2020 End of Season / Playoffs

[G__Deane]

Tampa Bay wins the Stanley Cup
Could Miami now win the NBA Chip?
FL the new MA?

Unfortunately, the Heat have never seen foul trouble like the NAB refs have planned for them. Bam will now get the Jokic treatment.

[S.R.]

Serge posted this on his instagram tonight, which is a clip of him on the sidelines not being played while the Raptors lost in game 7... wonder what he’s exactly hoping to convey.... seems like maybe he’s ... not too happy about it? Otherwise he just likes to be a part of a good ol fashioned meme.

He's cracking jokes, OG and Biyomobo on there giving him laugh emojis.

It's that whole bench vibe, you got to sit there clapping for your guys but when they aren't looking anymore you can let out the "ah, fuck."

[KeonClark]

Heat culture is real. Not sure why people scoff at it, We The North has its own culture to be proud of now too. Room for more than one good culture.

Anyway, great article about the capo of Pat Rileys Miami mafia. Tons of cool stories and info inside. (Example: at 24 years old, Haslem actually told his teammate Shaq to STFU and quit bitching to the refs mid game, was the leader and the one Heat player holding Shaq accountable when his commitment would inevitably waver off track)


https://www.theringer.com/nba/2020/9...eat-nba-finals

Throughout Miami’s playoff run, there has been steady discussion of “Heat culture” and the mystique that comes with it. How real is any of this? What makes Miami different from any other team? Riley has often explained his organization’s values by saying he wants to cultivate “the hardest working, best conditioned, most professional, most unselfish, toughest, nastiest, most disliked team in the league.” But those ideals will take you only so far. For anyone curious about what “Heat culture” looks like in practice, understanding Haslem’s story is a good place to start.

“He’s the embodiment,” Spoelstra says. “Years on from here, when we’ll say, ‘What’s the Miami Heat culture?’ We can describe it and say, ‘Hardest working team, most professional, best conditioned, and so forth.’ Or we can just pull up a picture of Udonis Haslem.”

[slaw]

Heat culture is real. Not sure why people scoff at it, We The North has its own culture to be proud of now too. Room for more than one good culture.

Anyway, great article about the capo of Pat Rileys Miami mafia. Tons of cool stories and info inside. (Example: at 24 years old, Haslem actually told his teammate Shaq to STFU and quit bitching to the refs mid game, was the leader and the one Heat player holding Shaq accountable when his commitment would inevitably waver off track)


https://www.theringer.com/nba/2020/9...eat-nba-finals

You need to have the right people in charge. Miami has the right people in charge. It all flows down from there.

[planetmars]

Miami has been in the lottery 3 of the last 5 years (and one first round exit in another). They gave Whiteside a huge massive deal. They gave Dion Waiters a 4 year deal too - I thought Riley loved hard workers and professionals lol. They had the 5th best record this year in the East in the regular season. Spo is also a good coach, but again missed the playoffs 3 out of the last 5 years. Lost 2 out of 4 times with Lebron in his prime as well. Dwane Casey created a defense that stopped them cold lol.

I wonder if they are succeeding this year because it is a bubble. I wonder how guys like Herro, Robinson or Nunn would look like with fans around? Or having to play every round with a home court disadvantage.

I am rooting for Jimmy though. One of my favourite players. Hope he gets a ring. I just think the Miami Heat culture is fine I guess. I like the Raptors story way more. And it's not just because I'm a Raptor fan. Masai's teams have made the playoffs every damn season he's been here. Didn't need to build a super team. And he won a chip with fans in the stands.

[S.R.]

Miami has been in the lottery 3 of the last 5 years (and one first round exit in another). They gave Whiteside a huge massive deal. They gave Dion Waiters a 4 year deal too - I thought Riley loved hard workers and professionals lol. They had the 5th best record this year in the East in the regular season. Spo is also a good coach, but again missed the playoffs 3 out of the last 5 years. Lost 2 out of 4 times with Lebron in his prime as well. Dwane Casey created a defense that stopped them cold lol.

I wonder if they are succeeding this year because it is a bubble. I wonder how guys like Herro, Robinson or Nunn would look like with fans around? Or having to play every round with a home court disadvantage.

I am rooting for Jimmy though. One of my favourite players. Hope he gets a ring. I just think the Miami Heat culture is fine I guess. I like the Raptors story way more. And it's not just because I'm a Raptor fan. Masai's teams have made the playoffs every damn season he's been here. Didn't need to build a super team. And he won a chip with fans in the stands.

Very much agreed on both points - going into the bubble, we wondered how the environment would affect players. Some, like PG-13 and Siakam clearly struggled. Role players who are usually good at home and less so on the road seemed to thrive, especially shooters. Miami's shooters have been good. Jamal Murray looked like a top 10 player. Swung different ways for different players.

