Throwback Posterization: Shaq Throws Down Oop on Hakeem

For this week's Throwback Posterization, I'm going with a classic alley oop by Shaq over Hakeem from the 1995 NBA Finals. I chose this particular posterization by Shaq because recently a typed letter has surfaced on the internet that Shaq left with Olajuwon after the Rockets swept the Magic in the Finals. In the letter, Shaq challenges Hakeem to one-on-one, which many are speculating was the launching pad for their classic Taco Bell Ads. I really hope that that's true, but regardless, it's a pretty amusing letter.

As I'm sure most of you have heard, this letter isn't the only reason that Shaq has been in the news. After courting team after team (San Antonio, Miami, Atlanta) to try to come to terms on a contract, the Boston Celtics have signed Shaq to a one-year deal for the veteran's minimum. This proves yet again that Danny Ainge isn't afraid to take risks with potential locker room cancers, as he signed Stephon Marbury and Rasheed Wallace in the past two seasons respectively. Shaq will join fellow washed-up-center-with-an-Irish-sounding-name Jermaine O'Neal, as the two provide an insurance policy for the injured Kendrick Perkins. We'll see how that works out.

Now, finally, onto the dunk. Shaq gets good position on Hakeem under the rim, and does his patent "black tornado" to free himself from Olajuwon. The ball handler on the perimeter (I can't figure out who it is) takes notice of Shaq getting open and tosses a perfect lob to O'Neal. Shaq finishes the oop strong, throwing it down right in Hakeem's face. Olajuwon tries to contest the dunk, but it's just too late by the time he goes up. It was a small victory for Shaq in a series that saw Olajuwon score over 30 points in all four games.

Throwback Posterization: D-Wade Throws Down On J.O.

I've been slipping lately with Throwback Posterizations, so I felt it would be necessary to post one today as a much needed distraction from all the LeBron James hoopla. In celebration of Miami's forthcoming return to relevance, I've decided to go with Dwyane Wade as a rookie dunking on Jermaine O'Neal from the 2004 Playoffs. The Pacers would go on to win the series in six games en route to a loss in the Conference Finals to the Detroit Pistons, who would go on to win the title.

Onto the dunk. Reggie Miller and Jamal Tinsley are distracted by Lamar Odom playing in the post, which opens up a clear lane to the hoop for Wade. Lamar Odom recognizes this and delivers the past to Wade who elevates up and over Jermaine O'Neal for the one-handed slam.

Farewell 2009-10 Miami Heat

First off, I just wanna say you guys look real tough in your little suits. Real classy, but like I said, tough too. It's been quite a ride this season. There's been times when I thought you guys were on the verge of a real break-thru (Coach Spoelstra buzz word) and times when I thought you guys might wind up under .500 and out of the playoffs. Turns out you were somewhere between the two. I guess you just weren't quite fluid (another Coach Spoelstra buzz word) enough. Now, I'd like to have some parting words with each one of you guys.

Dwyane Wade: Simply put, you are phenomenal at playing basketball. Sure, your fashion sense is iffy at best, but so is Jordan's. Although you didn't have a season that was as transcendent as last year's, the Heat finished with a better record, so who cares. It seems like you'd like to stick around in Miami, but I know that you have to see the front office make some big moves before you sign on the dotted line. I just hope Pat Riley knows what he's doing this summer, because it'd be a damn shame if you left.

Michael Beasley: I just can't figure you out, bro. I know you're young and have room to grow, but I'm just not convinced you're the guy everyone was gushing about before the Heat drafted you. You've got all the talent in the world, but you just can't seem to get your head in the game. I'd love to see you turn into a 20-10 guy and win multiple championships with D-Wade in Miami, but it's starting to seem less and less likely.

What a Show

As mediocre as the Heat has been the past two seasons, they always manage to show up against the Lakers. Maybe Dwyane Wade is determined to always put on a show when Miami is on primetime or maybe the Heat somehow match up well against the Lakers. Whatever it is, these two teams have had some classic games and last night was no exception. There were 31 lead changes and 19 ties, making it the most back and forth game of the season.

