Dion Waiters star potential at age 20 has NBA teams in the lottery ready to take the risk on drafting based on potential.

Combo guard Dion Waiters out of Syracuse is unlikely to fall out of the lottery in Thursday’s 2012 NBA Draft and for good reason despite barely being on the radar at this time last year.  He has star potential, but plenty of question marks.

Standing at 6-4 and weighing 215 gives Waiters the NBA strength he needs to handle opposing guards defensively the way he did as a Sophomore at Syracuse.  At 20-years-old Waiters potential is virtually untapped and extremely high.  His stat line last season at Syracuse was far from impressive with 12.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists coming off the bench.  His 1.8 steals per game in 24 minutes showed what he can do to force the other team into turnover and create transition baskets for his team.

Waiters struggles in the half court when the game is slowed down at times because he isn’t a great athlete and will settle for the fall away contested jumper.  This is where all the Dwyane Wade comparisons come in and while I don’t know if he will be a star of Wade’s caliber, I think that there is some validity to them because of a similar skill set and weaknesses.

Waiters jumper is the area where he has showed enough promise to make scouts believe he can develop into a very good mid-range and 3-point shooter at the next level.  Although it was very inconsistent at times last season, he showed the ability to hit the big jumper when it counted during clutch time for the 34-3 Orange.

He shut down all predraft interviews and workouts after the first day of the Draft Combine in Chicago which means he most likely has a lottery promise and many believe it’s Phoenix at 13.  If he goes to the Suns he would start or be the sixth man immediately and be a big re-building piece in the start of the post-Nash era.

I’ve heard talk that he might be drafted even earlier than 13.  DraftExpress has him going with pick No. 8 to Toronto where he could resume his sixth man role behind DeMar DeRozan or take over the vacant point guard spot as he has the skills to play with the ball in his hands although ideally he wouldn’t be the main distributor for a team.

Portland is another team that could take him as they have the sixth pick and are in desperate need of help in the back court with Raymond Felton and Jamal Crawford being free-agents.  Drafting Waiters and putting him with LaMarcus Aldridge is a good look for the future.

I worry about teams taking him too high and expecting him to be a superstar right away. If he goes in the top-10 then the team who drafts him is getting a player they can mold into a future star and know very well that there are some dark rebuilding days ahead. A month ago, I thought he would have went later in the first round to someone like the Nuggets with pick 20.  It would be much more ideal for him to be a sixth man type of player like James Harden with a lot of firepower on the roster already, but teams think he can be better than that because of how good he is on the defensive end.

Waiters has that Sixth Man of the Year potential as he is really not a pure point guard and too short with less than elite athletic skills, but still strong enough to score. I think that he could become a successful everyday starter in the future, but it’s going to take a couple of years like most 20-year-olds.  He’s got enough talent and forces teams into turnovers with high energy which is something that is crucial for success as a combo guard without the one-on-one skills to get his own every time down.  If he has the drive and someone shows the patience and confidence in him then Waiters can mold himself into a very good all-around, major impact, everyday player in the NBA.

Conference USA Player of the Year, Will Barton dominated his sophomore season at Memphis while shooting over 50% from the field and isn't even a lock for the first round. Somebody is going to win big with Barton.

Will Barton is a name that stands out to me when looking at a player with huge sleeper potential in the upcoming NBA draft taking place on June 28 at Prudential Center in New Jersey.

Barton was the Conference USA Player of the Year averaging 18.1 points per game, 8.1 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game, and 1.4 steals per game.  Impressive numbers and he did all of that scoring while shooting a very efficient 51% from the field on the season and he lacks no confidence on what caliber of player he can become in the NBA.

“I respect all the other guys in the draft, I think they’re real good. I’m not saying they’re bums or anything and can’t compete with me. I just think I’m the best at the end of the day,” said Barton at  NBA Draft combine.

Everybody is always looking for the next Rajon Rondo, who was selected with the 21st overall pick in a very bad draft.  This years class is loaded which is why Barton is going to slide to the late first round.  I can’t see him slipping to the second because if he’s still available at pick No. 25 then I can’t see the Memphis Grizzlies not taking the Memphis University product from Baltimore.  Barton is one of nine players in Memphis history to break 1,000 points in two seasons.

