10 things to ponder about the Heat
10 things to ponder about the Heat
Associated Press
Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have combined for 70.9 points per game their first season together in Miami.
1Heat superstars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who have combined for 70.9 points per game this season, were all top five picks in the 2003 draft. Wade was chosen fifth, but is the only one of the three to win an NBA championship. He finished this season as the league's fourth-highest scorer at 25.5 points per game.2With the addition of James and Bosh in the offseason, the Heat's overall attendance is up 5.1 percent, which equals about 1,721 more fans at each game. James often refers to his team as "The Heatles" because of its ability to sell out games wherever it goes. His comparison to the legendary rock group comes with good reason as the Heat leads the NBA with a 100.9 road attendance percentage.
3Power forward Udonis Haslem has been Miami's fourth-leading scorer, averaging eight points. He was signed by the Heat as an undrafted rookie in 2003 after playing professionally in France for a season. Last April, Haslem drained a buzzer-beater in Philadelphia to give Miami a two-point win over the Sixers. He has averaged 7.5 points and 7.2 rebounds in his playoff career with the Heat.
4Point guard Mike Bibby was signed by Miami just last month and is expected to start throughout the playoffs. Bibby, who spent the majority of his career in Sacramento, is averaging 7.3 points in 22 games for Miami. The best game of his 13-year career came in 2006 with the Kings when he dropped 44 points on the Sixers in Philadelphia.
5Starting center Zydrunas Ilgauskas could be a player to watch. He was a longtime teammate of James' in Cleveland but is having the least productive season of his career, averaging five points and four rebounds in his first season with Miami. Bosh leads the team with 8.3 rebounds per game and backup center Joel Anthony averages a team-high 1.2 blocks.
6Erik Spoelstra is the first Filipino-American head coach in NBA history as well as in the history of all major American professional sports. At 40 years old, Spoelstra is currently the third-youngest NBA coach and also one of only a handful of coaches who did not play in the league. He succeeded Hall of Fame coach Pat Riley last season after serving as an assistant on Miami's staff since 1995.
7Riley, the team president, has been the head coach of five NBA championship teams, including the 2006 Heat. He also won a title while playing for the Lakers in 1972 and starred at the University of Kentucky. Riley's father, Leon, was a professional baseball player who appeared in four games for the 1944 Phillies.
8Miami assistant coach Bob McAdoo won two NBA championships while playing for Riley and the Lakers from 1981 to 1985. He is a five-time NBA All-Star and three-time scoring champion. McAdoo played the final season of his distinguished, 14-year career in Philadelphia with Sixers legends Julius Erving and Charles Barkley in the 1985-86 season. Now in his 16th season assisting the Heat, McAdoo works primarily with Miami's big men.
9Just four seasons ago, the Miami Heat was, by far, the worst team in the NBA. With Wade injured, the team finished the 2007-08 season 15-67 two seasons removed from winning the NBA title. The Heat then obtained Kansas State freshman phenom Michael Beasley with the second overall pick in the draft. However, Miami traded Beasley to clear salary-cap space for James and Bosh.
10More than 60 percent of the Heat's roster was not part of the team last season, and Wade is the only returning starter. In comparison, the Sixers have retained four of their top five leading scorers from last season with the exception of Allen Iverson. While the Sixers have six scorers averaging double digits this season, the Heat has just three. Guess which three? *
3Power forward Udonis Haslem has been Miami's fourth-leading scorer, averaging eight points. He was signed by the Heat as an undrafted rookie in 2003 after playing professionally in France for a season. Last April, Haslem drained a buzzer-beater in Philadelphia to give Miami a two-point win over the Sixers. He has averaged 7.5 points and 7.2 rebounds in his playoff career with the Heat.
4Point guard Mike Bibby was signed by Miami just last month and is expected to start throughout the playoffs. Bibby, who spent the majority of his career in Sacramento, is averaging 7.3 points in 22 games for Miami. The best game of his 13-year career came in 2006 with the Kings when he dropped 44 points on the Sixers in Philadelphia.
5Starting center Zydrunas Ilgauskas could be a player to watch. He was a longtime teammate of James' in Cleveland but is having the least productive season of his career, averaging five points and four rebounds in his first season with Miami. Bosh leads the team with 8.3 rebounds per game and backup center Joel Anthony averages a team-high 1.2 blocks.
6Erik Spoelstra is the first Filipino-American head coach in NBA history as well as in the history of all major American professional sports. At 40 years old, Spoelstra is currently the third-youngest NBA coach and also one of only a handful of coaches who did not play in the league. He succeeded Hall of Fame coach Pat Riley last season after serving as an assistant on Miami's staff since 1995.
7Riley, the team president, has been the head coach of five NBA championship teams, including the 2006 Heat. He also won a title while playing for the Lakers in 1972 and starred at the University of Kentucky. Riley's father, Leon, was a professional baseball player who appeared in four games for the 1944 Phillies.
8Miami assistant coach Bob McAdoo won two NBA championships while playing for Riley and the Lakers from 1981 to 1985. He is a five-time NBA All-Star and three-time scoring champion. McAdoo played the final season of his distinguished, 14-year career in Philadelphia with Sixers legends Julius Erving and Charles Barkley in the 1985-86 season. Now in his 16th season assisting the Heat, McAdoo works primarily with Miami's big men.
9Just four seasons ago, the Miami Heat was, by far, the worst team in the NBA. With Wade injured, the team finished the 2007-08 season 15-67 two seasons removed from winning the NBA title. The Heat then obtained Kansas State freshman phenom Michael Beasley with the second overall pick in the draft. However, Miami traded Beasley to clear salary-cap space for James and Bosh.
10More than 60 percent of the Heat's roster was not part of the team last season, and Wade is the only returning starter. In comparison, the Sixers have retained four of their top five leading scorers from last season with the exception of Allen Iverson. While the Sixers have six scorers averaging double digits this season, the Heat has just three. Guess which three? *
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