Just trying to get our Coli Rating Up - Miami Heat Season thread 2015/16

[OfTheCross]

His own mom couldnt say that with a straight face

The Heat were projected to be middle of the road or barely make the playoffs. I'd say the team exceeded expectations.

He may not be the CoTY but he's a good coach

Talented, healthy Heat eyeing a bounce back season

Projecting standings for the '15-16 NBA season by Win Shares

BDL's 2015-16 NBA Season Previews: All 30 team previews, collected
FiveThirtyEight’s 2015-16 NBA Forecast

2015-16 NBA Preview: LeBron James and the Cavs will rule the East

 

[intruder]

The Heat were projected to be middle of the road or barely make the playoffs. I'd say the team exceeded expectations.

He may not be the CoTY but he's a good coach

Talented, healthy Heat eyeing a bounce back season

Projecting standings for the '15-16 NBA season by Win Shares

BDL's 2015-16 NBA Season Previews: All 30 team previews, collected
FiveThirtyEight’s 2015-16 NBA Forecast

2015-16 NBA Preview: LeBron James and the Cavs will rule the East

Don't get me wrong I'm not down on Spo like most of the clones in here. Tho I think we need a new voice at HC but you won't catch me calling Spo a bad coach.

But like I showed you guys we won the exact amount of games I expected. I said 47 or 48 to 50 wins of healthy. And we won....???

 

[OfTheCross]

Don't get me wrong I'm not down on Spo like most of the clones in here. Tho I think we need a new voice at HC but you won't catch me calling Spo a bad coach.

But like I showed you guys we won the exact amount of games I expected. I said 47 or 48 to 50 wins of healthy. And we won....???

We weren't healthy. Our best player is out indefinitely. We've had a good year, tho

 

[intruder]

We weren't healthy. Our best player is out indefinitely. We've had a good year, tho

Wade was healthy most of the year. That's pretty much the heart of the team if Wade is out I think we struggle more than we do with Bosh is out

Hes no longer or best player but his presence means a lot

 

[Scientific Playa]

i just posted this in that newly created series thread.


Whiteside believes he needs to make final impression on Heat, surrounds himself with helpful circle; Dolphins summon 2 interesting prospects; UM, Panthers, Marlins


FRIDAY BUZZ COLUMN

As Hassan Whiteside prepares for his first-ever NBA playoff game, he’s likely in line for a max contract from some team this summer regardless of how he plays this postseason, according to an NBA executive. But what these playoffs can help determine is the Heat’s comfort level in extending him a max offer or something very close to it.

If Miami pushes deep into postseason, with Whiteside flourishing, Pat Riley can easily justify committing well over $30 million of his potential $40 million in cap space on Whiteside and Dwyane Wade, with Whiteside in line for a first-year salary in the $22 million range.

But if the Heat flops and Whiteside doesn’t play like an elite center, then everything stands to be re-evaluated, though Wade’s return is considered very likely.

Whiteside, in a private moment this week, said he believes he needs to leave a strong lasting impression on the Heat in the coming weeks.

“It's very meaningful,” he said of the postseason’s impact on how the Heat views him. “Every day is a day I can try to leave an impression on the Heat. They really emphasize winning here. I want to make a good impression.”

So is Whiteside worth a max deal?

“He's going to command that type of money based on the way he's playing and his size,” said ESPN’s Jalen Rose, who picks the Heat to make the Eastern Conference Finals. “I would not be surprised if he's able to garner a max deal…

“You can lead the league in blocks, can get double figures in rebounds and I've seen him shoot a left-handed hook, I've seen him shoot a right-handed hook. They've got to keep his emotions in check and control his temper when he gets upset or a call goes against him or he gets tangled up with an opponent, even if he grows out of that.”

Say this for Whiteside: He has done everything asked of him. He finished first in blocks at 3.68 (highest since Theo Ratliff averaged 3.74 in 2000-01).... He was tied for third in the NBA in rebounding at 11.85, topping Rony Seikaly’s Heat single-season record of 11.82 in 1991-92… He was third in field-goal percentage at 60.8, behind only DeAndre Jordan and Dwight Howard.

He was eighth in the NBA’s efficiency ratings and joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the second player ever to block at least 250 shots and shoot over 60 percent in a season.... He raised his free throw percentage from 55.2 percent before the All-Star break to 75 percent after.

He matured in the second half, accepting coming off the bench without protest, setting better screens, becoming more communicative with teammates and accepting coaching graciously. “He really limited his immature moments,” Dwyane Wade said this week.

