Christmas Day Games Afterthoughts: Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks

(click here for recap)
The first of five games on the NBA schedule on Christmas Day. It was a pretty close game for the first half, but the Heat managed to create some separation late in the second quarter. The Heat's 10 point cushion lasted until the final minutes of the fourth quarter, when the Knicks came rumbling back to get within three.

• Dwayne Wade put up another signature monster stat-line: 30points (11-21), 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. He had was hitting from all over the floor in the fourth quarter, effectively neutralizing the Knicks final rally. And did you see that dunk in the last frame? Ridiculous.
• Michael Beasley is playing with so much more confidence than last year, and proving his worth as last year's #2 draft pick. The Knicks just could not figure out how to stop his lefty drives today, and Beasley capitalized on his opportunities with drives to the hoop and some mid-range jumpers. Beasley finished the game with 19 points, but not much else (2 rebounds, 0 assists/steals/blocks).
  
• David Lee, you have to love the guy. On a night when the entire team was struggling to put the ball in the rim, Lee was the only consistent source of buckets. His awareness of the ball, excellent hands, and touch around the rim make up for any lack of athleticism he might have. Lee finished with 19points and 16 rebounds.
  
• Nasty. That's all I can really say about Al Harrington's outing. He (and the rest of the Knicks) spent much of the night bombing away from behind the arc. When he did decide to attack the rim, good things happened... it's too bad he didn't figure that out til the final two minutes. 12 points on 5-20 shooting...blehh
  
• I can't decide whether I like Danilo Gallinari or not. He's got a real smooth stroke from long range, and when the threes weren't falling, he hit the lane. At 6'10" with a shooting guard's game, he can pretty much shoot over whoever's manning him up. But this guy's craftiness reminds me of Ginobilli. His little number on Q-rich at the end of the 4th was shady- smart? yes... but still shady. Danilo had a pretty good outing with 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists.
  
• D'Antoni - I think Nate's learned his lesson. Let Kryptonate play!
  

All in all, the game wasn't much excitement until the last couple of minutes. For a game featuring D'Antoni's "uptemo" offense, the game felt pretty slow.

The NBA. Where Dwayne Wade Happens.

From last night's game against the Chicago Bulls...



Simply Amazing.

Dwayne Wade has been a demi-god as of late. Fantasy owners every have been reaping in his insane stat lines he puts up every other night; I know I regret not conjuring up some offers to send for him.

But look beyond the numbers, and at the man behind them. In all honesty, I wasn't completely on the "Wade 2.0" bandwagon after the Summer Olympics. Despite his superstardom, I still believed he was injury prone, and incapable of leading a directionless and limited Miami team anywhere.

I remember watching a Heat game early in the season; they were playing against the Blazers, and it was one of those games that was close all the way til the final minutes. But even though the score was close, it seemed like the Heat were destined to lose that game, and they did. Despite Wade's monumental efforts (36pt, 8asts, 6reb, 3blks, 2stls) that night, he was all that the Heat had. All their offense, all their energy came from this one guy. At that point, I predicted Wade would have a frustrating season. One of those seasons where he has to clock in 40ish minutes a night, put up ridiculous numbers, still lose, and wind up injured half-way into January due to all the wear-and-tear. Wade was good, but I did not think he was that good.

Wade has proven me wrong.

It's unbelievable what this man can do night-in and night-out. Playing full-throttle at , Wade has been a force at both ends of the court: breakaway dunks, acrobatic layups, highlight-reel blocks, and last-second buzzer beaters. What's even more amazing is what he's done with what would otherwise be a bottom-dwelling team. Wade hasn't had consistent help all year. Shawn Marion struggled with injuries early on, and only played for a while with the Heat before being shipped to Toronto. Chalmers and Beasley have both shown flashes potential, but neither are reliable on a nightly basis. Jermaine O'neal has managed to avoid sitting out thus far, but he's no longer the post presence he used to be. Taking all this along with a rookie coach into account, and you'll recognize the magnitude of Wade's accomplishments this year.

2008-2009 was supposed to be the year of Dwade's "comeback"

I say it's more than that. Wade has reached another level.
I'm on the #3 bandwagon. Wade for MVP!