The Heat Are Back And On A Roll by Deron Butler

It's been a long time, and I know I shouldn't have left you but...It's great to be back. The Miami Heat are off and they are more dominant than they have ever been. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and  Chris Bosh are reloaded with added weapons in clutch 3 point shooter, Ray Allen, and All Star Rashard Lewis. Though Miami had some bumps in the road early on with their defense against teams like the New York Knicks and the Memphis Grizzlies,  the Heat rebounded, and managed to take back first place from the Knicks. As the season continues, Miami looks forward to continue their dominance, and well into the season, teams like the New Jersey Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and especially the Knicks are looking to remove Miami from their throne as NBA Champions. For homework (and this is very easy), give time to appreciate the Miami Heat, and everything the players have done this season. I'm Deron Butler, telling that the Heat is just not on, it's scorching!

Who's Ready For Some NBA?! By Deron Butler

Hello, once again Miami Heat fans and basketball fans in general. It's that time of the year again for sports, the most wonderful time of the year! Of course I am talking about the 2012-2013 NBA Season being in full swing. The Miami Heat will face the Boston Celtics on opening night, in what is to be the most highly anticipated season since its 66 game schedule last season. What emotions will run through the Celtics as they see the team that has beaten them in the Eastern Conference Finals last season raise another banner let alone LeBron James (pictured) ceremoniously get his first championship ring. Adding more fuel to this fire is the addition of Ray Allen in Miami, who not only left the Boston Celtics on the count of Rajon Rondo but also reuniting with fellow former Seattle Supersonic and teammate Rashard Lewis. This should be a very interesting game with a lot of emotions and attitudes being exchanged on the court in this ongoing rivalry. For homework, watch the Miami Heat take on the Boston Celtics either at the American Airlines Arena, Heat. com, NBA TV, or on TNT, and watch carefully at the expressions on the faces of the Boston Celtics. I'm Deron Butler asking the 1 billion dollar question...Who's Ready For Some NBA?!

Brace Yourself...The Super Lakers Are Upon Us By Deron Butler

Well...After many months of speculating, analyzing, and making up several theories in our heads, Dwight Howard has finally, and I mean FINALLY come to Tinseltown, as he will join Steve Nash, Pau Gasol, Ron Artest Metta World Peace, Antwan Jamison and Kobe Bryant to form a super team unlike any other in the Los Angeles Lakers. What's that you say, another super team? Yes, Miami isn't the only team with superstar players wreaking havoc upon the NBA. Boston and San Antonio (as old as they may be) are still effective teams with big 3 players. Then there's Oklahoma City with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka as well as The New Jersey Brooklyn Nets with their "Core Four" which consists of Joe Johnson, Deron Williams, Gerald Wallace, and Brook Lopez. You may be asking yourself, why am I listing all the names of such super teams within the NBA, when the main focus (aside from the Miami Heat) is the Los Angeles Lakers? Okay, what if I told you that there was another super team that had formed in L.A. No, not the Lob City Clippers, this was before that. Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, and Gary Payton would join forces in Hollywood to play for the Lakers, instantly forming an all-star team of grand proportions. While the Lakers dominated the west, they reached the Finals in which they were devastatingly shocked by the Detroit Pistons, who had Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton, and Chauncey Billups. While it seemed like their could've been more potential for this Super Lakers team to continue, Shaq just couldn't take any more of Kobe and (stop me if you heard this before) took his talents to South Beach and joined the Miami Heat. A year after Shaq joined the Heat, Gary Payton would soon follow in The Big Aristotle's footsteps, resulting in Miami's first NBA Championship. Comparing the Super Lakers team of the 03-04 season to this Super Lakers team, one may find some similarities to Shaq and Dwight Howard (other than the Superman nickname) but this Super Lakers team have all the potential to be just as memorable as Magic Johnson's Showtime Lakers. But, if history repeats itself, with another failed campaign to win it all, then consider some options or just go back to the drawing board. One thing Miami should take into consideration, if any, is that this Lakers team is going to run the Princeton Offense, where either Kobe or Nash (let's just say Nash) brings up the ball and passes it out to either Pau, Kobe, or Dwight. The Lakers have several options as far as scorers go and how they can finish the play by having D.Howard or Pau set a pick for Kobe or have Dwight or Pau cut in the lane and make a layup or finish strong with a dunk. I can already see Miami facing the Lakers in a highly possible NBA Finals series next year. Just think about all the ratings (looking at you David Stern).  For homework (yes, it's back to school time!), I want you all to take the time to put Miami's starting five (Bosh,  Rashard Lewis, LeBron, Wade, and Ray Allen or Chalmers) against the Lakers' starting five (Howard, Gasol, Metta, Kobe, and Nash) and see how they stack up. As an added bonus or extra credit, simulate how these two teams would play against each other in NBA 2K11, NBA 2K12, and NBA2K13. I'm Deron Butler, telling you that it's going to be Miami vs. L.A. Lakers in the 2013 Finals.

Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis to Miami Heat By Deron Butler

In case you haven’t heard the news, Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis are the latest NBA Superstars who are taking their talents to South Beach. Ray Allen accepted a three year, $3 Million deal with Miami over a two year extension with the Boston Celtics while Rashard Lewis signed a two year deal. Both Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis were once teammates when they played together as members of the now-defunct Seattle Supersonics. With the recent signings of Allen and Lewis as well as a seemingly resting Chris Bosh, a sucessful knee surgery for Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James winning his first NBA Championship as well as heading to the 2012 Olympic Games in London, things are already looking up for the Miami Heat. For Homework, let's all welcome Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis to South Beach. I'm Deron Butler and I think Miami could be the new Seattle...maybe not.

