2012 Heat Media Day/Training Camp Thread

[Jace]

Nothing new here, just a sick compilation of LeBron dishes. Really can't compare him to Jordan. Souped-up, better-scoring Magic is more appropriate.

Some of his parts have been torn and worn over time, but Dwyane Wade’s memory still performs at peak level.

So, yes, he clearly recalls how long he played Oct. 5, 2010.

“Three minutes,” Wade said this week. “I hit my first shot. Yeah, I remember. I had a steal, too.”

Then a hamstring injury stole the rest of his preseason, after he’d done “the hard part” of training camp. He rushed to return for the opener in Boston and struggled with his rhythm, to the unpleasant tune of 4-for-16 shooting and six turnovers. Naturally, Wade also remembered what happened next.

“That next night, I came out and got 30,” Wade said.

He did, even if he wasn’t especially efficient through the first month-plus of the season, hitting his stride – as would be the case again in the lockout-shortened 2011-12 campaign – roughly 20 games in.

So should his current limited workload, while he recovers from July 9 knee surgery, be a concern? What if he plays in only one or two preseason games? Will that hurt him and, by extension, the team?

Wade has argued otherwise, even while acknowledging that not being available for everything prior to the start of the season is “not going to be ideal.”

He correctly cited some differences from the 2010 experience.

He’s not missing as much practice time as that October, when the hamstring forced him to shut off most activity completely. And he’s much more comfortable now since so many of his teammates – including the two other stars – have been on his side deep into the past two Junes.

“I’ve been around the block a little bit,” Wade said.

He knows his teammates’ styles and preferences, and he has a much better sense of where he fits than when he and LeBron James, especially, were stumbling all over each other in their race to similar spots. Wade is under less of a physical and mental burden to carry the Heat than at any time since his rookie season, especially with Ray Allen around to sop up some of his minutes.

Most importantly, Wade’s recent surgery on his left knee doesn’t seem to be troubling him all that much – or, at least, it didn’t during an intensive 20-minute session that the media witnessed Thursday.

He and James worked with assistant David Fizdale, one and then the other, on drives, catch-and-shoots and even post-ups against a Heat staffer using a blocker to push each off the spot. James and Wade watched, encouraged and needled each other, with James even joking once when Wade recoiled that it would get Wade fined under the NBA’s new flopping rules.

It didn’t appear that Wade, whether planting, leaping or even cutting, was holding anything back. Many of his movements were abrupt and violent. No issue.

The only times Wade touched his knees were during the brief breaks, when – slick with sweat – he hunched over to put his hands on them, just to get his breath back.

James, incidentally, did the same.

So there shouldn’t be much worry. It might actually benefit Wade, later in the season, if he works a little less now, considering that he’s turning 31, and Miami needs him freshest in the spring.

“I’ve done it,” Wade said of working back into rhythm. “And I’ll be successful in what I do.”

When the Heat needs him to make new memories.

Noteworthy: Erik Spoelstra on Friday gave his players their first off day of camp, in part to prepare for the week-long China trip. The Heat will work Saturday before flying to Atlanta, where the club will play Sunday and then leave immediately for China.

Ethan Skolnick appears impressed with Dwyane's mobility.

[Smithian]

Has the Kentucky scrub/Knicks-Rockets reject been cut yet for saying he can hold his own against Dwight?

Thankfully Joel speaks Canadian and can't run his mouth the media.

[Jace]

He cut his Amish beard. Could be ominous.

Trying to picture Joel running his mouth to the media...

I'm OK I guess...

Can't see him being more brazen than that.

Watching the scrimmage over, I'm really impressed with Harris. Really smooth and he seems to have improved. If his game is where I hope its at, our backcourt is insanely deep. If you put Lebron there, since he plays like a guard: LeBron, Wade, Chalmers, Allen, Miller, Cole, and Harris are all guys who can handle and make things happen on the perimeter. That's, like, 3 and a half more than serviceable backcourts. I'm not worried about us falling too in love with threes. With our creators we'll only have to take open ones.