Luckily this one didn't end like their last meeting, although it did come frighteningly close. After Quentin Richardson hit a three pointer to put the Heat up 99-97 with 11.1 seconds left, everyone was expecting Kobe to drain a three for about his 18th game winner of the season. Instead, Kobe drove on Wade and pulled up for a short jumper to knot the game at 99 with 3.3 seconds remaining. On the ensuing play, Wade couldn't get a good look with Lamar Odom all over him and into overtime it went.

Kobe tried to singlehandedly take over the game in overtime, which ultimately led to the Lakers coming up short. Kobe knocked down several ridiculous jumpers in isolation plays, but the Heat kept answering with big shots by Haslem and Arroyo. The key play for Miami came with 18.7 seconds left, when Jermaine O'Neal drew a charge on Kobe driving the lane. Two free throws by Carlos Arroyo would seal the game for Miami. During overtime, J.O. told his teammates that he would be waiting to draw the charge on the next player to drive the lane, and he came through on that promise.

Damn, it feels good to see the Heat finally beat a contender rather than wilting under pressure. They're now back at .500 with the 8th seed, just a game and a half in front of Charlotte but also a game and a half behind Toronto and the 5th seed. The East is still inferior to the West, but at least the playoff race is interesting.

"The Dayton Kid" Daequan Cook leads the Heat past the Hawks

And a new Dank Game nickname is born! Arising from the abyss of a poor shooting season that has put him out of the Heat's rotation, "The Dayton Kid" Daequan Cook is officially back!

Maybe it was Dwyane Wade's recent comments that coach Erik Spoelstra needs to "mix it up" on offense, maybe it was an opportunity allowed by point guard Mario Chalmers' absence, or maybe it was encouragement for Daequan to represent Miami with pride in the Three-Point Contest. Whatever it was, Spoelstra let Daequan play and the Dayton Kid responded.

Cook was instrumental in opening up the Heat's lead in the fourth quarter while Dwyane Wade rested. The Dayton Kid hit back to back three-pointers to take the Heat up 77-71. Cook would continue to strive throughout the fourth as the Heat closed the game out in convincing fashion. He finished the game going 7-12 from the field and 3-5 from distance for 17 points.

Equally instrumental in Miami's win was center Jermaine O'Neal and power forward Udonis Haslem. Jermaine made big plays down the stretch, finishing the night 9-13 for 19 points with 10 rebounds, while Haslem also helped keep the Hawks at bay going 7-9 for 14 points with 12 rebounds. A great night for the Heat's front court, despite Beasley having an off night. No matter how much Heat fans (myself included) question coach Spoelstra's use of Haslem over Beasley in fourth quarters, you can't deny Haslem's consistency in rebounding, defending, and shooting the ball. The guy is committed to this team, and I'd hate to ever see him leave.

Dorell Wright continued to make a case for the starting small forward position, as he hit 4 of 5 shots for 10 points and dished out two assists. Quentin Richardson's decline from his impressive start to the season continues, as he shot poorly from the field and finished with just 2 points.

Dwyane Wade was unable to score 20 points for the second night in the row, scoring 18 on 7 of 15 shooting. But who cares if other players can pick up the slack. Despite being held in check most of the first half, Wade did help seal the deal down the stretch while also contributing a double-double with 11 assists.

What a great win for the Heat heading into the All-Star Break. For the first time in a while, I feel relatively proud to be a Heat fan. They held the Hawks to 37.5 percent shooting while shooting over 50 percent. They also held Atlanta's marquee player Joe Johnson to 16 points on 7-21 shooting, with the Dayton Kid guarding Johnson for many stretches. What stood out most was that the Heat bench outscored the Hawks 48 to 8. In Atlanta's defense, they were without Sixth Man of the Year favorite and notorious Heat killer Jamal Crawford, but a win's a win.

The Heat are now just a game below .500 (which sucks, but it could be worse), lead the season series against the Hawks at 2-1, and now hold the 7th seed in the East after the Bulls fell to the Magic tonight.

I just want to point out the Hawks' "every guy" names: Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Joe Smith.

Turn the Heat around

Get the title? It's a play on that Gloria Estefan song, "Turn the Beat Around." I know, it's terrible. But that's mostly what we do here at Dank Game: make terrible titles for posts that are marginally less terrible. If I got that song stuck in your head, my bad.

