Saturday, March 31, 2012
Heat/Raptors Recap
Friday, March 30, 2012
Useless Stat of the Day
Saturday night, the Kentucky Wildcats face off against in-state rival, Louisville Cardinals and the Kansas Jayhawks square off against the Ohio State Buckeyes in New Orleans to determine who will get the chance to play for a National Championship.
With that being said, of Final Four teams, the highest seeded team remaining has won the National Championship 10 of the last 13 seasons, including each time in the last five seasons. Additionally, a #1 seed has not lost to a lower seeded team in the Final Four since #2 seed Connecticut edged out Duke 79-78 in the 2004 Semi-Final game in San Antonio.
With that being said, of Final Four teams, the highest seeded team remaining has won the National Championship 10 of the last 13 seasons, including each time in the last five seasons. Additionally, a #1 seed has not lost to a lower seeded team in the Final Four since #2 seed Connecticut edged out Duke 79-78 in the 2004 Semi-Final game in San Antonio.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
No "I" In Team
Heading into Thursday's game versus the 2011-12 NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks, the Miami Heat point guards have been under heavy scrutiny since the All-Star break. Both Chalmers and Cole have been struggling to find their shot and assist the Big 3 in the running of the offense. Tonight, the point guards put up a combined 22 points, 6 rebounds, 6 steals while only committing only 3 turnovers.
Another usual staple for the Heat over the past decade has been the consistency of Udonis Haslem. This season has been by far Haslem's worst shooting season of his career. It appears as though he has found his mid-range jumper. Haslem finished with season-high 16 points on 6-10 shooting and in his last seven games he is shooting 57%. With the assistance of Shane Battier, Udonis Haslem also helped shut down Dirk Nowitzki in the second half. After shooting an unreal 8-10 in the first half, Dirk was held to 1-9 in the second half.
Thursday night was the second time in the Big 3 Era that the Miami Heat did not have a 20-point scorer. The first time was December 1, 2010 versus the Detroit Pistons. In both instances, the Heat enjoyed victories of at least 29 points. The Heat look most impressive when they aren't relying on any single player to provide the majority of the offense. On this night, the recently quiet bench chipped in with 36 points.
The Heat enjoyed a nice comfortable victory against a good team in the Dallas Mavericks. This was the kind of win that could give this team their confidence back (if they ever even lost it). Could we all agree and just start the playoffs already?
Another usual staple for the Heat over the past decade has been the consistency of Udonis Haslem. This season has been by far Haslem's worst shooting season of his career. It appears as though he has found his mid-range jumper. Haslem finished with season-high 16 points on 6-10 shooting and in his last seven games he is shooting 57%. With the assistance of Shane Battier, Udonis Haslem also helped shut down Dirk Nowitzki in the second half. After shooting an unreal 8-10 in the first half, Dirk was held to 1-9 in the second half.
Thursday night was the second time in the Big 3 Era that the Miami Heat did not have a 20-point scorer. The first time was December 1, 2010 versus the Detroit Pistons. In both instances, the Heat enjoyed victories of at least 29 points. The Heat look most impressive when they aren't relying on any single player to provide the majority of the offense. On this night, the recently quiet bench chipped in with 36 points.
The Heat enjoyed a nice comfortable victory against a good team in the Dallas Mavericks. This was the kind of win that could give this team their confidence back (if they ever even lost it). Could we all agree and just start the playoffs already?
Useless Stat of the Day
Cuban Defector and Oakland Athletics centerfielder, Yoenis Cespedes, is either tied for or leads the league in:
- Doubles
- Extra Base Hits
- Homeruns
- RBIs
- Strikeouts
- OPS (On Base Percentage + Slugging)
- Hit by Pitches
Maybe Billy Beane wasn't that crazy to uncharacteristically throw all that money at Cespedes.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
AL Dark Horse?
The Kansas City Royals are one the teams making the biggest noise this preseason. While its difficult to accurately gauge what a team or a player will look like when the games begin to matter, several Royals have made their mark in Spring Training.