And Whiteside has smartly surrounded himself with greatness, cultivating relationships with several pre-eminent retired big men: Shaquille O’Neal, Heat executive Alonzo Mourning and Hakeem Olajuwon. He also tells me he is planning a meal with Bill Russell, who set the standard for defensively disruptive centers.


Whiteside and O’Neal had met a couple of times before, but Heat director of team services Kenny McCraney put them in contact a few months ago. Whiteside and O’Neal dined on Lincoln Road during the All-Star break and Whiteside said they regularly talk and text and communicate via FaceTime.

Shaq recently disclosed their friendship publicly, saying on TNT that “I tell him the silliness has to come to a halt. I tell him he can be one of the best centers in the league if he does what he has to do.”

O’Neal told Whiteside at the All-Star break that “you need to average 19 and 10 the rest of the season.”

Since the break, Whiteside came close to achieving O'Neal's vision on points (17.5) and surpassed O'Neal expectation for rebounds (13.3).

“Me and him are like family,” Whiteside said. “My hope is to make Shaq proud.

“I've got to ask Shaq about a nickname [for me]. I know he's got 35 nicknames. One of my favorite is Shaq-A-Polka.”

Though they haven’t spoken in a year, a few things still resonate with Whiteside from his summer tutorial with Olajuwon several years ago: “Hakeem said my hook shot should be my bread and butter” and that has fueled his motivation to polish it.

“He said I should be a big cat, that if a lion walked in a room, the lion doesn’t have to say anything. Just dominate offensively and defensively.”

There’s one aspect of O’Neal’s and Olajuwon’s game that Whiteside has been trying to implement in his own.

“I notice with Shaq, when he gets off balance, he pump fakes to stay on balance,” he said. “Shaq and Hakeem were never off balance shooting a fade-away or a jump hook. So when I’m in the paint, the pump fake can help me with staying on balance and gathering myself.”

Whiteside said he and Mourning don’t work out together, but Zo’s off-court mentoring has helped, and he has been driven by Zo’s challenge to win Defensive Player of the Year.

The dialogue is “on and off with Alonzo,” Whiteside said. “I hear more from Alonzo when we're home. He tells me to keep playing how I'm playing, keep dominating, keep blocking shots. He said he's proud of me. So I'm doing something right.”

Meanwhile, Whiteside said the gentleman who handles Russell’s autographs plans to arrange a dinner for them, and Whiteside is psyched about meeting Russell, cracking “we can talk about shot-blocking tips” over entrees.

Of all the former All-Star power rotation players who have interacted with Whiteside, nobody deserves more credit than Heat assistant Juwan Howard, who has worked tirelessly with him on defensive positioning, his shot and other areas.

Besides having Riley and Erik Spoelstra, Whiteside doesn’t remotely take for granted the value of having resources such as Howard, Mourning, O’Neal and Olajuwon just a phone call away.

“They all did something great and any knowledge I can get, I use,” he said. “It's always helpful to be the best basketball player I can be.”

Now Whiteside, beginning Sunday, can give the Heat another compelling reason why it should do whatever necessary to keep him.

 

[Sauce Dab]

There's a playoff thread? Link me

 

[Scientific Playa]

There's a playoff thread? Link me

Have The Rival Team's Owner As The 1st Jersey Hangin In Your Rafters, Brehs: (3)Heat Vs. (6)Hornets
Discussion in 'The Coliseum' started by Morose Zeitgeist, Yesterday at 9:40 PM.


http://www.thecoli.com/threads/have...ehs-3-heat-vs-6-hornets.419197/#post-18720727

 

[BushidoBrown]

Have The Rival Team's Owner As The 1st Jersey Hangin In Your Rafters, Brehs: (3)Heat Vs. (6)Hornets
Discussion in 'The Coliseum' started by Morose Zeitgeist, Yesterday at 9:40 PM.


http://www.thecoli.com/threads/have...ehs-3-heat-vs-6-hornets.419197/#post-18720727

 

[WaddupDoe!]

 

[Sauce Dab]

He's right but we have to get on the court and prove it

 

[Primetime21]

And Whiteside has smartly surrounded himself with greatness, cultivating relationships with several pre-eminent retired big men: Shaquille O’Neal, Heat executive Alonzo Mourning and Hakeem Olajuwon. He also tells me he is planning a meal with Bill Russell, who set the standard for defensively disruptive centers.


