Hassan Whiteside Triple-Doubles Off Bench

Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside returned from a two-game absence and had the best game of his career in 25 minutes off the bench.

Both Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade scored 20-plus points and Luol Deng added a double-double, but Whiteside was the star of the day.

With three double-doubles earlier this month, Whiteside had his first ever career triple-double with 14 points, 13 rebounds and a career-high 12 blocked shots.

Not only were his 12 blocks the most by any player this season, the last time that any player had double-digit blocks was 2/28/13 (Joakim Noah, 11). In that game, Noah triple-doubled with 23 points and 21 rebounds as well. The last player to have 12 blocks was JaVale McGee (3/15/11).

Whiteside has yet to play more than 28 minutes in any game this season, but he is averaging 12.33 points, 8.56 rebounds and (now) 4.0 blocks per game in the month of January through today's triple-double.

The Heat will face the Bucks next on Tuesday night.

2014-15 NBA Power Rankings: Week 2

The post-LeBron James era in Miami has gotten off to an excellent start as the Heat have won their first three games of the season and average 109.3 points per game, which is second only to the Dallas Mavericks. Along with Golden State and Houston, they are the only three teams with an average point differential in double digits (+11.7).

Heat power forward Chris Bosh took a back seat to LeBron and Dwyane Wade over the past four seasons, but Bosh has stepped up his production big time with the LeBron's departure.

Bosh is averaging 25.7 points per game, seventh in the league, and 11.3 rebounds per game, eighth-best, through the first week of the season. Both of those averages would be career highs for Bosh, who is in his 12th NBA season. In addition, Bosh is averaging 4.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game, which would also be career highs as well.

With 0.7 win shares already through three games, Bosh is averaging .303 win shares per 48 minutes. His previous career high was .200 in 2007-08 with the Raptors.

The Heat have scored at least 107 points in each of their first three wins (over Wizards, Sixers and Raptors) and they will face Dwight Howard, James Harden and the 3-0 Rockets on Tuesday.

Some other notes:

• With the pressure of returning home, LeBron and the Cavs stumbled in their opener against the Knicks. James had eight turnovers and converted on only five of his 15 field goal attempts, but they bounced back in the second game with an overtime win against the Bulls. James scored a game-high 36 points on 14-of-30 shooting and added eight rebounds, four assists and four steals with three turnovers.
• It's been a dominant start to the 2014-15 season for Pelicans power forward Anthony Davis. Through Sunday's games, Davis ranks second in scoring (28.5 per game), first in rebounding (16.0) and first in blocks (6.0). Along with Omer Asik (13.5 PPG, 13.0 RPG, 2.5 BPG), the Pelicans have one of the league's best 1-2 tandems down low.
• Golden State's Klay Thompson scored 19 points on 4-of-14 shooting on opening night, but he has 41 and 29 points in his other two games and shot a combined 25-of-40 in those two games. Early in the season, Thompson leads the league in scoring (29.7 PPG). The Warriors will host the Clippers in a Pacific division showdown on Wednesday.
• Sacramento is off to a 2-1 start and Rudy Gay is coming off two big games in wins over the Blazers (40 points, eight rebounds) and Clippers (25 points, seven boards, six assists). In addition, DeMarcus Cousins had a relatively slow start in his first two games (18.5 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 33.3 FG%), but he had a massive 34/17 line against the Clips on Sunday.
• The Lakers will give the Sixers a run for their money as the worst team in the league. Losing Julius Randle for the season was a tough blow in the opener, but Kobe Bryant could lead the league in scoring (and perhaps technical fouls). That said, they won't be able to stop anyone and are currently allowing a league-worst 118.0 PPG. (Brooklyn is second-worst in that category at 105.5.)
• The Atlanta Hawks are shooting an incredible 47.6 percent from behind the arc through two games. Only seven teams (including the Hawks) have a better field goal percentage (for all field goals) so far this season. The other 23 teams all have a field-goal percentage lower than 47.6 percent and the Nuggets rank last in the league at 39.4 percent.
• Not only will the Thunder have to deal with the injury to Kevin Durant (foot), but they will be without Russell Westbrook (hand) for roughly a month. Especially considering the talent of the Western Conference, it's another devastating blow.

