The Matrix Debuts

ok, so the guy likes to hang around in a pool, being all touchy feely while being half naked with Steve Nash, Matt Leinart & Terrell Owens (you think they had chicken fights after this picture was taken? Maybe Marco Polo?), but this afternoon Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks make their Heat debut on national TV against the Lakers.

I'll be at the game to see the Matrix first hand. Pat Riley already has said he envisions a Wade-Marion tandem to be the new millenium Jordan-Pippen. Pretty heady comparisons. I am just happy to see the Heat play with some spring in their step - the last few months losing 21 of 22 games has been dreadful. This at least reinvigorates the team and fans. Riley hinted he will be dusting off the old Showtime Laker playbook (I'll believe it when I see it). Matrix is one of the league's best defenders, and it will be interesting to see if he inspires Wade on that end of the floor. Dwyane can play great D when he wants to, he just doesn't always want to.

I look forward to seeing Wade-Marion-Wright on the floor together, that is some super athleticism at work. I still think Riley has some tricks up his sleeve to add some firepower for next year by using the expirings of Williams and Davis, and perhaps Haslem, if he can upgrade at the power forward spot.

See you at the game.

PS - just because those guys are posing together like that, it doesn't make them

Shaquille O'Neal being traded to the Suns?

The Miami Herald and local sports radio is reporting this rumor:

Heat in serious talks to trade Shaq
BY BARRY JACKSON

The Heat has told center Shaquille O'Neal's representation that it is talking about trading him and he should be prepared for the possibility of a deal, according to two officials close to the situation. Phoenix has discussed sending forward Shawn Marion and point guard Marcus Banks to the Heat in return for O'Neal.

Asked for confirmation, one of O'Neal's representatives said O'Neal has been made aware that discussions with Phoenix are serious and ongoing, but that a deal was not definite.
Dallas also has been mentioned as a potential destination, though the Heat had not immediately informed O'Neal of that possibility.

O'Neal, 35, was shocked by the turn of events, an associate said. O'Neal helped lead the Heat to the 2005-06 championship, but Miami has struggled since, losing in the first round of the playoffs last season and opening this season with a league-worst 9-37 record.
After this season, Marion can opt out of the last year of his contract worth $17.1 million. If Marion opts out, trading O'Neal would give the Heat substantial salary cap space this offseason, when potential free agents include Gilbert Arenas, Baron Davis, Elton Brand, Antawn Jamison, Ron Artest and Corey Maggette.

Marion, 29, is a four-time All-Star and considered one of the NBA's most athletic small forwards. Marion, 6-7, is averaging 15.8 points and 9.9 rebounds.

Banks, 26, is averaging 5.2 points and 1.0 assists. After this season, he has three years left on his contract worth a total of $13.4 million.

O'Neal, who has been out with a hip injury, has two years left on his contract after this season. He will be paid $20 million each of the next two seasons.

On Tuesday, coach Pat Riley said O'Neal was scheduled to have a magnetic resonance imaging exam on his ailing left hip, which has kept him out the past six games.

''We just want to back it up and see, after two weeks, what it shows,'' Riley said.
Riley gave no indication as to when O'Neal would return to the lineup. Riley said O'Neal must strengthen his legs before returning to action, and that the center will be one of six players to miss Wednesday's game at Detroit.

Heat officials were on their way to Detroit and could not be reached for comment."

All I can say is if it happens: Wow. I don't get why the Suns would do it. Anyone who has watched Shaq this year knows his gas tank is near "E". Perhaps they think he would be invigorated by going to them. Perhaps he thinks playing alongside all world point guard Steve Nash, and great players like Amare Stoudamire, Leandro Barbosa and the like in Mike D'Antoini's system would make the game easy for him. Maybe they think they tried for years with Marion and it didn't work, so why would it this year. Maybe they think with the Lakers adding Pau Gasol, along with Tim Duncan on the Spurs, they need their own force in the pivot (although what is Stoudamire, chopped liver?).

For the Heat it makes tremendous sense: Marcus Banks automatically can be their starting PG if they trade Williams, or at worst a backup. Marion is an all star caliber player, and his contract expires a year sooner than Shaq's - they can keep him, they can trade him in the offseason, or they can let him walk in 2009 and get the cap room. I think if it happens, you'll see a series of other moves reminiscent of the 1996 trade deadline when Riley invented the maneuver of trading for cap space:

In one of the biggest trading days in NBA history, Miami acquired guard Tim Hardaway and forward/center Chris Gatling from Golden State for forward/center Kevin Willis and guard Bimbo Coles. Acquired forward/guard Walt Williams and forward Tyrone Corbin from Sacramento for guard/forward Billy Owens and forward/guard Kevin Gamble. Acquired guard Tony Smith from Phoenix for guard Terrence Rencher. Signed guard Jeff Malone to a second 10-day contract.

