Will the Heat make the Playoffs???

SpiritualPorn said:
Agreed......

Eddie Jones will fill in for Wade just fine.........

Actually man.. Eddie Jones is one of those X-factors I worry about. Because we know that in the playoffs what Shaq and Wade can bring to the table... but sometimes quiet role players like Eddie Jones (who is already a good defender and strengthens team D) can call into a sweet spot and put up points without getting a lot of touches...the type of player that you like at the stats after they came and they quietly added 20+ points like has done the last two games with 21 and 23. Although he is only averaging about 6 points a game this year.. Jones is a career 16 point a game scorer, who can defend, and also is shooting 44 percent from 3 point range. When the Pistons and Heat meet in the playoffs... it will be players like Jones that will be the difference. As stupid as Flip Saunders was for not doubling up on Shaq in the paint, I would hope he has learned his lesson and does so in the playoffs..and that will make if even more important for the outside shooters to nail the open shot. The last time we knocked the Heat of the playoffs.. it had much more to do with the Heat missing easy baskets than the injuries.
 
BEFORE

TrojansFan said:
Without an all-star guard by his side can Shaquille O'Neal carry his team to the playoffs?

DURING

cranrab said:
so YOU posed TWO irrelevant questions in a pitiful effort to ask this one:

"do you think shaquille o'neal can lead the miami heat to the playoffs without dwyane wade?"


AFTER

TrojansFan said:
how the hell does Kobe's name come up in a thread discussing whether or not the Heat can make the playoffs without Wade?

damn, i need to start charging royalties. or at least collecting a fee for the english lessons i administered in this thread.

l'il armenia actually BIT the question i posed in his own thread after he was unable to construct that simple question on his own. :smh:

well, at least we're able to pin him down to that anonymous "all star guard" being dwyane wade. because lord knows "all star guard" couldn't possibly describe gary payton or eddie jones... :rolleyes:
 
Last edited:
Dwyane Wade laughed as he watched.

During a nationally televised Heat-Pistons game, one Detroit player after another suggested that Wade opt for immediate surgery on his dislocated left shoulder.

Wade never realized how much they cared.


He then called teammate Eddie Jones, who experienced a similar injury in March 2001 and chose rehab instead of surgery so he could compete in that season's playoffs. Three days later, Wade said he would pursue the same course.

Yes, the shoulder could pop out again at any time. And yes, surgery eventually will be needed.

But faced with two choices -- missing this season's playoffs or the start of next season -- Wade recognized he might never come this way again, at least not in a Heat uniform. The window is closing on center Shaquille O'Neal. Coach Pat Riley already has opened and closed the door twice during Wade's four years in the league. And Wade plays in the same town where Dan Marino got to the Super Bowl in his second season -- and never again.

The funny thing is, the day after Wade announced his intention to return, Pistons coach Flip Saunders mentioned that his son Ryan, a junior guard at the University of Minnesota, took a similar approach to the injury, only to have his shoulder pop out. If you didn't know better, you'd think the Pistons would prefer not to face Wade in the playoffs.
i


The reality is this: Wade was supported -- even encouraged -- in attempting rehabilitation by two of the most respected orthopedists in sports: Harlan Selesnick, team doctor for the Heat and the U.S. basketball squad, and James Andrews, who counts NFL quarterback Drew Brees among his most recent success stories.

"Both doctors thought it would be a great thing to do because of my youth, because of my history of injuries, normally coming back quicker than most," Wade says.

The upshot is Wade will be a no-show for this summer's Olympic qualifier, which probably is a good thing for both the Heat and Wade, after nearly two years of year-round basketball. As for missing the start of next season? Well, Heat players do have a knack for minimizing November ... and December ... and January.


And as Wade waits, O'Neal is demonstrating again that opponents could be faced with a pick-your-poison nightmare in the postseason. The suddenly defense-minded Heat has proved more than capable of beating the best in the East with Wade out, as victories over Cleveland, Washington, Detroit and Chicago attest.

So call off the search for the one-armed man. He can be found back on the practice court, contorting his shoulder in ways that soon could have opponents shuddering.
 
