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The Miami Heat are trying to keep their composure after LeBron James’s decision to take his talents back to Cleveland.
Thankfully, Pat Riley has managed to avoid a total destruction of his team, following LeBron’s departure. Chris Bosh was re-signed to a long term contract, Dwyane Wade will also be back and the Heat managed to land one of the top free agents available in the market this summer, Luol Deng. So, what lies ahead for the Heat? How far can this team really go?
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Miami Heat forwards Chris Bosh and Udonis Haslem joined guard Dwyane Wade in opting out of their contracts, leaving Norris Cole as the only player the team has under contract heading into the 2014 free agency period.
Cole is scheduled to make $2,038,206 this season, and Shabazz Napier – who the Heat acquired in a draft-night trade from the Charlotte Hornets – will carry a $1,032,200 cap hit until he signs a contract later this summer. [Read more…]
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As the 2014 NBA draft approaches, teams are lining up to move up in the draft and/or add additional first-round picks, as this year’s crop of players looks to possibly be the strongest ever. This year’s NBA draft has drawn many comparisons to the last NBA “superdraft,” which took place in the summer of 2003.
Even the most casual NBA fan is familiar with the 2003 NBA draft class – LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade were the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th overall picks, and between them they have a combined:
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This year’s NBA Finals is a rematch of last year’s epic seven game series that saw the Miami Heat win their second consecutive championship. It is the first Finals rematch since the 1998 series between the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz.
The San Antonio Spurs will be looking for revenge after they should have won last year’s series in six, if not for several missed free throws down the stretch and a miracle three-pointer by Ray Allen after an offensive rebound by Chris Bosh.
The Heat went on to win in overtime, and then took a tightly contested Game 7. You may be getting sick of seeing the Spurs and the Heat all the time; as they’ve been here quite a bit lately. But I’m going to give you a fresh twist on the Finals
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The Miami Heat have taken control over the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. In fact, LeBron James and Co. have had a much easier trip than initially expected up to now. As the series move on, it is interesting to examine the top three players’ matchups of this series. Let’s break down. [Read more…]
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With the 2013-2014 season just started, this is an ideal time to examine which the main protagonists will be. We have previously analyzed the best point guards in the NBA and now we will continue on with our list of the top shooting guards in the league.
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Having exceeded everyone’s expectations of them except their own, having pushed the defending NBA champion Miami Heat to the precipice, the Indiana Pacers find themselves with a remarkable opportunity tonight at American Airlines Arena.
One win in Miami, in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, for a trip to the franchise’s first NBA Finals since 2000.
It’s funny; the Pacers felt as if they shouldn’t have had much to prove and yet they did (as center Roy Hibbert elaborated in a post-Game 6 press conference that got him fined $75,000). Now, having knotted the Heat at three games apiece at the end of this semifinal series, the vibe is that this Pacers team has proven its mettle to the public. Indiana’s only remaining task is to prove to itself it can win tonight’s monumental matchup. [Read more…]
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Lance Stephenson went by the nickname “Born Ready” as one of the nation’s top high-school basketball players and one of the most decorated New York prep products.
Often times, during his one year at Cincinnati and his first two seasons with the Indiana Pacers, Stephenson made folks wonder if the “Born Ready” tag was purely hype and little substance amid instances of immaturity and lack of production.
However, with Danny Granger sidelined for virtually the entire 2012-13 season with a knee injury, the 6-6 Stephenson capitalized on the opportunity at starter’s minutes, and he put a huge exclamation on his remarkable improvement last Saturday with a 25-point, 10-rebound effort (including a clutch nine-point fourth quarter) to lead the Pacers to a series-clinching Game 6 victory over the New York Knicks and a date with the Miami Heat in the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals, which begin with today’s Game 1 at 8:30 p.m. in Miami.
That Game 6 performance suggested Stephenson indeed may have been “Born Ready.” The Pacers hope that’s the case regardless, but it very well might be key to their chances at defeating Miami and earning a trip to their first NBA Finals since 2000.
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We’ve been hearing since Paul George’s rookie season in 2010-11 that he could be the Indiana Pacers’ No. 1 guy and even a NBA-wide star.
It appears George is approaching — or already has approached — that status.
With stellar performances in back-to-back wins against the East’s first- and second-place teams, the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks (albeit without Carmelo Anthony), George is making the basketball world take notice of his marked improvement as a game changer on both offensive and defensive ends of the floor. [Read more…]
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The Sports Bank will be counting down to the opening tip of the 2012-13 NBA season with team by team previews starting with the worst and working our way to the title contenders. There is no lockout this time around so let’s get going.
It took a season longer than anticipated but the Miami Heat reached the top of the mountain last season winning the NBA Championship and getting the insanely large monkey off LeBron James’ back. Management didn’t just sit back and rest on their laurels this off-season, making a few minor but key moves to help the Heat’s chances of repeating.
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Is this really fair? I think we all know who will be Rookie of the Year once the season is over. Anthony Davis is the consensus choice for ROY and here is why. [Read more…]
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There is no denying that Dwight Howard is a superstar and superstars only come around every so often. Teams are rarely willing to trade their superstar unless it’s for another superstar or a group of solid players and draft picks. That being said, I have no words for what took place last night. [Read more…]
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