Jimmy Butler takes his new Heat culture to Chicago

The media were waiting for Jimmy Butler in Chicago.

Butler, after all, make his name here — rising from 30th overall pick to Most Improved Player, All-Star, and maximum salary candidate player, even though he would have to go elsewhere to get that last reward.

Now Butler is back, as a member of the Miami Heat and of team Giannis in the 2020 All-Star Game.

He was a few minutes late getting to the podium Saturday for his scheduled availability but, once he did, he did not disappoint.

Here are a few of Butler’s more illuminating and/or amusing thoughts on his transition to the Heat and more.

First, the arrival….

Next, the deep thoughts on the changes to the All-Star Game.

He’s been, um, racking his brain about this one…

Then, on the Heat’s plan after the break…

His assimilation to the Miami culture…

What he has learned about Miami Heat president Pat Riley…

More on the Heat as they chase a home court seed…

How he feels about being a villain….

More praise for his All-Star and Heat teammate, Bam Adebayo…

And of course, the continued taunting of Philadelphia 76er fans..

Chris Bosh NOT a finalist for Hall of Fame

This felt like a given.

Chris Bosh made 11 All-Star teams.

He won two championships.

He represented the game well.

He basically invented — or at minimum, perfected — photo bombing.

He was Tall Justise.

And he would have done more if not for his career ending prematurely due to multiple bouts with blood clots, blood clots that resurfaced during this weekend four years ago in Toronto.

But Bosh was always disrespected during his career, and it continued again Friday in Chicago, when he was not named a finalist for the Hall of Fame. Eight others were, including three obviously deserving players — the late Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan.

Bosh was not in the same stratosphere as Bryant, Garnett and Duncan, all of whom won MVPs as well as championships. But he has better credentials than some who have been inducted on the first try — or at the very least, been finalists. But the Hall did change some rules, limiting some international and female candidates to put a spotlight on the superstars of this class. And no player other than the three above were named finalists.

Bosh figures to get in eventually, as Alonzo Mourning, whose career was also short-circuited by an ailment, did. That is more than we can say about Tim Hardaway, who was a finalist a couple of times but now seems forever on the back burner.

Still, Heat fans aren’t taking it well.

And South Florida sports fans already have a persecution complex because Zach Thomas should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame already… and isn’t.

Magic rally to defeat Pistons in overtime

This story was written by Marcos Chisholm. Follow him on Twitter @marcosgchisholm.

After losing a 22 point lead, the Orlando Magic defeated the Detroit Pistons 116-112 in overtime at the Amway Center on Wednesday.

Markelle Fultz earned his third double-double on the season, scoring 22 points and tallying 10 assists. Aaron Gordon finished the night with 25 points and nine assists in 42 minutes.

During the first half, Orlando was at its most comfortable after Evan Fournier made a three-point field goal with 6:51 left in the second quarter. The Pistons erased the 22 point deficit by converting 40 percent of team three-point attempts and outscoring Orlando 38-20 on bench points.

“It was huge. I think that’s what we all had on our minds, we know we gave a big lead, we know it was going back but we know we needed a win,” Fultz said.

Fultz’s balanced approach to Orlando’s offense helped the Magic lead both teams in assists (34-28). Magic forward Evan Fourier recognizes the young player’s progress and journey following his injuries.

“That’s really his first year playing,” Magic forward Evan Fournier said. “He’s getting more comfortable and he understand what the defense gives him, he makes the most of it and he had some huge plays for us down the stretch.”

Christian Wood had 26 points and 12 turnovers throughout 38 minutes of play. He shot 7-of-8 from the free-throw line and Tony Snell scored 16 points and earned five assists. Both players were the only Pistons starters to finish with negative net ratings for the evening. The Pistons developed a lead as large as seven points in the fourth quarter.

Heading into Wednesday, the Magic were 2-8 through their last 10 games. They head into the All-Star break in control of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

Miami Heat: Recap From Pat Riley Media Conference Call

Miami Heat President Pat Riley held a conference call Friday with local media. 

Ethan Skolnick of Five Reasons Sports was on the call, here are some of his takeaways along with others from local outlets.

 

Riley spoke about Andre Iguodala and the organization’s reset:

 

 

 

On Waiters, JJ, and Winslow:

 

Riley about the one that got away (for now).