Here are my Week 2 NBA Power Rankings:

1. Golden State Warriors (Record: 3-0, Last Week: 7)
2. San Antonio Spurs (Record: 1-1, Last Week: 2)
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (Record: 1-1, Last Week: 1)
4. Dallas Mavericks (Record: 2-1, Last Week: 6)
5. Chicago Bulls (Record: 2-1, Last Week: 3)
6. Memphis Grizzlies (Record: 3-0, Last Week: 8)
7. Houston Rockets (Record: 3-0, Last Week: 12)
8. Los Angeles Clippers (Record: 2-1, Last Week: 4)
9. Miami Heat (Record: 3-0, Last Week: 16)
10. Phoenix Suns (Record: 2-1, Last Week: 14)
11. Washington Wizards (Record: 2-1, Last Week: 10)
12. Toronto Raptors (Record: 2-1, Last Week: 11)
13. New Orleans Pelicans (Record: 1-1, Last Week: 13)
14. Portland Trail Blazers (Record: 1-2, Last Week: 9)
15. Sacramento Kings (Record: 2-1, Last Week: 23)
16. New York Knicks (Record: 2-1, Last Week: 24)
17. Denver Nuggets (Record: 1-1, Last Week: 17)
18. Oklahoma City Thunder (Record: 1-2, Last Week: 5)
19. Charlotte Bobcats (Record: 1-2, Last Week: 15)
20. Atlanta Hawks (Record: 1-1, Last Week: 19)
21. Brooklyn Nets (Record: 1-1, Last Week: 18)
22. Indiana Pacers (Record: 1-2, Last Week: 21)
23. Minnesota Timberwolves (Record: 1-2, Last Week: 25)
24. Boston Celtics (Record: 1-1, Last Week: 27)
25. Utah Jazz (Record: 1-2, Last Week: 26)
26. Detroit Pistons (Record: 0-3, Last Week: 20)
27. Milwaukee Bucks (Record: 1-2, Last Week: 28)
28. Orlando Magic (Record: 0-3, Last Week: 29)
29. Los Angeles Lakers (Record: 0-4, Last Week: 22)
30. Philadelphia 76ers (Record: 0-4, Last Week: 30)

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Report: Dwyane Wade has opted out of his contract

Miami Heat small forward LeBron James opted out of his contract earlier in the week.

In order for him to return to the Heat, one of the key factors would be whether or not Dwyane Wade and/or Chris Bosh would opt out of their contracts to ultimately give the Heat more financial flexibility.

And D-Wade has opted out.

Dwyane Wade has opted out of last 2 years and $42 M of contract as expected, per AP. Working with Heat to give them spending money.
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) June 28, 2014

Playing in only 54 regular-season games, Wade averaged 19.0 points — his lowest average since his rookie season — as well as 4.5 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game. In the NBA Finals, however, Wade shot only 43.8 percent from the field and 69.2 percent from the line while averaging 15.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

The Heat were already the odds-on favorite to re-sign James and this move only makes it more likely that James will return.

[Update: Bosh has also opted out, per ESPN's Chris Boussard.  Or he hasn't as NBA.com's David Aldridge says "Bosh has not yet decided whether to opt out."]

Report: LeBron James to exercise early termination option

Get ready for The Decision II — not another TV "special" but another free agency period for LeBron James.

LeBron James' agent Rich Paul has told Heat LeBron will exercise early termination option

— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) June 24, 2014

With LeBron about to become a free agent on July 1st, it does not mean that he won't return to the Heat along with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh for a chance to get back to the NBA Finals for a fifth consecutive season. So, Pat Riley is probably somewhere saying "get a grip" and then nervously laughing.

That said, it does open up his options and obviously every team in the association will be lining up in pursuit of the game's best player.

James averaged 27.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game last season. Based on data from Basketball Reference, only three players have seasons with 27/6/6/1: James (eight of them), Michael Jordan (three) and Larry Bird (three).

While Kevin Durant won the league MVP this season (and rightfully so), James is one of only five NBA players to have won the award four times. The others are Jordan, Moses Malone, Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Will James keep his talents in South Beach? Go back home to Cleveland? Or end up somewhere else?

Consensus NBA Power Rankings, Final Rankings

With the NBA regular season over and the playoffs beginning this weekend, this will be our last edition for this season of our NBA Consensus Power Rankings.

Therefore, it makes sense to get the NBA Finals predictions from our rankers.

John Trifone: Heat over Spurs in seven games

The NBA Finals matchup appears a little less predictable than it has in recent years.

The East had been looking like a two-horse race for much of the season, but both the Pacers and Heat have been mediocre at best for the last quarter of the year. The Nets, as well as the Bulls, have emerged as a possibility to challenge for the Conference. The Raptors are the forgotten team, and most disrespected three seed in recent memory, but they, too, could be considered as in the mix.

The West has some terrific first-round match-ups, and although the Spurs, Thunder, Clippers, and maybe Rockets are favorites to come out of it, it really wouldn't be all that surprising if any of the other four teams were to make a run. Earlier in the year, I predicted that the Warriors would make the Conference Finals, but with Andrew Bogut out, that's a pretty big blow to their chances.

For my Finals matchup, I'm going to go way out on a limb and take the Heat and Spurs for the second year in a row. For a team like the Pacers to falter the way that they have, that shows real concern. I don't feel that's the case for the Heat, though. Miami hasn't been taking the end of the regular season seriously, and I'm confident that they will turn it on for the playoffs. San Antonio, on the other hand, has been the best team in the NBA for the majority of the year. The West is a real powerhouse, and although it's a lot tougher to predict than the East, I'll take the team that has been the most consistent, and done it before.