The funny thing about this thread is that the Heat are well on there way to making the playoffs, whereas the lakers are now headed to the 7th seed (If they lose to Denver)

:lol: @ TrojansFan once again opening his big mouth and further adding to his resume of being a no knowledge fan boy

:lol: @ the lakers rushing Lamar Odom back from injury because they know that Wobe isnt good enough to carry the team.
 
lamar odom, "torn labrum" out only 6 games...

dwyane wade, torn labrum out 10 games so far, and maybe another 7 to 10 games while he rehabs...

now, there are different kinds of labrum injuries, and every individual responds differently, but, uh, does anyone else sense anything strange about this?

what a "coincidence" that lamar odom, luke walton, and ronny turiaf all decided they were ready to play together on the same game that kwame brown returns to the starting lineup. sounds like a good "team" decision to me.

;)
 
xfactor said:
the lakers rushing Lamar Odom back from injury because they know that Wobe isnt good enough to carry the team.

i was disappointed that kwame brown caved in to pressure and came back before he was ready too...

unlike luke walton, who had NO swelling, kwame brown still had pain and swelling in his ankle... :( i don't care how much the fakers are paying the kid, they shouldn't be intimidating him into playing before he's ready...

another note on lamar odom's recent injury: lamar odom missed 17 games with a shoulder strain (NOT sprain) in 2005. but only 6 games with a torn labrum? steve lombardo and gary vitti must have secret magic powers!

;)
 
cranrab said:
lamar odom, "torn labrum" out only 6 games...

dwyane wade, torn labrum out 10 games so far, and maybe another 7 to 10 games while he rehabs...

now, there are different kinds of labrum injuries, and every individual responds differently, but, uh, does anyone else sense anything strange about this?

what a "coincidence" that lamar odom, luke walton, and ronny turiaf all decided they were ready to play together on the same game that kwame brown returns to the starting lineup. sounds like a good "team" decision to me.

;)


Phil Jackson has had enough of the NBA's close eye on Kobe Bryant's flying elbows. :angry: :angry:

The Lakers coach told the Los Angeles Times that the league has gone beyond discipline and is conducting a "witch hunt" against his star. :confused: :confused:

Bryant has been disciplined three times this sesason by the league, twice earning one-game suspensions for hitting an opponent in the face while shooting. He nailed the Spurs' Manu Ginobili on Jan. 28, and the Timberwolves' Marko Jaric last week. He also received a flagrant foul on Monday for elbowing the 76ers' Kyle Korver in the jaw.



"It shouldn't even have been a flagrant I," Jackson told the Times. "That's crazy. That's a vendetta. They have a witch hunt going on. It's nuts. Guys riding somebody. Everybody does that in this league. It's just becoming a witch hunt now."

According to the Times, Ginobili and Jaric have both said they do not believe Bryant hit them on purpose.

The foul on Korver was not called on the court, but later by league officials who viewed the incident on tape.

"It is an after-the-fact type of thing," Jackson said, "and that is bothersome. They have the advantage of looking at videotape.

"We wish they would correct some of the mistakes they make in a ballgame the same way. There's a couple of games that probably could be swung, won or lost, by some of the calls they [could] correct after the fact. But you can't do that in the game."



Jackson also said he disagreed with the league not consulting with the game officials before handing down a punishment.

"You would think that would happen," he told the Times. "From what I understand, Jaric got on (Bryant's) arm before (Bryant) got to the ball. So...Kobe is reacting to (Jaric's) hand and the whole play ensues. If a referee sees that, he might have called the first foul (on Jaric) and not the second...But it doesn't look like they are making that accommodation at all."


WOW!!!!!

Now Phil is crying foul?...The same Phil that told Raja to shut the fuck up when Raja complained?.....

Is this the same Kobe that stuck Mike Miller in the throat with an elbow and was quoted as saying "We can't let people just come in the lane how they want to"?

Rushing the team back to make a playoff run is an indictment on Kobe for not being able to lead his team as well as Phil.....Who is further being exposed for riding coattails.

Meanwhile Shaq has inspired GP, AW and his whole team to take shit up a notch and has shown that HE has been making stars out of good players and not the other way around.

I am sooo loving this
 
8th straight. 9-2 without Wade.
Shaq scores 17 on his 19 in the second half

http://www.nba.com/games/20070315/MIANJN/recap.html

Miami 93, New Jersey 86

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., March 15 (AP) -- A foul-plagued Shaquille O'Neal scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half and the Miami Heat won their eighth straight game with a 93-86 victory over New Jersey Nets on Thursday night.

Udonis Haslem added 21 points and 12 rebounds, Jason Williams had 13 points and 12 assists and the Heat continued to make up for the absence of the injured Dwyane Wade by getting big plays from the everyone else in winning for the 16th time in 20 games.