 

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Miami Heat: Tracking the biggest news from NBA trade deadline

The Miami Heat enter Thursday’s NBA Trade Deadline in an interesting position. They have already made moves for a veteran in Andre Iguodala at the time this was written. It will be interesting to see how they handle the rest of the deadline. Many teams have made moves in an effort to get better, and the Miami Heat can certainly be included in the bunch.

Here are some of the best tweets from what has been a busy deadline period.

 

Miami Heat: Dion Waiters headed to Memphis as deadline nears

The Miami Heat continue to make several moves ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline, and Thursday saw more fireworks. The Heat  traded Dion Waiters to Memphis according to a report from Shams Charania.

Waiters is part of the trade that has seen veteran Andre Iguodala head to Miami.

Waiters had interesting tenure with Miami Heat

Dion Waiters has a complicated tenure in Miami. He came to the team in the 2016-17 season. He had a tremendous first year in Miami, playing in 43 games and averaging 15.8 points. 2017-18 saw him play in 30 games, starting all of them. He averaged 14.3 points of that year. Although there was a bit of a downturn in production in terms of points, he still remained a solid player for Miami. He provided them that secondary scoring option.

This season in particular had been filled with off-the-court issues. The issues, combined with the emergence of young stars, has led to minimal playing time. Waiters is in the third-year of a four-year $52 million contract. He is set to be paid 12.6 million next season. He will then become an unrestricted free agent in 2021.

His best game for Miami this season came on January 24 against the Los Angeles Clippers. He went five-of-12 from the field and four-of-nine from beyond the arc. Scoring 14 points in total, that would be his highest output of the season to this point.

We are now beginning to see more pieces of Wednesday night’s trade come to fruition. The Miami Heat have been linked to several other names as the deadline approaches. It will be interesting to see who they pull the trigger on. One thing is clear: Pat Riley truly believes that this team can be a contender.

These moves should help Miami stay in the thick of what is an extremely crowded Eastern Conference.

Miami Heat: Andre Iguodala headed to South Beach

The Miami Heat have made a move prior to the trade deadline. According to multiple media reports, they have acquired Andre Iguodala in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Justise Winslow is headed to Memphis as part of the deal.

Per ESPN Miami is signing Iguodala to a two-year, $30 million extension. Iguodala has a team-option for 2021-2022. He is allowing Miami to have salary cap flexibility. If Miami does not manage to recruit an elite player, the team would give Iguodala his $15 million for ’21-22.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers were also interested in his services according to a report from of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  The veteran has an interesting story. He was traded to Memphis in the offseason from Golden State. He did not play for Memphis, staying away from the team until an agreement could be made for a landing spot.

What can he bring to Miami Heat?

This gives the Heat a veteran on the roster who has playoff experience. Aside from what he can bring on the basketball court, Iguodala has been a part of championship teams. He knows what it takes to win. He, along with Jimmy Butler, will undoubtedly serve the role of veterans on a young Heat team.

In his prime, he was a tremendous scorer. Lately, he has been serving the role of bench player. He appeared in 68 games for Golden State in the 2018-19 season. Starting 13 of them, he averaged 5.7 points per contest.

Iguodala is not going to put up MVP-type numbers. He will however offer a steady veteran presence that can score points when needed. Often times, you will see teams acquire a veteran at the trade deadline as they make a playoff or championship push. This is exactly that type of move.

This transaction also rids the Miami Heat of Winslow. The oft-injured Winslow never could get on the court consistently this season. Now, both parties can move forward. Winslow took to social media, seeming very excited to end up in Memphis.

It will be interesting to see exactly what type of role Iguodala fills for Miami. This was a low-risk high-reward move as the team looks continue their assent in the Eastern Conference.

Miami Heat: Limiting secondary scoring paramount to beating Clippers

As the Miami Heat get set to take on the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday night, there is something they have to be mindful of. The secondary scoring Los Angeles produced was a major issue the last time these two teams played. It cost Miami the game.

Kawhi Leonard is going to get his points.  If Miami wants to win on Wednesday they need to focus on limiting what the others do offensively.