Barton showed impressive improvement from his freshman to his sophomore seasons.  His showed maturity and patience in the offense improving his shot selection and becoming the clear-cut leader of a team full of dynamic athletes.  The strength of his game is his versatility and athleticism.  I think he has the ability to guard positions 1-thru-3 at 6-6 with great speed and athleticism, but the only real concern in his game is the lack of strength.

Barton is thin weighing in at merely 180 pounds and it doesn’t look like he’s going to be able to add much strength.  It’s a concern that he will get bullied by NBA 2′s and 3′s.  He shies away from contact when overmatched with physical strength, but he is just too impressive all-around to become another James White.  White was an amazing athlete similar to Barton, but had similar strength issues and could never stick in the league.

His strength outweigh his weaknesses and I look at him like a smarter, longer J.R. Smith with the way he will impact the transition game and finish at the rim.  Rip Hamilton is a guy that has had a great career even though he is extremely skinny.  Barton doesn’t have the mid-range that Rip has, but is very strong at shooting off the dribble.  Hamilton never had the athleticism that Barton does as he is a highlight reel waiting to happen.

I think Barton is too good on the offensive end to not stick in the NBA.  I think he can be a starting caliber 2-guard who will thrive in both the half court and in transition and lift up any team with his versatility.  I see him as an absolute steal in the late first round and while he has taken a back seat to shooting guards like Austin Rivers, Brad Beal, and Jeremy Lamb,… Barton could very well end up being as good as any of them.  I’m predicting that we will look back in five years and say wow how did he fall to the 20′s in the first round.

Places I could see him landing: Atlanta at 23, Cleveland at 24, Memphis at 25, Chicago at 29, Golden St at 30, or Wizards at 32.  I would be surprised to see him go before that and would be shocked if he falls to the second round.  Mario Chalmers is a guy recently that has been a very successful second round pick and Barton will have similar success if he lands in the right spot.

After eight seasons of try and fail LeBron finally won his ring after a triple-double in game-5 ended the NBA Finals.

Game-5 of the NBA Finals in Miami and the theme didn’t change, LeBron James was just too dominant for the young Thunder in the quest for his first NBA Championship.  The Chosen One took his game to another level this season and answered every critic to prove he is nothing less than the best player in the world.

Today marks the end of James ringless era and the start of race to see how many he can get before the end of his career.

All of the big-3 were extremely efficient in the first half going a combined 14-for-21 including 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists from James.  Mike Miller rose up from the dead and seized his opportunity to make a huge impact despite looking hobbled as usual.  Miller went 4-for-4 from deep in the first half for 12 huge points. Oklahoma City was outmatched right from the first play of the game when James punched it home and right then I knew he was getting that championship tonight.

Russell Westbrook reverted back to his usual play in these finals and couldn’t hit anything after a brilliant performance in a losing effort in game-4.  James Harden was completely ineffective once again.  These two didn’t provide enough firepower for the Thunder to have a shot at winning.  Kevin Durant got his points as usual, but it wasn’t enough with all the Heat stars locked in. Valiant effort from Durant with 32 points and 11 rebounds and he will get his turn, but it just wasn’t their time yet.

Miami’s three stars continued to dominate the second half and found themselves up by 23 points after the third quarter.  The Thunder were just jacking up 3-pointers that didn’t have a prayer and were treated like children by a team on a mission to win a championship.

This ring secures Erik Spoelsta’s spot as the long term coach of the Heat.  If they would have lost in the Eastern Conference Finals to Boston I thought that he would be replaced.  He proved to everyone that he could motivate this group of stars and get them in the right mental place to play hungry for a championship.

Mike Miller put on an amazing shooting display out of nowhere and was on all night long and had his best game as a member of the Heat.  He went for 23 points on 7-for-8 from 3-point distance in a performance that won’t be soon forgotten.

Chris Bosh had a great game from the field and misses were rare hitting for 24 points on 9-for-14 shooting while Dwyane Wade added in 20 points. LeBron finished with an amazing 26 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds.

Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole put in great games from the point guard position and the others that were once doubted for the Heat proved everybody wrong on their way to the Finals victory.  Juwan Howard,although he didn’t play, is the first member of the legendary Fab Five team to get an NBA Championship ring.

The biggest story is LeBron getting the championship that the critics said he never would and he didn’t slip up one time along the way.  He looked like a force of nature for the entire post-season and left nothing to be desired in any area of the game.  He turned his perceived mental weakness, and lack of aggression in past finals into strengths and that’s what the truly great players do.  His will to win was strong and it all started when the Heat fell down 2-1 to the Pacers in the second round and James came out like an uncaged beast and dropped 45 points.  From then on, if he wasn’t before, he was a man on a mission who wasn’t going to lose.

It looks like James finally has figured out how to be a champion and I’m truly happy for him to get this huge weight of the world to win a ring off his back.  I didn’t always feel that way, but with his play and demeanor he redefined himself and became a championship leader whose team responded to their superstar in a big way.

How many rings can LeBron win? I can’t answer that, but I am positive that this isn’t going to be the only championship that defines his legacy.  At 27 years old the potential to win many more championships exist.  Not one more, not two more.. okay that speech from 2010 is now dead and gone and everybody is instantly going to realize that there isn’t a match for him in the game.  I just hope my Knicks can somehow someway someday build a team that challenges them.

Adding Steve Nash or Jason Kidd in free-agency could be the push that the Knicks need in the lockerroom and on the court to be a true championship contender next season.

Legendary point guards Steve Nash and Jason Kidd have both confirmed that the Knicks are an attractive option for them in free agency if New York comes calling.  Both players resume’s speak for themselves and either would be a huge push in the right direction because any championship caliber teams must have a championship caliber locker room.

2X NBA MVP Steve Nash is the guy that the Knicks hope Jeremy Lin is trying to pattern his career after.  When asked about the possibility of playing in New York, Nash had this to say “The Knicks are a great franchise and I live in New York City, so I’d definitely consider them if they were interested.”

The problem with getting Nash would be that he would take Lin’s starting job.  Mike Woodson had already come out before the roster has been fully assembled and said that Lin is the starter.  Lin proved he was a versatile and exciting player last season capturing the attention of the world before it ended with a torn meniscus that forced him to watch his team lose to the Heat in a suit at the end of the bench.  I’m doubting that the Knicks would have the money to retain Lin and get Nash anyways unless they win the bird rights hearing which will give them Lin + a $5.5 million mid-level exception.  If that’s the case then they should without a shred of doubt try and pick up the Canadian who averaged 13 points and 11 assists this season at 38 years old. There has never been a player that has been this good and most are long retired before they are his age, but he just keeps going.

Add to that the fact that he sat in Phoenix this season on a non-contender and didn’t have one trade demand and kept playing hard every night tells you what Nash’s character is all about.  He’s never been a good defender, but he’s amazing on the offensive end and would be monumental in putting the right guys in the locker room.

Amare Stoudemire is another huge reason why bringing in Nash would be gold.  Stoudemire played he best seasons with Nash as his point guard.  The Knicks are desperate to get Stoudemire and his huge contract back to being the dominant player that they paid $100 million for in the first place.  I guarantee that Stat is all about getting Nash on the team and would be a better player because of it.

Jason Kidd is a very attractive option for the Knicks because he would come cheap and he’s already came out and said that he would enjoy playing behind Lin.  “That would be a lot of fun to help a player like that,” Kidd said according to ESPN. “Just share the things that helped me be successful in this league.”

Kidd has three NBA Finals appearances, one ring, and 18 years of experience and the Knicks need that veteran guy to come off the bench and bring a winners mentality similar to what Derek Fisher does for the Thunder.  Kidd averaged 6.6 assists per game in the playoffs and despite being swept by OKC he played very well.