[Wade2Bosh]

NBA season win totals are out, and the defending champion Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder sit atop the list, with the revamped Los Angeles Lakers right on their heels.

The Las Vegas Hotel & Casino SuperBook released the first NBA win totals on the betting market Tuesday afternoon, as training camps opened across the Association.

The Heat and Thunder both opened at 60.5 wins, with the Lakers at 59.5.

Link

Seeing how bad the Southeast is, I can see why we opened this high.

Some other East contenders:

CELTICS 51.5
NETS 43.5
BULLS 47.5
PACERS 51.5
KNICKS 45.5

[Jace]

I'm predicting 58-62 wins. Just read CBS's preview by Matt Moore, he had us at 60. Seems to be just about the consensus.



Didn't catch this. All but the Lakers, I guess. And, of course, Ray was in Milwaukee first. Pretty funny. He even took GP's # in Boston.

[Wade2Bosh]

Notes from Saturday's practice..

Tim Reynolds ‏@ByTimReynolds
Spo says everyone "did something" today at practice. Joel and Mario out tomorrow. Wade "day-to-day." LeBron and Bosh will play tomorrow.

Michael Wallace ‏@WallaceNBA_ESPN
Pat Riley standing under basket to get up close look at Dexter Pittman's post-practice workout. It's basically do-or-die time for Dex here.

Spoelstra guard Dwyane Wade (knee) will be evaluated on a daily basis the remainder of the preseason, but is doubtful. Wade did complete a full practice, including contact drills. Spoelstra said, "We'll see how his body responds."

Our PF's are 3pt shooters now..

Couper Moorhead ‏@CoupNBA
Bosh on Haslem's corner 3: "Looking good, man. It's a good shot for him. He wears those size 18's, so that's just one step back." (1/2)

Couper Moorhead ‏@CoupNBA
"I think he's further along than me [in camp last season], but you can never tell until you take them in a game. It takes some work." (2/2)

Couper Moorhead ‏@CoupNBA
Found this interesting from Bosh in eternal pursuit of answers regarding spacing, on how long it took people to respect his 3's... (1/3)

Couper Moorhead ‏@CoupNBA
"Don't even have to make it, just shoot it. When you catch people off guard, you raise up, it's like, 'Whoa, I better get out there.'" (2/3)

Couper Moorhead ‏@CoupNBA
"You just have to hit the rim...It's the NBA, you're not going to give people wide open, butt-naked shots. That's not a good gameplan." 3/3

[Smithian]

If I see Haslem start trying to shoot corner 3's then I'll die a little bit on the inside.

[Jace]

He'll probably mostly wind up there during scrambles (or "skirmishes"). Maybe there will be certain 4-out sets where he's in the corner. He'd probably be more efficient there than in the post. He also understands his need to be on the boards, so he won't be Mehmet Okuring out there.

Two years late on this, but ain't it poetic justice that LeBron left Cleveland for Miami and Mo Williams had a subsequent Twitter meltdown, while he was still on the same contract he used us to leverage? Now that I'm fully pleased with our PG rotation, I can wholeheartedly say: **** Mo Williams.

@DwyaneWade

#Nodaysoff...early morning work b4 practice. Now I'm ready

...Jesus.

[Wade2Bosh]

And since then, Mo's been traded twice. Wonder how he feels about the business side of sports now?

[Jace]

I *high-five* your rhetorical question.

[Jace]

Wade and LeBron sound so reluctant to play tomorrow.

[Wade2Bosh]

Heat say Juwan Howard helping out team "in an undefined" role. He will travel with team to China, not on roster.

Should've been the case since last year. Make him an assistant coach and keep him away from taking a spot on the roster.

[Wade County]

Li-Ning Wade's

[Jace]

Since they're not too aesthetically pleasing, I just hope they lock down closer to Nikes than adidas (the flagship shoe of the injured player).

[Jace]

@MiamiHeraldHeat

Heat charter to China is going to be crazy. Entire dance team a few rows in front of me and acting, well, like a dance team.