Are the Heat tanking?

[Flash3]

YO if they aren't tanking I think they should, because this is a great way to return to the championship by drafting a top 3 player (as the Spurs did). And its easy for Shaq and/or Wade to miss the remainder of the season with the list of injuries they've had recently.

Yeah, like Boston and Memphis last season....

[Flash3]

If a team has literally mailed it in, I don't think you see them in the games right till the very end, like they were in yesterdays game (with a chance to tie at the end) and the other night vs the blazers.

[hermes]

the heat are bad and if their not tanking
i don't want to see them when they are

[DaGoodz]

I thought Wade made his teammates better, unlike Kobe

[a-rod]

I thought Wade made his teammates better, unlike Kobe

it took us 15 posts to get here finely

[BBallFreak]

Their's talent in Miami, their's just no chemistry. This isn't tanking, this is just guys not playing well together.

The past two nights, Miami was up in the fourth quarter. In previous years, they'd have been able to stand up to the inevitable surge of the other team and probably win the game. They'd have been able to tighten their defense and take away something that had been there all game long. Dwyane would have taken over offensively, and guys would have knocked down open shots, breaking the other team's back.

This year, it's the other team that takes away Miami's strength. They throw everything at Dwyane because they know no one else will knock down the open shots for them, and Dwyane still isn't at 100% on that knee of his. They, then, glide fearlessly to the basket because they know something good is going to happen when they do, and because no one on the perimeter can stop them. The opponent's guys knock down open jumper after open jumper because Miami's guys don't rotate quickly enough.

In previous years, Miami has gotten away with bad defensive point guards like J-Will and Tim Hardaway because they had a beast in the middle, like Shaq or Zo, to change shots, and guys like PJ Brown, Brian Grant, Anthony Mason, Bruce Bowen, Dan Majerle, James Posey, Shandon Anderson, and Eddie Jones to stop the other guys. Well, now they've got a bad defensive point guard, a bad defensive small forward, and a shooting guard who's defensive strength is help defense, not man defense. And their depth is just as bad. So, their center is left to clean up everything because no one can play defense anymore, and he's not as good as he was even last year. The only guy who really handles defense appropriately and to the best of their ability is Udonis Haslem, and he's just not enough to offset the defensive crap from their perimeter.

So, their closing game offense is off, and their defense is horrid. They're not tanking, they're just not good...

[MalReyn]

Derrick, Dwyane & Dorrell.

and Daequan?

Honestly he'll be better than Dorell, who will never be more than average.

[NetsForce]

Wade is lifting a bad team to the playoffs just like Kobe did. Well the playoffs for Wade and the Heat being the draft lottery... Or something like that?

[BBallFreak]

and Daequan?

Honestly he'll be better than Dorell, who will never be more than average.

He already is, IMO. Dorell has his moments, particularly on defense, but they're just moments. Cook needs to learn the difference between a good shot and a bad shot, but that's a rookie thing under most circumstances...

[Flash3]

I thought Wade made his teammates better, unlike Kobe

When the players around aren't giving a damn, save for 1 in Haslem, how in the hell can you play and win? You can only do so much when your teammates aren't producing, it doesn't matter who you are.

One guy is literally incapable of carrying a team. Jordan, Wilt, Kareem, Hakeem, etc. none of those guys could do it alone, so why should we expect things to be different for Wade?

This team's collapse should fall solely on the shoulders of one Pat Riley The GM, not the the coach. The GM did not build this team the right way this season, for w/ever reasons you see fit. Riley completely failed his duties as a President/GM to this team and organization. -- He's already made mention of this.

You can only do so much with what you have, or don't have in this instance.

And given the team has lost it's anchor on defense in Zo, the team's defense, something you can rely on when everything around you goes astray, is all but non-existent. -- Riley's teams have ALWAYS been about defense, and hanging your hat on that end of the floor.

This season has a lot of blame on Riley on it, as much as anyone else.

[a-rod]

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When the players around aren't giving a damn, save for 1 in Haslem, how in the hell can you play and win? You can only do so much when your teammates aren't producing, it doesn't matter who you are.

One guy is literally incapable of carrying a team. Jordan, Wilt, Kareem, Hakeem, etc. none of those guys could do it alone, so why should we expect things to be different for Wade?

This team's collapse should fall solely on the shoulders of one Pat Riley The GM, not the the coach. The GM did not build this team the right way this season, for w/ever reasons you see fit.

let him say whatever he wants DaGoodz argument doesn't have solid ground, because wade took the heat to the second round in the playoffs in his rookie season with lamar odom as side kick. i don't think he will have something to say about that.

[AdamTheGreek]

Heat are not tanking yet, but they will after the All Star Break barring a huge win streak.

[RockTHECasbah]

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Supposedly they did with the draft lottery ... which is also Contradicting because then people start to complain when their team has the worst record and they dont get the frist pick .. see the celtics of last year

Only idiots, Celtic fans, and conspiracy theorists complained. The draft is pretty fair. But the Celts WERE tanking. The NBA has rules against purposely throwing games.

[ldnk]

Yes and no. They are just a bad team that has injuries on its best players. Poor physical conditioning with Shaq has spelled his end. Wade I'm sure still isn't 100%. They are tanking by not trying to shake things up, but I don't buy the whole, purposely throwing games.

Similar to Boston last year. Sure they blew games and it looked like they were tanking, but that was a horribly awful basketball team all the same. They were probably more likely to win games by intentionally trying to lose them.

[UrbanLegendMD]

Do they take Beasley or Rose?

[10scott10]

Do they take Beasley or Rose?

they will probably take DeAndre Jordan.

they need a center

[Wizards2Lottery]

Too bad tanking for one great prospect won't mean ****. The only players on that roster that have talent are Cook and Haslem. Haslem is an above average player and who knows if Cook will ever go above average. Dorrell Wright is a load of crap and I think Heat fans finally realize the guy will never amount to anything.

They don't have a point guard, SF or a capable C for the future. There bench stinks.

[Flash3]

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they will probably take DeAndre Jordan.

they need a center

BPA - Best Player Avail.

When you start picking by need you end up with what the Hawks did in Shelden Williams.....

[KRANG]

I think its pretty obvious they're tanking.

[MalReyn]

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BPA - Best Player Avail.

When you start picking by need you end up with what the Hawks did in Shelden Williams.....

And when you pick solely based on BPA you end up with what the Hawks did in Marvin Williams.....