In the Finals, I'm going to take Miami to three-peat in seven games. I think it's a really even series, and I might actually favor the Spurs, but I'm less confident that they will make the Finals than I am with Miami. So I'm taking a repeat of last year with Miami in seven.

Sean Beazley: Spurs over Bulls in five games

I've changed my NBA finals pick multiple times during the year, and I am going to do it again heading into the playoffs. I am going to go with the chalk in the West and say that San Antonio will beat Chicago in five. The Spurs have the best coach in the NBA. They have by far the most depth, and their nucleus has the most experience. The Bulls are the best defensive team in basketball, and I think both the Heat and Pacers slip up before the Eastern Conference Finals.

Dan Yanotchko: Spurs over Heat in six games

I think this year's NBA Finals, will be a rematch of last year's epic showdown between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs are still alive and kicking, as most thought that last year would be their final in real contention, but they had a league-best 62 wins this year. The Miami Heat are limping into this year's playoffs, although most are speculating that they are sandbagging, and just waiting for the playoffs to start. This year, I think Miami is too banged up with Dwyane Wade not at 100%, and the Heat just do not have an inside big man to deal with San Antonio's length. This is the year that Tim Duncan makes that bunny lay up, and gets ring number 5 for the best coach in the league Gregg Popovich. Spurs will win in 6 games.

Kevin Hanson: Heat over Spurs in six games

There is quite a bit of intrigue with the NBA playoffs this year. The West is stacked; so much so that I wouldn't be surprised to see any of the eight teams emerge and represent the West in the Finals. Despite missing the playoffs in the West, the Suns have an identical record as the Raptors and Bulls, who are the third and fourth seeds in the East, respectively. As John noted earlier, it seemed to be a given that we would see a Heat-versus-Pacers Eastern Conference Finals, but that is no longer a lock with how those teams have struggled down the stretch.

While Kevin Durant deserves to win league MVP, LeBron James is still the best player in the NBA and the Heat know exactly what's needed to close the deal to emerge from the East as back-to-back league champions. (On a side note, I have the Bulls — not the Pacers — getting to the Eastern Conference Finals.) Perhaps in a bit of a surprise, I have the Grizzlies "upsetting" the Thunder and Clippers to advance to the Western Conference Finals as Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley have the Grizz playing well at the right time. Unfortunately, I see the Grizzlies losing a Game 7 at The Alamo as the Big Fundamental, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili get another shot for a title.

As much as I dislike (yet respect) Popp, I'll be rooting for Duncan and the Spurs. That said, I expect the Heat to make it a three-peat and win in six games.


- Check out our final 2013-14 NBA Power Rankings this season.

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NBA Poll: Who will represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals?

With nearly half of their conference's 12 All-Stars, the Heat (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh) and Pacers (Paul George and Roy Hibbert) joined forces on Sunday to help lead the Eastern Conference to a win in the NBA All-Star Game.

Best of the East?

Who will represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals? Indiana Pacers Miami Heat Other Team view results

As the "second half" is set to resume today, however, the Eastern Conference will essentially be a two-team race between those two squads.

At the moment, the Pacers (40-12) have the best record in the conference, but the Heat (37-14) seem less concerned about hosting a potential Game 7. The Raptors are a distant third in the standings (28-24).

Current odds to win the Eastern Conference (via Sportsbook.com): Pacers (5/6), Heat (1/1) and then Raptors and Nets are tied for third with 30/1 odds. The Heat will pick up after the All-Star Break with games against the Mavs on Tuesday and then the Thunder on Thursday. As great as Kevin Durant has been playing, he is expected to get back teammate Russell Westbrook for Thursday's showdown.

Could this be a potential NBA Finals preview? Or will the Pacers (or another team) represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals?

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Consensus NBA Power Rankings, Week 14

Now that we are at the midway point of the 2013-14 NBA season, we asked our power rankers for a midseason pick to win it all.

Here are their responses:

John Trifone: Miami Heat

At the midway point of the season, it's tough to pick any team to come out of the West. Teams like Memphis, Denver, and Minnesota, who would be vying for the three seed in the East, are currently on the outside looking in. If I had to pick right now, I would take Oklahoma City to come out of the West, although San Antonio, Portland, and Golden State are not too far behind. The Clippers and Rockets also certainly have a shot, but I think they are just a bit more of an underdog to do so.

The East is much easier, at least, to get down to two. It's pretty clear that barring a major upset, it's going to be Miami and Indiana in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Indiana has been the most impressive team in the NBA all year, but I'm still going to take them to fall short again this year to the Heat. Miami knows what they're doing, and they don't need to prove that they can win 70 games in the regular season. They can comfortably rest players whenever needed, and can still lock up the two seed without much of a problem. That means that they will have to be able to beat the Pacers in Indiana this summer, but they know that they can win on the road.