Either option would be great for a Knicks team who everybody seems to have a negative opinion on.  These aged vets with a million years of experience are invaluable to a young and sometimes fragile locker room like the one in New York.  The Knicks should be extremely disappointed if they can’t reel one of these guys in because it would be a big step forward in competing for a championship and plus Lin hasn’t showed that he isn’t injury prone.

It’s just nice to finally hear two respected guys think that the Knicks are an attractive option because I still sour about Phil Jackson’s terrible attitude toward the team.

Mario Chalmers was blessed with the clutch gene that allows him to rise up and make the huge play when the big lights are on and time is running out.

Mario Chalmers came out of nowhere to score 25 points on 9-for-15 shooting including 12 points in the fourth quarter while LeBron James was cramping up to all but seal a NBA Championship in Miami.  Chalmers can be streaky as a player, but was blessed with a tremendous clutch gene that allows him to shine in the biggest make or break moments no matter what happened during the rest of the game.

We all remember when he nailed the miracle 3-pointer at the very end of regulation to send Kansas into overtime in the National Championship game, where they won.  No one shot has ever given me as much joy as when Chalmers splashed that one.  He isn’t the best player ever to play at Kansas, but no KU fan will ever forget that he brought them their first title in 20 years.  He’s a hero in those parts and the Heat stole him in the second round of the draft hoping that clutch would translate to the NBA and it did.

All of his ability to make huge plays in the biggest moments stem from his crazy confidence level.  There a saying that goes “only naive people change the world.”  I wouldn’t be surprised if Mario thinks that he should be getting the shots instead of the big-3.  Many times he comes off as arrogant and cocky, but without that sense of him believing every shot that he takes is going to go down then his clutch gene wouldn’t be nearly as elite.  He is never intimidated by any player or any moment on a basketball court and it’s very rare that an average player can rise up like Chalmers does when the big game lights come on.

Chalmers is on his way to being an aspiring Derek Fisher, another point guard who is wearing five rings and has hit some big shots himself over the years.  With LeBron James on his team, there is no telling how many championships they can win in Miami.  You often see LeBron and Dwyane Wade yelling at Chalmers during the game and it never discourages him.  Thick skin goes along with that confidence to allow him to strike when nobody is expecting with the game on the line.

Overall Chalmers has shown improvement as a point guard every season in the league and is now a very capable starter who continues to make the right plays on both sides of the basketball.  For LeBron, whose clutch gene has been questioned, to have a guy who shines in the biggest moments as a roleplayer is an absolute blessing.  Chalmers is the perfect point guard to put with the big-3 because he knows his role, but at the same time he doesn’t have one ounce of fear in him about taking and making season-altering shots.

Chalmers now has two high school state championships, a NCAA National Championship, and is about to add another championship to his legacy as NBA champion and he has done his part on every single one of those teams to bring home the hardware.  You can’t teach the confidence that Chalmers has and while it doesn’t always work in his favor, it’s moments like last night with everything on the line that make him such a valuable player.

How do the Thunder slow down LeBron James? Box and 1, double-team, zone.. cryptonite? Scott Brooks needs to figure it out soon to avoid being the runner-up of the lockout season.

Heat came out in game-3 of the NBA Finals in Miami and set the tone with great energy and physicality while dominating in the paint and on the glass.

LeBron James is too big, too strong, and too fast to be stopped.  James had it in his head to get to the rack and finish strong every play and it worked to perfection.  Whether it was at the top of the key with the ball or freeing himself up to catch it in the paint, it looked like James has realized he’s physically superior to everybody who’s ever played the game and he can out-muscle anybody to get points in the paint and own the boards.

James is playing at a different level than we have ever seen him especially on an NBA Finals stage.  He has become a better decision-maker this post-season whereas in past years he would pass too much or settle for too many jumpers or whatever, but something was missing.  Players grow and improve with experience and that’s what he gained in two previous Finals appearances and nine seasons in the league.  He finished with 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 3 assists today in dominant fashion.

