I knew this day was coming – the day the blog would relocate and become a real website!! WordPress was the perfect starter home for the past 2 years so I could learn the ropes. But as of today I’m making moves to a new look and feel at http://crankuptheheat.net/. Head on over when you have the chance.
And as always, thanks for reading
Pedro Heizer
First of all, I would like all of you guys for sending me questions via twitter and facebook. Not to mention all the E-Mails I’ve been getting in my inbox! again, thanks for all that. I really appreciate it! so, these questions i’ve been getting alot more than usual so i thought i would reply to them.
Pedro, I know you aren’t the biggest fan of LeBron James, so what do you think of this on going thing about him not participating on the Dunk Contest? Kyle P. via e-mail
Kyle,
I’m not sure if you know this but, last year at the All-Star Slam dunk contest, LeBron James said “Right now I’m preliminarily putting my name in the 2010 contest Saturday night,” he said before continuing in the third-person, “LeBron James is saying in 2010, in Dallas Stadium, he will compete.” Fail on you LeBron. You broke your promise to the NBA nation. How do you think this is going to look on you as you attempt your lies to the poor fans in Cleveland by saying you are going to stay there? I’m sure that’s not going to help.
Here is my problem with LeBron James, he thinks he is the best thing since slice bread. What happened to the humble LeBron James, that in 2003 had much less body art and less self-centered? People tend to forget who they are as fame and fortune hit their head. They tend to start thinking they are like a god walking among men and that isn’t healthy.
Don’t get me wrong, LeBron James is an extraordinary athlete who is one of the three best in the game. But, that doesn’t give him the right to go to last year’s All-Star Dunk Contest and say what he did. Basically what that meant was, “hey i’m better than any of these guys and I can take any of them on”.
Pedro, There has been alot of rumors going around saying the Miami is going after LeBron. What do you think of it? do you think it will work? Julia Muzikowski via Twitter
Julia,
My answer to that is quite simple to say the truth, no, they are not going to play together in Miami. Wade is a superstar and LeBron is a superstar, you simply can’t have 2 superstars in one team.. look at the Magic (O’Neal, Hardaway), or the Nuggets (Carmelo, Iverson). 2 superstars can’t play together. LeBron needs this own team, and Wade needs his own team.
I know what you guys are thinking, “But Pedro, they played so well in the Olympics! surely they can play together” The only think i have to say to that is, it’s simple to play together for a period of time, let’s say a summer-worth. But to play an 82-game NBA season is not that simple. They would both want to score points and be the hero, and let’s face it, Miami is Wade’s house no one else’s.
Once again, thank you guys for filling my inbox, twitter and facebook with questions! I really appreciate all the support and love. Please, if you guys have anything you would like to ask fine me on Twitter, facebook, or e-mail me at pedro@heizer.us. I’ll begin having days (maybe once a week) in which I reply to your emails in the site.
The Miami HEAT have annouced today that they have signed free agent Rafer Alston. Alston, part of the Eastern Conference Champion Orlando Magic one year ago will now rejoin the Miami HEAT after a brief stint in Miami during the 2003-2004 season.
Alston will hit the ground running. Many are speculating he will start as soon as Sunday versus the Clippers in LA.
Skip-To-My-Lou will give the HEAT the spark they have been missing all this year, he will bring a skillful playmaking abililty that Arroyo and Chalmers have lacked all this season, and most importantly, he will bring the defesive mindset of the Miami HEAT organization.
After last night’s Celtics game the HEAT and it’s fans needed a boost and Alston is just that. Now, many people are filling my twitter account wit comments saying how the HEAT must really suck if we are excited to have Rafer Alston.. the answer to that is no, we don’t suck, our point guards do. Alston is nearly averaging 10ppg, and 4 asp. Chalmers is averaging 8ppg and 4apg as well. Arroyo is averaging 5 ppg and 2apg. So clearly, signing Alston is clearly an upgrade from our current point guards, who by the way have been doing a horrible job.. So much so that Erik Spoelstra has been going with Wade at the point guard position.
No on puts it better than Riley himself. Riley told the AP today, “We are thrilled to have Skip back in a Heat uniform, as he brings another set of skills and experience to the point guard position. From his time in Miami, we know both his game and him as a person, and we had a great experience with him in the past. We are very happy to have Skip back in the HEAT family.”
The Miami HEAT have traded 3-year veteran Chris Quinn, cash, and a 2010 second-round pick to the Nets in exchange for a protected 2010 second-round pick.
With the vacant spot on it’s roster, the Miami Heat will try to re-sign point guard Rafer Alston, who was bought out by the New Jersey Nets today. Alston is a proven veteran that has played in Milwaukee, Toronto, Houston, Orlando, New Jersey and Miami. Alston was part of the 2009 Eastern Conference Champions Orlando Magic. Also, he was part of the exciting 03-04 Miami Heat squad that reached the playoffs in Dwyane Wade’s rookie season.
Alston was averaging 9.7 points, 3.9 assists and 2.3 turnovers for the Nets this season, but shooting just 34.3 percent from the field. For his career, Alston has averaged 10.3 points, 4.9 assists and 1.8 turnovers and shot 38.4 percent. Some believe Alston will start in Miami and have Mario Chalmers as his primary back-up. Alston can be expected to sign with Miami as early as Thursday because of the NBA rule 48-Hour waiver period. If that was the case, Alston could start as soon as Friday’s away game at Phoenix.
On another note, Carlos Arroyo could soon be gone as well. Miami has until tomorrow to decide whether they are going to retain Arroyo or if they will release him. I speculate that Miami will release Arroyo in order to try to get under the luxury tax threshold. not only that, but there is no need to have three point guards in the roster. There is no way Chalmers is leaving so the only one that makes sense is Arroyo. Miami used him for almost half a season and now they release him.. sounds good to me, I never really liked Carlos. (I know that will cause a ruckus between my readers that like Arroyo).
With the addition of Alston, the subtraction of Quinn and the potential subtraction of Arroyo, the Heat would be between $1 million and $2 million above the luxury tax threshold, which the Heat has been trying to get under.