Landry Shamet scored 22 points on eight-of-15 shooting. He went six-of-12 from beyond the arc and contributed six assists as well. He certainly made his 43 minutes count. It was a bit unexpected for a player averaging 8.1 points per contest. Nevertheless, that’s what makes the NBA so great. Anybody can play well on any given night.

Normally, one of the biggest goals for Miami Heat would be to stop Leonard. That is still definitely a goal. However, the Heat have to be wary of secondary scoring in this matchup. Shamet for example has been playing well lately. He averaged 11.5 points in the month of January. That includes the last game against Miami. He has done well primarily coming off the bench.

Paul George is another player that can go off at any moment. In his last game against San Antonio on Monday, he scored 19 points. He is off to a great start in the month of February, averaging 21 points in the first two games of the month.

The Miami Heat will have to be on their toes

The Clippers will attack the Miami Heat. They will not be afraid to use any of the weapons at their disposal. Against teams like Boston, the Miami Heat have been exposed defensively. Miami will need to do everything they can to make sure they eliminate as many weaknesses as possible. If they don’t, it could be a long evening. A stellar defensive game will be needed. Strong rotations on defense will be critical for success.

A win for the Miami Heat would go a long way. This would certainly be a critical victory for them as the All-Star break nears. Especially against one of the elite teams in a stacked Western Conference, winning this game would give them momentum.

Miami Heat: Duncan Robinson invited to Three Point Contest

The Miami Heat will have yet another representative at All Star Weekend. Duncan Robinson will participate in the Three-Point Contest. Robinson has begun to establish himself as one of the top three-point shooters in the game.

On the season, he has a 43.8% three-point conversion percentage. He has proven himself to be quite the marksman for Miami.

Take the December 10 game against the Atlanta Hawks. He went 10-of-14 from beyond the arc, shooting at a 71.4% clip. In total, he scored 34 points on the evening.

The first game that he really began to come into his own was on November 20 against Cleveland. He went nine-of-15 from beyond the arc. We really began to see what type of shooter he was from distance.

Robinson has the third-highest three-point shooting percentage on the team. As it relates to this contest, he should be able to do pretty well. When he can get on a roll, it seems like he won’t miss. Robinson becomes the sixth Miami Heat player at All-Star Weekend.

Miami Heat have been here before

The last time a Miami Heat player participated in this was Mario Chalmers. He competed in the 2011-12 season.

It will be great to see Robinson compete on a national stage. In what is set to be a big weekend for the organization, he should be able to put up a fight. The full list of participants has not been announced yet, but there are sure to be some of the best shooters in the league.

It will be a fun weekend for everybody, and this will give Robinson more national exposure. He is certainly deserving of it given how much he has contributed so far this season. He is proving to be a key cog in the Miami Heat offensive attack. It will be imperative for him to keep it going as we inch closer the postseason.

Miami Heat: Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn selected for Rising Stars Game

Two more members of the Miami Heat are set to take part in All-Star weekend. Tyler Herro and Kendrick Nunn will be participating in the NBA Rising Stars Game.

Both Herro and Nunn will be on the USA team. Herro is averaging 13.1 points per game to go along with two assists and 4.2 rebounds. Nunn has recorded 16.2 points per game, 3.5 assists, and 2.8 rebounds.

Both players have been a huge part of the young foundation the Miami Heat are trying to build. Together they have shown promise as the season has progressed, and it will be imperative that they build off their progress in the second half.

For the Miami Heat, this will be a star-studded affair. The addition of Herro and Nunn now makes it four representatives for the Miami Heat in Chicago. This will give people a chance to see exactly what has made the Miami Heat so effective during the first half of the season.

Nunn was extremely excited about being selected to the game, posting his feelings on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B7_qvfnARe3/

Miami Heat have been here before.

This is the first time a Heat player has been selected to this game since Norris Cole in 2012. Cole recorded 18 points on seven-of-15 shooting in the event and 4-11 from beyond the arc. He also made plays for others, recording six assists and four steals.

Both Nunn and Herro will be heavily relied upon in the second half of the season as the Heat look to make a playoff run. Given the track record of most first-year players, it will be interesting to see if they hit the “rookie wall.” Alternatively, both are talented enough for sustained production the rest of the way. The Heat are going to need them to continue to play at a high level.