Brooklyn Nets Season Ends in Miami

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

May 14th, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. Miami Heat Game 5 Recap

Final Score: Nets 94 Heat 96

The Brooklyn Nets with less than five minutes to go in Game 5 had an eight-point lead, and it looked like they were going to be heading back to Brooklyn for a Game 6, but down the stretch the Nets struggled to execute, which led to their season ending. The Nets were very competitive in the series, but lost 4 games to 1, as they blew many opportunities to make this a longer series.

Player of the Game: Joe Johnson

This postseason easily the best and most consistent player for the Brooklyn Nets and in Game 5 Johnson came up big for the Nets. Johnson scored a game-high 34 points on 15 for 23 shooting, which included going three for six from three-point range. Johnson also added seven rebounds and three assists to round out a good postseason for Johnson.

Positives:

In what very well be Paul Pierce’s last game with the Nets, he came through with a good game while facing elimination. Pierce was second on the Nets in scoring with 19 points on eight for 18 shooting with two three-pointers. Pierce says he still has some game left in the tank, but the real question is whether it will be with the Nets or not.

Brooklyn did a good job against the supporting cast of Miami, but with good games from the “Big 3” it wasn’t enough. Mario Chalmers was non-factor, as he went zero for seven from the field, which included five misses from beyond the arc. In the first half Brooklyn held Miami to one for 16 shooting from beyond the arc, which was great and a major reason for the halftime lead.

Negatives:

Photo Credit:Howard Simmons NYDailynews

In a close out Game 5 for the Heat their “Big 3” showed their experience and will to finish off the Nets at home despite being down late. After a quiet Game 4, Dwyane Wade followed it up with a great game scoring 28 points on 10 for 18 shooting, which included going a perfect eight for eight from the free throw line. Chris Bosh had a nice game chipping in with 16 points on six for 11 shooting, and he also hit four three-pointers. In the fourth quarter LeBron James looked like he picked up where he left off in Game 4, as he scored 14 points to help complete the comeback victory. James finished with 29 points on six for 14 shooting, as he did most of his damage at the free throw line going 15 for 17. James also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds with five assists, and finished averaging over 30 points against the Nets in this series.

For three quarters Deron Williams was playing pretty well, but when it came to finishing off this game in the fourth quarter, Williams disappeared. Deron finished with 17 points on seven for 16 shooting, but went scoreless in the fourth, as the face of the franchise had an extremely disappointing postseason for the Nets.

Next up for the most expensive team in NBA history will be an interesting off-season filled with questions on what the roster may look like next season.

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Sacrifice For Success

The free agency period of the summer of 2010 will forever be talked about as one of the defining off-seasons in NBA history, as three of the league’s star players, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh joined forces to increase their chances of achieving their ultimate goal; winning an NBA Championship.

The Big Three in 2010

All three of those players had plenty of options available to them when they entered free agency, and all of them could have commanded a lot more money elsewhere than they currently receive in Miami; let’s face it, the career of a basketball player is a short one, why not use that time to get as much money as you can?

Instead, the “Super Friends”, as they were dubbed in the media, came together for the chance to win a Championship, knowing that to make the partnership work for the betterment of the team they would all have to make their own sacrifices.

LeBron James, for example, had the chance during free agency to sign a max contract with one of the plethora of teams that was vying for his signature. It could be argued that LeBron is worth even more money than the maximum contract ruling will allow, as he proved during his time in Cleveland that he can convert a terrible team into a Championship contender.

However, James decided to take less money in order to team up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, thus increasing his chances of winning the most coveted prize in basketball. James’ salary for this year puts him in joint eighth position of the highest paid players in the league, tied with Chris Bosh. You could argue that had LeBron chosen somewhere other than the Heat, he would more than likely top the list.

For seven seasons, Dwyane Wade had the Heat Fans’ adulation focused solely on him as he became the poster boy of sports in Miami. Nowadays, Wade has to be content with the sidekick role, as he has stepped aside to allow LeBron to take the reins of his team.

All-Star teammates

Wade could have easily rejected the notion of having two fellow All-Stars joining him on his team, instead choosing to demand the highest contract he could get and remaining the star of the team. Instead, he has had to realize that his knees are not what they used to be, and are currently preventing the Heat coaching staff on playing in back-to-back nights.

Chris Bosh has become the forgotten piece of the Big Three since they came together, playing under the shadow of two future Hall of Famer players in James and Wade. Bosh could have easily either stayed with the Raptors or joined another team, where he could have earned more money and remained the focal point on offense.

Instead, Bosh moved to South Beach, knowing that he would more than likely be the third option on offense. 

However, this has encouraged him to reinvent his game, from being the go-to offensive player on the team, to expanding his range so that he can stretch the opponent’s defense, allowing space for James and Wade to attack the paint.

Of course, you have heard about the sacrifices these three players made to play together countless times. What seems to have been overlooked, however, is how much the players around the Big Three have sacrificed in order to play alongside them.

Mario Chalmers has often been seen as the whipping boy of this team, as when things have been going wrong on the court, his teammates have been seen berating him for various reasons. Chalmers has also had to get used to the fact that he is not going to have the ball in his hands on most possessions, as James and Wade are both excellent when it comes to handling the ball, and prefer to have the ball in their hands when running plays.

