Shaq on Heat's BIG 2?

So, what is it this time for Shaq?

After retiring from the NBA [finally!], Shaquille O'Neal finally found a new career as a NBA analyst. I'm not sure if I'm going to laugh at this big joke or be hacked off [all he ever did was babble].

According to Shaq, “Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, you know, they’re great players, they’re probably the greatest backcourt ever assembled. And you know, they’re going to get back. They’re going to get back. They play well, they went through a lot, they put a lot of pressure on themselves. That’s how they like it. And they will be back.” Of course, they will be back that is if there's no NBA lockout. [2011-12 NBA Schedule]

“The Miami Heat, they’ve got a lot of great players, the `Big 2.’ They will be back,” - Shaquille O'Neal

Of course, he'll be talking about Dwayne Wade and LeBron James and how good they were. He knows them, no doubt about that. But not even recognizing the contributions that Chris Bosh made for the Miami Heat is being arrogant. I'm NOT huge a Bosh fan but I can say that he's done fair enough for the team and he's had his moments too, and so does Wade and James.

So, Shaq please shut up. You're not helping much. NBA fans are pretty anxious about the lockout that should probably be the one you're analyzing, right? Or maybe you're all about the BIG TALK.

Technorati Claim Token: 7CFTRB9KW8C2

After Game3, Who Will Lead the Series?

Ahh the feeling of excitement during Playoff season sure didn't waver for me even though my beloved team didn't make it.

But going back to reality, Game 3 of The Finals series brings us to Dallas, Texas (not San Antonio) where the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat will battle it out for the lead. The series is now tied to 1-1 with the Mavs having the home court bonus of 3 straight games at the American Airlines Center before going back to South Beach (if necessary of course).

So, who do you think will win? Will it be the Heat? Or the Mavs?

It's fair to say that both teams have played so good during the post season and they've had exciting plays during the regular season. But it was during the second game of theseries that their flaws have been apparent. For the Mavs, it was their inconsistency in moving the ball, lackluster defense, there were a lot of turnovers, and shots that were just too unconfident. For the Heat, it was overconfidence which turned into being lax and brought out an oh-yeah-we-can-win-this-because-we're-the-best attitude, which brought out a big BOO!

Oh yes, the Heat is a great team. And yes, LeBron James is good and so is Dwayne Wade. I admit that. But can they really win this time? Now that the entire Mavs is on them and Nowitzki ever focused in taking home that ring?

It sure ain't over, 'til it's over. :)

Should Dwyane Wade be closing games instead of LeBron James? Is Erik Spoelstra overmatched? Is Chris Bosh overrated? Are these front-running Heat resilient enough to stand strong when the pressure is greatest? Oh, and didn’t these preening narcissists get exactly what they deserved?

2011 NBA All-Stars Roster

It's the mid-season, which only means that the ALL-STARS is near! Here's the roster of the five starters of the East and the West conferences:

2011 Eastern Conference All-Stars

LeBron James [Miami Heat]

Amar'e Stoudemire [New York Knicks]

Dwayne Wade [Miami Heat]

Derrick Rose [Chicago Bulls]

Dwight Howard [Orlando Magic]

Head Coach: TBD

2011 Western Conference All-Stars

Kevin Durant [Oklahoma City Thunder]

Carmelo Anthony [Denver Nuggets]

Kobe Bryant [LA Lakers]

Chris Paul [New Orleans Hornets]

Yao Ming [Houston Rockets]

Gregg Popovich [Head Coach]

And oh, no questions asked, I'm going for the WEST!

My Technorati

James Missing Two Straight Games

LeBron James was out of the Miami Heat’s lineup against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night, missing his second straight game because of a sprained left ankle.

James went to the court at the United Center, did some shooting and even tried a couple of dunks before the game, then was declared inactive.

James, who is averaging 25.4 points in his first season with Miami, was hurt late in the Heat’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night and sat out their 130-102 loss at Denver on Thursday.

James Jones was in the starting lineup in James’ spot.

The Heat are 1-2 this season when one of their top three players—James, Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh — is not in the lineup.

The Bulls were one of the teams that courted James and Wade during last summer’s free agent bonanza.

Source/s:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AtOSQkelgu4ERm7xagrW7Y.8vLYF?slug=ap-heat-james

2011 NBA All-Stars: 2 Heat, 2 Celtics on Pace to Earn All-Star starts

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade of the Heat and Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo of the Celtics are on pace to be voted as starters for the NBA All-Star game.

Garnett and Rondo remained in second place at their positions behind the Heat duo in the third voting returns announced Thursday. Orlando center Dwight Howard is the other leader among Eastern Conference players and has the most votes of any player in the conference.

The Lakers’ Kobe Bryant is the top overall vote-getter for the game in his home Staples Center on Feb. 20. The Hornets’ Chris Paul at the other guard and Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and Denver’s Carmelo Anthony at forward are the other West leaders, while Houston’s Yao Ming has a sizable lead at center despite being out for the season with a foot injury.

Boosted by the huge online vote total he receives from fans in his native China, Yao was voted as a starter the first seven years of his career, from 2003-09. He was not on the ballot last season, when he was out for the year with an injury.

If an injured player is voted to start, Commissioner David Stern chooses an injury replacement for the roster and the conference’s coach tabs a reserve to start.

Starters will be announced Jan. 27.

Source/s:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AgXSdLfLjiXwj23_b8RfKyG8vLYF?slug=ap-all-starvoting

Change is Inevitable. -- Dwayne Wade

Change is inevitable indeed. If it's for the good, however, Dwayne Wade welcomes anyone who joins him in his quest for the championship ring -- even if its a LeBron James we're talking about.

The King certainly came to Miami.

Unfortunately, the opening game against the Boston Celtics gave them their first loss this season - 80-88 points. A loss that tells a lot on how these two basketball superstars' rapport will be in the next few months.

Aside from the big tweak that happened in Miami, Carmelo Anthony could make use of change by making a huge career move. Melo told Yahoo! Sports that he's still not set on re-signing a $64 million dollar contract with the Denver Nuggets.

"I feel it’s a time for change," said Melo.