Out of both the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues, a pair of Royals outfielders claim the first and third places with the best average. Twenty-five year old, Lorenzo Cain leads all players with a .431 AVG and the five-year veteran, Alex Gordon is third at .426. The outfield is not the only place Royals have been successful. Last season, Eric Hosmer proved to Kansas City that he is the first baseman of the future. This preseason, he is picking up where he left off. Hosmer leads all players with 22 RBI's, three more than the next closest player.
To quote Buster Olney's twitter, "If there was a Cy Young Award for spring training, this guy would win it --[insert link of a picture of Luis Mendoza here]-- and he's with the Kansas City Royals." Mendoza has been the most impressive pitcher for any team this preseason, winning a league-high 4 games and a sporting a league-low 0.54 ERA. Due to his dominant performances, he has been granted one of the two final spots in the Royals rotation.
While it is preseason, Kansas City possesses promising young pieces that can make an impact in the season if they can remain healthy. Look for the Royals to make a strong push for one of the two Wild Card spots.
Useless Stat of the Day
This NBA Season the Miami Heat announced they will be featuring all-black uniforms for six games this season as a part of their "Back In Black" promotion presented by Adidas. The Heat have played four of the six and are a perfect 4-0 in the games donning all-black.
Miami
HEAT "Back In Black"
|
|
| 1/19 vs. Lakers | W 98-87 |
| 1/29 vs. Bulls | W 97-93 |
| 2/19 vs. Magic | W 90-78 |
| 2/23 vs. Knicks | W 102-88 |
| 3/29 vs. Mavericks | |
| 4/10 vs. Celtics | |
Despite the Strength of Schedule of the four games being an astounding .637, three of the four victories have been by double digits. Miami hosts Dallas in black tomorrow, March 29.
Maybe the Heat should wear all-black for the entire postseason. Hello, Larry O'Brien trophy.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Miami Marlins Preview
Two months into the 2011 MLB Season and the Florida Marlins were one game back in the loss column for the best record in the National League behind Philadelphia. Heading into June, this young club had a 3-game lead for the Wild Card. Of course there were still over 100 games to be played in the season, but it was a promising beginning for such a young team. We have seen previous Marlins teams reach improbable success in the past and just maybe this 2011 team had the potential to make a run.
The end of May, however, saw some key Marlins go down with injuries. Through nine starts, Josh Johnson had an ERA of 1.64 and a FIP of 2.64. To give you some perspective, only Roy Halladay, Clayton Kershaw, and Cliff Lee finished 2011 with a lower FIP than JJ. AL MVP and Cy Young winner, Justin Verlander, finished with a 2.99. Unfortunately, those first nine starts would also be his last nine starts. Johnson pitched his last game in 2011 on May 16th. Hanley Ramirez also went down on May 29th. H2R would go on to miss the next 14 games.
Then on came June. Without JJ and Hanley, the fish began to flop. Florida lost the first eight games of June and 19 of the first 20. The Marlins entered the month of death at 31-22, and exited with a 36-45 record. Florida only won 5 of their 28 games in the month, found themselves in last place in the NL East and virtually knocked themselves out of any October action.
With a new name, a new logo and a new home, the Miami Marlins look to make a splash in 2012. With the additions of Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, and Heath Bell, and if Miami can stay (relatively) healthy, it seems as though the Marlins should be able to recapture the early success they enjoyed in April and May of 2011 and definitely make a run for the 2012 Playoffs. Keep in mind the playoffs have expanded to 10 teams with an additional Wild Card spot. The dynamic new manager, Ozzie Guillen, will keep this season exciting and interesting til the very end. All in all, expect the Marlins to be playing relevant games the last week of the season and at the very least compete for one of the two Wild Card spots.
The Miami Marlins host Opening Day 2012 on April 4th against the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals at 7:00 EST on ESPN.