LeBron loved the physicality and was a vicious beast tonight out for the kill. 14 rebounds and five of them came on the offensive end.  This entire playoffs he has made the right decisions and finally set it in stone that this is his team.  It should have been obvious from day one, but for some reason they wanted to pretend Wade needed the ball for a year and a half.  James is very gifted basketball player who just happens to be the size of Julius Peppers and as fast or faster than nearly any guard in the league.  It’s an obvious advantage especially with skinny Kevin Durant, whose only notable weakness is his lack of strength.

Dwyane Wade did what he has failed to do in every game that the Heat have lost this post-season and got off to a hot start.  He hit his first two shots and then missed a couple, but it was high energy that was his most valuable asset.  Flash was making big plays on defense, crossing people over and getting in the lane, and making the right pass for a change.  He doesn’t even have to carry the energy level through the entire game, but it’s crucial that he does it at the beginning like tonight.  Wade and James are the stars who set the tone for the team and other players observe and feed off that energy. Wade only shot 8-for-22 and he is just not a very good jump shooter at all, but was able to get to the rim.  If he could cut the jumper out of his arsenal all-together then he would be a much more efficient player. He scored 25 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and dished out 7 assists.

Chris Bosh scored 10 points on just 3-for-12 shooting, grabbed 11 big rebounds, and blocked 2 shots.  He had an awful shooting performance just like Wade, but also just like Wade he brought the early energy and did other things to help the Heat win.   Two ferocious dunks to start off the game and grabbed four boards on the offensive glass overshadow the bricks.

Shane Battier is just an anomaly.  This guy was not a good shooter all season or in the playoffs and in the NBA Finals is lighting it on fire from deep.  2-for-2 from 3-point range tonight, but it was clear the Thunder were making a big effort to stop the 3-ball especially Battier, which in turn freed up the driving lanes for Wade and LeBron. I disagree with this strategy by Scott Brooks, I would invite Battier to shoot all day long and if they beat you that way then ok.  If the Thunder were my team, I would focus all of my efforts on containing LeBron and beg anyone else to beat you.  I might even run a box and 1 like the Spurs did to beat LBJ’s Cavs in the ’06 Finals.

This was a winnable game for OKC down to the very end and I thought they played well considering it was the first game in Miami.  The Heat had more to lose than the Thunder in this one.  If the Thunder can win just one game out of the next two in Miami, then the series heads back to Oklahoma where they will need to win two straight.  With that in mind, this loss isn’t devastating.

Kevin Durant has proven he can score on anybody and today was no different putting in 25 points on 11-for-19 and six rebounds with zero assists.  He got in foul trouble again having to go to the bench in the third with four and watch as the Heat regained control of the game.  He also only shot four free-throws and missed two of them in the fourth quarter.  Miami is a very good defensive team and while Durant is a lethally dangerous scorer with a silky smooth jumper, he has to free himself up better and be more aggressive to get to the bucket.  He shows flashes of the aggression, but is trying to become a small-forward because his natural position is shooting guard.

James Harden and Russell Westbrook's jumpers have both been broken for the majority of three NBA Finals games,leaving even more pressure to score on Kevin Durant.

Russell Westbrook continues to struggle with his jumper, but still played a good game before missing a wide-open 3-pointer that would have tied in up late in the fourth quarter.  It was the right shot to take and he unquestionably did the right thing by pulling the jumper, but it just didn’t go down.  Westbrook takes a lot of criticism that is completely unwarranted at the age of 23 and he will only be better because of it. 19 points on 8-for-18, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks and was benched in the third for a small spell after getting erratic.  There’s no way this series is going to go by without Westbrook having a huge game and it hasn’t happened yet.

Kendrick Perkins played great on the defensive end and scored 10 points while grabbing 12 rebounds for a very solid performance. However his counterpart on the block, Serge Ibaka has provided next to nothing offensively and only pulled down five rebounds tonight.  In the San Antonio series, Ibaka’s mid-range game was a weapon and he even went 11-for-11 for 26 points in game four.  He shot just 2-for-5 for 5 points which all of the sudden gives the Heat two Thunder big men they can sag off of a neglect in order to stop OKC’s three stars.

