

I wouldn't care if we traded Wade, It's a business. What are we? 15-1 without him? We could pick up some real solid young pieces for him that would set up our future for a great long haul. Spurs like.

[Jace]

If you think Wade is going to be traded short of him making a request, you don't understand this franchise.

But yeah, until he accepts LeBosh currently butter our bread, we will suffer. Despite being extremely talented, he's never been the smoothest, most fundamentally sound player out there. His game has always been dependent on maximum, relentless effort, team-ball, and competitiveness. All of that has diminished with star status, and perhaps a degree of entitlement these days. Having two rings won't help that. I think this version of Wade (one who can shine like his prime self on any given night, but often won't, whether due to physical limitations or a greater desire to look like a superstar without doing the little things that got him to that level), is what we'll have to live with for the foreseeable future.

Maybe Spo has him out there by himself in the rotation so he can get the junk shots out of the way while LeBosh are resting. Unfortunately he kept taking them with them on the floor last night.

On some nights, thinking totally pragmatically, its hard not to imagine what the team would look like with a better-shooting SG in his spot who knows his place on the totem pole. Don't watch him play much so I'm going more by reputation, but even fellow Marquette alum Wes Matthews might lead to smoother basketball for us. I'm sure there are Heat fans out there wishing we traded him for Harden, as unrealistic as that is. I wouldn't even consider trading Dwyane, though.

[Dee-Zy]

If Wade wants to still be relevant, he needs to start to develop a killer jumpshot.

À la Kevin Martin or something.

[Wade County]

Wade will never be Kevin Martin on that long ball though Deez. He's 30 - while he's not past adding strings to his bow, I think us expecting Dwyane to become a jump shooting assassin is unrealistic.

Those thinking we could or should trade Dwyane are wrong though. Loyalty means a lot to this organisation, and we've proven that. It's part of the reason why we could assemble the Big 3 in the first place, and the 'family' atmosphere we portray is real. Riles will never trade Dwyane.

As far as his game goes, he's forcing it too much. He doesn't let the game come to him anymore, and he takes so many off balance, fading away awkward shots that it's amazing he shoots around 50% anyway. His post up game is his best asset these days, but he has games where he forces that too, and instead of trying to make the bucket flails around for a call that he isn't getting.

Wade's game used to be predicated on an explosive first step, great balance and change of direction. His J used to be more reliable also, but he has shown flashes that his J is coming around. I think it was more 1 or 2 bad games, and he is going to have them. It's a different kind of world for Wade these days, he doesn't handle as much, and his O is more reliant on post ups and cuts than ever before. He doesn't get as many iso's at the top or side of the key anymore, which is where he used to do most of his damage.

This might be on Spo to try and construct ways to get Dwyane in more places on the floor where he's comfortable and can make more plays.

[Jace]

Originally Posted by Smithian

I am absolutely shocked by the Wizards slow start. I blame injuries.

Randy Whittman is above injuries.

[Smithian]

Originally Posted by Jace

Randy Whittman is above injuries.

The team was built around John Wall making the offense run and then Nene and the rest of the team holding down the halfcourt defensively.

Both of them have yet to play a game and are out for a while.

I really like the makeup of this Wizards team so I hate to see them struggling with injuries.

[Jace]

I know, that was the crux of my joke. He can't make up for their injuries with his coaching. Still, they've been fairly competitive.

[Wade2Bosh]

OT- I just won by .16 this week in fantasy football

[Smithian]

Originally Posted by Wade2Bosh

OT- I just won by .16 this week in fantasy football

Gritty

[BlackNRed]

So I'm hearing talks of the Lakers targeting Lebron in 2014? Anybody worried about this? How worried should we be of him wanting to go to the left coast to pair up with Dwight? Also, Wade and Bosh will both be free agents a well. 2014 could be a disaster for the HEAT.

[Jace]

You're about a month late on this one, but I'll bite:

No. He's not going to LA to replace Kobe. It was a story the Lakers floated out to get Dwight more interested in re-signing. There's a better chance he goes back to the Cavs if he ever leaves here. Anyway, since Kobe got wind of the story, he's since gotten off his "playing out my contract and retiring" stance and moved to "I might play until I'm 40."

Please don't worry about this stuff. Let's enjoy the moment.

[Smithian]

Originally Posted by BlackNRed

So I'm hearing talks of the Lakers targeting Lebron in 2014? Anybody worried about this? How worried should we be of him wanting to go to the left coast to pair up with Dwight? Also, Wade and Bosh will both be free agents a well. 2014 could be a disaster for the HEAT.

You mean LeBron may only stay 4 years? We may look back at this as the time period where a player zoomed in, won a couple championships, and left?

Hell, it will have been a good run. I'll be perfectly content rebuilding if the Big Three all bolt. Doubt it happens though.