[Yahoo!] LeBron says he played too many minutes last night

[Double-Up]

MIAMI – The words would come out of Old Man Riles’ playbook, a young coach desperate to rewire confusion and calamity into something strong and sure. Oh, this is no surprise. Oh, this will be great for us come the playoffs. With his declarations of processes and timetables, Eric Spoelstra sounded like a new-age CEO spinning the shareholders. His Miami Heat (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/mia/) are soft, staggered and fragile to the touch.


“In the last 48 hours, we’re getting to know each other,” Spoelstra said. “This is good. You need to face this adversity.


“You need to stumble.”


Yes, they’re getting to know each other. With two horrific losses within three days at American Airlines Arena, the Heat are mortified to find themselves fighting to stay above .500, and Spoelstra is getting to know his superstar, LeBron James (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3704/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3704/news). Chris Bosh (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3707/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3707/news) came and went, Dwyane Wade (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3708/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3708/news) stood in the corners and watched. Most of all, James found himself in postseason shape, closing a loss to the Boston Celtics (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/bos/) with a missed layup, two missed free throws and a corner 3-pointer off the side of the backboard.


The world’s bearing down, times are tumultuous, and James is the one Heat star in playoff form.


“For myself, 44 minutes is too much,” James declared. “I think Coach Spo knows that. Forty minutes for D-Wade is too much. We have to have as much energy as we can to finish games out.”
There you go, Coach Spo.
Get to know him well.


Two days earlier, James had done nothing in overtime and ultimately decided the difference was a Hall of Fame coach, Jerry Sloan, who knew exactly what the Heat were going to do. James never takes responsibility, never says, “I’m the MVP and I need to do more.” He didn’t do it in Cleveland, and he’s never going to do it in Miami. Now, 44 minutes in a grudge game with the Celtics is too much. Always an out, always an excuse.


The Celtics were machinery. They beat up the Heat, obliterated them on the boards and bludgeoned them in a 112-107 victory. The Heat were never close, even with a late fool’s-gold rally that never truly threatened the Celtics. With their brilliant passing, precise shooting and ferocious physical play, no one exposes the flaws of these Heat like the Celtics.
Boston believes it can bully these Heat, believes they’re susceptible to games of the mind and body. When it was over, Big Baby Davis marched out of the showers and declared: “No one can spoil this night. Good for us to come in and spank that ass.”


As the Celtics hung around town for a couple days before the game, they loved hearing the Heat lament about how tough teams had been on them, how they’d been targeted for physical play. So the Celtics started laying out Miami players with forceful screens, flagrant fouls and crushing shots at the rim. They harassed Wade into missing 10 of 12 shots and made James work for his 35 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.


Frequent isolations are reducing Wade to an offensive sidebar, and the death of ball movement is turning these Heat into something so eerily familiar with the Cleveland Cavaliers (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/cle/): LeBron, and four guys watching LeBron.


There’s time for the Heat to become a more fluid, more polished offensive team. They’re not missing X’s and O’s as much as they’re missing a mindset. They created something that they played make-believe about embracing. They talked tough about reveling in a world that despises them, only to find it’s a bigger burden of scrutiny than they ever imagined.


Make no mistake: Wade and Bosh don’t want to be bad guys. It isn’t in their DNA. Bosh is a goofball who dresses up like a cowboy on YouTube. He loved the idea of coming to Miami for max money without max pressure. As Bosh figured, the big shots belonged to D-Wade and James, and he’d get all the benefits without the burdens.


“At times it will be bumpy, and this is a bumpy stretch,” Spoelstra said. “Nobody said this was going to be easy.”


No, the Heat just acted that way. They act surprised that people want to pop them in the mouth, that TVs and websites crackle with disdain for them. All those players like Eddie House (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3436/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3436/news) who thought they were going on tour with a rock band? They’re now under the kind of daily national – even global – examination that they’ve never experienced. No one ever cared whether House missed a week’s worth of 3-pointers in the past. Now it’s dissected and digested everywhere.


And let’s face it: They’re getting buried because of LeBron. Now, they’re the bad guys, and they’ve never had to deal with the thickness of that haze. They turn on the television, the Internet, and people are wishing ill, reveling in the small failures of a young season. In a lot of ways, James is cut out for it. He’s oblivious. He surrounds himself with so many yes-men, so much skewed perspective, that his lack of self-awareness almost benefits him.


Before Spoelstra let the Heat leave the locker room on Thursday night, he declared that it was “us against the world.” Only, it isn’t the Heat against the world. It’s the Heat against themselves, against the backdrop of a hysteria they created through a smoky stage, public preening and promises of five and six championship rings. Spoelstra is kidding himself when he talks about a “different timeline” to develop the Heat, when he suggests that a 5-4 record isn’t such a big deal.


The Heat are long on talk and short on toughness. Right now, this is a mentally soft team that the Celtics exposed and will expose again – unless the Heat find some leadership, some character, some staying power. Riles would send his protégée to the interview room deep inside American Airlines Arena, and the words were straight out of his self-help manual: a young coach embracing the adversity and declaring it’ll make his team stronger come playoff time. Only, Spoelstra knows full well that he had better win, and win big, or he’ll never make it to the playoffs.


Erik Spoelstra pulled the pages straight out of Riles’ playbook, trying to transform chaos into a coachable moment. After the second devastating loss in three days, Spoelstra gave the Heat a big speech about staying together, about a world that would want to do harm to them. Yes, we’ll get to know each other now, Spoelstra said with a sigh. We’ll get to know all about us.


Times are tumultuous, and here was LeBron James, claiming that 44 minutes had worn him out, that he had nothing left in the end, and that Wade had played too much as well. One night, and King James had an issue with too many minutes on the floor. Always easier to blame some vague force, always easier to escape the responsibility. There you go, Coach Spo. There’s your star. Enjoy him.


http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=ApvM5AKYyWOn76euYL8691u8vLYF?slug=aw-celticsheat111210

lol Heat :lol

[lefty]

Wojnarowski ?


What a surprise :rolleyes

[TheGreatest23]

those minutes are too much...just play Magloire, Arroyo, Chalmers instead.

News Flash: You pay for superstars, your bench stinks.

[LRMR]

To show the lighter side of the very sophisticated and extremely distinguished LeBron James so he can share some of his sense of humor, his comments about 44 minutes being too much have given us here at LRMR an idea how to positively spin the quote. We are in the process of approving a campaign with Four Loko that will feature a commercial called "44 Loko." It will demonstrate how unbelievably approachable and down to earth his majesty can be when it comes to his lowly fans. It wasn't about blaming Coach Spo. This is about 44 minutes in a loss making him a little bit loco after the game.

You see, we at LRMR Marketing are always looking for exciting new avenues to share our clients with their fans. We are currently in negotiations with Kanye West and the Far East Movement to work on a record that will be featured in the 44 Loko commercials to diss Adrian Wojnarowski. Tentatively the single will be called "I see a whole bunch a bitches and Wojo is one of em." A (tiny) percentage of the proceeds of sales will go to the Exotic Dancer College Fund. We are trying to help teenage strippers pay for school. Bitches need help too, even Adrian Wojnarowski.

What should we do? Whatever we do, we do it for the fucking kid strippers.

[sribb43]

More minutes for Stackhouse

[in2deep]

looks like Pat Riley is taking notes too:

The TNT crew caught Pat Riley in the stands, making notes on a long sheet of paper. Riles would scribble, then awkwardly try to stuff the paper into the breast pocket of his sports jacket. By the time the Heat's team president finally got it to slide in, it was time to pull it back out and make another notation.