Whiteside and O’Neal had met a couple of times before, but Heat director of team services Kenny McCraney put them in contact a few months ago. Whiteside and O’Neal dined on Lincoln Road during the All-Star break and Whiteside said they regularly talk and text and communicate via FaceTime.

Shaq recently disclosed their friendship publicly, saying on TNT that “I tell him the silliness has to come to a halt. I tell him he can be one of the best centers in the league if he does what he has to do.”

One reason I always laughed at people who thought Whiteside is a guy who will get paid then go into cruise control is his work ethic. His transformation from last year to this year, physically and skill-wise is incredible. If he can get with Hakeem and work on his foot work he's liable to come back next year a top 5-10 all around player in the league, it wouldn't surprise me at all.

and shoutout to Juwan. He's a future head coach in this league

 

[Primetime21]

definitely sounds like we wont see him again this season



wouldn't surprise me if TJ makes an appearance when the series shifts to Charlotte

 

[Draje]

definitely sounds like we wont see him again this season



wouldn't surprise me if TJ makes an appearance when the series shifts to Charlotte

The writing was on the wall when we hadn't even heard he'd been in full contact practice before the playoffs started. No way you risk messing with the chemistry of a tight playoff race by putting in a Bosh that isn't anywhere near game shape.

 

[Christian3o5]

MIAMI (AP) — Chris Bosh will still play a role for the Miami Heat in the playoffs, though apparently one that doesn't include him returning to the court.

The All-Star forward gave an emotional address to teammates before their first practice of this postseason on Friday, speaking about what playoff time means to him and how it pains him to be unable to play right now.

Bosh has been sidelined since the All-Star break — the second straight year that his season came to an end at the break because of a blood clot that started in his calf. Other than issuing a statement to announce that clot had dissipated several weeks ago, Bosh has not been available for interviews or offered any other updates on his health.


"Chris talked today to us, as a team," fellow Heat All-Star Dwyane Wade said after practice. "The biggest message is someone who lived for this moment, someone who envisioned these moments especially after last year, he doesn't have the ability to be in it."


Wade did not reveal everything Bosh said, but quoted him as saying, "You guys have an opportunity to be out in the playoffs. What I wouldn't do to be out there."

Heat guard Goran Dragic said he got goosebumps thinking about Bosh's message. Dragic said part of the meeting involved Heat coach Erik Spoelstra telling each player what their role would be, and then Bosh got called upon to speak.

"It's really tough for him," Dragic said. "He wants to be part of this on the court and it's really hard to watch and not to do nothing. It's a tough situation for him but we need him — even if he's not going to play, his ability to talk to the players, show what you're doing wrong, how you're supposed to do it on the floor, it's big time."

Bosh led the Heat in scoring this season, averaging 19.1 points in 53 games.

He said he was sitting out All-Star weekend with a calf strain. Soon afterward, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that he had been placed on a regimen of bloodthinners — just as he was a year ago. Athletes in contact sports are discouraged from competition while on bloodthinners, because of additional medical risks.

"With CB, it would be so much easier," Dragic said. "He can do a lot of different things."

Miami opens the Eastern Conference playoffs against Charlotte on Sunday. Bosh is expected to be on the bench for home games, as he has been for several weeks

 

[Scientific Playa]

One reason I always laughed at people who thought Whiteside is a guy who will get paid then go into cruise control is his work ethic. His transformation from last year to this year, physically and skill-wise is incredible. If he can get with Hakeem and work on his foot work he's liable to come back next year a top 5-10 all around player in the league, it wouldn't surprise me at all.

and shoutout to Juwan. He's a future head coach in this league

UD is also getting him mentally championship prepared. must be nice to have all these role models involved in his career. they don't invest their precious time in anybody.

Heat’s Whiteside hopes NBA protects him from ‘bush league’ fouls
Udonis Haslem said he's proud of the way Hassan Whiteside has handled “bush league” fouls this season

Whiteside said his reputation for losing his cool is overblown

Hornets forward Tyler Hansbrough, who has a history with Haslem and the Heat, has a reputation for getting under players’ skins

By Manny Navarro

mnavarro@miamiherald.com



For the most part, Hassan Whiteside has done a pretty good job this season keeping his emotions and temper in check.

Yes, the Heat's center did get whistled for his second technical foul last week in Orlando after he fired a four-letter word at an official over what Whiteside perceived as a missed call. And yes, he did get ejected right before the All-Star break for elbowing Spurs center Boban Marjanovic in the face -- a flagrant foul two Whiteside drew even though he said he never intended to hurt Marjanovic because they are represented by the same agent.