This might be the year that Indiana knocks off the two-time champs, but I believe that the Heat are still too strong, and will manage the team the way they need to in order to be playing their best ball when it matters most.

In a matchup of the NBA Finals two years ago, I like the Heat to come out on top once again. Although KD is having an MVP season, and will likely bring home that hardware, I expect LeBron James to take home another ring. Miami won their previous Finals matchup in five games, and although this one may be more competitive, I like the Heat to win in six games.

Kevin Hanson: Indiana Pacers

While winning the regular season may not be as high on the list of other contending teams, the Pacers clearly want the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs — and that makes sense. After all, the Heat have advanced to the Finals in the past three seasons and have won it all two years in a row. In addition, the Pacers were one game away, which was ultimately a loss in Miami, from getting to the NBA Finals.

The Pacers lead the NBA in scoring defense (90.2 points allowed per game) and have held their opponents to a league-low 41.3 percent from the field. Only the Thunder have a better rebounding differential than the Pacers.

Although LeBron James is still the best player on the planet, Paul George is one of the league's best defenders — and best all-around players, for that matter — to help contain LeBron. With Dwyane Wade (knee) not the same as he was several years ago, I think the Pacers get over the hump this year with a Game 7 win in Indy.

The Western Conference is much deeper and it seems that any team could emerge, but I think the Pacers will face the Thunder in the NBA Finals. However, the Pacers will win it all in six games.

Sean Beazley: Oklahoma City Thunder

I like Oklahoma City to beat Miami in 5.

I love OKC's supporting cast this year. Reggie Jackson has been playing great with Russell Westbrook out with injury, and Jeremy Lamb has been knocking down shots from outside. Their interior defense is very good with Serge Ibaka. And Kevin Durant has taken this team on his back the past couple of weeks and I think he will continue to do so even when Westbrook is back in the lineup.

The Heat are good enough to make it to the finals in the East, but I don't think their Big 3 is as dominant as in years past, and I think this is one of the reasons why King James leaves Miami at the end of his current deal.

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Dan Yanotchko: Indiana Pacers

I think this year will see a new NBA champion crowned, and it will go to the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers certainly have one of the best rosters in the league, led by their trio of Roy Hibbert, Paul George, and David West. The Pacers have the best lockdown defense in the game, and they lead the league in only allowing 90.2 points per game. The Pacers have the best depth, the defense, and they will have learned lessons from losing to Miami in the playoffs the last two years.

- See our full 2013-14 NBA Power Rankings for Week 14 here

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2013-14 NBA Power Rankings, Week 3

The Indiana Pacers have continued their hot start and are now the sole remaining unbeaten team this season.

Therefore, it's shouldn't be much of a surprise that they are the No. 1 team in our Week 3 Consensus NBA Power Rankings.

Just as impressive as winning their first seven games to open the season, the Pacers had to win four of those games during a five-day stretch.

After their run in the postseason last year, the goal is obviously not to "win" the regular season.  One of the things that will certainly help prolong their playoff run in 2014, however, would be to host more home games.

The Pacers won eight of nine of their home playoff games last year and having home-court advantage in each series could potentially help them go deeper in the playoffs this season.

That said, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat are still the team to beat as two-time defending champions, but the Pacers are arguably the most complete team in the league.

Pacers small forward Paul George is one of the most complete players in the league.  George is currently averaging 25.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game.  In addition, he's shooting 42.9 percent from behind the arc and 84.8 percent from the line.

With George, Roy Hibbert and David West plus Luis Scola off the bench, the Pacers also have one of the league's best front courts.  Hibbert currently ranks second in the NBA in blocks (4.29 per game).

Although the Pacers rank in the bottom 10 in the league in scoring offense (94.9 points per game), they will soon get back Danny Granger from his strained calf.  With a career average of 18.1 points per game and as much as 25.8 PPG (2008-09), Granger will help the team's offense when he returns.

That said, the Pacers are holding teams to just 85.3 points per game, which leads the NBA by a wide margin.  The Bulls and Spurs rank second at 93.0 PPG allowed.  In addition, their opponents are only shooting 38.9 percent from the field, which is an NBA low as well.

The Pacers will host the Grizzlies and Bucks on Nov. 11 and 15, respectively, as they look to extend their winning streak.

- View our full 2013-14 NBA Consensus Power Rankings heading into Week 3

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NBA Finals Prediction: Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs (Trifone)

I had both winners of the Conference Finals, picking the Spurs and Heat to advance, but I had the quality of the series' flip-flopped.  San Antonio was the better team in all four games against the Grizz, a series I expected to be much tighter than it was.  The Heat, on the other hand, struggled much more than expected; not because the Pacers aren't a good team, but because the Heat had just been on another level.  Not only did they rattle of 27 wins in a row earlier in the year, but they were 8-1 in the playoffs going into the series, and seemed poised for another championship run.  Roy Hibbert, Paul George, and David West proved to be a pretty formidable Big Three, but ultimately, the Heat were able to dispatch of them in a lopsided Game Seven in Miami.