[Dex]

Woj is easily one of my favorite sports writers. Always straight to the point and hits the nail on the head.

[MavFan6488]

looks like Pat Riley is taking notes too:

The TNT crew caught Pat Riley in the stands, making notes on a long sheet of paper. Riles would scribble, then awkwardly try to stuff the paper into the breast pocket of his sports jacket. By the time the Heat's team president finally got it to slide in, it was time to pull it back out and make another notation.
riley notes:

Don't fire Spoelstra

Fire Spoelstra ┼┼┼┼┼ ┼┼┼┼┼ ┼┼┼┼┼ ││

[LkrFan]

LeHype will get Coach Spoelstra fired. Just like Shaq with SVG. This time around I think Riley is too old to expend the necessary energy to coach this team. I could be wrong but I just don't see Riley at his age going to the bench. When he does, and he fails, then what? He'll let Spoelstra take the heat (no pun intended) and continue to advise from the FO. I saw him in the stands last night taking notes. No doubt he will be in all of their ears - probably as I type this.

But even he can't save this team. I say they should trade RuPaul for more pieces and start Haslem in his spot. I'm sure they can get a PG and a big body willing to protect the yard for RuPaul. Then again, based on his shitty play this year I'm not sure anybody would want this SF who masquerades as a PF and allows a PG to dunk on him. :lol

[LkrFan]

Woj is easily one of my favorite sports writers. Always straight to the point and hits the nail on the head.
Agreed. He seems to love LeHype too. Well, tough love that is. :lol

[Dex]

LeHype will get Coach Spoelstra fired. Just like Shaq with SVG. This time around I think Riley is too old to expend the necessary energy to coach this team. I could be wrong but I just don't see Riley at his age going to the bench. When he does, and he fails, then what? He'll let Spoelstra take the heat (no pun intended) and continue to advise from the FO. I saw him in the stands last night taking notes. No doubt he will be in all of their ears - probably as I type this.

But even he can't save this team. I say they should trade RuPaul for more pieces and start Haslem in his spot. I'm sure they can get a PG and a big body willing to protect the yard for RuPaul. Then again, based on his shitty play this year I'm not sure anybody would want this SF who masquerades as a PF and allows a PG to dunk on him. :lol

The problem with bringing Riley to the bench is that he will not coddle James or put up with these antics. And nobody knows how Lebron will react to that, because he's never been the most mature or unassuming professional.

[MiamiHeat]

yeah, i read this... gotta say, LeBron's a hypocrite.

i will make a youtube video abotu this in about 1 hour

[MaNuMaNiAc]

Fuck LeBron. I'm all for giving people breaks and second chances, but not when it comes to stuck up prima donnas that declare themselves king without having won shit. LeBron is a douchebag and I'm glad people have become aware of that fact.

[LkrFan]

The problem with bringing Riley to the bench is that he will not coddle James or put up with these antics. And nobody knows how Lebron will react to that, because he's never been the most mature or unassuming professional.
Oh no doubt. It's a shame too. LeHype has G.O.A.T. talent that will never be fully tapped into because of all of the yes men and yes women that spoiled him rotten throughout his life. It's sad because as good as he is now, he could be even better. As scary as that sounds. But because of the people who have enabled him all of his life he has turned into a douche bag.

Who complains about having played "too many minutes?" Better yet, Who openly questions his coaches' decision to play him (and DWhistle) too much through the media? Pure comedy. :lol

What's even funnier for me is his team in Cleveland last year is better than the Hype team he is on this year. He should have stayed home. What a dumbass.

[Shank]

What the fuck did he think was going to happen?

[HarlemHeat37]

Stupid comment from Lebron..he should stick to donating millions to charity and helping kids, this is out of place for him..

It's pretty clear that Spoelstra has lost the team and doesn't have any respect from them..

BTW, Wojo needs to be killed already..

[Shank]

Stupid comment from Lebron..he should stick to donating millions to charity and helping kids, this is out of place for him..

It's pretty clear that Spoelstra has lost the team and doesn't have any respect from them..

BTW, Wojo needs to be killed already..

You're not a fan of Wojo's consistent vitriol? I love it.

[Fpoonsie]

So Lebron's excuse for DwYane going 0-fer in the first half was that he played too many minutes by the end of the game?

Idiot.

[HarlemHeat37]

Wojo's writing is the equivalent of giving me an assignment of writing weekly articles about Kobe Bryant..

[LkrFan]

Mike Brown was one of Coach Pop's assistants. Before he got to Cleveland they didn't play much defense. When he got there the Cavs defense took major steps and made them title contenders. The thing that held them back was the same "LeHype" ball offense that LeHype brought with him to South Beach. The problem for Mike Brown was he didn't have 100% support from the Cavs' FO to reign in LeHype - so that the Cavs could take the next steps. Mike Brown had those guys headed in the right direction but was ultimately canned because of LeHype's strangle hold he had on the organization. I foresee Spoelstra suffering the same fate, but not this year. There is too much work to be done and too many holes to fill for Riley to step in right now.

[JamStone]

Wojo's writing is the equivalent of giving me an assignment of writing weekly articles about Kobe Bryant..

So Wojo is fair and balanced, like you've claim to be about Kobe?

[LkrFan]

So Wojo is fair and balanced, like you've claim to be about Kobe?
:lol

He has a funny as signature though.

[in2deep]

There is too much work to be done and too many holes to fill for Riley to step in right now.

Heat organization cannot afford to not make it to the Finals at least. It would be the most monumental failure in history of the game.

Rile will have to step in this year, and take this team as far as possible. It is balls out this year.

[HarlemHeat37]

:lol What?..that wasn't the problem with Mike Brown at all..

Most NBA coaches are mediocre coaches to begin with..NBA assistant coaches are usually good at one facet of the game..Mike Brown, like Spoelstra, is a great defensive coach with extreme limitations on the offensive end..his flaws as a coach were exploited during the playoffs, where his rotations vs. Boston were horrible and he had no ability to adjust(just like the series vs. Orlando the year before)..he also had very little ability to call plays..

Miami's current offense is the same offense they've been running under Spoelstra before Lebron got there..the only difference is that instead of running iso plays for Wade all game, they run them for Lebron AND Wade now..

There are only 4-5 good coaches in the NBA..the rest of them hurt their teams, for the most part..

[JamStone]

Didn't LeBron get offended at the suggestion of Mike Brown a couple seasons ago when Brown said LeBron looked fatigued at the end of a playoff game? Now he's bitching about too many minutes in the 9th game of the season? WTF?! He's 25 years old and it's the beginning of the season.

I think LeBron, Wade, and Bosh are all a little shell shocked that they're not rolling over everyone and they aren't playing all the great individually or with each other. Lol @ Dwyane Wade's post game comments that the Heat are the best 5-4 team in the league. Lol @ LeBron's comments at that celebration before the season started that "Pat Riley could be running the wings" tossing them alley oops.

I think they're finally coming to the realization that they actually have to work for this. But I do think they'll work out most of the kinks and still be one of the legit title contenders by the end of the season.

[Nathan89]

Lebron should of went to Chicago or New Jersey. I bet he already regrets his decision.

[MiamiHeat]

i created a new youtube account and made this video in about 20 minutes

rX-s5UPWVH8

[JamStone]

[ youtube ] not [ img ]

[LkrFan]

:lol What?..that wasn't the problem with Mike Brown at all..