They are 9-2 since Wade went down with a shoulder injury, pulling within a half-game of first-place Washington in the Southeast Division.

Jason Kidd had nine points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds for New Jersey in narrowly missing his 11th triple-double of the season. Richard Jefferson had 20 points and Vince Carter added 12 on 4-of-15 shooting from the field.

Miami, which led 68-60 entering the final quarter, appeared to be in command when O'Neal made a free throw to push the lead to 86-75 with 4:32 to play.

Coach Pat Riley took O'Neal out after that and the Nets scored the next nine points to get within 86-84 on a 3-pointer by Jefferson with 1:26 to play.

O'Neal returned, made a power move in the lane and scored for an 88-84 edge. After Kidd missed a 3, Haslem made two free throws and Miami was never threatened again.

O'Neal, who picked up three fouls in the first half and played less than 6 minutes, dominated the third quarter, scoring 12 points, grabbing four rebounds and blocking a shot.

His presence in the middle also made the Nets a jump-shooting team and they only hit 7-of-21 from the field.

The Heat took advantage with a 15-2 spurt that turned a 51-47 deficit into a 62-53 lead on a baby hook by O'Neal, who made 5-of-7 shots in the quarter.

Notes: The home game was Jefferson's first since Jan. 20 against Orlando. He had ankle surgery a couple of days later and did not return to the linup until last week. ... Miami is now 27-2 when leading after three quarters. ... The Nets had a two-game winning streak broken but lost for the sixth time in eight games. ... Kidd landed hard on his right shoulder fouling O'Neal in the fourth quarter but finished the game.
 
xfactor said:
The funny thing about this thread is that the Heat are well on there way to making the playoffs, whereas the lakers are now headed to the 7th seed (If they lose to Denver)

Game tied at the half

Kobe: 6-11
Odom: 4-9
Walton: 5-9

Pretty equal distribution. Lets see how the second half plays out
 
eewwll said:
Game tied at the half

Kobe: 6-11
Odom: 4-9
Walton: 5-9

Pretty equal distribution. Lets see how the second half plays out

who's that all star linas kleiza torching?
 
cranrab said:
who's that all star linas kleiza torching?

I keep track on nba.com. I am not watching live. I just saw his stat line 10-12 from the field 5-6 from 3pt range. 29pts.. i was just about to ask yall who is checking this mofo.. so you are telling me that is Kobe getting lit the fuck up :lol:
 
eewwll said:
I keep track on nba.com. I am not watching live. I just saw his stat line 10-12 from the field 5-6 from 3pt range. 29pts.. i was just about to ask yall who is checking this mofo.. so you are telling me that is Kobe getting lit the fuck up :lol:

LOL.

not exactly. linas kleiza used tobe like toilet tissue until he was 8-10 FGAs. after that, tobe begged coach jackson to switch him off the euro, so maurice evans had to eat a couple of those.
 
cranrab said:
LOL.

not exactly. linas kleiza used tobe like toilet tissue until he was 8-10 FGAs. after that, tobe begged coach jackson to switch him off the euro, so maurice evans had to eat a couple of those.

Kobe got torched by

meet_linus_big.gif


I have no problem with dude, but by the 3rd quarter Kobe was looking like Daffy Duck with his beak shot off...
 
Rollie_Fingaz said:
I have no problem with dude, but by the 3rd quarter Kobe was looking like Daffy Duck with his beak shot off...

not for nothing, but linas kleiza could put together a highlight reel off what he did to tobe last night.

tobe made FUNDAMENTAL defensive errors (the same ones he's been doing his ENTIRE career) that you expect to see in prep basketball.

how many times did tobe lose his man on D?

how many times was tobe out of position and trailing the play, unable to recover to challenge the euro's jump shot?
 
cranrab said:
LOL.

not exactly. linas kleiza used tobe like toilet tissue until he was 8-10 FGAs. after that, tobe begged coach jackson to switch him off the euro, so maurice evans had to eat a couple of those.


What made matters worse was that it forced him to switch over to Melo (who was warming up) and he proceeded to get 3 quick fouls.

..while this was happening, A.I. dissected the Lakers D with his penetration. Smush Parker had 5 fouls by the 3rd quarter.