However, Chalmers has been an extremely valuable asset for the Heat, as he shot a career best 40% from behind the three point line last season. His shooting ability means that the opposition would be taking a huge risk by leaving him open, meaning that James and Wade are less likely to be double-teamed and will have more space to operate in when running an isolation play.

Ray Allen had a number of potential suitors when he tested free agency in the summer of 2012, his final chance to get the biggest contract he could before father time would surely catch up with him. One of the greatest shooters the NBA has ever seen and the holder of the record for most career made three-pointers, Allen would surely have been a fantastic addition for many teams.

Allen takes the three-pointer in Game 6

Allen decided to become a free agent because he was unhappy about not regaining his starting spot for the Boston Celtics after his return from injury, as Doc Rivers chose to start with Avery Bradley. There were also rumors that Allen and his All-Star point guard teammate, Rajon Rondo, had fallen out.

Although Allen was unhappy to come off the bench for the Celtics, he has embraced his role in coming off the bench for Miami, putting his ego to one side to help the team. Indeed, he has helped his team in a huge way, knocking down the game-tying three pointer in game 6 of last season’s NBA finals, sending the series to a game 7 which the Heat would ultimately win.

Haslem hustling

Udonis Haslem has become synonymous with the Miami Heat since he entered the league eleven years ago. His tenacity and energy quickly endeared him to the fans in South Beach, and last season he broke Alonzo Mourning’s record for most rebounds by a Heat player.

However, this season Haslem has had to be content with watching his teammates play from the bench, as the impact Chris Anderson has had coupled with the signing of Greg Oden has caused a considerable decline in the amount of time he is seeing on the court. At the time of writing, Haslem has featured in just 28 of Miami’s 57 games so far this season, averaging 12 minutes in those appearances.

Without the selflessness of these players, the Miami Heat would not have been able to assemble players of a similar quality of these players that they needed to put around the Big Three. On the other hand, it cannot take much convincing to join the Heat considering the quality of players they have on their roster.

However, in a game dominated by egos, Miami have created a true team-first ethic, and so far it is hard to argue with the results. The question now is, will the Big Three still be together at the start of next season?

Find me on Twitter: @Mike_Kelly7

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Heat at Hawks: You play to win the game

   With Dwyane Wade out with a sore foot and LeBron James out with an ankle sprain, the Miami Heat were on the road to battle the Atlanta Hawks who they'd just lost to days earlier.  Featuring a line up of Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Jeff Teague, Al Horford, and Marvin Williams, the Miami Heat were out numbered when it came to stars, pedigree.

The Heat were not supposed to win

Before the game it was said that
the Heat would win based on the fact that Chris Bosh is a member of the Big Three and should be able to lead the Heat to a victory.  A disagreement between the analyst ensued but the stage was set, Chris Bosh had to have a monster night in order for the Heat to at least have a shot at winning.  Bosh finished the night with 33 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assist and he carried the Heat on his broad shoulders.

The Heat were not supposed to win

Mario Chalmers played perhaps his best game as a pro.  He was aggressive and in control for most of the night, a calming presence with very few mistakes made.  It was a night where he was finally able to push back the challenge of his would be replacement Norris Cole.  During this game Chalmers scored 29, dished out 8 assists, grabbed 7 rebounds, and finished the evening with 3 steals, all the while hitting timely shots.

The Heat were not supposed to win

It was one of those games that are considered a trap game, a home game with your opponents injured and playing on the second night of a back to back.  If it were a movie, the script would have had you winning the game by 20 points, a demolishing should have been the outcome but in reality truths were revealed.  Tonight revealed that one really is at their most dangerous when they are wounded.  One team showed the heart of a champion while the other showed that they are yet to be ready to take the next step.  One coach showed his value while the other was left in a daze.  Heat coach Erik Spoelstra was masterful tonight and anyone who questions his coaching ability must take a look at his management of this game.  Hawks coach Larry Drew seemingly has to go back to the drawing board.

The Hawks simply had to win this game, defeat their wounded opponent, show the league that they are capable of being a power house and yet they failed miserably.  The Hawks displayed a lack of focus and intensity throughout the night and it became clear that the team is simply soft.  How could you play with a lack of aggression, lack of passion on this night, the night where you could have turned heads for all the right reasons but now you have more questions that answers.  Where's the leadership?  Is Larry Drew the right coach for the team?  Is it time to break up your core of Williams, Horford, Smith, and Johnson?  Was Joe Johnson worth the $120 million contract that he was awarded but at the same time set the franchise back for perhaps the next 5 years?  In the NBA there's only winning or misery.

Heat forward Shane Battier tweeted after the game:

"Now THAT was one of the best wins of my career.  We showed great toughness and unity.  How about CB, MC, and T-harris?  HUGE efforts!!"

Hawks center Al Horford stated:

"This by far has to be my worst defeat here as a Hawk.  I didn't feel like we wanted to win this game."

Winning or misery

Who would have thought that on a regular season night where one team was wounded and the other disinterested, that we'd be blessed with a triple overtime thriller that featured the wounded team playing with heart and the other playing heartless.  You play, to win the game.......I guess the Hawks didn't see the speech below.

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