Most NBA coaches are mediocre coaches to begin with..NBA assistant coaches are usually good at one facet of the game..Mike Brown, like Spoelstra, is a great defensive coach with extreme limitations on the offensive end..his flaws as a coach were exploited during the playoffs, where his rotations vs. Boston were horrible and he had no ability to adjust(just like the series vs. Orlando the year before)..he also had very little ability to call plays..

Miami's current offense is the same offense they've been running under Spoelstra before Lebron got there..the only difference is that instead of running iso plays for Wade all game, they run them for Lebron AND Wade now..

There are only 4-5 good coaches in the NBA..the rest of them hurt their teams, for the most part..
Their offense was limited to LeHype ball. No way around that. Defensively, they made strides. But you gotta get stops. LeHype ball most of the time took them out of defensive position to make stops when LeHype went to the hole and missed or kicked out to a shooter camped out on the 3pt line who also missed. What happened after that? Run outs by the opposition leading to easy scores. What else happened? Strong halfcourt defense that didn't leave shooters open and let LeHype get his stats. We saw it last night and we've seen it for 7 years, and 9 games so far. He scored 35 points in yet another almost triple double. But what about the impact it had on DWhistle (2-12 - more on that later) and RuPaul (a deceiving 6-10 and no defensive impact)? Problem is, when he has it going his teammates watch instead of joining in.

Speaking of DWhistle. In two games against the Celtics D, he has gone:



4-16 with 6 turnovers
2-12 with 6 more turnovers

The results? TWO convincing losses. Now I'm not the smartest dude, but that's 6/28 which is worst than 6/24. Just saying. :lol

[MiamiHeat]

and yeah, i dont give a shit if he plays for my heat. i call out lebron, wade or anyone the same way.

[LkrFan]

i created a new youtube account and made this video in about 20 minutes

rX-s5UPWVH8
:lol

[MiamiHeat]

Wade dominated in the playoff series vs Boston last season. Shot above 50% if I recall correctly.

[HarlemHeat37]

Miami hasn't been playing "LeHype" ball this season, in the way that you're saying it..the only games where Lebron has controlled the ball the majority of the game have been the Boston games, primarily due to Wade's struggles..

Miami's offense has been equally shared by Lebron and Wade, with Lebron playing PG and Wade being the primary scorer..they haven't had any problems playing together, they're actually the only reason Miami is in games..

I've never disagreed that the playing style of Lebron dominating the ball and dishing it out won't work..I've never been a huge fan of "Lebron ball"..when Lebron plays off the ball, which he did more last year, he's still a dominant player..my point is that Mike Brown had no ability to run an offense, and neither does Spoelstra, so I don't know why you're bringing those points up..

Spoelstra had the same offensive problems before Lebron joined the team..the iso plays are the only offensive he ever runs, with occasional pick and pops/pick and rolls..

Being a good defensive coach is fine, but when you meet other elite teams, your flaws are obviously exploited..

Miami has 2 of the best athletes in NBA history on the wings, but they don't use their strengths..they don't do anything to get Bosh going..they don't play Lebron off the ball at all, even though Wade is a good passer..they rarely play Wade off the ball, even though he's one of the best in the NBA at moving without the ball..

The only adjustment Mike Brown ever made was when he added the Mo Williams slash with Lebron cutting down the middle for a dunk, that was pretty much his only designed play..

[LkrFan]

Wade dominated in the playoff series vs Boston last season. Shot above 50% if I recall correctly.
Last season...was last season. Isn't that the new NBA slogan on a commercial? :lol

No, you are right. But he isn't playing with the same personnel. He is not "the man" on the Hype no more. This is LeHype's team now and he must bow down to the King in the King's offense. If the stats say he was 6/28 against a defensive monster, he is what he is. Stats don't lie. If Kobe can be roasted so can DWhistle.:rollin

[HarlemHeat37]

What does Wade playing in regular season games have to do with Kobe's performance in the biggest game of his career?..

[LkrFan]

Miami hasn't been playing "LeHype" ball this season, in the way that you're saying it..the only games where Lebron has controlled the ball the majority of the game have been the Boston games, primarily due to Wade's struggles..

Miami's offense has been equally shared by Lebron and Wade, with Lebron playing PG and Wade being the primary scorer..they haven't had any problems playing together, they're actually the only reason Miami is in games..

I've never disagreed that the playing style of Lebron dominating the ball and dishing it out won't work..I've never been a huge fan of "Lebron ball"..when Lebron plays off the ball, which he did more last year, he's still a dominant player..my point is that Mike Brown had no ability to run an offense, and neither does Spoelstra, so I don't know why you're bringing those points up..

Spoelstra had the same offensive problems before Lebron joined the team..the iso plays are the only offensive he ever runs, with occasional pick and pops/pick and rolls..

Being a good defensive coach is fine, but when you meet other elite teams, your flaws are obviously exploited..

Miami has 2 of the best athletes in NBA history on the wings, but they don't use their strengths..they don't do anything to get Bosh going..they don't play Lebron off the ball at all, even though Wade is a good passer..they rarely play Wade off the ball, even though he's one of the best in the NBA at moving without the ball..

The only adjustment Mike Brown ever made was when he added the Mo Williams slash with Lebron cutting down the middle for a dunk, that was pretty much his only designed play..
I love how you spin that shit. Coach Pop is no offensive genius either. Yet the Spurs haven't gone lottery while he was a coach. He is defensive minded to the core. If you don't play defense he will ship your ass out.

That being said, you don't need an offensive guru to get it done or Coach Pringles would have had multiple rings by now and still be coaching the Suns. Mike Brown and Eric Spoelstra are good coaches. But unless the front office back guys like these up when trying to reign in their star they will get canned.

Look at the Lakers. They don't have a spectacular offense. Neither does Utah. What they do have is good coaches that have the backing of their front office to make the tough decisions if need be.

The Cavs (and now, the Hype) don't have that because no one seemingly is willing to step up to LeHype and reign his immature ass in. Unless Riley does it, that will be their downfall. Not because Spoelstra don't know X's and O's on the offensive side of the ball. The Hype's problems run deeper than that.

If Riley wants to win ring #7, he better reign in #6. :lol

[LkrFan]

What does Wade playing in regular season games have to do with Kobe's performance in the biggest game of his career?..
Everything. Literally.

Kobe has struggled in the Finals because teams in the East play defense. Sans the NJ Nets, 6ers and Pacers, the Celtics of 2008 and the Pistons of 2004 were two of the greatest defensive teams in NBA Finals history. Just like the Celtics made Kobe struggle, they did the same thing to DWhistle in these first two games of the season. This occurred both times with LeHype as his teammate - no less. You would think he would have had it easier but he didn't.

These two games have shown that Kobe's 6/24 would happen to any SG that plays Boston. Kobe's injuries, which were well documented, required surgery, and he has painful arthritis on his index finger that he will have to play with the rest of his career. But all of this is dismissed by every fan base that hates Kobe and or the Lakers. Then when these same fan bases see DWhistle shoot horribly - despite being 100% healthy and well rested - gives him a pass. Hypocrites. :rolleyes

[JamStone]

Look at the Lakers. They don't have a spectacular offense. Neither does Utah. What they do have is good coaches that have the backing of their front office to make the tough decisions if need be.

LMAO, the Lakers and the Jazz run the two most successful offenses in the history of the NBA.

