Do you just make stuff up?

KC Connection is trying to convince us all that the Heat are a 30 win team without James. And the ESPN heads are still making excuses for yesterdays game (much like your 'phantom foul' gripe...)

Then again, I'm not the one trying to paint Mike Bibby as a legitimate NBA player at this point in his career (no, he's not better than Arroyo), so I'd probably hold off on accusing anyone of 'making stuff up.'

Pathetic. Did you cry after the game too?

Seriously, what kind of mental midgets cry after a regular season game?

LOL at Mike Bibby still being a legit NBA player.

Do you just make stuff up?

Miller pushed him with his left arm and grabbed Deng's arm with his right arm. He thought he was stopping a layup, and didn't argue the call. The bigger question on that play for the Heat is, how does your starting center not keep Noah off the glass with inside position?

Back to officiating, how about the layup that Wade blew, and they called a foul on Korver who literally didn't even graze Wade. Or the numerous calls that Rose didn't get when going to the basket.

Bottom line is the Heat had two shots to win it....again....and couldn't get it done. And that's even after Rose didn't make the plays he needed to make at the end.

Sure, but I think Wade and LeBron's games are far too similar.

Regardless, this grab every washed up veteran and stash him on the bench does jack shit. They should have used the money they wasted on Mike Miller and got themselves something that resembles a C and just used James Jones in that role.

The easy part was getting 3 "superstars" to play together, but acquiring this Sanford and Son junk to play with them is the reason they won't do jack shit.

I said as much.

I agree. Depending on the CBA the Heat may have a hard time acquiring players because of the big 3 contracts.

They'll have the MLE to spend, but any player with offensive skills is not going to want to be a 4th wheel.

OKC appears to be building the right way.

That is all going to depend on what happens with the CBA. I think the NBA is looking to lower the cap or go to a hard cap.

In fairness, the Lakers built the right way.

They don't get any credit for it because Kobe was there throughout, but 5 years ago, Kobe was fronting a team with guys like Smush Parker, Kwame Brown, Chris Mihm and Brian Cook starting for them.

They stuck with Odom, drafted Bynum, traded for Brown, developed Ariza, etc... They built a team and they did it over 2 or 3 seasons to get to where they are now. Kupcheck brought in a bunch of guys that complement each other and they created a legitimate NBA team for it.

They're aging, they're slowing down. They may not be the team to beat in the West this season (the Mavs look damn tough), but this isn't some squad full of mercenaries that was pulled together to play sidekick to a few superstars. Apart from Artest, who came along after the first championship, this team was built to play together and went through the wars together.

They're a glamour franchise, so nobody will admit it. But LA was no turnkey champion; they were patient and dogged and built their championship teams.

But you don't mention their second best player handed to them on a silver platter?

Kupchak has done a nice job, but other than the Pau trade, they haven't been overly successful IMO. They've kept the three big pieces in place, Kobe/Pau/Odom and done a decent job around them. But - Walton and Vujacic were two pretty expensive misses.

People keep saying that, but neglect to mention that nobody in the league had as big an expiring deal as the Lakers did w/ Brown or the fact that Marc Gasol has proven to be a good player in his own right.

Bill Simmons, a noted Celtics fan, continues to drive this myth that Wallace spoon-fed Gasol to the Lakers, but the Lakers simply had exactly what the Grizzlies were looking for. It was a right place/right time moment. Was it a fortunate turn of events? Oh hell yes, but it wasn't even as egregious as Anthony forcing a trade (remember, Gasol wasn't demanding a trade at the time or anything).

And Walton and Vujacic cost the Lakers nothing but a few $$. They were expensive role-players that were dispatched to the end of the bench. When Kupchak makes a move that interferes with their ability to win games, I'll be upset. But those two contracts didn't, they just wasted Buss's money...not my problem. The closest I can see was their decision to sign Artest instead of keeping Ariza around. But even that's defensible b/c of his playoff performance last season. The Lakers don't win the title without Artest's strength and defense over Ariza last year.