Haslem Sacrifices a Buttload of Money to Return to Miami

The Miami Heat's blue collar power forward Udonis Haslem has decided to return to his hometown team despite receiving offers from Dallas and Denver that could have been up to $35 million over five seasons. Haslem instead signed a five-year deal with the Heat for around $20 million. In regards to leaving such a large sum of money on the table, Haslem said, "I would be changing my DNA if I was leaving just for money."

Pat Riley has made no secret that he has a big boner for Haslem's gritty, selfless playing style, as he has stated time and again that retaining Haslem during the offseason was one of his biggest priorities. Former #2 draft pick Michael Beasley was spared in order to keep Haslem in Miami, with Beasley being traded to Minnesota for two second round picks. While Beasley has the potential to be a more productive player than Haslem, the Heat are clearly in win-now mode and Haslem is better suited for this, especially because of his defense.

I must say that Haslem's return makes me feel much better about carrying on as a Heat fan in the wake of the arrival of the big three. I think Haslem's willingness to return for much less money says something for the Miami Heat as an organization.

Birdman Spits Coin Out of Mouth

After rolling his ankle during Denver's win over the Blazers, Chris "The Birdman" Andersen had a coin or button or some shit fall into his mouth. Birdman clearly didn't enjoy this, as he immediately spit it out. I can't decide if the video or the still image is more amusing. I'm leaning towards the video, if only for the awkward and unsuccessful attempt of the guy trying to pick it up from Andersen's mouth.



















Big up to outsidethenba for the video and image.

Scorching Suns and Crumbling Nuggets

Throughout this season, I've had a tendency to underestimate the Suns and overestimate the Nuggets. It's my own personal biases influencing my skewed perceptions and now that the Western Conference playoff race is getting realer than real, it's becoming clear that the Suns are capable of catching fire in the playoffs and the Nuggets maybe aren't quite as solid as I had thought. Awful puns, I know.

Playoff Picture: Top of the West

The Lakers currently sit atop the West with the Nuggets just three games behind them and the Mavericks three and a half. I expect LA to hang onto the top spot. Their schedule in March is pretty light besides games against the Spurs, Thunder, and Hawks, but only two of their nine games are at home. I think they can handle all three of those teams, though. April looks a bit more tough, with games against the Jazz, Spurs, Nuggets, and Blazers.

To defend their championship the Lakers will have to start functioning more as a unit. Since Kobe has returned from injury, they haven't appeared on the same page. Kobe has been trying to do too much on his own, Pau Gasol has looked frustrated and lost at times, and Artest has never really found his way in the triangle offense. Rumor has it that the Lakers might start to rely less on the triangle, so it will be interesting to see if this helps Artest adjust or throws the team off after having relied on it for so long. I think the key for the Lakers is getting into a rhythm in which everyone feels involved. Andrew Bynum should get some touches early in games, Gasol needs to get involved by hitting the offensive glass and getting easy buckets, and Lamar Odom needs to come off the bench and produce.

Projected Record: 60 - 22

Opponent if Playoffs Started Today: Portland Trail Blazers

Despite injuries, the Nuggets have been playing well and currently hold a 6-game winning streak. They could surpass the Lakers, but I think LA will turn it up to close the season out. The Nuggets also have some tough games down the stretch and will mostly be on the road this month. In March, they play the hot Bucks, the Celtics, Magic, and Mavericks. Their long road trip closes against Orlando and Dallas, so that will be a big test for them. In April, their toughest competition includes the Blazers, Thunder, Lakers, Spurs, and Suns. They also play the Grizzlies at the end of the season, who might be fighting to slip into the playoffs.

The Nuggets biggest concern heading into the playoffs is health. Kenyon Martin has been out with knee problems, and has opted to have blood injected into his knee (apparently this is a standard procedure) rather than have surgery. Martin is a great post defender, so it will be important for him to be on the floor. Rookie point guard Ty Lawson has also been out with a shoulder injury and probably won't be back for a while. His ability to come off the bench and change the game's pace could make a big impact in the playoffs. According to Basketball-Reference, Denver is 2nd in offense but only 15th in defense in the NBA. The Nuggets tend to play to their competition, so they will need to control the tempo of games to be successful. As I've mentioned before, if J.R. Smith can play to his potential throughout the playoffs, the Nuggets will be a tough out.

Projected Record: 56 - 26

Opponent if Playoffs Started Today: San Antonio Spurs

The Mavericks 13-game winning streak came to an end last night... against the Knicks... by 34 points. What an embarrassing way to end such a good run. Give credit to New York though for bringing it. Dallas has a moderately difficult schedule to finish the season, but eight of their fifteen games are at home. This month, they have games against the Celtics, Blazers, and Nuggets. In April, they'll have the Magic, Thunder, Blazers, and the Spurs. They also face the Grizzlies twice more, who won't be an easy out.

