Random Thoughts on Game 7

Tonight’s game means everything to the Heat and their future.

So tonight is one of the most important nights in recent NBA history. The Heat, at the center of so many of these nights the past 3 seasons, will take on the suddenly validated Pacers in Game 7 of the Eastern Finals. The game no doubt will be amazingly tense, hard fought, and well played. LeBron James may go off for 50 or Paul George could shut him down and hit a game winner. Dwyane Wade could return to 2008 Dwyane Wade and win his way back into the hearts of Heat fans or Lance Stephenson could prove his status as a “Rucker Park Legend”. My point is enjoy the game as a fan and don’t let the announcers, blown calls, pouting, flopping or the rest of the ridiculous stuff take away from the beautiful basketball we seen in this series. Since 2000, only eight of the 36 conference finals and finals have featured a game 7 and most of them were instant classics (somehow the Heat have been in the last three game 7s in the conference finals). So sit down in front of your tv or at a bar, grab a beer (and heart medication for Heat and Pacers), and enjoy the game.

All that being said, I’m terrified as a Heat fan. I know I will not enjoy the game because I’ll be shouting and throwing things. I believe the Heat will win, but the mere prospect of not getting back to the finals frightens me more than almost anything for various reasons. The game should be great and I figured I’d collect some of my thoughts pregame before I collapse into a heap of emotions:

>>This game means more to the Heat than it does for the Pacers. That’s not to say the Pacers won’t play as hard as they possibly can, but rather there’s more consequences for the Heat should they lose. The Pacers have a golden future ahead of them should they stay healthy. They might come in as the favorites next season even if they lose. On the other hand, the Heat have so much riding on this game. Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have not effected this series in any positive way for Miami, the supporting cast outside of Udonis Haslem and Chris Andersen has disappeared, and, for the first time since the Decision, it feels like Lebron is angry with his teammates. Should they lose tonight, Pat Riley (assuming he doesn’t retire) will have a decision on whether to hope this group is enough for one more championship or if he needs to make moves to ensure not only success but also Lebron stays in Miami after 2013. This series has made Wade seem less like a superstar and more like an aging vet. His trade value may not get better than it is this summer and Riley may see a window to bring a replacement in and shed salary without tremendous backlash from fans. The whole bench could change. In short, the entire Heat’s future, and by extension, the NBA’s are on the line tonight. I think the Heat know this and their sense of urgency will be at all time high. (Yeah, this game is going to be a classic)

>>The officiating in this series has been horrendous both ways. Every game has seen the refs ruin three or four key moments by making a bad call. They rob us of a potential great ending by calling a moving screen on Lebron forcing him out of the game with two minutes in game 2. Refs can call moving screens on almost every screen set in the NBA and to call it in that situation was frankly a dick move. They launched a (unsuccessful) Heat comeback in game 4 by calling a shot clock violation after Roy Hibbert clearly hit the rim with a shot.  They stopped a Heat surge with a terrible charge/offensive foul call on Lebron that completely shifted the momentum in game 6. The NBA will have to do a review on these refs and calls because it’s ruining one of the best Conference Finals ever.

>>On the flip side, please everyone stop flopping and whining to refs over EVERY SINGLE CALL. Bitching and moaning to the refs never succeeds in changing a call (Maurice Lucas, the Blazers forward from the Walton era, actually intimidated a referee into changing a call once but that’s different) and it irks me to see this great players ignoring the game to complain. As for flopping, I get it. Anything to win a game and if flopping wins games, anyone would do it. But, come on. Just one game, no flopping, no complaining, just basketball.

>>Go HEAT.

Miami Marlins open 2013 season with different feeling than 2012

Marlins park will not come close to last season’s opening day sell out this year

On April 1^st, 2012, the Miami Marlins opened their brand new palace of baseball in downtown Miami. The ballpark received rave reviews as a upgrade over the drab setup of Sun Life stadium, possibly over-the-top in its extravagance. The team playing in the new digs almost received as much fanfare as the ballpark itself. Superstars dotted the field, the pitching staff looked to dominate the National League, and the payroll resembled those of Major League Baseball’s powerhouses. Hope and promises of championship rang through Miami as the Marlins finally looked like a legitimate contender for years to come after an offseason like no other in franchise history.