The end of May, however, saw some key Marlins go down with injuries. Through nine starts, Josh Johnson had an ERA of 1.64 and a FIP of 2.64. To give you some perspective, only Roy Halladay, Clayton Kershaw, and Cliff Lee finished 2011 with a lower FIP than JJ. AL MVP and Cy Young winner, Justin Verlander, finished with a 2.99. Unfortunately, those first nine starts would also be his last nine starts. Johnson pitched his last game in 2011 on May 16th. Hanley Ramirez also went down on May 29th. H2R would go on to miss the next 14 games.
Then on came June. Without JJ and Hanley, the fish began to flop. Florida lost the first eight games of June and 19 of the first 20. The Marlins entered the month of death at 31-22, and exited with a 36-45 record. Florida only won 5 of their 28 games in the month, found themselves in last place in the NL East and virtually knocked themselves out of any October action.
With a new name, a new logo and a new home, the Miami Marlins look to make a splash in 2012. With the additions of Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, and Heath Bell, and if Miami can stay (relatively) healthy, it seems as though the Marlins should be able to recapture the early success they enjoyed in April and May of 2011 and definitely make a run for the 2012 Playoffs. Keep in mind the playoffs have expanded to 10 teams with an additional Wild Card spot. The dynamic new manager, Ozzie Guillen, will keep this season exciting and interesting til the very end. All in all, expect the Marlins to be playing relevant games the last week of the season and at the very least compete for one of the two Wild Card spots.
The Miami Marlins host Opening Day 2012 on April 4th against the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals at 7:00 EST on ESPN.
Useless Stat of the Day
The Miami Heat are an unimpressive 2-4 on the second night of a road back-to-back. They only have one more road back-to-back left this season when they visit New York and New Jersey on April 15 and 16.
Thankfully road back-to-back's do not occur in the postseason.
Thankfully road back-to-back's do not occur in the postseason.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Miami Heat 90, Indiana Pacers 105 - Postgame Reaction
Point Guard Play
Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole continue to struggle since the All Star break. Chalmers brought up the rear with the worst +/- differential in Indiana with -23. He did score 13 points but had trouble containing Darren Collison, who finished with 20 points on 7-12 shooting. Norris Cole pitched in with a whopping 0 points on 0-4 shooting, finishing this three game road trip on 1-12 shooting.
3 Point Shooting
It appears that every team have their best 3 Point Shooting games against the Heat. Indiana seemed to take advantage of every Heat miscue by draining a 3. They shot 55.6% from, as Jason Jackson likes to call it, the land of milk and honey. Miami turned in a good game from beyond the arc despite still missing their best sharpshooter, Mike Miller. Dwyane Wade picked up some slack with his best 3PT Shooting game making 4 of his 8 attempts, despite only making six all season prior to Sunday.
No Rebounds, No Rings
A championship has never been won in March, but game after game a direct correlation seems to exist between rebounding and wins. The Pacers dominated the boards and had a "W" to show for it. Chris Bosh has yet another disappointing night on the glass. When you have the fewer rebounds than 6'0" Darren Collison and you are the tallest player on the floor for your team 99% of the time, there is cause for concern.
The Hustle Board
The Heat seemed to lack in all the areas of the game that require a little extra effort. Pacers outscored the Heat 11-4 in fast break points. Pacers out-rebounded the Heat on the offensive glass 14-9. Pacers forced more turnovers than the Heat 17-14.
Conclusion
Miami tends to lose in bunches. This marks the fifth time the Heat lose following another loss. This marks the first time in the Big 3 Era that the Heat lose consecutive games by double digits. This is no reason to panic, Heat fans. We are still in March. It's a long road to the finals and you know the Heat will be ready come the postseason.
Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole continue to struggle since the All Star break. Chalmers brought up the rear with the worst +/- differential in Indiana with -23. He did score 13 points but had trouble containing Darren Collison, who finished with 20 points on 7-12 shooting. Norris Cole pitched in with a whopping 0 points on 0-4 shooting, finishing this three game road trip on 1-12 shooting.