Much has been made of the long layoff that San Antonio has had between sweeping Memphis, and Game 1 of the NBA Finals coming up on June 6th.  Personally, I think the Spurs are a team that the rest will greatly benefit.  Last year, the Spurs were playing tremendous basketball, and I still have no idea what happened for them to lose four consecutive games to Oklahoma City.  This year, the Spurs did not have the same steam coming in to the playoffs, but they have clearly been the best in the West, and earned their trip to the Finals.  Tim Duncan seems to have found the fountain of youth, and at 37 is playing just about as well as he ever has, which is certainly saying something, considering he is thought of by most to be the best power forward in NBA history.  Tony Parker is also back to the MVP form from early in the year.  For the Spurs, this will be their fifth Finals appearance in the Duncan-Poppovich era.  They won all four previous trips, with the most recent title coming against LeBron James and the Cavs.

The Heat have been the team with a target on their backs the entire year.  They are the defending NBA Champions, and have had to take everyone's best shot all year long.  Although they have had lingering injuries, specifically Dwyane Wade, for much of the year, and an aging cast of shooters who did not really show up in the Eastern Conference Finals, Miami found a way to get back for the third consecutive year.  Since joining the Heat, LeBron is 3/3 in Finals appearances, and could become a champion for the second year in a row.

In many ways, this series is a referendum on LeBron's place in history.  Many analyst's have defended LeBron, saying that his supporting cast has been as bad, if not worse, than the one he had in Cleveland.  History, however, is not going to remember that supporting cast in the same way.  As good as Wade, Chris Bosh, Ray Allen, Shane Battier, etc. have been, none of them are going to be compared to the elite of the elite, and talked about in the discussion for the GOAT.  For LeBron, however, not getting a ring, for ANY reason, is going to be in paragraph one of his bio when all is said and done for him.

I think this has the makings of a fantastic series, and it's a matchup we really haven't seen.  In the two games that the Spurs and Heat played this year, San Antonio rested all their big guns in Miami, and the Heat did the same thing on the road at San Antonio.  I'm expecting a back-and-forth series, but I think that ultimately, LeBron and Miami will be up to "not two" as far as championships go.  The Pacers defense exposed some of the Heat's flaws, but they were still able to make adjustments and advance.  I don't see the role players like Allen and Battier to be as bad as they were against Indiana, and D-Wade showed us in Game 7 that he still has something left in the tank.  Bosh was mentally defeated by West and Hibbert, but will get a fresh start against Duncan and the Spurs.  It is going to be another tall task, but I think he will fare better.

And at the end of the day, the Heat have a weapon that no team in the league has.  LeBron is as intelligent of a player as there is in the league, and his ability to  be either Magic or Michael, depending on what the team needs, gives them an advantage that is tough to counter.  If anyone can figure out a way to stop him, it's Pop, and I'm looking forward to the coaching matchup as much as anything else.  But at the end of the day, I'll take LeBron and the Heat in 6.

Prediction: Miami Heat in 6 Games

[Note: This post is from John Trifone.  See his other basketball posts here and/or follow him on Twitter @JohnnyT0122.]

Eastern Conference Finals Prediction: Heat vs. Pacers (Trifone)

The Miami Heat are playing as well as anybody right now, and were able to close out the Bulls in four consecutive games, after Chicago's Game 1 upset.  Dwyane Wade has been awful for the most part, although he came on and had a few key plays in the close-out game of the Semi-Final round.  Chris Bosh has picked up the slack , and Norris Cole, among others, has also been a big contributor.

The Pacers fell off everyone's radar, closing the regular season in very mediocre fashion.  They came to play in the playoffs, though, and were clearly the better team against the Knicks.  Paul George and Roy Hibbert have been key factors in Indiana's success, but I think David West may be the toughest matchup in the upcoming series against Miami.

Indiana can, and likely will, win the rebounding matchup, but I don't think they're going to have enough to win the series.

LeBron James had a tough series against Chicago, a team that usually gives him some trouble.  Still, he managed to put up solid numbers, and put his team in a position to win each game.  I expect LeBron to be great in the Conference Finals, and Miami to advance to the NBA Finals in a series that is not as interesting as the Spurs/Grizzlies (see my prediction for that series here).  The Pacers are a tough team, but they're not on the same level as the Heat.  I like Miami in five.

Series Prediction: Heat in 5 Games

[Note: This post is from John Trifone.  See his other basketball posts here and/or follow him on Twitter @JohnnyT0122.]

Trifone: 2012 NBA Finals Prediction - Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Miami Heat

After an incredible Game 6 performance from King James, the Miami Heat were able to defend home court in Game 7 and advance to the Finals.  After a very competitive series, one that turned out to be far closer than I thought it would be, the Heat showed flashes of greatness.  However, they also showed some glaring weaknesses.

