The Miami Heat are on top of the Southeast Division at 5-2 and the news and rumors have been coming out.
Check out the latest buzz below.
Bosh Shedding ‘Soft’ Label
Chris Bosh is steadily shedding the label of being “soft,” reported the Miami Herald.
“Bosh isn’t soft. The opposite is true, actually, and he is proving it now in more conventional ways in his new, leading role with the Heat,” it said.
Bosh is among the league leaders in rebounds and is averaging 23.6 points and 10.3 rebounds.
“I told people I could rebound a long time ago — I told people that,” Bosh said.
“Then they’re going to be crazy when, ‘Oh, he can rebound now?’ But I told you I could rebound a long time ago. It’s just because my numbers were down, I told people the math, and they were like, ‘Ah, get out of here.’ So, I’m not going to be logical now.”
Coach Erik Spoelstra added that Bosh plays both defense and offense, which is “very tough to do in this league.”
“If [Bosh] takes a break on that side of the floor, we’re not going to win, and he understands that just as well as anybody,” Spoelstra added, referring to defense.
Meanwhile, NumberFire says that Bosh is an early MVP favorite, using a statistic that the website created to measure a players’ overall impact.
“It’s a player ranking that measures the total contribution of a player throughout the course of a season, based on their efficiency. The league average is 0. Comparable to win shares, this ranking gives an estimate of how many games above or below .500 a league-average team would win with that player as one of their starters,” it said.
Bosh is third in the early MVP race, just behind Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Wade Back in Comfort Zone
Dwyane Wade is back in his comfort zone seven games into the season.
In contrast to last season, in which he missed 28 games, including a number of back-to-backs, Wade just played through six games in nine nights, including three back-to-backs--matching his total from last season.
He finished the run with 20 points and 10 assists in Sunday’s win over the Mavericks.
He even felt good after back-to-back losses to the Houston Rockets and Charlotte Hornets.
“I told Coach, obviously coming out of four [games] in five nights, we lost two of those -- I said, ‘Well, I had an individual victory, playing my best on the last night of those,” Wade told ESPN.
“The same thing with the six [games] in nine [nights], playing my most minutes in the biggest stretch. It’s all good from the standpoint of the work I put in this summer. It’s very, very early, but I’m happy where I’m at right now.”
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Wade, who is averaging 19.7 points, a team-high 6.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 51 percent from the field, has been putting the work in.
“Every year is different. Last year was last year,” Wade said.
“My body went through a different thing and we went through a different program. It worked at certain moments and it didn’t at others. Right now, this year is different and we’re starting off different. You can’t control it. As long as you put the work in, hopefully you'll see the progress you make from the process.”
Allen to Return to Heat?
A Heat fan wondered whether there’s a chance, given the Heat’s success and newfound energy, coupled with their need for a backup shooting guard, that Ray Allen would return to the team.
“I just think with the way it ended last season that several players felt the need for fresh outlooks and the Heat felt the need to cut ties, for some of the reasons you mentioned,” responded Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
“The reality is that Ray was closer with LeBron and James Jones than many of the Heat players who remained behind. No, I think part of the reason why this has worked is the new life breathed into the franchise by some of the newcomers. I would consider it the longest of longshots that Ray would return.”
Allen has been linked to a number of teams, including the Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards.
Point Guard Situation
Another fan wondered whether the Heat would consider starting Shabazz Napier, bring in Mario Chalmers later in the game, and close out halves with Norris Cole.
“Or keep it the way it’s been going during the 5-2 start. And I’m still not sure the Heat aren’t somewhat showcasing Norris, perhaps as a means to find another shooting guard or wing option,” Winderman said, referring to a possible trade.
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“There could be many reasons why the Heat would want Norris to thrive as a starter.”
He said that eventually there will be more clarity on the Heat’s three point guards.
See an Associated Press story below.
For Heat’s Pat Riley, Every Day is Veterans Day
MIAMI—Pat Riley celebrates Veterans Day more than once a year.
Last week, the president of the Miami Heat helped America’s Moms For Soldiers make care packages for troops who'll be overseas for the holidays. On Tuesday, he helped refurbish homes of two former U.S. Army soldiers.
When the Heat host to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, the “Home Strong” program he founded will pay tribute to 11 soldiers at the game and more around the world.
Riley never served in the military, but has spoken out for years about the need to help soldiers who served overseas. The Heat took their training camp to a pair of military bases in Florida’s Panhandle in 2010. Riley said the team may look into doing something similar in the future.
“I think it’s a day of recognition,” Riley said of Veterans Day. “They don’t want it. They don’t seek it. I don’t think they even expect it. But when they get it, I think they’re very grateful for that. We’re just glad to be part of it.”
On Tuesday, the Heat helped make improvements to the Miami-area homes of Army veterans Matthew James and Willie Franklin. James was the victim of an armed robbery in front of his home in 2008, and the injuries from that robbery forced him to leave his job. Franklin, a World War II veteran, is dealing with health problems.
“I don’t think we can ever do enough for these veterans,” Riley said.
At every home Heat game since 2006, the team has honored a soldier who returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. On Wednesday, Miami will honor 10 U.S. Army staff sergeants and the national anthem to be performed by U.S. Army Sergeant Corrin Campbell. There will be a live, pregame salute to the U.S. Army’s Florida-based 810th Military Police Company stationed in Kabul, Afghanistan.
NBA teams have been honoring troops for several days with Veterans Day celebrations, but Miami’s events are among the more elaborate.
“It’s just great to be part of it,” Riley said. “It’s part of who we are and the people who run it are sincere, very sincere about it and care about it. This year there still are many Americans who are displaced in places where they probably shouldn’t be — but they are because of how we as a country care about other people in other parts of the world.”
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