The offense is at issue here, not just the defense or rotations or the personnel on the roster. The halfcourt offense suffers from stagnation from isolation plays. There's very little ball movement, and not enough pick-and-roll plays to keep guys like Bosh and even Udonis Haslem involved on offense. Even when other players get touches, it's generally out of kickouts after stalled drives to the basket out of isolation plays. That's not how you run an offense in the NBA. Defense may win championships, but you do need reliability and dependability at the offensive end that comes from something other than just individually "out-quicking and out-muscling and out-jumping" the opponents to the rim.

[HarlemHeat37]

:lol wow..

- First of all, comparing Pop to any mediocre coach is just ridiculous..Pop is a great offensive coach..he's arguably the best x's and o's head coach in the NBA, he calls great plays and runs a good system..

Only twice, in the Pop-Duncan era, did the Spurs' offense finish below the league average offense in the playoffs..they were in the top 3 3 times, and the top 5 5 times..pretty good offense if you ask me..

The Cavs were better than the league average only once in the Mike Brown era during the playoffs, and they were below the top 10 3 times..

Spoelstra has made the playoffs twice, and the Heat were below average on offense both times, including being last place in the entire playoffs last year..so apparently, Spoelstra was an offensive genius before Lebron showed up, even though the Heat were a terrible offense team for 2 years in a row..

- Your D'Antoni point is exactly what I'm saying:lol..D'Antoni is good at coaching one facet of the game, but he sucks at everything else..just like Brown and Spoelstra..

- :lol Now you're saying the Lakers and Jazz don't have a spectacular offense..what the hell does your second point even mean?..what tough decisions from the front office?..are you really saying that the Lakers' ability to "reign in" Kobe is more important than their actual play on the court?:lol..The Lakers and Jazz don't have good offenses?!:lol:lol:lol

The Lakers offense was in the top 5 in every year where they past the 1st round, and they finished either #1 or #2 in every year they made the Finals..they've been in the top 4 in the last 2 years..

[LkrFan]

LMAO, the Lakers and the Jazz run the two most successful offenses in the history of the NBA.

The offense is at issue here, not just the defense or rotations or the personnel on the roster. The halfcourt offense suffers from stagnation from isolation plays. There's very little ball movement, and not enough pick-and-roll plays to keep guys like Bosh and even Udonis Haslem involved on offense. Even when other players get touches, it's generally out of kickouts after stalled drives to the basket out of isolation plays. That's not how you run an offense in the NBA. Defense may win championships, but you do need reliability and dependability at the offensive end that comes from something other than just individually "out-quicking and out-muscling and out-jumping" the opponents to the rim.
Good post. Agreed 100%. However, the coach need to have the power to accomplish the things you described above to achieve the necessary balance that championship teams need to win. Remember, it was PJ who took the ball out of MJ and Pippen's hands and made them run the triangle despite the fact that he could get 50 in his sleep along with Pippen's 25-30. It was also PJ who did the same with Shaq and Kobe who could combine for 80 on any given night. How did he get that done with 4 of the greatest talents in NBA history? Both the Bulls and Lakers FO backed him up. Until the Hype give whoever their coach is that type of backing, they won't win.

[GuerillaBlack]

Lebron should of went to Chicago or New Jersey. I bet he already regrets his decision.

He should have stayed in Cleveland, with the emergence of JJ Hickson...who is better than Bosh's weak ass.

[LkrFan]

:lol wow..
I see you are easily amused.


- First of all, comparing Pop to any mediocre coach is just ridiculous..Pop is a great offensive coach..he's arguably the best x's and o's head coach in the NBA, he calls great plays and runs a good system..

Only twice, in the Pop-Duncan era, did the Spurs' offense finish below the league average offense in the playoffs..they were in the top 3 3 times, and the top 5 5 times..pretty good offense if you ask me..Since when was Pop an offensive genius? I never think that when I think of the Spurs. I think of defense.

The Cavs were better than the league average only once in the Mike Brown era during the playoffs, and they were below the top 10 3 times..LeHype ball is not championship ball. Nuff said.

Spoelstra has made the playoffs twice, and the Heat were below average on offense both times, including being last place in the entire playoffs last year..so apparently, Spoelstra was an offensive genius before Lebron showed up, even though the Heat were a terrible offense team for 2 years in a row..Spoelstra, an offensive genius? This is a joke, right? He's a defensive coach that had one good offensive player (DWhistle) and scrappy players that complimented him.

- Your D'Antoni point is exactly what I'm saying:lol..D'Antoni is good at coaching one facet of the game, but he sucks at everything else..just like Brown and Spoelstra..Agreed. He also didn't have any players that were even willing to spell defense let along play it

- :lol Now you're saying the Lakers and Jazz don't have a spectacular offense..what the hell does your second point even mean?..what tough decisions from the front office?..are you really saying that the Lakers' ability to "reign in" Kobe is more important than their actual play on the court?:lol..The Lakers and Jazz don't have good offenses?!:lol:lol:lolKobe said it himself that he thought the Lakers offense was boring. It is boring, but it is effective. And if you have the right talent assembled, you'll win with it.

The Lakers offense was in the top 5 in every year where they past the 1st round, and they finished either #1 or #2 in every year they made the Finals..they've been in the top 4 in the last 2 years..I never said the Lakers didn't have offensive talent. Pau's game compliments Kobe's probably more so than Shaq's did. The difference? Shaq was dominant when he was with the Lakers. Pau is more skilled than Shaq and allows our offense to be more dynamic than the Shaq/Kobe years.

You are an idiot. I'm not comparing the coaching ability of Pop and Spoelstra or Brown. I'm saying that they all are defensive minded coaches first and foremost. The difference between the 3? Tim Duncan is a major one and the way their talent was assembled was another.

As far as your comment about Pop being an offensive genius, I say since when? I've seen the Lakers allow Timmy to get his and shut down his supporting cast. They were hardly an offensive juggernaut. It wasn't until they drafted little known (to me at least) Tony Parker and Manu did their offense do any damage. It's not like they averaged 110ppg either. They just played good defense which fueled their offense - at least in my opinion.

[LkrFan]

He should have stayed in Cleveland, with the emergence of JJ Hickson...who is better than Bosh's weak ass.
This is truth.com. He left a better supporting cast in Cleveland despite his two "superstar" teammates he has in South Beach. He will regret "The Decision" if he hasn't done so already.

[SomeCallMeTim]

and yeah, i dont give a shit if he plays for my heat. i call out lebron, wade or anyone the same way.

Props for that and good spot to find that contradiction.

FWIW I think NBA players contradict themselves a lot, it's just that with all the hype the Big 3 put themselves under a huge microscope, so they're going to get called out a ton when things go sideways like they did last night.

They are under a tremendous amount of pressure... can't remember a team playing with that kind of pressure this early in the season since... I don't know, when Malone and Payton joined the Lakers? Jordan's first full season back after 1st retirement?

[hitmanyr2k]

i created a new youtube account and made this video in about 20 minutes

rX-s5UPWVH8

I really don't think that's a contradiction. After the Minnesota game Lebron said the three of them being competitors would play 48 minutes "if they could". It doesn't mean he's saying that they CAN play 48 minutes.

[mingus]

couple things:

-people are underrating Mike Miller. his ability to space the floor and pass is being missed right now. he's 15 ppg and 4 assists that they're not getting.