Miami is easily the most criticized and scrutinized team in the NBA, and while it's pretty clear why, it creates a very interesting dynamic.  Every time the Heat appear to be down (falling behind 2-1 to the Pacers, or falling behind 3-2 to the Celtics after taking a 2-0 lead), everyone, including myself at times, wants to pile on the Heat.  And the reason seems to be that our expectations for them are so high.  We think to ourselves that this team came together, three of the best players in the league, and yet we see them struggle the way any other team might.  It appears that the reality of the situation is that regardless of how they came together, the Big 3 of Miami are simply NOT substantially better than a handful of other teams in the league.

In the prime of his career, Michael Jordan and the Bulls were not challenged.  It was clear who the best team was, and Jordan's Bulls would usually have the series in hand before there was ever even talk of a Game 7.  We lived through this, and wonder why LeBron can't seem to yield the same results, in spite of joining forces with Wade and Bosh.

And the truth of the matter is that the league is just more competitive today; not as a whole, but at the top.  In the Jordan era, we didn't think there were five or six teams at the top, any of which could realistically win it.  I used to be a die-hard Knicks fan, and they were a playoff team year after year.  But I knew in my heart that Ewing and Starks and Oakley simply were not going to beat Jordan and Pippen.  And they never did.  Before free agency became as prevalent, teams simply did not change enough.  And Jordan and Pippen were simply better than Malone/Stockton, Olajuwon, Ewing, Barkley, etc.  The question was not which of a handful of teams will win it all.  It was will any other team rise up and really challenge the Bulls?

Today, we feel that Miami should be that team because of the way that they came together, and the incredibly high expectations we have for those three players.  But as we've seen, Miami is a very good team; often a great team.  But they simply are not head and shoulders above the rest of the league.  And when they struggle, we come down on them as if they should be Jordan's Bulls, rather than simply acknowledge that maybe they're not.

With all of that said, for the second straight year, Miami is headed back to the NBA Finals.  It wasn't always a pretty road and it wasn't always apparent that they would emerge, but once again they have, setting up the NBA's dream matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Celtics and Spurs put forth valiant efforts to make what appears to be one final run for each team, but in the end, we are witnessing the changing of the guard.  It's the two faces of the NBA, the three-time MVP versus the three-time scoring champion.  It's good versus evil in a series that will have just about everyone outside of Miami (and Seattle) rooting for the Thunder.

Oklahoma City was incredibly impressive against San Antonio.  All year, I have felt that the Thunder were a good team, certainly one of the best in the league.  But I definitely thought that they were still a bit young, and with the way the Spurs had been playing, I was more than a bit surprised that they were able to overcome a 2-0 deficit to win four straight.  It's ironic the way we judge Miami's Big 3, as OKC's Big 3 is every bit as good.  James Harden has been playing like the unquestioned best "third option" in the league, if we can still call him that.  And Oklahoma City seems to be winning by not only pouring on the points, but on the defensive end as well.

The Thunder are the favorite to win the title, and deservedly so.

They were more impressive overall than Miami was, and went through a more difficult road, knocking off three championship-caliber teams.  Still, I can't help but feel like LeBron isn't going to let anything stop him this time.  I felt the same way last year, and I still feel that Miami was better than Dallas was last year.  Just not at that moment in time.  Dirk Nowitzki had one of the top-five greatest playoff performances in history.  If Durant can mimic that kind of effort, it could spell the same kind of trouble for Miami this time around. 

However, LeBron is just as capable as Durant of having that kind of a series, and while the Heat have some weaknesses, James has been taking it to another level in the playoffs.  He appears to be less concerned about being criticized and is more focused on taking games over.  He looks like Cleveland Lebron, except he finally might have enough of a supporting cast.

I am as excited for this series as I have been for any series I can remember, and I look forward to watching the two best players on the planet go at each other.  When Dwyane Wade and Russell Westbrook aren't the headliners, you know you're in store for a pretty great matchup.  This series could go either way, but I've felt that in a seven-game series, Miami has been the best team all year.  And I still feel that way today.

Miami in seven.

[Editor's note: This post is by John Trifone (@JohnnyT0122).  Get tickets to the NBA Finals from TicketCity.]

Eastern Conference Finals Prediction: Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics

Philadelphia had a nice run, but it will be the Celtics that will fly to Miami to face the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. Fortunately for Boston, Miami will be without Dexter Pittman for the first two games of the series, so the Heat will have to rely more on LeBron James and D-Wade to carry the load.

In all seriousness, the status of Chris Bosh could potentially be a factor in the series.  Without him, many thought the Heat would struggle to get by Indiana.