James Harden was a complete non-factor tonight scoring the basketball, shooting just 2-for-10and scoring 9 points.  The Beard has only gotten off in one half during the Finals and that was his 17 in the first half of game-2 which was an eventual loss.  He did some other good things including 6 assists, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals which is commendable for a shooter whose shot isn’t falling.  But his job is to score and he needs to find his jumper and find it quick.  His jumper has been uncharacteristically busted so far this series so he needs to either hit or stop firing.

Heat have the momentum in this series with an opportunity to win the next two games in Miami and bring home the trophy.  I picked the Thunder in seven games because I felt the quality of roleplayer on the Thunder was much higher with just as much firepower.  I’m not ready to change the pick, but the forecast is sunny right now for the Heat due to LeBron’s dominance.  While picking the Thunder in seven, I didn’t account for LeBron being this great.  If you are one of millions of LeBron critics, there’s still hope that he will still find a way to not win a ring, but up to this point there isn’t a match for his size, athletic ability, versatility, and skill.  I feel like if the Thunder are going to win this series then they must find a way to disrupt James and let somebody, anybody else on Miami’s roster try and beat them.  Thunder must get physical and stop these guys from taking the ball straight to the basket and force them to take jumpers.  There’s a lot of basketball left to be played in this series and just like when OKC was down to the Spurs 2-0, anything can happen. However the Spurs didn’t have #6.

Does Phil Jackson really believe the Knicks stars are clumsy or is the fact that he was never offered the job helping to form his opinion?

Phil Jackson trashed the Knicks roster in an interview with HBO’s Real Sports that will air Tuesday and said it was a relief when the job offer to be the next head coach in New York never came.

“I wasn’t gonna take that job, that’s for sure,” said Jackson who then went on to call the current stars ‘clumsy’. “Well, they don’t fit together well.  Stoudemire doesn’t fit well with Carmelo. Stoudemire’s a really good player.  But he’s gotta play in a certain system and a way. Carmelo has to be a better passer and the ball can’t stop every time it hits his hands.  They need to have someone come in that can kinda blend that group together.”

Jackson is considered the best coach of all-time after winning 11 NBA championships.  All those rings came with Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant leading the way.  The Knicks were a playoff team last season who were hampered by injuries in the playoffs and Jackson’s comments just show how big of a front runner he is. I don’t know why I had a different perception of him like he would even consider taking on even a remote challenge.  Making his comments even more baffling is the fact that he won two championships as a player with the Knicks.

Jackson comes off as a bit scorned that Jim Dolan never even picked up the phone to offer him the job. Of course he says that he doesn’t want the job now that the Knicks have committed to Mike Woodson as the head coach.

The comments about Carmelo Anthony stopping the ball really anger me.  Did Jordan and Kobe not ‘stop the ball’?  Anthony does need to improve his passing, BUT he showed on more than one occasion last season that he was willing to do so.  The ball doesn’t stop in his hands, it usually ends up in the basket.  Instinctively, Melo is a very good passer, but who was he going to pass to in the playoffs this season with everyone hurt.  Anthony is more willing to play team basketball than people believe, but he’s a scorer and that’s the strength of his game.

He makes it sound like Stoudemire is a good player and Anthony is holding him back.  In reality, Stoudemire wasn’t very good last season.  It was one excuse after another from the power forward who was riddled with injury for most of the season.  I believe he will bounce back, but he wasn’t the Stat we all know and love and that has nothing to do with Carmelo Anthony.

Both years the Knicks have made the playoffs with Anthony and Stoudemire together and both seasons Stoudemire has been hurt during the post-season leaving Anthony to shoulder the load.  I think this version of the Knicks is going to prove people like Jackson wrong because they will get better.  The talent is there and it’s not clumsy talent.  Becoming a championship caliber team doesn’t happen overnight and the Knicks are on the right path.

Also Phil Jackson is on a 4-game losing streak as a coach after being swept by the Mavs last season.

LeBron James was all business in his pregame demeanor and it showed out on the court as the Heat tied up the NBA Finals 1-1.

Miami Heat got good performances from all of the big-3 and Shane Battier was on fire as they won game-2 in Oklahoma City to tie the series.