-0/10 combined from 3 for DWade and Lebron. one of the questions going into the season is how would DWade and Lebron playoff of eachother. would they be able to hit the open shots when the defense gets sucked in? Mike Miller will help relieve some of this, but 0/10 is just pathetic. Lebron can't be hitting the side of the backboard and airballing threes if they want this thing to work b/w them. thye'll look good against shit teams and everyone will think they've gotten over the hump... but they are exposed against a team like Boston.

where is Bosh? he needs to play more inside and be a recipient to passes once Wade and Lebron colllapse the defense. he needs to ask for the ball more.

[mavsfan1000]

LeMoron is such a wimp. I love to hate this team. lol

[Obstructed_View]

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q228/GeneralPurpose/Spurstalk/RubyJames.jpg

[JamStone]

couple things:

-people are underrating Mike Miller. his ability to space the floor and pass is being missed right now. he's 15 ppg and 4 assists that they're not getting.

I think Mike Miller does make a difference for the team's offense, but I don't think Mike Miller is the difference in winning any of the games the Heat have lost, maybe the Utah game.

Also something to consider. James Jones probably doesn't play 26 minutes a game when Mike Miller comes back. And he's averaging 10 PPG and is shooting 49% from three point range. Now Mike Miller does bring more to the table than shooting, as he's a good passer and Wade and LeBron and the rest of the team would probably trust him more making decisions. I also think he's a solid position rebounder.

But like I said, I don't think Mike Miller solves all their problems or changes the outcome of their losses with the possible exception of the Utah game.



-0/10 combined from 3 for DWade and Lebron. one of the questions going into the season is how would DWade and Lebron playoff of eachother. would they be able to hit the open shots when the defense gets sucked in? Mike Miller will help relieve some of this, but 0/10 is just pathetic. Lebron can't be hitting the side of the backboard and airballing threes if they want this thing to work b/w them. thye'll look good against shit teams and everyone will think they've gotten over the hump... but they are exposed against a team like Boston.

This is something I had a big problem with last night. Eddie House was 2-for-2 last night and James Jones came into the game shooting over 50% from three point range. But Wade and LeBron took 5 threes each. Now sure they are the main guys and they will be entrusted to shoot the clutch three point shots a lot of the time. But if they're not hitting, they need to focus on getting Eddie House and James Jones good looks because that's exactly why they're on the team. They're the three point specialists. Give them half of those 10 missed three pointers Wade and LeBron took and maybe it's a different game towards the end of the fourth quarter.



where is Bosh? he needs to play more inside and be a recipient to passes once Wade and Lebron colllapse the defense. he needs to ask for the ball more.

Lost in the shuffle watching LeBron and Wade taking turns blackholing the ball. This is where Spoelstra deserves criticism. Put Chris Bosh in more pick-and-rolls and high post sets early on in the game to get him going. If Bosh has to resort to being a spot-up midrange shooter and an offensive rebounder, you'll see his effort and desire and focus continue to suffer. Let him be a part of the offense, not just a spectator of it.

[MiamiHeat]

Only change I want is Head Coach.

Spo is a good defensive coach, but watching the offense is giving me flashbacks of Mike Brown.

This team is a historic assemblage of talent. I would like to see it used to it's max.

oh, and lol@ people saying the Heat just don't have the players to be good. 9 games is not a good enough sample size. They can be historically great..... but the offense is garbage right now and there is NO EXCUSE why a team with LeBron, Wade, and Bosh on it, with good 3pt shooters is struggling so fucking hard to score points.

[namlook]

- First of all, comparing Pop to any mediocre coach is just ridiculous..Pop is a great offensive coach..he's arguably the best x's and o's head coach in the NBA, he calls great plays and runs a good system..


Pop is not a great offensive coach at all. He's a great defensive coach.

[Shank]

I don't see a coaching change shrinking those minutes by much, if any. When it's a collection of scrubs and no major threat manning the middle, those are flaws that are going to carry no matter who is calling the shots.

[Spurologist]

I really don't think that's a contradiction. After the Minnesota game Lebron said the three of them being competitors would play 48 minutes "if they could". It doesn't mean he's saying that they CAN play 48 minutes.

exactly. the video is well made but it'all bullshit. There's nothing wrong with those two statements. The coach is trying to figure things out. The big 3 have underperformed a little but the bench has been atrocious. A subpar bench is to be expected with 3 superstars but they have to hit wide open shots. This Heat team is no where near a finished product. The bottom-line is they need to work for each other.

[YoungB]

anyone else think lebron looks skinny as hell this year?

[Daddy_Of_All_Trolls]

Well, I am not going to crow because I have stated already, I don't really care what the Heat do. However, I did say they wouldn't beat Boston, now they have to figure that out by playoff time and hope like hell they get HCA. I don't think the Heat can win 60 games this year. As I stated before, they probably have to lose in the finals before they can win it all. Also, I don't think the Heat can count on using the MLE to attract talent every year as has been stated. No one worth their salt will want to join up and go ringless. Chances are the Heat won't ring and the bog 3 all opt out in 2014 when they can.

[JamStone]

exactly. the video is well made but it'all bullshit. There's nothing wrong with those two statements. The coach is trying to figure things out. The big 3 have underperformed a little but the bench has been atrocious. A subpar bench is to be expected with 3 superstars but they have to hit wide open shots. This Heat team is no where near a finished product. The bottom-line is they need to work for each other.

Has the bench really been one of the major problems though? Has it been great? No. But I don't see it as more of a problem than interior defense and the stagnant offense. Udonis Haslem, Eddie House, and James Jones are averaging 24 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists on 47% FG shooting and 46% three point shooting. The bench is contributing.

It's the interior defense, transition defense in some of the losses, and the lack of a fluid and balanced halfcourt offense that is hurting them more than the lack of bench production.

[HarlemHeat37]

Miami's bench is currently 12th in the NBA..I'm pretty sure that should be sufficient..

[hitmanyr2k]

anyone else think lebron looks skinny as hell this year?

I think he lost weight as well. I remember one of the games earlier this year one of the commentators mentioned Lebron weighed 270 and was as big as Karl Malone. Couldn't believe what I was hearing.

[Koolaid_Man]

LeHype will get Coach Spoelstra fired. Just like Shaq with SVG. This time around I think Riley is too old to expend the necessary energy to coach this team. I could be wrong but I just don't see Riley at his age going to the bench. When he does, and he fails, then what? He'll let Spoelstra take the heat (no pun intended) and continue to advise from the FO. I saw him in the stands last night taking notes. No doubt he will be in all of their ears - probably as I type this.

But even he can't save this team. I say they should trade RuPaul for more pieces and start Haslem in his spot. I'm sure they can get a PG and a big body willing to protect the yard for RuPaul. Then again, based on his shitty play this year I'm not sure anybody would want this SF who masquerades as a PF and allows a PG to dunk on him. :lol

LkrFan - you been killin this shit lately...keep up it dude...and Harlemheat, Miamiheat, and the rest of dem fake ass Heat fans got a hot pan fried egg with extra salt all over their face...:lol

[Koolaid_Man]

Who complains about having played "too many minutes?" Better yet, Who openly questions his coaches' decision to play him (and DWhistle) too much through the media? Pure comedy. :lol



No shit... :lmao I can just see Kobe saying:

"Gotdam Phil..Dam I'm fucking playing too much I'm shooting too many shots and I'm taking myself out of the fucking game. I'm tired as fuck"...