As it turns out, just when many were ready to pronounce Miami dead, LeBron and Wade stepped up their game, and showed why they have been the favorite to win the NBA Championship all year.  The third quarter of Game Four was about as flawless as a duo can play.  It may as well have been two on five out there, and that still wasn't enough to stop them.  The key to their success was that they were not just playing isolation basketball, they were playing together and they were taking it to the basket, rather than settling for a contested mid-range jumper or a deep three with the shot clock winding down.

Boston has played like typical Boston this year.

When it matters, they still have it in them to turn it on, and they know what it takes to win a championship.  Still, they are getting too old to play that kind of ball night after night.  They struggled mightily on offensive against Philadelphia, and it's not going to get any easier against Miami, whose athleticism is a tremendous asset in helping them play real lockdown defense.  The biggest question for Boston will be if they can score enough to stay in games this series.

Historically, LeBron James has struggled with the Celtics, but recent history (last year's playoff series), tells a different story than a few years ago.  LeBron was awesome and played outstanding in the fourth quarter of those games, helping his team to get by Boston pretty easily in five games.

This year, I believe it will be more of the same.  Boston has showed resiliency to get back to the Conference Finals, and it's clear that this group wants to make another run at a title, but they are simply overmatched.  In a seven-game series, the better team is usually going to win, and Miami is simply the better team.

It's easy to lose sight of how good the Heat are because the expectations are so high.  They haven't challenged Jordan's Bulls' 70-win season, they fell behind two games to one in the second round of the playoffs against Indiana, a team with no real stars.  But at the end of the day, the first year they got together, they made the NBA Finals (knocking off the Celtics and MVP-led Bulls) and came up just short.  In this, their second year, they're back in the conference finals, and pretty heavy favorites to reach the NBA Finals once again.

LeBron is the best player on the planet, and regardless of who surrounds him, and whether you like him or not, his team is going to be among the contenders to win it all for years to come.  They made the Finals last year, and I believe they're going back again this year.  I don't expect the Eastern Conference Finals to be as close as the Western Finals.  I like Miami to jump out to a 2-0 series lead, then likely split in Boston, and close it out at home.

So I'm picking the Heat to win in 5 and set up a highly anticipated matchup with either the Spurs or Thunder (see my pick in that series).

Prediction: Miami in five games

[Editor's note: This post is by John Trifone (@JohnnyT0122), who also contributes at our NFL site: Eat, Drink and Sleep Football (see John's archives).]

NBA Consensus Power Rankings, Week 6

For the first time this year, we have a tie at the top of our NBA Consensus Power Rankings.

Although the Miami Heat had one of our four first-place votes (and three third-place votes), the Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder are tied for first. However, all three teams are within one game of each other in the NBA standings and are in a different tier from the rest of the NBA.

At the other end, the Bobcats are a consensus choice for last in our power rankings, but the Pistons, Hornets and Wizards are all bad, really bad, as well.

Fortunately for the teams at the bottom, the potential rookie class is stronger in 2012 than last year's rookie crop.

[In our NBA mock drafts, which we released over the weekend, both Brendan Donahue (see his mock) and I (see my mock) had Kentucky power forward Anthony Davis going first overall.]

Here are some more stats about this week's NBA Consensus Power Rankings:

- Biggest jump from last week: Los Angeles Clippers (+4.75)
- Biggest drop from last week: Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets (-2.75)
- Team with widest difference between high and low ranker: Indiana Pacers, New York Knicks and Houston Rockets (5)

[See our full NBA Consensus Power Rankings.]

Each week, we respond to one roundtable question and here's this week's question: Who is the NBA MVP so far this season?

John (follow on Twitter): There are a few solid candidates for MVP through this point in the season. It's mostly the usual suspects, with some of the favorites being Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, or even Kevin Love. However, in my opinion, the MVP through this point of the season is LeBron James. Although Miami is pretty stacked, Dwyane Wade has had a nagging injury that has kept him out for much of the season. Still, LeBron has the Heat just a game out of the No. 1 seed in the East behind on the Bulls. In their one meeting this season, the Heat were able to eek out the win behind a 35-point effort from LeBron. In addition to being the best player on what I feel is the best team in the league, Lebron's statistics are incredible. He's averaging over 29 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 7 assists per game. He's not far off from averaging a triple-double, which is pretty amazing. There's still plenty of season left, but I have a feeling LeBron will continue playing at a high level and lock up the MVP at the end of the season. The bigger question is going to be if he can shrug off last season's Finals and lead the Heat to a title.

Sean (follow on Twitter): My No. 1 team has the league's MVP on it, and that is the Bulls Derrick Rose. In terms of value, Rose is the No. 1 player in the league. The Bulls would not be where they are without Rose.

Dan (follow on Twitter): So far the MVP of the season has to go to the old warhorse in Kobe Bryant. Byrant is maintaining an unbelievable pace right now, as he is averaging 38 minutes per game, and also leading the league with 29.4 points per game. Kobe is doing all of this after losing Lamar Odom, Phil Jackson, and playing with a pulled ligament in his wrist. It has been impressive to watch Kobe develop his game, and the return of the mamba as he is fueled by all the slights this year.