The Mavericks trade deadline deal that sent out the inconsistent Josh Howard and brought in Caron Butler, DeShawn Stevenson, and Brendan Haywood may have been the best trade this season. All three players bring a toughness that was lacking on past Mavericks teams. Although swingman Caron Butler was the biggest name in that trade, Stevenson and Haywood bring a lot to the table. Stevenson provides solid perimeter defense and Haywood gives them a much needed upgrade over center Eric Dampier, or as Shaq would say, "Erica" Dampier. With their championship window closing, success in the playoffs is crucial for Dallas. If they come up short again, Mark Cuban might have to start from scratch.

Projected Record: 55 - 27

Opponent if Playoffs Started Today: Phoenix Suns

The Jazz sit in the 4th seed with the hot Thunder dangerously close, just half a game back. The Thunder beat the Jazz last night, who have now dropped two straight. The rest of this month looks light, with their toughest games being against the Suns and Celtics. April will be tougher, as they face the Lakers, Thunder, and Suns. Eight of their fifteen remaining games are at home, which is significant because the Jazz fare much better at home than on the road.

The Jazz are currently dealing with several injuries, as Andrei Kirilenko, Mehmet Okur and Ronnie Price all missed last night's game against the Thunder. Deron Williams has also struggled with injuries this year, most recently having problems with his shoulder. The Jazz will need Kirilenko to be healthy in the playoffs, as he has had a big season after a couple of disappointing years. And of course, Deron Williams needs to be healthy for them to succeed. Although the Jazz have shown signs that they're on the up this year, being in the top ten in both offensive and defensive ratings, they still have many issues that have plagued them over the years. They're still a pretty lousy team on the road, which is a big concern in the playoffs. If the Thunder finish ahead of them and they lose home court advantage in the first round, there'll be even more cause for concern.

Projected Record: 54 - 28

Opponent if Playoffs Started Today: Oklahoma City Thunder

J.R. Smith with the 360° Alley Oop

If dude can keep it together during the playoffs, the Nuggets could go far.

Things I Learned Watching Basketball on Sunday

The Superman "feud" is stupid, but the match-up is great

I'm totally sick of the talk about whether Shaq or Dwight Howard is the real Superman, but I have to admit that it makes the match-up between the two that much more entertaining on the court. It's such a fun battle to watch: a declining legendary big man against a young monster who's just beginning to realize his potential. They both looked like they had something to prove, so I've got to give some credit to Shaq's jackassery for thickening the plot. Dwight ultimately won the battle showing great confidence in the post, but Shaq kept it interesting by going 9-10 for 20 points despite foul trouble.

Orlando is deep

It's taken them a while to put it together, but the Magic seem to be figuring things out at the right time of the season. Orlando just has so many weapons on offense. After relying on Dwight in the post in the first half, the Magic were able to hold the Cavs off in the end thanks to Jameer Nelson and Vince Carter's offense. Mickael Pietrus AKA Air France also stepped up with his play on both sides of the court. I've enjoyed watching him since his days in Golden State. He's a talented athlete, with three-point range, and great perimeter D.

LeBron James can shoot the Cavs out of games

LeBron can make his presence known on the court unlike anyone else, but he has a tendency to take bad shots that hurt Cleveland. Take away his five missed three-pointers, and he would have been shooting well above 50%. The Cavs might have won the game, too. With that said, I've seen plenty of games where LeBron will sink a few threes in a row that initially seemed like bad shots.

I really, really love me some two-handed blocks

The Nuggets are for real

Denver made it to the Western Conference Finals last season pushing the Lakers to six games, and they're capable of making even more noise this year. The Nuggs have been impressive throughout most of this season, even when Melo's been out. Billups' emergence as a true leader has instilled a culture of winning that just wasn't there during the Allen Iverson years. In addition to this, Melo has expanded his game and stepped up his his once suspect defense. Denver's frontline is still one of my favorites in the NBA, with Birdman's energy and K-Mart and Nene's consistency. When J.R. Smith gets his head in the game, which he did in the 4th quarter against the Celtics on Sunday, the Nuggets are a very scary team. Rookie Ty Lawson also gives them an added dimension in the backcourt that they lacked last season when the aging Anthony Carter was the primary back-up at point guard.