BTW, did you notice how the announcers raved over Kobes numbers in the first quarter when he had Steve Blake on him (who is like a foot shorter than him)
 
eewwll said:
8th straight. 9-2 without Wade.
Shaq scores 17 on his 19 in the second half

http://www.nba.com/games/20070315/MIANJN/recap.html

Miami 93, New Jersey 86

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., March 15 (AP) -- A foul-plagued Shaquille O'Neal scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half and the Miami Heat won their eighth straight game with a 93-86 victory over New Jersey Nets on Thursday night.

Udonis Haslem added 21 points and 12 rebounds, Jason Williams had 13 points and 12 assists and the Heat continued to make up for the absence of the injured Dwyane Wade by getting big plays from the everyone else in winning for the 16th time in 20 games.

They are 9-2 since Wade went down with a shoulder injury, pulling within a half-game of first-place Washington in the Southeast Division.

Jason Kidd had nine points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds for New Jersey in narrowly missing his 11th triple-double of the season. Richard Jefferson had 20 points and Vince Carter added 12 on 4-of-15 shooting from the field.

Miami, which led 68-60 entering the final quarter, appeared to be in command when O'Neal made a free throw to push the lead to 86-75 with 4:32 to play.

Coach Pat Riley took O'Neal out after that and the Nets scored the next nine points to get within 86-84 on a 3-pointer by Jefferson with 1:26 to play.

O'Neal returned, made a power move in the lane and scored for an 88-84 edge. After Kidd missed a 3, Haslem made two free throws and Miami was never threatened again.

O'Neal, who picked up three fouls in the first half and played less than 6 minutes, dominated the third quarter, scoring 12 points, grabbing four rebounds and blocking a shot.

His presence in the middle also made the Nets a jump-shooting team and they only hit 7-of-21 from the field.

The Heat took advantage with a 15-2 spurt that turned a 51-47 deficit into a 62-53 lead on a baby hook by O'Neal, who made 5-of-7 shots in the quarter.

Notes: The home game was Jefferson's first since Jan. 20 against Orlando. He had ankle surgery a couple of days later and did not return to the linup until last week. ... Miami is now 27-2 when leading after three quarters. ... The Nets had a two-game winning streak broken but lost for the sixth time in eight games. ... Kidd landed hard on his right shoulder fouling O'Neal in the fourth quarter but finished the game.



I will tell you this......

Udonis Haslem has developed into a very solid Forward.........

His D and Rebounding were always very good.....however now he has confidence in his offense..............


Most of the writers don't watch the games before running their mouths and I am glad...


We have quietly built a very good TEAM here......

People forget that Walker, Zo, Eddie Jones, & PAyton were multiple time All Stars and have not forgotten how to play....

I actually see AW playing defense

Posey is highly underrated also.....his defense is ...dare I say it....probably the best in the leauge night in and night out....

Not sure about tonight......We'll see...if we don't get down early we should be all right....


The Heat D reminds me of Detroit the year they won the title.....
 
the heat are right on the wizards' tails. and washington is losing caron butler for a while. this could be the time when miami takes the division title.

9 road games (out of 17)

notable games? toronto twice, detroit and cleveland.

less notable games? indiana twice, atlanta twice, orlando twice.
 
Shaq has looked a motivated and years younger. I didnt't think he could carry this team to the playoffs without Wade, but not only is he leading them to the playoffs they are improving their seeding.

Congrats To The Big Fella!!!
 
cranrab said:
the heat are right on the wizards' tails. and washington is losing caron butler for a while. this could be the time when miami takes the division title.

9 road games (out of 17)

notable games? toronto twice, detroit and cleveland.

less notable games? indiana twice, atlanta twice, orlando twice.

The way the Heat are playing now I really dont think those teams pose much of a threat....


I see all the games. The Heat from 1-8 (9) is very solid.......each can and will score 20...and play D....
 
TrojansFan said:
Shaq has looked a motivated and years younger. I didnt't think he could carry this team to the playoffs without Wade, but not only is he leading them to the playoffs they are improving their seeding.

Congrats To The Big Fella!!!

Cool Dude


They actually look better without Wade.....


They will be deadly when he gets back
 
This thread is dead

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17974102/



CLEVELAND - Bumped and bruised, but playoff bound. The Miami Heat will officially defend their NBA title.

Antoine Walker and Shaquille O’Neal scored 20 points apiece and the Heat clinched a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs Thursday night, beating Cleveland 94-90 in overtime to drop the Cavaliers three places in the postseason seedings.