Heat got out to an 18-2 start and saw Thunder stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook pick up two early fouls each along the way.  Oklahoma City never recovered from the slow start to get a lead even though they had it close in the fourth quarter.

Westbrook started 1-for-7 and Durant 1-for-3 before taking a seat on the bench and then James Harden carried the team with 10 first quarter points.  Harden scored seven more in the second quarter to lead all scorers in the game with 17 points at the half as the Thunder trailed by 12 points.  If it wasn’t for the hot shooting of Harden then it wouldn’t have been a game at all, but instead would have been a blowout.  Harden was almost a non-factor in the second half finishing with 21 points.

LeBron James didn’t really have the shot going the whole time, but was his usual dominant self creating buckets for himself and others.  He powered to the basket and showed his strength to finish on more than one occasion finishing with 32 Pts, 8 Reb, 5 Ast, 1 Stl.

Dwyane Wade bounced back from a subpar game-1 to put together a complete game-2.

Dwyane Wade did exactly what the Heat needed him to do in the first half with 13 Pts, 5 Reb, 4 Ast, and 1 Blk.  It’s been well documented that he hasn’t given very many solid first half performances, but that changed today.  Things change for Wade when he is aggressive at getting to the rim while his problems come with poor jump shot selection. Wade brought his A-game for both halves of basketball today.  I really believe he is the x-factor that will determine if Miami wins the series or not.  When he can bring it for an entire game then the Heat become a different much more dangerous team than if they are depending on a Cavs style LeBron offense to get the job done.  Wade finished with a huge 26 Pts, 6 Reb, and 5 Ast.

Chris Bosh finally got the start today, which it is still a mystery to me why he didn’t start game one, but he didn’t disappoint at all.  10 points, 10 rebounds, and a myriad of hustle plays for Bosh in the first half today.  He just wanted it more than the Thunder bigs finishing with 17 points and 16 huge rebounds.

Shane Battier was huge all game long hitting the wide open 3-pointers and jump shots.  The Thunder are going to elect to keep letting him shoot from deep as they have no other choice but to challenge him to beat them with his jumpshot because they can’t afford to take focus off of any of the big three.

The big key stat was Miami out-scoring the Thunder in fast break points on the first half 10-0.  Thunder are a great fast break team and must get points with their speed off of missed Heat shots.  It didn’t get much better in the second half, OKC must get out in transition.

Thunder made a run at the end of the third, but Miami kept coming up with just enough buckets to ward them off mostly courtesy of James.  The starters for the Thunder really blew this game early by letting the Heat have the huge lead.  When Durant and Westbrook are both completely off, there is barely hope for the Thunder to win as Harden isn’t going to be enough to beat the Heat by himself.

Durant and Westbrook  both got going late in the game especially KD, but it wasn’t enough to overcome all the bricked jumpers in the first quarter.  Both got their points  and played a good final three quarters, but it takes 48 minutes in the finals.  There’s no excuse not to set the tone early at home in front of that outstanding crowd.

Overall I am surprised at the result of this one.  I thought the Thunder would take care of business at home and now the momentum of the series belongs to Miami.  Thunder have the best home court advantage in the NBA and they gave it up today.  I think Oklahoma City will go to Miami and get a game.  I still think this series is going nothing short of seven games and I still think the Thunder have too much firepower.  This series won’t be decided until the very end.

Will Dwyane Wade step up and give LeBron James some help in game-2?

Dwyane Wade played awful in game one of the NBA Finals, scoring 19 points on 19 shots.  He made his team better with eight assists and only three turnovers, but for Miami to have a shot at this series they need Flash scoring at a high level so it’s not just LeBron against the Thunder.

The only way Wade is going to score at a high level efficiently is to leave the jumper alone.  Not the wide open jumper, but the contested early in the shot clock jumper that Wade seems to take over and over again. We have seen him leave the 3-point ball alone all season and now he needs to take the same approach with the deep jumper.

It’s looked obvious last night that Thabo Sefolosha and Russell Westbrook are too good of defenders for Wade to beat off the dribble at will.  On the other side of the ball, he failed to make an impact guarding Westbrook late in the game.  Wade has to find a way to be the second superstar next to LeBron James because that’s a combination that the other side has mastered perfectly with Westbrook and Kevin Durant.