Still, for the most part, Whiteside has kept his cool this season. He didn’t do anything last week after Bulls forward Doug McDermott tackled him to the ground except joke about it afterward, saying he got “sacked for a loss of five.”

“I get tackled a lot,” Whiteside said last Friday in Orlando, a day after McDermott’s tackle. “In Sacramento I got sacked about three times. Me and Tom Brady are about [even]. I might even have a few more than Cam [Newton]. It's crazy.”

Udonis Haslem, who knows a thing or two about taking hard hits on the court, said he's proud of the way Whiteside has handled himself this season. But the Heat's veteran power forward knows what's ahead for Whiteside in the playoffs will be more intense than anything the 26-year-old has ever seen.

Haslem said he knows teams are going to try to get under Whiteside's skin even more. So, Haslem said he’s spent the last few weeks staying in Whiteside's ear, preparing him for the “agitators” he says will try and get the league's leading shot blocker to loose his cool -- albeit with a cheap shot or something the refs might not even see.

“People are going to try get and get bush league sometimes,” Haslem said. “I've seen him endure some punishment the last couple games, a lot of fouls going up around the neck, getting tackled. I'm impressed with the way he's handled it, the maturity he's playing with.

“But I told him, we're going to need that from him in the playoffs. We can't have him making silly mistakes because sometimes that's people's game plan, to get under his skin and frustrate him. He affects us so much when he's on the floor. When he's tuned in, locked in and focused, he's one of the best in the league. And no one can make up for that on our team. So we need him out there on the floor."



Dwyane Wade talks Chris Bosh speech, looks ahead to facing Hornets
Dwyane Wade covered a variety of topics after practice Friday. The Heat host the Charlotte Hornets Sunday in Game 1 of the playoffs. April 15, 2016. Video by Manny Navarro


If ever there were a poster boy for agitation, it's Hornets 6-9, 250-pound forward Tyler Hansbrough -- or Psycho T as he was called during his playing days at North Carolina. Hansbrough has been whistled for 19 technical fouls and six flagrant fouls in his seven-year career.

Google Hansbrough's name and flagrant foul and you'll find video of Detroit's Will Bynum punching him in the stomach in 2013. Kevin Garnett, who was with the Celtics that same season, also drew a flagrant foul against Hansbrough with an elbow across Hansbrough’s face.

Hansbrough has plenty of history with the Heat too. In Game 5 of the 2012 Eastern Conference semifinals against Indiana, he hammered Dwyane Wade as he drove the lane. Hansbrough drew a flagrant foul for it and later in the game Haslem retaliated with a double-armed smack down of Hansbrough that also drew a flagrant foul.

The following year in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pacers, then-Heat forward Chris ‘Birdman’ Andersen took Hansbrough down with his shoulder and drew a flagrant foul. Andersen was suspended for the following game.

Although Hansbrough has averaged just 4.8 minutes per game since the All-Star break for Charlotte, he’s the most ideal Hornets’ candidate to try and test Whiteside's patience.

“I mean I can't really do anything about that,” Whiteside said last week when asked about the prospect of facing “an agitator” in a playoff series night after night. “I just hope that the refs are there to kind of protect me and the NBA does what it has to do to protect us. I can't really avoid getting tackled or avoid getting grabbed.”

Whiteside ranks 33rd in fouls drawn this season with 275. That's one more than Wade for most on the team this season. Whiteside said there's been many more fouls than simply haven't been called.

And while he may have a reputation for losing his cool, Whiteside said he feels it really isn’t warranted. In fact, he's been whistled for fewer technical fouls this season than coach Erik Spoelstra (5), Amar'e Stoudemire (5), Wade (4), Gerald Green (3) and the same as Tyler Johnson, Luol Deng and Goran Dragic.

“I'm not a crazy or nothing,” Whiteside said. “I've probably got the least amount of technicals out of all the other centers. I've got maybe one or two technicals and one of those was because I got excited and slammed the ball down after I got two blocks back-to-back against Portland. It's not like I'm a guy that's angry or always angry at the refs.

“Like I said, I just hope the refs do a great job of trying to protect the players and try to be careful when the playoffs start.”


Read more here: Heat’s Whiteside hopes NBA protects him from ‘bush league’ fouls



Read more here: Heat’s Whiteside hopes NBA protects him from ‘bush league’ fouls