With Dwyane Wade watching from the bench in street clothes but nearing a return from his dislocated shoulder, the first-place Heat, who not long ago teetered on missing the playoffs because of injuries, moved 1½ games ahead of Washington in the Southeast Division.
Story continues below ↓advertisement

Walker made six 3-pointers and Alonzo Mourning had a big block in the final minute of overtime. Jason Williams stole a pass by LeBron James with 27 seconds left and made three free throws in the last 24 for Miami.

James, who didn’t hide his frustration several times, scored 35 with nine rebounds and five assists. Drew Gooden had 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who fell from second place to fifth in the Eastern Conference.

If the playoffs started tomorrow, Miami and Cleveland would meet in the first round — not the matchup the Cavaliers would want. The Heat, though, would welcome playing anyone after being without O’Neal for the first 32 games this season and losing Wade for the past 22.

The Cavaliers outscored the Heat 11-0 to force OT, but couldn’t come up with a big play in the extra five minutes when they needed one. Cleveland’s run came after James stormed to the bench and kicked over a chair.

As they did in winning their first title a year ago, the Heat were clutch when it mattered most.

Jason Kapono, the NBA’s leading 3-point shooter and long-range champion at this year’s All-Star Game, hit a 3-pointer with 1:23 left to give the Heat an 88-87 lead. On Cleveland’s next possession, Zydrunas Ilgauskas was long with a jumper and his air ball bounced to Sasha Pavlovic.

With the shot clock winding down, Pavlovic tried a quick layup but had it blocked by Mourning.

Adonis Haslem’s two free throws put Miami ahead 90-87. James then tried to drive the lane and kick a pass out for a 3-pointer to Donyell Marshall, but Williams alertly snatched it and was fouled.

He made one free throw to make it 91-87, but Marshall missed a 3-pointer and the Cavs had no choice but to foul. Mourning missed two attempts with 13.5 seconds left and James hit a 3 from deep in the corner to get Cleveland within one.

Williams was then put on the line, and the 93-percent free throw shooter, made both to put the Heat ahead 93-90. Larry Hughes then forced a cross-court inbounds pass intended for James that was picked off by Eddie Jones, who was fouled and made one foul shot to ice it.

Cleveland had a final chance to win in regulation, but James couldn’t find anyone open after being double teamed and had to force a 3-pointer that clanked off the front of the rim as the horn sounded.

Wade would like to return for the final regular-season games so he’s ready for the playoffs, and he looked good while working on his game for more than 45 minutes under the watchful eyes of Heat assistant coaches and trainers.


Slide show: The Week in Sports Pictures
Virgil Hill, Henry Maske

• Week in Sports Pictures
Bloody boxer, weepy Heels, flying Oden, baseball blunders, and more.
Miami coach Pat Riley said a decision on the date of Wade’s return come as early as Monday.

“I do know that he is getting closer everyday, but it’s his decision on when to come back,” Riley said. “He started playing live, bumping around and that is a whole different level than just practicing and conditioning.”

Notes: This will be the Heat’s 12th trip to the playoffs. ... James was sorry to hear about the season-ending injury suffered by Wizards G Gilbert Arenas. The two All-Stars matched big shots during a memorable playoff series last year. “It’s definitely sad to see him go down on something where there’s nothing you can do about it,” he said. “Hopefully he does his rehab and gets back and comes back stronger. It’s disappointing. I love competing against that guy and being a friend, I hope for the best.”
 
Re: This thread is dead

cranrab said:
this thread is officially dead.



Lets see if the Lakers can make the playoffs.

It seems as if ToBoys teammates dont like the idea of Him getting credit when they win and the team taking the blame when they lose.
 
Re: This thread is dead

cranrab said:
this thread is officially dead.
Not only did he get them to the playoffs, lead them to their best record for a month (9-4) they had all season...
 
Re: This thread is dead

SpiritualPorn said:
Lets see if the Lakers can make the playoffs.

the fakers will make the playoffs if for no other reason, lackluster play from the 3 teams below them. no offense to the denver nuggets, rollie. ;)

SpiritualPorn said:
It seems as if ToBoys teammates dont like the idea of Him getting credit when they win and the team taking the blame when they lose.

it seems as though william parker is having a difficult time adjusting to the "star treatment" heirarchy that exists on the fakers. derek fisher handled it much better, but then again, derek fisher had the luxury of joining the fakers at the same time as tobe.
 