Now, onto the Heat, turning it around.

The Heat had lost five straight coming into last night's game against the injury ridden Rockets (Trevor Ariza and Kyle Lowry both out), and they came out and took care of business at home by embarrassing Houston 99-66. The Heat played some of their best team basketball of the season, with six players in double figures and 27 assists on 41 field goals. Wade only posted 17 points and the Heat still won by 33. Usually this season Wade has to be nearing 30 for the Heat to even be close to getting a win. Even Daequan Cook got involved, scoring 10 points. Maybe Erik Spoelstra just wanted to remind everyone that he's still in the league before he defends his Three-Point Shooting crown during All-Star Weekend.

The first half was all Miami, with the Heat up 56 to 31. With Quentin Richardson picking up two quick fouls trying to guard the bulkier Carl Landry in the post, Dorell Wright came into the game and helped sparked the Heat to its big lead. Wright was aggressive in driving to the hoop and finding the open man. He closed the half with seven assists, but didn't get anymore in the second half. Udonis Haslem was also a big part of the Heat pulling away early, as he drilled 18-foot jump shots over and over again. He was 7 of 8 from the field to start the game.

The Rockets came out in the second half hitting multiple three-pointers which got the lead down into the teens, but the Heat pushed it back into the twenties by the end of the third quarter. From there on out, the Rockets seemed to accept the loss as they just went through the motions.

Typically, the Heat have trouble matching up with other team's height, but with the Rockets missing Yao Ming for the season, they're one of few teams Miami actually has a height advantage against. The Heat used this advantage, as Joel Anthony blocked 5 shots and JO blocked 2. I think this weakness will keep Houston out of the playoffs, as they have 6'9" Luis Scola and the big bodied 6'6" Chuck Hayes taking turns at center. 6-footer Aaron Brooks, who's a high volume scorer, couldn't seem to get to the hoop all night without meeting one of Miami's big men. He struggled to get anything going, finishing the game with only one assist and 3-16 shooting for 10 points. This attempted fast-break more or less summed up the game for Brooks:

I love me some two-handed blocks.

Another thing worth noting is that the Heat had plenty of fast break points against Houston. According to TeamRankings.com, the Heat rank second to last in the league in fast break points, averaging only 9.6 a game. I wish the Heat would get out and run more off of turnovers and defensive stops, as it makes for more exciting basketball as well as easier buckets, like this one from last night:



It was a great rebound game for the Heat, yet it can't be overstated. With the way things have gone this season, I expect them to get blown out or lose at the last second tonight in Atlanta. A win against the Hawks tonight would be huge, as the Heat would go into the All-Star break just a game below .500. Plus, if Chicago loses to Orlando and Charlotte loses to Minnesota, the Heat could find themselves with the sixth seed in the East. Although Chicago losing to Orlando is highly probable, I wouldn't put money on the latter.

Heat split back-to-back

The Miami Heat are now 4-1, which is an encouraging start for a team many observers had missing the playoffs. They should be 5-0 if it weren't for an awful 4th quarter in which they only scored 15 points. Michael Beasley was largely absent in the past two games during the final quarter, as coach Erik Spoelstra seems to still lack confidence in Beasley when the games matter most. While it is understandable with Haslem playing strong down the stretch in the previous game against the Bulls, you can't help but wonder if Michael's offense could've helped them win the game.

Speaking of Spoelstra, sometimes his rotations are truly mystifying. At the beginning of the fourth quarter against the Suns, Spoelstra had a lineup of Carlos Arroyo, Dorell Wright, James Jones, Joel Anthony, and I think Quentin Richardson. That just isn't going to work. Maybe if J.O. were on the floor, Spoelstra might explain that he is spacing the floor with shooters, but Joel Anthony was playing center, who doesn't even come close to demanding a double team. Hell, Anthony can more or less be left open on offense. That's not how you close games as a coach.

The Heat started out strong against the Wizards last night, ending the first quarter up 31-17. While the Heat's defense has looked strong, this good start can also be credited to turnovers by the Wizards. Dwyane Wade carried most of the offensive load early in the game and the Heat also had to rely on Wade to close out the game, which is a growing concern. Wade finished with 40 points, going 14 of 26 from the floor.