[mavsfan1000]

Lebron and Wade are selfish for shooting 5 3 pointers each. They are not 3 point shooters. They need to focus on what they do best.

[DazedAndConfused]

I still don't see a semblance of a half court offense for the Heat.

The problem I saw initially with Lebron and Wade is that they have both been ball dominant players their entire careers, but if they are to play together then neither one can really do that too much. They desperately need a good PG to setup the offense in the halfcourt and keep Lebron/Wade from holding onto the ball for too long.

That being said, their biggest problem is defense. No rebounding, no rings. With James+Wade on the perimeter they are certainly capable of playing some suffocating defense, but they desperately lack interior size to compete against teams with quality front courts.

[DazedAndConfused]

I still don't see a semblance of a half court offense for the Heat.

The problem I saw initially with Lebron and Wade is that they have both been ball dominant players their entire careers, but if they are to play together then neither one can really do that too much. They desperately need a good PG to setup the offense in the halfcourt and keep Lebron/Wade from holding onto the ball for too long.

That being said, their biggest problem is defense. No rebounding, no rings. With James+Wade on the perimeter they are certainly capable of playing some suffocating defense, but they desperately lack interior size to compete against teams with quality front courts.

[cobbler]

Wojo's writing is the equivalent of giving me an assignment of writing weekly articles about Kobe Bryant..

So on one had you say WoJo is an idiot and should be killed and then on the other say he's a basketball savant who should proudly display his internet medal.

HarlemHo actually admitting his takes on Kobe are bullshit! PRICELESS!!!!

[HarlemHeat37]

My takes on Kobe are always backed up by facts, as is everything else I say..that doesn't mean they aren't biased, since I obviously hate the guy..


I still don't see a semblance of a half court offense for the Heat.

The problem I saw initially with Lebron and Wade is that they have both been ball dominant players their entire careers, but if they are to play together then neither one can really do that too much. They desperately need a good PG to setup the offense in the halfcourt and keep Lebron/Wade from holding onto the ball for too long.

That being said, their biggest problem is defense. No rebounding, no rings. With James+Wade on the perimeter they are certainly capable of playing some suffocating defense, but they desperately lack interior size to compete against teams with quality front courts.

Wade and Lebron have been fine together, that's the least of their problems..

Miami's D has been in the top 5 so far this season, and they've been an above average rebounding team..

What's funny is that you predicted that Miami's frontcourt would be fine..

[cobbler]

Miami's problems are exactly what we said they would be when Harho, MiamiHeat, Ace and company were off rambling about titles and running roughshod thru the NBA. They have no inside presence and they will get torched by teams that also have quality point guards. There is no way this Heat team comes out of the East although I certainly wish they would as they would be a much easier out than Boton.

[HarlemHeat37]

Miami's interior D problem was acknowledged by all of us..

It's also way too early to write off Miami..if Boston is healthy, then sure, but the odds of that are pretty slim IMO..Orlando has almost no chance, since they matchup poorly and are looking like they're starting to collapse..nobody else in the East stands out..

[cobbler]

Miami's interior D problem was acknowledged by all of us..

:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao

Only thing aknowledged by you was that Brons balls fit in your mouth and the Heat would dominate and leave the NBA in its wake. And come june... I am sure a lot of reminder quotes will surface as you take your walk of same out of the forum for good. :toast


44 mins is too much! What a friggen pussy Lebron is.

[Venti Quattro]

44 minutes is too much. He wouldn't have time for the kids :cry

[LkrFan]

44 minutes is too much. He wouldn't have time for the kids :cry
:lol

[HarlemHeat37]

:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao:lmao

Only thing aknowledged by you was that Brons balls fit in your mouth and the Heat would dominate and leave the NBA in its wake. And come june... I am sure a lot of reminder quotes will surface as you take your walk of same out of the forum for good. :toast


44 mins is too much! What a friggen pussy Lebron is.

We did say the Heat were going to win the title, looks like we're going to be wrong, although it's very early..

Everybody obviously acknowledged Miami's flaw inside the paint, it was the only apparent flaw coming into the season..most of the other predictions from people here, particularly Laker fan, were wrong though..

[MiamiHeat]

LOL

The Heat are too talented.

as I said before, they are only at 50% strength. The offense is garbage right now and they are missing Mike Miller.

The Heat will win the championship this year.

[mavsfan1000]

LOL

The Heat are too talented.

as I said before, they are only at 50% strength. The offense is garbage right now and they are missing Mike Miller.

The Heat will win the championship this year.
You have no chance without a decent big man.

[MiamiHeat]

We have one. His name is Chris Bosh.

He's a CAREER double digit rebounder.

Just cause he's struggled in some games this season, doesn't mean he isn't going to gel and get back to his old self.

Haters are taking this 9 game sample size and running with it LOL :)

[mavsfan1000]

We have one. His name is Chris Bosh.

He's a CAREER double digit rebounder.

Just cause he's struggled in some games this season, doesn't mean he isn't going to gel and get back to his old self.

Haters are taking this 9 game sample size and running with it LOL :)
:lmao Bosh padding stats on a sorry team vs. playing on a team that supposed to be a contender. Bosh is so soft and has no inside game. Even worse is the center position. Bosh without a quality center and the team will fail.

[MiamiHeat]

also, the Heat have a horrible schedule.

on the road for the first 2 games of the season, 2 games vs Celtics, 1 against Magic, 1 against Utah, and 1 against undefeated Hornets.

Heat are trying to learn and gel while fighting really tough games, while the Lakers play at home every game and play shitty competition.

Even the Celtics season opener in 2007 for the KG-Ray-Pierce Big 3 was against the Wizards at home, if I remember correctly.


Get your shots in now, haters. Get it while you still can :lol

[MiamiHeat]

funny reading this thread

people want to act now like Bosh is some no name scrub LOL

its ok :)

[Def Rowe]

Well Spolestra doesn't look like he's having much fun.

And why does he part his hair on the back of his head?

[redzero]

i created a new youtube account and made this video in about 20 minutes

rX-s5UPWVH8

Your vid's gotten a respectable amount of views so far.

[LeHeat_Dynasty]

I think Lebron is echoing his concerns about Spoeltra's poor time management moreso than him actually complaining about playing too much minutes. It was a subtle jab but he made sure his message gets out there and quite frankly Spo is indeed not handling these existing issues properly. Granted, after Pat Riley used all his resources to sign three max players, Spo really doesn't have a lot of pieces to play with but I think his rotations and strategies are just aweful. I just dont think Spoelstra has what it takes to control a trio of exquisite and overlapping talents. He has three 1st options on the floor yet its not out of the ordinary to see Bosh as a mere walking, pop a mid range jumper $90 Million asset. Spo needs to start creating some plays for Bosh, run a two man game from time to time using either Wade or Lebron to feed Bosh. He simply can't let Wade and James take over and take 65% of the teams FG attempts every night.



The reason why the Celtics in 2007 was so successful was simply because Rivers persuaded his Big Three to give up the ball and have faith that it would come back to find them in better position to score or set up another teammate. KG, Pierce & Allen accepted that idea & embraced their new roles and everything just clicked. I just don't see that with the Heat right now, right now its either Wade's night or Lebron. Dwyane wants to be in command but I dont think Lebron is willing to follow as he said himself (I just don't defer) and why should he? Lebron is the better player and off to a fresh back to back MVP seasons.



Simply, it all comes down to this. Wade or Lebron must decide whose team is this. Sure on most nights there can be an Option 1A and Option 1B but in order for them to win a championship, one player must simply sacrifice his ego and allow that one player to call the shots.

