By: Matt Pineda

Amid Miami’s 7 game win streak and in the wake of All-Star weekend, people and the media are beginning to look toward the playoffs, and rightfully so. Once you get past the talk of the Lakers and if they will or won’t make the playoffs, there has been a lot of talk about determining who is the HEAT’s biggest threat in the Eastern Conference.  As Miami is making its push for their third consecutive trip to the Finals, who stands in their way?

Today, both Colin Cowherd and Stephen A. Smith of ESPN have said that it is the Indiana Pacers.  Now, before I go any further, let me say that I do agree with them. The Knicks rely too much on the outside shot, and who knows if they will be healthy to contend with Miami.  The Bulls are no match without Derrick Rose and it seems as though we have no idea if he will be back.  And the Nets just don’t stand a chance against Miami, as well as Boston without Rajon Rondo.

Back to those Pacers.  Yes, they are the HEAT’s biggest threat by default.  But are they really a threat?  Could they beat Miami in a 7-game series? Sure, it’s possible, but is it likely?  Not at all.

You can point to the two dominating wins the Pacers have had over Miami this season, and many will make the case that they have what it takes to beat the HEAT.  They held Miami to a season low 77 points earlier this year and Ray Allen has yet to score against the Pacers.  But if we have learned anything about the HEAT, it is that the regular season is of little importance when the playoffs roll around.  In 2011, Miami lost 3/4 to Boston in the regular season and then beat them 4-1 in the playoffs.  They lost all 3 match-ups with the Bulls that season and then beat them 4-1.  Last year they struggled against Boston still, and yet got past them.  It’s true all over the league, not just in Miami.  The regular season doesn’t always foreshadow correctly.

The regular season is much different than the playoffs.  When everything is equal, you find out who the better team is.  Travel schedules and practice time is the same, and the variables are eliminated.  This hasn’t been the case so far with Indiana and Miami this season, as they have yet to play in Miami.

Indiana played Miami tough last post-season, no doubt.  And give them credit, they didn’t back down.  But are we conveniently forgetting that Chris Bosh missed 5 1/2 of the 6 games in that series?  You know, the Chris Bosh who averages 17.7 PPG and 7.4 RPG.  The one that coach Spoelstra and other players have called the most important player on the team.  The one, who when inserted into the starting lineup, helped beat the Thunder in 4 straight games. Bosh makes the world of difference for Miami, especially in a series when defenses ID on Wade and James.  Yet, without Bosh, Miami still beat the Pacers in 6 games, winning 2 in Indiana.

And the Pacers aren’t much different than last year. They’ve lost Collison, and gained DJ Augustin, which is actually a downgrade.  They added Ian Mahinmi, which is good, and Lance Stephenson has emerged in the rotation with Dahntay Jones out.  Yes, Paul George has improved tremendously, but is it enough to consider them real threats against the HEAT? David West and Roy Hibbert are problems for the HEAT, but they overcame them last year in a series where they started Dexter Pittman one game, and played without Haslem for another. Did you hear me? Dexter Pittman started a playoff game!

The Pacers do have a great defense.  They give up a league best 89.9 PPG. But don’t let that number fool you too much, they also play at one the league’s slowest paces, and are 28th in PPG at 92.8 offensively.  The HEAT are tops in East in offense 103.2 PPG and defensively, Miami is 12th in the league.  It won’t be EASY for the HEAT to beat the Pacers, but with a healthy HEAT team, it won’t take any more than 6 games again, maybe 5.  And if the records maintain, the Pacers will have to battle the Knicks for the right to play the HEAT in the Conference Finals.

Indiana is a threat, but Miami has too much depth, experience, and desire to be unthroned by the Pacers.  Either way, it will be a tremendous series, if Indiana gets there.

Like this article? Follow me on Twitter: @pinedaNBA_HEAT

The post Are the Pacers Really a Threat to Miami? appeared first on The World Champion Crank Up The HEAT.

By: Matt Pineda

Miami acquired Ray Allen in the off-season with sights set on Ray hitting the open jumpers caused by Wade and James driving down the lane.  But recently, Allen has struggled tremendously.

In 5 games in February (he sat out Friday against the Clippers), Allen is shooting a dismal 14% on field goals, and hasn’t topped 7 points. More surprising, he has made 1-12 three-pointers.  He scored in double figures 9 times in January, including 21 in his return to Boston.  But it seems the HEAT have struggled to get Ray Allen some of his usual looks, and Ray has missed his chances.

It hasn’t been all season, but there have been glimpses of the greatness of Ray Allen in a HEAT uniform, and then the more rare rough games.  Twice this season, Ray has gone scoreless, and that’s only happened 3 total times in his entire career.  In the midst of LeBron James having an incredible shooting display of the past 5 games, Ray has been silent, an after-thought.

For the season, Ray Allen is shooting 40% on 3-pt attempts, and 45% on field goals in general.  He hasn’t been terrible, but he hasn’t been consistent for the HEAT. He can have great games notching up to 20 points, and then have games of 5 points. Allen is consistently getting 20+ minutes a game for Miami, and will certainly be a focus for the HEAT in the playoffs, and that’s exactly where their sights need to be.

The HEAT need to continue to learn how to best use Ray and his skill set, but he has already shown how important he can be – hitting game winning or game-changing shots this season for the HEAT.  He is a threat, and no matter what kind of slump he can be in, that next one could always go in, and the opponents know that.  Ray’s minutes aren’t going anywhere, so the two will need to figure it out.

The HEAT will be a much more efficient team when Allen is on his shot, until then, they continue to work him in the offense, and hiding him on defense.