Michael Beasley and Jermaine O'Neal have got to step up their offense and rebounding if the team wants to be considered even marginal contenders. O'Neal finished with 4 points and 7 boards, while Beasley had just 10 points and 4 boards. The Heat forced the Wizards to 37% shooting, but they also gave up 13 offensive rebounds.

Quentin Richardson continues to be a big addition for the Heat, especially in these last two games. His defense has been great throughout the season, but he's finally starting to find his outside shot going 5-7 from deep against the Wiz. He's also provided great hustle on both ends of the court.

Another glaring problem for the Heat that has come to light in the past two games is the point guard position. Chalmers has provided some quality offensive play, but he just couldn't handle guarding Steve Nash and Gilbert Arenas who both had big games. Carlos Arroyo couldn't even stay on the floor against the Wizards as Arenas quickly forced him into foul trouble.

Despite all of the Heat's problems, they've shot well as a team, played overall good team defense, and they're off to a 4-1 start. I'm hoping that Daequan Cook can come back soon from his shoulder injury, as he was a key factor to the Heat's success in the first half of last season. I'm also wondering what the status is on Jamaal Magloire who's yet to play after serving a two game suspension due to an altercation in the preseason with Pistons rookie Jonas Jerebko. Magloire has proved to be a serviceable center in limited minutes.

Heat end Conseco Fieldhouse drought

The Heat were finally able to end their streak of 14 regular season losses at Conseco Fieldhouse (two of which I attended last season) with a 96-83 victory against the Pacers. The win was also Dwyane Wade's first win in Indiana, after losing his first 11 visits. Pretty much everyone on the Heat contributed, except for Daequan Cook who had an off shooting night. J.O. continues to impress after another big game against his former team. He put up the same numbers he did against the Knicks with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Dwyane Wade made scoring 32 points look easy, getting buckets by hitting jumpers, posting up, and getting to the line. While Quentin Richardson has been relatively quiet on offense in his first two games with the Heat, his defense on All-Star Danny Granger was encouraging. I forgot to mention in my post about the Knicks game that Udonis Haslem has finally lost his starting power forward spot to Michael Beasley, and thus far he's continued to produce. At some point Beasley's talent had to trump Haslem's productive yet limited game. You got to love Udonis for being such a dedicated player and coming off the bench with no complaints and a consistent effort. Then again, he is in a contract year. Speaking of Haslem, he had the play of the game making a poster out of Solomon Jones. The 2-0 start is definitely encouraging, but the Heat has yet to face any real competition and I can't help but wonder if O'Neal can continue to produce like he has these first two games.


Here's the aforementioned Haslem dunk on Solomon Jones. Pretty nasty.

Heat abuse Knicks 115-93

Dwyane Wade has talked of having to do less this season after putting up otherworldly numbers last season to carry the Heat to 43-39. Tonight, Wade got what he asked for. The Heat shot an astonishing 56% from the floor and 7-15 from deep.

Wade had a relatively "off" game, going 10-22 for 26 points. Despite looking a bit tentative early, Michael Beasley had an inspired effort with 21 points. His offensive repertoire included his typical perimeter jumpers, but he also attacked the rim, still with more finesse than power, though. Jermaine O'Neal looked alive going 10-12 for 22 points and pulling in 12 rebounds. He and Wade played well off of one another, with both picking up assists and easy baskets. It should be noted that 6'9" David Lee was playing center, which makes J.O.'s numbers a bit less impressive. Lee also put up 22 points on several easy putbacks. Chalmers and Dayton's own Daequan Cook also played well with 11 and 15 points respectively. Haslem played his typical reliable game. It was a great shooting night for the Heat, but they'll have to come together more as a team when the shots stop falling and they start playing legit teams. With that said, it was good to see them come out and take New York out with ease.

The Knicks were pretty awful throughout most of the game. Mike D'Antoni looked ready to throw a tantrum, especially after Miami pulled out a big lead. David Lee came just short of a double-double and Danilo Gallinari was three-point happy, hitting 7-13 from deep on 14 shots, but not much else was going for them. Nate Robinson was especially terrible, going 0-8 from the floor, five of those misses from deep.