3 Point Shooting
It appears that every team have their best 3 Point Shooting games against the Heat. Indiana seemed to take advantage of every Heat miscue by draining a 3. They shot 55.6% from, as Jason Jackson likes to call it, the land of milk and honey. Miami turned in a good game from beyond the arc despite still missing their best sharpshooter, Mike Miller. Dwyane Wade picked up some slack with his best 3PT Shooting game making 4 of his 8 attempts, despite only making six all season prior to Sunday.
No Rebounds, No Rings
A championship has never been won in March, but game after game a direct correlation seems to exist between rebounding and wins. The Pacers dominated the boards and had a "W" to show for it. Chris Bosh has yet another disappointing night on the glass. When you have the fewer rebounds than 6'0" Darren Collison and you are the tallest player on the floor for your team 99% of the time, there is cause for concern.
The Hustle Board
The Heat seemed to lack in all the areas of the game that require a little extra effort. Pacers outscored the Heat 11-4 in fast break points. Pacers out-rebounded the Heat on the offensive glass 14-9. Pacers forced more turnovers than the Heat 17-14.
Conclusion
Miami tends to lose in bunches. This marks the fifth time the Heat lose following another loss. This marks the first time in the Big 3 Era that the Heat lose consecutive games by double digits. This is no reason to panic, Heat fans. We are still in March. It's a long road to the finals and you know the Heat will be ready come the postseason.
Miami Heat - Double Digit Losses (Big 3 Era)
The South Florida media is making a big deal over Sunday nights 16-point loss to Western Conference favorite, Oklahoma City Thunder. This game was highly anticipated and was considered the "2012 NBA Finals Preview". While unpleasant to watch for Heat fans, was this loss really telling of what may come of a Finals match-up between these two teams or was it merely a poorly played game?
Going back to the start of the 2010-11 season, or as I like to call it, The Big 3 Era, the Heat have suffered 13 double digit losses (postseason included).
Going back to the start of the 2010-11 season, or as I like to call it, The Big 3 Era, the Heat have suffered 13 double digit losses (postseason included).
| Date | Opponent | Next Result |
| 11/22/2010 | vs IND | W by 5 |
| 11/27/2010 | at DAL | L by 2 |
| 1/13/2011 | at DEN | W by 5 |
| 3/4/2011 | at SA | W by 30 |
| 3/16/2011 | vs OKC | L by 16 |
| 3/29/2011 | at CLE | W by 7 |
| 5/7/2011 | at BOS | W by 8 |
| 5/15/2011 | at CHI | W by 10 |
| 6/12/2011 | vs DAL | W by 11 |
| 1/13/2012 | at DEN | N/A |
| 2/8/2012 | at ORL | W by 12 |
| 3/4/2012 | at LAL | N/A |
| 3/25/2012 | at OKC | N/A |
In the rematch of the double digit loss game, the Heat have responded and won 80% of the games (8-2). The two losses were the Mavericks 2 point win in Miami to halt the Heat's 12 game win streak and last night's Thunder victory in OKC, although this "rematch" was held over a year later.
The Heat have proven to be able to bounce back from big losses and learn from their mistakes, most noticeably last season's Eastern Conference Finals. Miami responded to the Bulls 21-point drubbing of the Heat in Game 1, only to come back and win the next four straight and solidify their spot in the NBA Finals. After the Mavericks embarrassed the Heat in the finals, winning by double digits only in the final Game 6, Miami regrouped in the extended off-season and made a statement in a huge win to open the 2011-12 season.
Spoelstra and the coaching staff have done a superb job in addressing what went wrong and turning it around the next time. Anybody remember the Heat's 30-point loss to the team with the best record in the Western Conference last season in the Spurs? Ten days later they came back with a 30-point win of their own. The Thunder may be the team with the most talent outside of what is featured on South Beach, but lets not get ahead of ourselves. The regular season has its ups and downs and Sunday night was unfortunately one of the low points of the season. The have bounced back before and you can count on them bouncing back again.
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