With little expected out of the ‘others’ for the Heat outside of the big 3, Wade needs to find a way to get to the basket.  Spoelstra needs to set him up with some off the ball screens to free him up.  Wade needs to be constantly moving without the ball to at the least be a dangerous decoy. He’s got the realize that these guys are younger and more athletic than him at 30 years old.  At this point the game becomes mental for Wade.

The last time I felt the urge to call out Wade was after game three of the Pacers series where he hit for only five points on 2-for-13 from the field.  He responded masterfully with 30, 28, and 41 points in the next three games to win the series.  In all three of those performances he was efficient in shooting the ball.

Wade has shown the ability to bounce back and prove the doubters wrong after a sub-par performance.  For the sake of the Heat, lets hope he can do it again because he was simply out-played in the first game of the series.  Rumors are that his knee is hurt and I really believe that to be the case, but there are no excuses if he’s going to be out there on the floor.  Oklahoma City was expected to win game one at home, but if the Heat want to get that second game and turn the momentum towards a championship then it’s Wade who has to come up big because we already know LeBron will be great.

Russell Westbrook's strong second half play was enough to get the Thunder the momentum and then Kevin Durant took over in the fourth. It was a superstar collaboration for the win.

Oklahoma City overcame a slow start to the game to overcome the Miami Heat and take a 1-0 lead in the NBA Finals.

Miami took a seven point lead into the halftime break after they were extremely hot from 3-point distance.  Heat were shooting 55% at the break while the Thunder were just under 45%.

In the first half Russell Westbrook’s shot wasn’t falling, but he didn’t let it rattle him and starting racking up the assists.  In the second half he broke out on both sides of the ball.  He was getting to the rim with the ball and creating chaos on defense.  OKC’s second superstar made all the right plays down the stretch of this game including a big 12-point third quarter. Westbrook had a near triple-double finishing with 27 points, 11 assists. 8 rebounds, and 2 steals.

Of course, Kevin Durant did his part too.  He scored his points and made all the right hustle plays during the game.  When it came fourth quarter time there was no doubt who the Thunder wanted to get the ball to, No. 3, and he caught fire in the fourth quarter in clutch time finishing with 36 huge points including 17 in the fourth quarter.  He also pulled down 8 rebounds and dished out four dimes.

Miami was on fire from 3-point range hitting five of their first six attempts.  Shane Battier had probably his best game as a member of the Heat, almost anything he shot went in but it didn’t stop Spoelstra from taking him out mid-way through the first quarter after he racked up nine points. Heat couldn’t get the 3-ball going at all in the second half.

Kevin Durant led the way as usual for the Thunder with 36 points and a huge fourth.

Wade and James had a hard time finding their shot and those bricks are nearly the same as turnovers.  The pair was a combined 18-for-43 from the field and that won’t get it done.  Thunder have their defense focused on making other players beat them and both Heat stars must stay efficient.

Dwyane Wade started off the night very well despite his slow starts recently.  He faded in the second half and couldn’t get anything besides contested jumpers which weren’t falling.  Chris Bosh had a couple nice plays including a 3, but overall was a non-factor tonight.  Mario Chalmers showed up and played well, but the Heat big men were clearly bothered by Ibaka, Perkins, and Collison.

LeBron had 30 Pts, 9 Reb,4 Ast, 4 Stl, but I think he has to be more aggressive to score the basketball early on if the Heat were going to try and win in that building.  It’s going to take a LeBron in game six against the Celtics type performance to steal one in Oklahoma City.

James Harden was completely silenced with six points so they didn’t get the Thunder’s best punch yet, but it didn’t matter as Durant and Westbrook were enough firepower to get the win today.

This was a good job and good effort by the Miami Heat in a game one that they weren’t supposed to win anyways, at least in my eyes.  I really think it’s going to be next to impossible for anyone to get a road win in this series, but today was a great sign of hope for the Heat that they were almost there in a tight game even with that crazy crowd.