April 1^st, 2013 was different.

This year’s opening day loss in Washington, D.C. brought an all too familiar feeling for Marlins fans. Adeniny Hechavarria($1.75 million) replaced Jose Reyes ($10 million) at shortstop. At third base, former face-of-franchise Hanley Ramirez ($15 million) is gone and in his place is 37-year old Placido Polanco($2.75 million). The team changed from a group of stars to a group of no bodies, from front page news to irrelevant, from beloved to ignored. They generate a feeling of indifference and little hope for future success. All thanks to the current owner Jeffery Loria.

This season follows yet another Marlins’ fire sale, in which Loria rid the club of all notable players but one. The 2013 fire sale followed the same blueprint of the ones in 1997, 2003, and 2007(?): trade the highest paid veteran players for no name minor leaguers in the hopes of maybe one of them becoming decent. Some of those trades actually worked for the Marlins bringing in Derek Lee, AJ Burnett, and Hanley Ramirez. But, most have completely failed including the Miguel Cabrera deal, which many baseball minds describe as the worst MLB trade in the past 20 years.

But, the latest version of the Loria’s antics brought a certain sense of nefariousness to the organization because now he has taken not just players or hope away from the city of Miami. He’s taken money from the county’s budget. The partially subsidize Marlins Ballpark generated a 16% increase in the total worth of the franchise this summer, according the Forbes magazine. Miami-Dade county, meanwhile, will spend an estimated $2.4 billion funding the stadium. Loria went from incompetent and cheap to a crook. He’s actively robbing the city every time the Marlins take the field whether or not fans buy tickets. The city can scream angrily, but the stadium deal is already in place with no wiggle room. Miami is stuck with Loria.

The sad part of all this is, even if Loria decides to shell out money for free agents, the Marlins may not sign a big name player for a long time. Players around the MLB saw the Marlins deals as a slap in the face. Loria promised the players coming in last summer that the franchise would continue to build on the foundation of big name players. He promised them that they would be in Miami for a while, then turned around and shipped them off without warning. Free agents will remember that and many say they will be wary in dealing with Loria. They, like the city of Miami and the county of Miami-Dade, distrust his intentions as an owner.

This season’s expectations are nonexistent. No major media outlet picked Miami to finish above last place. The only hope for fans lies in Giancarlo Stanton. The 22-year old slugger could resign with the team and provide the backbone of a stable franchise for years to come. More likely, he will not resign long term with the Marlins. Who would at this point? The team’s young players also provide a glimmer of light. Jacob Turner and Jose Fernandez can certainly pitch well for the fish in 2013, Hechavarria intrigues experts around the league, and the farm system has jumped up in the rankings. But as the Marlins continue to load up on young talent, the only thing fans will wonder is how long will they will be here. Hope will always be tempered with Loria as the owner and fans will always have 2013 to point out as the reason. 

Andy Murray’s Second-Homecoming

When Andy Murray plays in the Wimbledon Championships this summer, he will undoubtedly have a home crowd advantage. The Scottish tennis superstar will receive the most cheers as he tries to become the first British man to win there since 1936. But, Murray’s homecoming doesn’t occur in the All England Club. That happens this weekend in Key Biscayne.

Andy Murray will vie for his second Sony Open Championship on the very same courts he trains on. The Glasgow, Scotland has owned a apartment in Brickell since 2009 and has trained at the Crandon Park Tennis Center for the past two offseasons. He spends about three-and-half months in South Florida and, like many transplants to South Florida, Murray came to Miami for the weather.

“A lot of guys in Europe can train at home because the climate is pretty good year round, but for me, it’s different in the UK,” said Murray. “So I like to come here, because it very rarely rains, and when it does, the court dries quickly. And it’s very humid, which makes playing in tough conditions easier.”