Ray Allen may be struggling with his shot, but when LeBron James isn’t missing, and Dwyane Wade is near his usual superstar self, the HEAT only need contributions from a few players, whether it be Bosh, Battier, Chalmers or Allen.

When they are all clicking, it will be scary.

Like this article? Follow me on Twitter @pinedaNBA_HEAT

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By: Matt Pineda

There is no mistake that the Boston Celtics have been on the downward spiral ever since LeBron James joined the HEAT in Miami.  The Celtics went from going to Game 7 of the NBA Finals in 2010 to losing to Miami in consecutive post-seasons.  The Celtics remade their roster in the wake of Ray Allen spurning a Celtic offering and joining the HEAT, adding Jason Terry, Courtney Lee and a string of others.

On paper, the Celtics didn’t look too bad, with Jeff Green returning, they seemingly were ready for another run.  but the age and chemistry was not right.  Boston has struggled all season, and last week received the news during the middle of the game against Miami that their All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo had torn his ACL and will miss the rest of the season.

This is devastating news for Boston because Rondo is the one who runs that team and holds it all together.  Despite them going 2-0 so far without him, most know the Celtics stand a slim chance against any contender without him.  Talk of blowing up the team started to be rumored, and Ainge is listening to offers without seeking them just yet.

Today, the Celtics received news that their first round pick Jared Sullinger will require back surgery and miss the rest of the season.  The Celtics may be in disarray.  They can’t withstand another injury, and they don’t have a true point guard on their roster.  The Celtics may blow things up, or they could make a minor acquisition and position themselves in the playoffs.  We aren’t sure.

Here’s what we do know that favors Miami.  Despite their loss to the Celtics without Rondo, the HEAT are huge favorites over Boston in a playoff series without Rajon Rondo.  Mostly, Rondo was the one who gave Miami the most headaches.  This eliminates a severe threat the HEAT would need to worry about.

Secondly, if the Celtics do implode and miss the playoffs, their likely replacement would be the Philadelphia 76ers who are only 3 games back.  The Sixers are waiting on Andrew Bynum to return, if he does, to be a threat to anyone.

Here’s how this helps Miami:

1. The Sixers have been owned by Miami since LeBron joined the HEAT.  The Sixers want to play the style of basketball that favors Miami, and this is good.  Bynum could be a problem, but if Miami stays #1 and Philly is #8, should be an easy round for the HEAT.

2. If the Sixers make the playoffs, the HEAT receive their first round pick (from 2012 draft night trade).  If Philly is an #8, the pick would be around number 15 or 16.  This could result in someone like 6’11 Mason Plumlee from Duke.  Or Archie Goodwin from Kentucky, maybe even Trey Burke from Minnesota.  For all that it’s worth, maybe they draft Tim Hardaway Jr!

Miami could really use a good draft pick, and that could be huge for them moving forward into luxury tax time.

Keep on eye on the race between Boston and Philly because it impacts the HEAT in so many ways.

Follow me on Twitter: pinedaNBA_HEAT

The post Tragedy in Boston Could Mean Joy in Miami appeared first on The World Champion Crank Up The HEAT.

By: Matt Pineda

The HEAT are at a crucial point in their season.  After a relatively relaxing schedule with one of the lightest schedules game-wise and a home heavy December, the HEAT are embarking on a 6-game, 11-day road trip with 5 of them out West.

At 23-9, Miami is a mere 7-6 on the road with losses to Detroit, Washington and Milwaukee all hanging over their heads.  This trip could propel the HEAT forward, or allow the Knicks, Pacers and Hawks to gain ground in the Eastern Conference.  Here’s a look at their schedule

Indiana is making a strong push towards the top of the conference. Winners of 7 of their last 10, and 12-3 at home, the Pacers are poised to extract some revenge on their playoff exit from the HEAT.  While Indiana has struggled without Danny Granger, Bankers Life Fieldhouse has always been a difficult place for the HEAT to play.  Miami split two games in Indiana last season.

Portland awaits the HEAT with a 18-15 record and 11-4 at home.  The Blazers are the 5th worst offensive scoring team in the West, yet their defense has kept them at 8th place in the standings.  Rookie Damien Lillard will be the tough cover for the HEAT along with LaMarcus Aldridge.  Lillard is fast point guard, and Aldridge has the length that bothers the HEAT.  This game will be nationally televised on TNT.

Sacramento will host Miami two nights later.  At 13-21, the Kings are barely surviving in the West.  As long as they don’t light it up from downtown, which is highly possible, Miami should brease through this game.

Utah will offer a difficult challenge for the HEAT.  With their four big guy rotation, they offer exactly what the HEAT struggle with, rebounding. At 17-18, the Jazz rank 5th in offensive rebounds.  The HEAT beat the Jazz earlier this year in Miami.

Golden State has been the surprise team this year.  At 22-11, they have already beat the HEAT in Miami and The Warriors always have a tough home court against the HEAT.  Miami will need to be disciplined for 48 minutes to beat the Warriors. This game will be on ESPN.

L.A. Lakers will take on the HEAT in the final road game on national television.  The long awaited matchup from fans, but at 15-18 the Lakers are where they want to be.  Howard doesn’t seem right, and their age is showing.  Rest assured, they will be ready for this game, and the HEAT will be tired.  This will come off as a big game from the media, but the Lakers will be at home for a week at this point, while Miami will be gone for their 11th day and at the end of a back-to-back past Oakland.  The sides aren’t fair, but it should be interesting.

The HEAT will need their bench, rebounding and a healthy LeBron James to be successful on this trip.

Tune in and cheer on your team.

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