A rookie is serving Riley
Opponent File
Miami Heat
The Heat play in the American Airlines
Arena in Miami, Fl. Here is the Miami
Heat roster.
Local Paper
Miami
Herald
Team Pages:
CNNSI.com
| Heat
ESPN.com
| Heat
NBA.com | Heat
The
Sporting News | Heat
Sportsline.com
| Heat
Head Coach: Pat Riley
2002 Draft: Caron Butler, SF (Connecticut),
selected at #10. Rasual Butler, SF (LaSalle), selected at #53.
New Players: Travis Best, G (Chicago, Free
Agency). Sean Lampley, F (CBA).
Season Goal: Overcome
the huge loss of Alonzo Mourning, develop the rookies, and try to gain
some respectibility.
Record vs. Nets: 0 - 1
Previous Game: Nets
93, Heat 84
Other Opponent Files
Projected Atlantic Division Standing:
Chris Carrino: 6
Champagne: 6
Frank DiGraci: 7
Ian Eagle: 6
Joe Netsfan: 6
The Butler Did It
No mystery in Miami why the Heat are on a roll – it's because the Butler, Caron Butler, is doing it all for Pat Riley. The Heat coach, who's been handed perhaps the biggest coaching challenge of his career with Alonzo Mourning out for the season, has managed to turn around the once-struggling Heat (they were 5 - 17 after a Friday the 13th loss to the Knicks) mainly by riding the hot-shooting rookie Butler and his fellow Awakenings teammate, Eddie Jones. Oh, and let's not forget some manipulations from the Master himself. Improved on the defensive end, more accurate on the offensive end, and no longer pouting about what could have been with 'Zo, the Heat will be looking like Professor Plum in the Kitchen with the Knife trying to take out the streaking Net squad. Will the Heat then commit another murder to the Nets road record with a stifling victory in muggy Miami? Or will the Nets solve the clues and get the hell out of town with a morale-building victory in their first road game of ten in the month of January?
Kittles Back - Kerry Kittles will make his return from an sprained left knee injury that he suffered on Nov. 30th in Portland. He'll be coming off the bench for Lucious Harris until further notice. Chris Childs won't play his first game until next week, possibly Jan. 9th against Sacramento.
See You in Hell, Dolans: The number will now be 26 games lost to the Cablevision/YES mess. Do something about it: Click here.
- Joe
Miami Heat Cheat Sheet
The Story from Miami: The surging Heat are suddenly right on the heels of the 8th place in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The team is feeling good about themselves, playing monster defense and getting good bench play, especially from ex-Net Vladimir Stepania. But, the good Coach is still worried about the Heat becoming complacent. Here are his words, according to Kevin Baxter (Miami Herald): "If you're winning a lot, and especially coming off some misery, you have a tendency to become complacent. And complacency is the most insidious disease in the NBA. As soon as it sits up on your shoulder, before you know it games are coming at you so fast, you're right back to where you were. And it takes a real special quality to make sure that complacency is not there at game time." Could it possibly be a bit premature to worry about this, Riles? You're still in last place in the Atlantic Division.
Heat PG Travis Best re-injured his balky ankle in Miami's win over the Hawks on New Year's Day and is likely out for the next week. Could be a break for New Jersey, as Best usually plays his annoying best against them.
Pain Game: Travis Best, G (sprained right ankle) is doubtful. Ken Johnson, C (back), Eddie House, (stress fracture in leg – may be activated before the game off injured reserve to take Travis Best's place), and Alonzo Mourning, C (out for the season with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, a kidney ailment) are on injured reserve.
Controversy: Fed up with what he considered to be officials that dislike him taking it out on his players but not awarding them foul shots, Pat Riley mouthed off to anyone who would listen and got popped with a $50,000 fine from the league. The Heat have gone 7 - 2 and are averaging about 10 more free throws per game since he got his point across. Coincidence?
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© 2002 Shawn Belschwender and Michael Kozlowski