Before Murray started training in Key Biscayne, He used the Neil Schiff Tennis Center at the University of Miami to train. Murray worked with Daniel Vallverdu, a alumni of the University of Miami tennis program who earned All-American honors five times there. Murray stopped training at UM two years ago because security tightened up in Coral Gables and he felt the Crandon Park Tennis Center was quieter.

Coming into the Sony Open, Murray’s training regime in Miami seems to give him a leg up on the rest of the field. The hot and humid conditions in Miami effect play more than playing conditions in other cities, especially as the last tournament was played in Indian Wells, California on the outskirts of a desert.  Murray figures to have a significant home court advantage.

“I’m comfortable in Miami and that makes a big difference the first few days,” explained Murray. “The ball comes off the racquet very slowly, and the balls get slower; whereas in Indian Wells, they were getting quicker.”

Murray’s connection to Miami goes deeper than tennis though. In the months he spends in Miami, he runs on the beach and does bikram yoga to stay in shape. He fills his free time with Jet Ski rides and trips to the beach.

Murray’s most note-worthy activity in Miami is his attendance at Miami Heat games. He frequents the American Airlines Arena when he’s in Miami and, even, compared himself to Lebron when he was chasing his first grand slam title. This weekend, he plans on going to see the Heat as they try to extend their historic 24-game win streak.

“I saw the game [against Cleveland]; that comeback was incredible,” said Murray. “The streak has been unbelievable. I will hopefully go to the game [on Friday] if I can.”

Despite his fandom, Murray has yet to master the sport that he enjoys so much.

“It is a sport I really like, but I’m terrible at it,” joked Murray. “I watch lot of basketball But, I never played it when I was growing up.”

Murray takes on Bernard Tomic in his first round match this weekend. The tournament offers Murray the huge opportunity of overtaking Roger Federer as the world’s No.2. Murray downplayed the significance of that possibility, though.

“It’s not something I’m thinking about going into my first match against Tomic,” he explained. “Getting to number two is not a goal of mine. I’d rather focus on winning events than counting ranking points.”

Can the Clippers’ Bench Mafia work in the playoffs

The Los Angeles Clippers are on top of the Western Conference and just came off a 18 game win streak. The streak may have been the best stretch of basketball for the franchise since moving to Southern California in 1978. Chris Paul ‘s leadership at point guard and Blake Griffin’s development have put the team on a new level this season, but what made the team unbeatable during streak is their bench play.

Jamal Crawford, Matt Barnes, Eric Bledsoe, Lamar Odom, Ronny Turiaf, and even Ryan Hollins have given the Clippers solid minutes throughout the streak.. Crawford averages 16.4 points and could take home his second 6^th man of the year award this summer. Bledsoe gives the team extra speed and athleticism. Barnes and Odom bring veteran knowledge and great defense. The quality play of the Clippers’ bench players allows Vinny Del Negro to rest his starters for long stretches in games. No one on LA plays more than 32 minutes a game. Just for a comparison, the Miami Heat, another very deep team, have 3 players averaging over 32 minutes with Lebron James leading the way with 37 minutes a game. 11 players play more than 10 minutes a game, not including injured veteran point guard Chauncey Billups and swingman Grant Hill. The Clippers, when healthy, have 13 players that can all contribute solid minutes. The depth of the Clippers has created championship hype usually reserved for the Lakers.

But what makes this team exceptional, their depth, might also make them vulnerable in the playoffs. The Clippers might have too many good players. Of the past 13 NBA champions, only two teams had 10 players that averaged 10 minutes a game in the playoffs and two others had 9 players in their playoff rotation. The rest used eight players, except for the 2001 Lakers who used seven. So the Clippers will have to cut down their rotation by at least three players, more likely four or five, by the start of the playoffs. Del Negro faces the decision of cutting out players and figuring out where those minutes will go. There is where the trouble comes. For example, Matt Barnes plays his best basketball in 19-22 minutes a game so adding or subtracting minutes from his total will affect his play.