Stephen Curry is really good

Not but a week ago, I was arguing with one of my friends that there was no chance that Stephen Curry could win the Rookie of the Year award over Sacramento's Tyreke Evans. While I still think Evans will win it, Curry's performance against the Hawks on Sunday has shaken my confidence a bit. After the Hawks had been leading by 18 in the 3rd quarter, Curry got Golden State back in it and took the game over. Although he had 4 assists to 5 turnovers against Atlanta, Curry has shown an ability to run the point as of late. His assists included a couple of perfectly placed cross-court passes that got the Oracle Arena crowd into it and really changed the game. I just love to watch Golden State pull off upset wins.

The Nugget Ceiling

Kenyon Martin on the Denver Nuggets has always seemed unexciting to me, even as a long time Cincinnati Bearcats fan. But this year, and last year too, I think Kenyon is finally getting over the injuries that plagued him after he left New Jersey (and hopefully getting over not having the 3-4 easy dunks Jason Kidd got him every game).

Just hearing Kenyon talk defense on hoopshype.com got me excited about the possibilities for this years playoffs: "Could you talk about the defensive mindset that you bring to Denver? Kenyon Martin: Everybody can’t score in the league and you have to be able to do something different. I have always been known as a defensive player, paying attention to detail mostly, helping with the game plan, how we should play pick and rolls or post up. I always tend to draw the assignment of the tough post player. I just try to do all I can to make sure we are successful."

I can almost hear the ghost of Bob Huggins at the Shoe in his voice. And really, with their front line of Martin, Nenê, and the Birdman, I think they can be a damn good defensive team if they strive for it. Especially when you consider Chauncey Billups skills in game management, learned in Detroit from the best in the business, Larry Brown. I mean, the Lakers are great now, it would be extremely tough for the Nuggets to make the NBA finals, but the 2004 Pistons led by Billups beat a Lakers team with arguably more talent than this Lakers team (though certainly not the chemistry of this year). Kenyon thinks they have a chance, check his answer to the question on hoopshype.com: "Can the Nuggets earn a berth in the NBA Finals without making any deals? Kenyon Martin: I think so. We have a great team in place. As long as we get better each and every game we play and every month we play and learn from our mistakes… As long as we get the team to focus in on the defensive end because we can score with anybody in the league… If we lock in on defense, the sky is the limit for us."

'Melo's 41 topples Blazers, Bulls surprise Spurs

Nuggets 97, Blazers 94

After watching the Nuggets first two games against Western Conference threats the Jazz and Blazers, this team seems poised for a big season. The division rival Trail Blazers nearly closed the game out, but Carmelo Anthony's offensive attack proved to be too much as he scored 19 of his 41 points in the 4th quarter. 'Melo was excellent, consistently banging bodies in the paint for points. Chauncey Billups had another strong game with 22 points and 6 assists. I do have to question Chauncey's shot selection, who shot just 5-14 from the field. He has proven in the past to be one of the best pull-up jump shooters in transition, but he wasted several possessions on quick shots. Rookie point guard Ty Lawson saw less action tonight, as he struggled on defense against Rudy Fernandez, which landed him on the bench. No one else had big games for the Nuggets, but everyone showed up when needed, particularly Nenê who had a huge play in the closing moments. After getting an offensive board, he put up a miss, hustled after his own rebound, and made a nice hook shot over Greg Oden. But it was ultimately 'Melo, who got them the W on the road. One last thought before I move on to the Blazers. It will be big for Denver when J.R. Smith returns from his suspension, so that George Karl can stop playing two point guards at the same time. Plus, J.R. Smith = buckets… sometimes.

The Blazers struggled from the field, shooting just 34%. Spanish guard Rudy Fernandez was the only Blazer to have an all-around good game posting 22 points on 6-9 shooting. He was also perfect from the line on all 8 shots. Brandon Roy managed to score 30 points by getting to the line 18 times. Despite poor shooting, Roy did have some great plays including a buzzer beating three-point bank shot to close the 3rd quarter. Martel Webster started out strong with some big plays, but would finish with only 10 points. Portland's going to need their young big men Greg Oden and LaMarcus Aldridge to step up if they want to take that next step into the Western Conference elite. I still think they're a few years and possibly a few roster adjustments away from being true contenders.

Bulls 92, Spurs 85

I hardly watched any of this game, but this block on Richard Jefferson by Derrick Rose is worth a look. This kid has serious ups. Rose had a highlight worthy offensive play too, but it hasn't made it's way to youtube yet.

'Melo Posterizes Paul Milsap

I didn't watch this game too closely, so I'll spare you the details. The Jazz were looking pretty good (mainly Deron Williams), but the Nuggets looked just that much better. This steal and huge dunk by Carmelo Anthony on Paul Milsap kept the momentum with the Nuggets for good. The main point I want to make is that rookie point guard Ty Lawson out of UNC looked like a natural pro in his first game. He's looking to be a steal as the 18th pick in the draft.