And yeah, the Heat were really fumbling along until they landed this group. I'm also questioning how much of this they lucked into. Like you said, Dion Waiters and Whiteside are the opposite of "Heat culture." You get who you can get and who you think will be good and sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. I mean good ownership and coaching overall in Miami for sure, but it's being oversold a bit rn.

[slaw]

I wonder if they are succeeding this year because it is a bubble. I wonder how guys like Herro, Robinson or Nunn would look like with fans around? Or having to play every round with a home court disadvantage.

I have heard a couple of basketball GMs/presidents talk about trying to figure out how much of the bubble is real. I think Masai mentioned something like this in his year ender.

[G__Deane]

Very much agreed on both points - going into the bubble, we wondered how the environment would affect players. Some, like PG-13 and Siakam clearly struggled. Role players who are usually good at home and less so on the road seemed to thrive, especially shooters. Miami's shooters have been good. Jamal Murray looked like a top 10 player. Swung different ways for different players.

And yeah, the Heat were really fumbling along until they landed this group. I'm also questioning how much of this they lucked into. Like you said, Dion Waiters and Whiteside are the opposite of "Heat culture." You get who you can get and who you think will be good and sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. I mean good ownership and coaching overall in Miami for sure, but it's being oversold a bit rn.

The Raps lost a very real home advantage to the bubble. Games 7's at home are a real deal.
But the Nuggets lost a very real home court advantage by not being able to play at elevation, maybe a difference maker when playing the LA's

[The Great One]

The team that lost a real home court advantage was Milwaukee. The Bucks would've EASILY beat the Heat under normal circumstances. Those guys are so good at home. Last year, It took a gargantuan performance from Kawhi and a couple of clutch 3's from FVV and Gasol to steal Game 5.

[slaw]

The team that lost a real home court advantage was Milwaukee. The Bucks would've EASILY beat the Heat under normal circumstances. Those guys are so good at home. Last year, It took a gargantuan performance from Kawhi and a couple of clutch 3's from FVV and Gasol to steal Game 5.

The biggest bubble issue was that NBA never did find any way to reward the top seeds.

[golden]

Heat culture is real. Not sure why people scoff at it, We The North has its own culture to be proud of now too. Room for more than one good culture.

Anyway, great article about the capo of Pat Rileys Miami mafia. Tons of cool stories and info inside. (Example: at 24 years old, Haslem actually told his teammate Shaq to STFU and quit bitching to the refs mid game, was the leader and the one Heat player holding Shaq accountable when his commitment would inevitably waver off track)


https://www.theringer.com/nba/2020/9...eat-nba-finals

Meh. They were a lottery & treadmill team before and after Lebron. And they missed the playoffs before Butler arrived, just like the TWolves. Where was all the talk about culture during those down years?

Nobody talks about Spurs culture now that Duncan left and they’re losing.

[Kagemusha]

Meh. They were a lottery & treadmill team before and after Lebron. And they missed the playoffs before Butler arrived, just like the TWolves. Where was all the talk about culture during those down years?

Nobody talks about Spurs culture now that Duncan left and they’re losing.

Every team goes thru phases.
Miami became a lottery team since Lebron and his friends gutted it.
Culture also means getting the right pieces to carry out the team's vision.
Lowry was that main piece to Toronto.
Wade and Butler for Miami.
Duncan for the Spurs.

Culture is NOT winning.
A team that's not winning doesn't necessarily mean it lacks culture.

[Rudy Bargnani]

Meh. They were a lottery & treadmill team before and after Lebron. And they missed the playoffs before Butler arrived, just like the TWolves. Where was all the talk about culture during those down years?

Nobody talks about Spurs culture now that Duncan left and they’re losing.

Miami won an NBA championship 5 years before Lebron arrived and made the playoffs in each of the 2 years before he arrived. Were not a lottery team before he arrived.

They also made the playoffs 2 years after Lebron left. Raptors knocked their asses out.

[bertarapsfan]

Those down years in miami had a lot to do with Bosh getting blood clots and being forced to retire.

[golden]

Miami won an NBA championship 5 years before Lebron arrived and made the playoffs in each of the 2 years before he arrived. Were not a lottery team before he arrived.

They also made the playoffs 2 years after Lebron left. Raptors knocked their asses out.

7-11 treadmill & lottery team after Shaq left & after Lebron left. Nothing really impressive about treadmill. The culture talk only comes up when a star player arrives in South Beach. The culture is all about acquiring the star player.

The culture leaves when the player leaves, just like Duncan and the Spurs, even though he’s still a coach. How much talk do we hear about Spurs culture these days?