Bosh Is Out Indefinitely...What This Means For Miami by Deron Butler

Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals between the Miami Heat and the Indiana Pacers was physical just like every other NBA Playoff series is right now. But much like every other NBA Playoff series comes more than physical play, injuries are involved, much like the injury Indiana dealt to Chris Bosh. In Sunday's game, Bosh was injured after a play in which he was going for a basket, resulting in an abdominal strain. Miami will have to contend without Bosh in their series against Indiana but now it seems like their only options aside from their scoring productions from Wade and LeBron, we should look to Udonis Haslem, Ronny Turiaf, and Joel Anthony to come off the bench and fill the void that is now gaping. Game 2 will now test Miami's mettle more than ever when they face Indiana tomorrow night on TNT. For homework, I want you all to take the time to appreciate Haslem, Turiaf, and Joel Anthony and what they've done off the bench for their time in Miami and cheer them on like everyone's watching. I'm Deron Butler, and I believe Udonis Haslem should start for Game 2 and continue to get the ball rolling for Miami. 

Things Indiana Pacers Should NOT Say by Deron Butler

See this goofy looking guy in the picture? This is Frank Vogel, head coach of the Indiana Pacers. Just today, the Pacers head coach made a comment regarding the Miami Heat and their upcoming series in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals in which Vogel said that "It'll be very interesting to see how the referees officiate the series and how much flopping they reward." Judging from that goofy smile on Vogel's face, there is nothing to grin or joke about. Vogel's Pacers had just defeated a Dwight Howard-less Orlando Magic in 5 games but just imagine if D12 were effective for the Magic sans his back injury, the Pacers would've been eliminated and an afterthought on top of that. Vogel shouldn't be making jokes at this stage in the playoffs and if you remember reading my last post about how Miami should not undermine their opponents, well, Indiana has proven that even your opponents can undermine the most daunting of challenges and could possibly make themselves look the most embarrassed amongst their peers. 

In addition to Vogel's comment about the Heat being the "best flopping team ever", Pacers center Roy Hibbert chimed in by saying "We didn't do it the easy way. It took time. We didn't do this by signing a couple of superstars."  Well excuse us, Mr. Hibbert if you don't approve of how Miami's system of success to solidify themselves as contenders for the NBA Championship. Miami may not be Indiana as far as destination and pitch wise for a player of high caliber to play amongst the lights, sights and sounds of the big city but the one thing you can't take away from a team is how hard they practice and mold together to form a team worthy of winning championships. While I do admire Indiana for their hard work to climb to the top of the Eastern Conference but to bash another team for their way of doing things beyond the court is just wrong. Why not take that up with Pat Riley, who knows success and opportunities when he sees them. The Heat host the Pacers this Sunday at 3:30pm on ABC and for homework, I want you to see how long you can hold in your anger regarding Vogel's comments about the Heat and if you manage to hold it in until Sunday's game, use it for a positive by cheering for the Het in the most excitable and most raucous way imaginable. I'm Deron Butler telling you that it's best to be seen and not heard. 

Next up: The Indiana Pacers by Deron Butler

After defeating the New York Knicks in 5 games, the Miami Heat now move on the semi-finals, where they take on the Indiana Pacers. You may be laughing to yourself right now thinking about Indiana Pacers  and saying to yourself "what good players do Indiana have"? Well, before I answer your question, allow me to instruct a little history lecture for ya. Back in the 2004 NBA Playoffs, after the Miami Heat defeated the then Eastern Conference team New Orleans Hornets in 7 Games, Miami had to face the Indiana Pacers (yes, when they had Reggie Miller) in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. The Pacers had swept the Boston Celtics at that time and were looking to do the same to Miami. The Pacers took the first two games of that series in Indianapolis but once the series shifted to Miami, The Heat tied the series but afterwards Indiana took the next two games, eliminating the Heat but losing to the eventual NBA Champions that year in the Detroit Pistons. Since that time, Miami has won its first championship and brought forth big stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Gary Payton to LeBron James and Chris Bosh while Indiana had to say goodbye to Reggie Miller after 18 seasons with the team and looked for a new hope in Danny Granger. Now that we got that history lesson out of the way, and to answer you question about what good players Indiana have, the Pacers have Danny Granger, George Hill, Paul George, Tyler Hansbrough, and Roy Hibbert. While those names may not sound all that daunting, keep in mind that this Indiana Pacers team not only defeated a Dwight Howard-less Orlando Magic but were also placed third in  the Eastern Conference Standings during the regular season. And during that regular season, Miami has defeated Indiana 3 games to 1, which would mean Miami would win the series over Indiana but again, that was the regular season and this is the playoffs, where injuries are always occurring and at any moment boiling emotions can turn into a fisticuffs. For Homework, I want you as Heat fans to not rest on your laurels. Just because we got past one stage against a rival team, doesn't mean it's time to celebrate. Again, this is the playoffs and anything can happen. Let's remind ourselves of what happened last year's NBA Finals and not make the same mistakes and not to underestimate the Pacers or any team thereafter. I'm Deron Butler, telling you that our celebrations are temporary but our work and determination are always mandatory.