There is another option for the Clippers: Roll with the current rotation. Del Negro and his staff could decide to try being the first team to win a championship with a 12 player rotation. I believe the Clippers will cut down their roster as players like Ronny Turiaf regress to their averages, but they will go into the playoffs with the deepest rotation in the league.  Regardless of what happens with the rotation throughout the season, the Clippers will be a championship contender in the Western Conference.

Cleveland’s Decision: Anderson Varejao’s future and how it might effect the NBA title chase

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been rebuilding nicely since losing Lebron James to free agency two seasons ago. Kyrie Iriving has brought hope to the franchise after winning the rookie of the year last year and continuing his success this year. Irving looks like a superstar thus far, even receiving hype as the NBA’s best point guard of the future. Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters, the 4^th overall picks of the last two drafts, make up a young core that promises to bring Cleveland back to the playoffs in the near future. Youth and patience aren’t what fans want to hear after contending year-after-year for the championship in the Lebron era. But, Cleveland boast exactly that as the whole team is under the age of 26 besides two players: Luke Walton, a non-factor, and Anderson Varejao.

Varejao is Cleveland’s best player behind Irving and the leading candidate for the NBA’s most improved player award. He leads the league in rebounding with 14.4 boards per game and averages 14.1 points a game, both career highs. His player efficiency rating (PER) has increased by 32% in the last two seasons. He has 3 years and $27.3 million left on his contract and, at 30 years old, this makes Varejao one of the best values in the league.

While he is very important to Cleveland on the court, Varejao might be on the way out. His contract, performance this year, and his great intangibles make him the most desirable players in the NBA. While trading your second best player during his best season at only 30 might seem mad, the Cavaliers might just do it. At 7-23, Cleveland will most likely miss the playoffs for the third straight season despite Varejao’s impressive year. Trading him at the height of his value for young pieces and draft picks would be a textbook rebuilding move.

One of the deals floating out there involves one of the best teams in the league, the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder is obviously title contenders, but still don’t seem to have enough to beat Lebron and the Miami Heat. Adding Varejao might put OKC over the top and swing the championship in their favor. OKC could offer Jeremy Lamb, Perry Jones III, Kendrick Perkins, and Toronto’s protected 1^st round pick (available if the pick falls between 4-14) for Varejao. Lamb, traded to OKC from Houston in the James Harden deal, is a raw swing man who showed flashes of brilliance for UConn last year. He would complement the team’s core nicely as a driving small forward to replace or back up Alonzo Gee. Jones has spent most of the season in the d-league, but if he gets his head in the game, he can be a rotation player as backup combo forward. Perkins can give Cleveland a veteran presence to replace Varejao as the leader of the locker room. But, Perkins still has 3 years left on his contract and has declined to a rotation player in the last year. He doesn’t come close to replacing Varejao on the court as evident by his 8.8 PER compared to Varejao’s 22.2. The Cavaliers would be taking a chance on Lamb developing into a solid player and taking on the Perkins’s contract, which overpays the player that he has become, but the deal would give the Cavs desperately needed depth.

The key question for Cleveland is whether they see Varejao in their long term plans. The team is probably two or three years away from being a contender and Varejao might never play as well as he is now. They have a superstar in the making in Irving. He will decide how far the team will go in the coming years and the best plan would be to bring in pieces to win when he is in prime. I believe Varejao can be a part of a championship caliber team when he’s 32 or 33 because, even if he regresses to his career average, he still brings energy and rebounding. Also, Varejao’s motor will rub off on the younger Cavaliers. He gives the team an energy that Perkins simply can’t. His offensive game is improving and he may even get better especially considering the small ball movement in the NBA. I wouldn’t trade him without getting a smorgasbord of high draft picks and an elite young small forward. But, the Cavaliers front office might see this as the best value they will get for Varejao.