[mavsfan1000]

I think Lebron is echoing his concerns about Spoeltra's poor time management moreso than him actually complaining about playing too much minutes. It was a subtle jab but he made sure his message gets out there and quite frankly Spo is indeed not handling these existing issues properly. Granted, after Pat Riley used all his resources to sign three max players, Spo really doesn't have a lot of pieces to play with but I think his rotations and strategies are just aweful. I just dont think Spoelstra has what it takes to control a trio of exquisite and overlapping talents. He has three 1st options on the floor yet its not out of the ordinary to see Bosh as a mere walking, pop a mid range jumper $90 Million asset. Spo needs to start creating some plays for Bosh, run a two man game from time to time using either Wade or Lebron to feed Bosh. He simply can't let Wade and James take over and take 65% of the teams FG attempts every night.


The reason why the Celtics in 2007 was so successful was simply because Rivers persuaded his Big Three to give up the ball and have faith that it would come back to find them in better position to score or set up another teammate. KG, Pierce & Allen accepted that idea & embraced their new roles and everything just clicked. I just don't see that with the Heat right now, right now its either Wade's night or Lebron. Dwyane wants to be in command but I dont think Lebron is willing to follow as he said himself (I just don't defer) and why should he? Lebron is the better player and off to a fresh back to back MVP seasons.



Simply, it all comes down to this. Wade or Lebron must decide whose team is this. Sure on most nights there can be an Option 1A and Option 1B but in order for them to win a championship, one player must simply sacrifice his ego and allow that one player to call the shots.
Rondo>>>Arrojo
Perkins>Ilgauskas. The Celtics had better supporting players than the Heat. Both offensively and defensively. And Bosh is an overrated player. His contract is a terrible deal unlike Wade and Lebron.

[Pelicans78]

Lebron definitely shouldn't have made this comments, but 44 minutes for an early regular season is a bit too much. The problem is, the Heat don't feel confident in the other guys around him. Even against the Hornets, Lebron played 42 minutes, Wade played 40 minutes while CP3 and Ariza played about 35 minutes, West played 28 minutes, and Okafor played 31 minutes.

[HarlemHeat37]

You also told us the Lakers should get Ben Gordon and Deng for Kobe..

[Zelophehad]

funny reading this thread

people want to act now like Bosh is some no name scrub LOL

its ok :)

lol poor man's Horace Grant

[Spurologist]

Has the bench really been one of the major problems though? Has it been great? No. But I don't see it as more of a problem than interior defense and the stagnant offense. Udonis Haslem, Eddie House, and James Jones are averaging 24 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists on 47% FG shooting and 46% three point shooting. The bench is contributing.

It's the interior defense, transition defense in some of the losses, and the lack of a fluid and balanced halfcourt offense that is hurting them more than the lack of bench production.

:tu

I think someone mentioned the heat bench is 12th in the nba. That's fair. The defense in general, though, has been good enough to win games. They are in the middle of the pack in rebounding. That is decent considering the lack of depth at the big positions. Overall, they are a top 5 defensive team (points allowed) so I look at the performances down the stretch by the bench and I'm not impressed. The big 3 has played poorly in the clutch too but I look at players like Arroyo, Chalmers, House.....and they haven't made the best of their opportunities. It's hyperbole on my part with the bench so maybe I have an unfair bias against them. The bottomline is it's still still only November to be making any concrete conclusions about this heat team anyway.

[ducks]

do the heat with the three superstars have to many chiefs and not enough followers

[mavsfan1000]

do the heat with the three superstars have to many chiefs and not enough followers
They could get alot if they traded one of their big 3. They need quality role players. Not scrub role players.

[LkrFan]

And the plot thickens... now this clown is quoting Randy Moss:

"It got blew up out of proportion, saying that I told coach Spo [Erik Spoelstra] that he's playing me too much and he's a bad coach," James said before Miami's game Saturday against the visiting Toronto Raptors (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/clubhouse?team=tor). "You kind of understand sometimes what Randy Moss (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=1433) was talking about when he said, 'I will not be answering any more questions.' Because every time I say something, it gets turned out of character."
He wasn't misquoted, or taken out of context. He threw his coach under the bus, period. I'm sure he doesn't see it that way though. What an asshat! :lol

"We're on the same page about that," Spoelstra said of James' playing time. "He was supposed to come out early in the fourth quarter, but it was way too competitive. He didn't want to come out. And every time he looked at the bench, I looked away."
It looks like Coach Spoelstra is between a rock and a hard place. He knows he needed LeHype out there but does NOT have the balls to tell him to STFU and play. :lol

"You never want to get to a point where you say something, and it catches you from behind, or the coach says something and you say, 'Wow, I didn't know nothing about that,' " James said. "That's something that me and coach had talked about two days before the Boston game, and it's something we will figure out as a collective group. The open form of communication is always important in this game, because you don't want to get to a point where you're talking through the media."
Translation: In Cleveland, I used to tell everybody when to jump, how high, etc etc. I told the coach what the hell I want us to do, then he relays that info to the team - so they think he is in charge. I know I said my leadership won't let me defer, but fuck it, I'm LeBron James bitch. :lol

LINK (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5802449)

[SenorSpur]

LeQuit absolutely WAS NOT "misquoted" nor were his comments "taken out of character", as he calls it. It's just that, in his world and in his adolescent mind, he's never responsible for anything. The fact is he never should've called out his coach to begin with. The fact that he did was alarming and it garnered so much attention because that's not something any NBA superstar has done or would do. I'm surprised he didn't schedule another 30-minute special to update us all on the status of "The Decision".

Once again, LeQuit comes across like the petulant, spoiled, child, that he really is. A kid so immature and so out of touch with the real world, that he cannot foresee the negative backlash from his continued self-indulgent behavior. Whenever he gets called out for something he's done, he steps up and blames everybody else. The minute an athlete holds Randy Moss up, as a role model for media relations, you know he's desparately reaching for shit.

In the meantime, he'd better be careful what his wishes for. If he gets Coach Spo fired, he'll usher in latest chapter of the Riles regime. The HOF coach, who is known for his attention to detail and his legendary, marathon practices, as well as his rings. Riles has the clout, moxie, rep and power to challenge his superstar on every level - and win. He cannot be fired and he will not allow him to quit on his teammates, the way he did during his farewell playoff series versus the Celtics, last spring. I doubt that LeQuit is ready for that type of hard, old-school coaching - even if it would benefit him in the long run. LeQuit keeps clamoring for public sympathy and what he really needs is a kick in his shorts. Riles would certainly provide that.

LeQuit chose to take the short path to success. Instead, he's finding out that it's actually a long, bumpy road - and he appears to be crumbling - again. He's not going to be able to choreograph his way out of this one. For now, he would be better served if he would just "man up", "ball out" and STFU.

[LkrFan]

LeQuit absolutely WAS NOT "misquoted" nor were his comments "taken out of character", as he calls it. It's just that, in his world and in his adolescent mind, he's never responsible for anything. The fact is he never should've called out his coach to begin with. The fact that he did was alarming and it garnered so much attention because that's not something any NBA superstar has done or would do. I'm surprised he didn't schedule another 30-minute special to update us all on the status of "The Decision".