Kevin (follow on Twitter): In the history of the NBA, only three players have averaged at least 29 points, eight rebounds and seven assists: Oscar Robertson (four times during the '60's), Michael Jordan (1988-89 season) and LeBron James (so far this year). Plus, he's tied for 10th in the NBA in steals per game (1.7). With the Heat also one of the top three teams in the NBA, there is absolutely no doubt that LeBron is the clear frontrunner for the award so far this year.

To see where all 30 teams fall in our power rankings going through Week 6, click here.

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NBA Consensus Power Rankings Through Week 3

While the same three teams are in the top three spots of our NBA Consensus Power Rankings, they are in reverse order from last week: (1) Chicago Bulls, (2) Oklahoma City Thunder and (3) Miami Heat.

With an ankle injury sidelining Dwyane Wade indefinitely, things may continue to get worse for the Heat before they get better. Miami has lost three straight games and their next three games are against teams in the top seven in our rankings: Spurs (9-4), Lakers (9-5) and Sixers (9-3).

"I've got to step it up a little more offensively and defensively," James said (via Chris Perkins of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel), "revert back to some of the ways when I was back in Cleveland, when I knew for the most part I had to be the No. 1 option offensively."

On the other hand, the bottom four teams in our rankings have remained exactly the same: (27) Charlotte Bobcats, (28) New Jersey Nets, (29) Detroit Pistons and (30) Washington Wizards.

Here are some stats about this week's NBA Consensus Power Rankings:

- Biggest jump from last week: Houston Rockets (+4.50)
- Biggest drop from last week: Portland Trail Blazers (-7.00)
- Team with widest difference between high and low ranker: Dallas Mavericks (9)

[See our full NBA Consensus Power Rankings.]

Over the past four seasons, the Celtics have finished first in the Atlantic Division and finished with at least 50 wins and a .610 winning percentage in each season. During that four-year span, the Celtics have a combined record of 234-94 (.713 winning percentage). This year has not gone nearly as well so far as the Celtics have lost seven of their first 11 games.

Each week, we respond to one roundtable question and here's this week's question: Will the Celtics finish above or below .500 this season?

John (follow on Twitter): The Celtics are off to a slow start, and I certainly found it amusing when Pacer fans started chanting "AARP" when they had the ball in a recent game in Indiana. The Celtics will get better, though. They don't look to be a real threat to win it this year, but they still have enough talent to be a playoff team. I won't put them much over .500, as they will likely only play hard enough to get into the playoffs. They are a team that will benefit more from resting than they would trying to move up a spot or two. Still, I have them finishing somewhere over the .500 mark, good enough for third in the division behind the Knicks and Sixers.

Sean (follow on Twitter): I believe Boston will finish above .500, but I am starting to think they will not finish as high as I thought they would originally. The Celtics are 4-7 this season, and the only four wins they have are versus the Wizards (twice), Nets and Pistons, who are the bottom three teams in my power rankings. The 4th-worst team in my rankings, the New Orleans Hornets, beat the Celtics this year. Jason Terry hit the nail right on the head during his halftime interview this week when he basically said Rondo is the only player playing with any energy. Later that game, Jeff Van Gundy was ripping the Celtics for the same thing. The Celtics have too much talent not to finish above .500 especially in the Eastern Conference where there are a lot of teams worse than them.

Dan (follow on Twitter): The Celtics will not finish this season above .500, as the compressed format goes against their age. The Celtics big three have all missed time this year, and they have no depth off of the bench to speak of. The Celtics starting rotation right now consists of (when healthy) Garnett, Allen, Pierce, Rondo, and Jermaine O'Neal, and they can only maybe go 7-8 deep with Bass, Wilcox, and Dooling. The Celtics are just too old to string back-to-back nights and three games in four nights trips into multiple wins. I do expect the Celtics to grab one of the final playoff spots, but they will need to add depth at the trade deadline.

Kevin (follow on Twitter): Through 11 games, all four of the Celtics wins have come against the bottom three teams in our Power Rankings. With the Thunder up next on their schedule (Monday), let's count that as a loss, which would drop the Celtics to 4-8. Their schedule in April is tough: only four of their 15 opponents have a losing record. In those four games against teams with a losing record, the Celtics are on the road in three of them. Let's say they go 6-9 in April (although you could argue that's optimistic). Assuming a loss to the Thunder on Monday and a 6-9 April record, that puts their record outside of January 17th to March 31st at 10-17. In other words, the Celtics need to win 24 of those 39 games to finish above .500. Long story short: Celtics will NOT finish above .500 this year.

To see where all 30 teams fall in our power rankings going through Week 3, click here.

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Related: Our End-of-season NFL Consensus Power Rankings