J-Will could go, Ricky could go, Udonis (sadly) could go. Everyone not named Wade could be on the block.

The next few days will be verrrrry interesting

No Wade, No Haslem, No Shaq, No Zo, No Problem!

Poor Pat Riley. The man can't quit his job, even though he must be DYING to. However having already pulled that trick the last time the Heat sucked and handing the reigns to the illustrious Stan Van Gundy, he'd risk tarnishing his Hall of Fame legacy by bailing on them now.

After last nights debacle against the Celtics, where a PAT RILEY coached team showed absolutely no heart or hustle, they travel to SVG's new team, division leading Orlando tonight.

Oh, more good news - Dwyane Wade did not travel with the team due to the flu, and Udonis Haslem sprained his ankle and probably will be out for a while. He was in a walking boot after the game last night.

I am guessing the Heat field this starting lineup:

PG - J-Swill

SG - Icky Davis

SF - No-rell Wright

PF - 6th stringer Alexander Johnson (having him start is indignity enough, no need to humiliate him with a mocking nickname)

C - UnreMarkable Blount

Again, the Heat are reaping what they have sowed -- they sold the future for a chance at a ring with Shaq and it paid off. I am not pissed. I am not sad. I am actually optimistic with some lottery ball love/frozen envelope help from Der Komissar, the Heat will be back on top sooner than later. (Which reminds me -- I went to a Falco concert recently, and they didn't play Rock Me Amadeus. Pure balls.)

click here to a breakdown of the frozen envelope theory with video proof

So You're Saying There's a Chance!

more like 1 in a billion.

Tonight, the 34-8 Celtics visit the Heat (1-15 in their last 16, but riding a season record tying 1 game winning streak, thankyouverymuch). The Celtics will be without MVP favorite Kevin Garnett, who is out with a strained abdominal muscle. In a related story, I don't think I have abdominal muscles any longer, but that's for medical science to decide.

I think this guy gets a chance to break his career scoring high of 38:

Miami Heat: Guh

I can't say that this season is breaking my heart, per se, because I am still basking in the afterglow of the 2006 championship. I know, pathetic, but after 20 years of being a Heat fan, that moment was a watershed, and it exorcised a lot of demons.

My take on this season to this point.

Disaster of a season, 2nd worst record in the league!

Main Causes:

Injuries - Shaq just went back on the DL for at least 2 weeks, probably a month (or longer) with 2 bad hips, inflammation and bursitis, this after missing 2 weeks last month and this month. Wade has yet to find his explosiveness and athleticism since coming off major shoulder surgery and knee surgery over the summer. Alonzo Mourning had a career ending major quad and ligaments tear. J-Will has been in and out of the lineup with knee problems and this is free agency year and has been terrible.

The Heat were on a 15 game losing streak, the longest since the lovable expansion team led by Rory Sparrow, Rony Seikaly, and Ron Rothstein's perm, which lost 17 in a row to start the season in 1988.

15 Wrong aka Team Depth - Riley gambled by not re-signing Jason Kapono & James Posey this offseason, and got stung by Mo Williams and Charlie Bell being matched on the offer sheets the Heat made. Dorell Wright has not developed as hoped. Ricky Davis has been disappointing. Mark Blount, a throw in from Minnesota needed in order to shed the contract of Antoine Walker has played better as a starter since Shaq & Zo went down.

Bright spots - It is comforting to think and actually believe that this disasterous slide could be brief; rookie Daequan Cook has been better than advertised (not spectacular, but could develop into a Vinnie Johnson type microwave off the bench). The Heat has lottery protection on this year's #1 from the Minnesota trade, as it stands now, the Heat with the 2nd worst record in the league would do no worse than the #5 overall pick in the deep draft.

They have a plan (and are sticking to it) to have tremendous cap room in 2010 when Shaq's deal comes off the books (along with basically everyone else's, Wade has a player option, and presumably Cook & 2008 rookie will be there but on relatively small deals). They can add 2 max contracts in addition to Wade if they want that year, when the likes of LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Carlos Boozer, Joe Johnson, Tracy McGrady, Jermaine O'Neal, Mike Miller, Andrew Bogut, Amare Stoudamire, Steve Nash, Raja Bell, & Manu Ginobili, can potentially be free.

Basically, they made a Faustian deal for the 2006 title, and it worked. The window slammed faster than they anticipated with Shaq and with Wade's new max deal coming in this year making the cap and tax tight, but winning the title justifies it.