Once again, LeQuit comes across like the petulant, spoiled, child, that he really is. A kid so immature and so out of touch with the real world, that he cannot foresee the negative backlash from his continued self-indulgent behavior. Whenever he gets called out for something he's done, he steps up and blames everybody else. The minute an athlete holds Randy Moss up, as a role model for media relations, you know he's desparately reaching for shit.

In the meantime, he'd better be careful what his wishes for. If he gets Coach Spo fired, he'll usher in latest chapter of the Riles regime. The HOF coach, who is known for his attention to detail and his legendary, marathon practices, as well as his rings. Riles has the clout, moxie, rep and power to challenge his superstar on every level - and win. He cannot be fired and he will not allow him to quit on his teammates, the way he did during his farewell playoff series versus the Celtics, last spring. I doubt that LeQuit is ready for that type of hard, old-school coaching - even if it would benefit him in the long run. LeQuit keeps clamoring for public sympathy and what he really needs is a kick in his shorts. Riles would certainly provide that.

LeQuit chose to take the short path to success. Instead, he's finding out that it's actually a long, bumpy road - and he appears to be crumbling - again. He's not going to be able to choreograph his way out of this one. For now, he would be better served if he would just "man up", "ball out" and STFU.
That was...AWESOME!!! Well done sir!! :wow

[jacobdrj]

I think Lebron is echoing his concerns about Spoeltra's poor time management moreso than him actually complaining about playing too much minutes. It was a subtle jab but he made sure his message gets out there and quite frankly Spo is indeed not handling these existing issues properly. Granted, after Pat Riley used all his resources to sign three max players, Spo really doesn't have a lot of pieces to play with but I think his rotations and strategies are just aweful. I just dont think Spoelstra has what it takes to control a trio of exquisite and overlapping talents. He has three 1st options on the floor yet its not out of the ordinary to see Bosh as a mere walking, pop a mid range jumper $90 Million asset. Spo needs to start creating some plays for Bosh, run a two man game from time to time using either Wade or Lebron to feed Bosh. He simply can't let Wade and James take over and take 65% of the teams FG attempts every night.



The reason why the Celtics in 2007 was so successful was simply because Rivers persuaded his Big Three to give up the ball and have faith that it would come back to find them in better position to score or set up another teammate. KG, Pierce & Allen accepted that idea & embraced their new roles and everything just clicked. I just don't see that with the Heat right now, right now its either Wade's night or Lebron. Dwyane wants to be in command but I dont think Lebron is willing to follow as he said himself (I just don't defer) and why should he? Lebron is the better player and off to a fresh back to back MVP seasons.



Simply, it all comes down to this. Wade or Lebron must decide whose team is this. Sure on most nights there can be an Option 1A and Option 1B but in order for them to win a championship, one player must simply sacrifice his ego and allow that one player to call the shots.

There is a big difference between Boston's big 3 and Miami's big 3.

Garnett, Pierce and Allen were in their declining years. They had all been on horrible teams at some point during their prime years. These guys didn't need a whole lot of 'convincing' to get them to share the ball with each-other. These guys had mutual respect from over a decade of playing against one another at some capacity or another. This isn't a trio of, say, Iverson, Francis and Marburry. You could tell when Boston's big 3 guys lost (before they came to Boston), it hurt them, even if they had good stat lines.

Wade, LeBron and Bosh are just entering the prime of their respective careers. While Bosh has seen some mediocre teams and some horrible teams, the fact is, outside of LeBron's rookie season and Wade's post title team, these guys have never experienced long periods of team lows, certainly not wasting the 'prime years' of their careers, at least in theory (Wade might be entering the twilight of his career because of how he plays, and LeBron might suffer from the fact he started in the NBA so young, AKA the Mileage paradox). While I do believe Wade, LeBron and Bosh do all want to win, I am not sure that as a trio of former focal-points, they have yet experienced enough hardship where they are willing to do anything to win. They are young an cocky.

And unlike Boston, Miami didn't go through 5 years of high draft picks before trading for 2 of their big 3... Miami only had Beasly to fall back on, and he got traded before game 1...

[Obstructed_View]

It's really sad when ego finally eclipses talent. I guess it's a testament to how much talent Lebron actually has that it didn't happen years ago. Throwing himself into the same boat with Randy Moss is poetic.

[Giuseppe]

"You kind of understand sometimes what Randy Moss (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=1433) was talking about when he said, 'I will not be answering any more questions.' Because every time I say something, it gets turned out of character."

I'll side James & Moss here. Media ain't no benevolent entity. They're out there desperately trying to sell their widgets just like McDonalds, or, Burger King, or any other huckster on the face of the planet. Why anybody would talk to these assholes continues to amaze me.

[Obstructed_View]

What exactly did James say that was taken out of context? What exactly has Randy Moss said that was taken out of context? If the media were notorious for taking people out of context, then Moss and James wouldn't stand out.

[Shank]

"You kind of understand sometimes what Randy Moss (http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=1433) was talking about when he said, 'I will not be answering any more questions.' Because every time I say something, it gets turned out of character."

I'll side James & Moss here. Media ain't no benevolent entity. They're out there desperately trying to sell their widgets just like McDonalds, or, Burger King, or any other huckster on the face of the planet. Why anybody would talk to these assholes continues to amaze me.

How, exactly, did the media take that quote out of context? It was replayed at face value - no editing, no faulty transcript. The bitch said it and is now trying to backtrack.

Also, if there was no media, how would you find out about your favorite teams?

[Giuseppe]

How, exactly, did the media take that quote out of context? It was replayed at face value - no editing, no faulty transcript. The bitch said it and is now trying to backtrack.

Also, if there was no media, how would you find out about your favorite teams?

You trust Media implicitly. I don't. They're just as crooked as the next guy in the line.

And I can't stand Moss. He's a loser, and he's content to be there. He sees the path to salvation/winning and he eschews it out of hand.

James is a loser as well, but, my jury is still out on him. I think he genuinely wants to be a winner, but, can't decipher the way there.

& I didn't advocate the extinction of Media. I just don't trust them. Because somebody puts something down on "paper" -or- "video" don't make it so.

[Obstructed_View]

You trust Media implicitly. I don't. They're just as crooked as the next guy in the line.

And I can't stand Moss. He's a loser, and he's content to be there. He sees the path to salvation/winning and he eschews it out of hand.

James is a loser as well, but, my jury is still out on him. I think he genuinely wants to be a winner, but, can't decipher the way there.

& I didn't advocate the extinction of Media. I just don't trust them. Because somebody puts something down on "paper" -or- "video" don't make it so.

So you're suggesting that someone digitally altered every copy of the video from Lebron's press conference where he complained about his minutes? :lol

[21_Blessings]

Why anybody would talk to these assholes continues to amaze me.

Stern's orders.

Sports journalism may be an absurd joke. In this case however, Bron has himself to blame for being a walking, talking, dancing, decision making, gaffe. I pray he never stops being him.

[Albert Haynesworth]

:cry:cry:cry I said something retarded and they quoted me exactly:cry:cry:Cry

:cryStupid media:cry

[Albert Haynesworth]

You trust Media implicitly. I don't. They're just as crooked as the next guy in the line.

And I can't stand Moss. He's a loser, and he's content to be there. He sees the path to salvation/winning and he eschews it out of hand.

James is a loser as well, but, my jury is still out on him. I think he genuinely wants to be a winner, but, can't decipher the way there.

& I didn't advocate the extinction of Media. I just don't trust them. Because somebody puts something down on "paper" -or- "video" don't make it so.

scro, you would be a legend in the NFL forum