Re: This thread is dead

cranrab said:
the fakers will make the playoffs if for no other reason, lackluster play from the 3 teams below them. no offense to the denver nuggets, rollie. ;)



it seems as though william parker is having a difficult time adjusting to the "star treatment" heirarchy that exists on the fakers. derek fisher handled it much better, but then again, derek fisher had the luxury of joining the fakers at the same time as tobe.


From the outside it would seem as if Shaq would make a difference there.

When asked in an interview if Shaq leaving was the reason he decided to look elsewhere Fisher said "That was a large part of it".

One of the first things reported here when Shaq came was how he took Udonis Haslem to LA to do his annual Santa Clause thing. UD was UNDRAFTED and playing overseas.

Shaq has party after party here and invites the team. Riley even shows up. I could just imagine the positive locker room experiences they must have.

In LA with Kobe it would seem as if it is company policy to leave Kobe alone...no matter what. Never a word about his BS FG%. Just "We didn't make plays when we needed to." "The team needs to step up". "Parker missed free throws"....

I am pretty sure Luke Walton is the hell out of there.
 
TrojansFan said:
:confused:

Its a simple question do you think he can carry his team to the playoffs without an all-star guard by his side??? Can he even put his team on his back and post a winning record without Wade by his side???

Its a simple yes or no whether or not YOU believe he can or can't.

I WILL GO ON RECORD AND SAY HE CAN'T!!!


:lol: :lol: :lol: With statements like that, no wonder he never showed his face in this thread again. :cool:
 
smh @ Wade and Shaq going 4-10 and 3-12 from the free throw line... that's 15 points left on the board
 
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xfactor said:
:lol: :lol: :lol: With statements like that, no wonder he never showed his face in this thread again. :cool:


You always opening yyour mouth to say stupid shit!

I didnt come back in??? Check post #55 jackass!!! :lol:

He got them there, but now that they there they ain't shit!!!
 
eewwll said:
smh @ Wade and Shaq going 4-10 and 3-12 from the free throw line... that's 15 points left on the board

Not even the refs could help the Heat

I hope they win at least a game or two

I haven't given up yet

However I am an eternal optimist

The Bulls just look like a better team

Wade coming back has disrupted their flow

As long as Dallas loses too I'll be okay.
 
TrojansFan said:
You always opening yyour mouth to say stupid shit!

I didnt come back in??? Check post #55 jackass!!! :lol:

He got them there, but now that they there they ain't shit!!!

yyour? I've never seen someone stuh-stuh-stutter while typing before.

And I see you did make a response, I just didnt notice it without the normal CAPS LOCK written type and lack of exclamation marks :rolleyes:
 
Re: Will the Heat make the Playoffs next year?

getting your mind right for 2007-08

Riley: Heat deserved to lose to Bulls
/ Associated Press
Posted: 10 minutes ago

MIAMI (AP) - Pat Riley isn't sure if he'll coach again or what the makeup of the Miami Heat roster will be when training camp opens in five months.

He knows this, though: There's going to be a new attitude around the Heat next season.
One day after holding exit interviews with Heat players, Riley said Wednesday that the season was lost not because of injuries, but an overriding sense that players deemed the regular season to be irrelevant and insisted they could simply play their best basketball when the games counted most.

"We didn't do anything the right way this year," Riley said.

Riley said that the dismissive ways cost the franchise about $10 million - the difference between playing 12 home playoff games last year and the two postseason games the Heat hosted this season, which ended Sunday when the Chicago Bulls finished off a four-game first-round sweep of the defending NBA champions.

A different outcome against Chicago, Riley said, would have been "a mockery."

"We earned our championship," Riley said. "We earned it. And we earned what we got this year."

The Heat were 44-38 during the regular season, the second-worst record by a reigning champion in nearly 30 years, then were swept away by the Bulls in the playoffs. Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade missed significant time because of injuries, several other players got hurt along the way and even Riley missed 22 games for health reasons.

Yet Riley said he refuses to use any of that as an excuse.

"We're going to redevelop the culture here," Riley said. "I'm looking forward to getting back to those days. ... We need the players to buy into an all-of-the-time, everyday routine."

Riley also said Wednesday that Wade will "chill for four or five days" before deciding if and when he will have surgeries on his shoulder, which he dislocated in February, and knee - bothered by tendinitis. But Riley said Wade "probably" will need surgery, which would mean that the 2006 finals MVP wouldn't be able to play for USA Basketball in Olympic qualifying this summer.

"We would not want him to do that," Riley said. "I don't think he is."
 
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