Here's one of the better plays from the game. After a nice move by Beasley, Wade turned around out of nowhere for the steal off the inbound pass and a crazy 360 layup. Unfortunately, the camera crew cut to Beasley as Wade took it to the hoop.

Dank Game Showdown - Heat vs. Thunder

Yesterday, there was a Dank Game preseason showdown between my own Miami Heat and Mustache's beloved OKC Thunder (I'm anxiously awaiting your Thunder season preview, 'stache). This match up was also a showdown between young stars Michael Beasley and Kevin Durant, who were childhood friends having grown up in Washington D.C. together. The Thunder would pull this one out 96-91 after the Heat controlled the game through the first three quarters. Listen Mustache, before you get too excited, fantasizing about the Thunder bringing home the Larry O'Brien trophy, keep in mind that Dwyane Wade sat this one out due to a strained muscle in his left rib cage.

Michael Beasley (seen throwing down a fastbreak oop from Chalmers at the beginning of the video) had an excellent game, going 9-13 from the field and 6-6 from the line to finish with 24 points in 38 minutes. Despite those impressive numbers, Beasley only pulled in 4 rebounds, none of which were offensive, and he turned the ball over 7 times. The rebounding numbers could be worse, but the turnovers are a real concern. Beasley started at small forward but would see plenty of time at power forward when the Heat played small ball with Haslem at center.

Haslem was his reliable self, adding 9 points, 9 boards, and 2 blocks in 35 minutes. Unspectacular as usual, but mildly effective nonetheless. The Heat might continue to utilize Haslem at center (who's already somewhat undersized as a power forward) as Jermaine O'Neal continues to struggle with rebounding, pulling in just 3 in 23 minutes. Numbers like these are all too familiar after acquiring him last season. J.O. did go 4-7 from the field and 2-2 from the line for 10 points, though.

Two of the Heat's youngsters, Daequan Cook and Mario Chalmers, had some solid production with both playing about 30 minutes. Both of these guys have been having decent games with Wade out since they can look for their own offense without having to defer to Wade. Dayton native Daequan Cook would only shoot 5-15 from the field, but he did hit 4-7 three pointers, two of which can be seen in the highlights. He would finish with 14 points. Chalmers shot 4-7 from the field and 4-4 from the line for 13 points and added 4 assists. He also had 4 turnovers, though. Chalmers can be seen setting up J.O. for a dunk with a nice pass at the 1:16 mark on the video.

As for the rest of the Heat, James Jones shot well in limited minutes, Quentin Richardson struggled shooting going just 1-7 from deep, and newly acquired point guard Carlos Arroyo was quiet with a couple of dimes in 16 minutes.

Kevin Durant continues to look like a superstar in the making, going 10-16 from the field and 9-10 from the line for 30 points. His dunk on Joel Anthony at the 0:25 second mark on the video is reminiscent of Clyde Drexler and he can be seen dominating throughout the rest of the highlights, including the game clinching shot in the final minutes. I guess he had something to prove after firing back at Truehoop's Henry Abbot via Twitter after Abbot wrote a piece about Durant hurting his team when he's on the floor, despite being an obvious star.

The Thunder's Jeff Green also had an impressive game, going 9-16 from the field and 3-3 from deep for 25 points in 36 minutes. For as much hype as KD gets, I've always thought Green has shown a lot of promise. Second year point guard Russell Westbrook struggled from the field going 3-12 and 6-10 from the line for 12 points, but he did add 7 dimes.

We have yet another Dank Game showdown tonight in Kansas City between the Heat and HAM's New Orleans Hornets. I guess you would only know that from the Hornets logo on the side of the blog, though. Wade could play, so hopefully the Heat can pull it together as a team with only three more preseason games left and no wins.

NBA Training Camp Story Lines & More

It's been a minute since I've written anything about the NBA, and now that media day is past and training camp has started, there's suddenly more interesting things to talk about than Lamar Odom's hasty marriage to reality TV's Khloe Kardashian. Speaking of which, I've been speculating their marriage was the deal breaker for Odom's potential Miami reunion. I probably should've written something about Delonte West being arrested for carrying two hand guns and a shotgun after being pulled over on a three-wheeled motorcycle, because, y' know, that was pretty fucked up. Also, I guess the richest man in Russia is going to buy the Nets, which will probably lead to their highly anticipated move to Brooklyn.

Not in a Golden State: Some of the biggest news to come out of media day is the bleak situation the Warriors have found themselves in. After being fined $25,000 for publicly requesting a trade, Stephen Jackson doesn't seem phased as he continued to express his desire to be dealt. Obviously the league is employing a ridiculous double standard with this fine, as Kobe bitched and moaned all throughout the offseason in 2007 without any consequence. As for Captain Jack's desired destinations, he'd like to end up with Cleveland, anywhere in Texas, or New York to reunite with former Warrior Al Harrington.

As if the drama with Jackson isn't enough, Monta Ellis has said that he and rookie Stephen Curry can't work together as a backcourt as Warriors management had envisioned. Ellis says he has no hard feelings towards the Warriors for drafting Curry, but because they're both small guards, he doesn't feel they can produce wins playing together. Man, what a disappointment this team has been since that glorious upset against the Mavs in the first round of the 2007 Playoffs. I wish I could say that I still believe, but what's left to believe in.

KG Questionable: While I don't normally take pleasure in people being injured, I couldn't help but do a fist pump upon reading the news that Kevin Garnett's bone spur in his knee is more serious than he initially realized. After missing much of the end of last season and the entire playoffs, the Celtics have been pretty quiet about his injury. Garnett has had minimal health issues throughout his 14-year career, so he insists that the injury has forced him to take his health more seriously. Details remain vague.

Cut like a Prizefighter: Along with media day and training camp comes the inevitable rhetoric from coaches and players alike about how the players are in such great shape. Starting with my team, the Miami Heat, coach Erik Spoelstra has been gushing about Jermaine O'Neal's improved health after an offseason of working out in Chicago with noted trainer Tim Grover. Grover has received much attention after helping Dwyane Wade return to form last season. Spoelstra has said that Jermaine looks like he did during his All-Star days in Indiana, but even stronger. JO reportedly has looked much better moving around and can apparently jump again, which would probably be beneficial to to the Heat this season.

Elton Brand will return to the Sixers after recovering from a shoulder injury that kept him out the majority of last season. He's also recovered from the previous season's torn Achilles tendon. According to teammate Thaddeus Young, Brand has been a "monster" on the court, while GM Ed Stefanski says that he is "cut like a prizefighter." We'll have to wait and see if this can translate to wins for the Sixers, as last year Brand's presence seemed to throw off their fast paced offense.

Rajon Rondo has added 11 pounds to his frame which he insists is "all muscle." Judging from this photo from the Celtics' media day, Rondo really does look substantially more muscular. Dude used to be pretty bony. On the topic of Rondo, Celtics GM Danny Ainge has said that he started talks last week with agent Bill Duffy on a contract extension, as he is entering the final year of his rookie deal.

Beasley Ready to Go: I feel the need to follow up on my my previous post about Michael Beasley's now infamous tattoo picture in which two baggies in the background appeared to contain weed. Beasley claims that the bags weren't his as the photo was taken at the place he got the tattoo. He insists he isn't addicted to drugs, and the reason he was checked into a Houston rehabilitation center in the first place was due to his involvement in the incident at the rookie symposium last year when Heat point guard Mario Chalmers, the Grizzlies' Darrell Arthur, and Beasley were caught in a room that smelled of marijuana. I'm guessing there must have been other missteps along the way considering Chalmers wasn't sent to rehab with him.

Beasley apologized to the Heat organization and its fans for his immaturity and insists that his time spent at the rehabilitation center has helped him out. As for those supposed "suicidal Tweets," (I can't believe I'm typing that) Beasley has said that he posted those after hearing his time at the rehabilitation center had been extended. Although I wouldn't go posting some shit like that on the internet, I'd also be pretty pissed if I found out I had to stay in rehab longer. Beasley says he is now through with social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace.

Last But Not Least: Ron Artest is still totally sweet and a really nice guy, too.