UD - I'm sorry.

HIF · Post #1 » by **HIF** » Fri Mar 28, 2014 9:17 am

Thought I should put this thread up for GT3 :lol:

and others of the same ilk.

UD even I was questioning your right to be on the team this year. I'd like to say sorry. Your play against Hibbert was fantastic and if the only thing you do in the playoffs is stop Hibbert playing as you did this week then you'll be Worth more than your weight in Gold.

Thanks UD - you're all heart.

SummitAllstar · Post #2 » by **SummitAllstar** » Fri Mar 28, 2014 9:31 am

The fact that UD is actually fresh heading into the playoffs, can be huge for us. People forget that last year he played hurt in the playoffs. No matter how big of an impact he actually makes, it's always good to have a fresh body out there. UD can be that.

AlexCRO · Post #3 » by **AlexCRO** » Fri Mar 28, 2014 10:36 am

ud is our hearth and our muscle... he will play a huge roll against the pacers yet again this season

Bourne85 · Post #4 » by **Bourne85** » Fri Mar 28, 2014 10:43 am

1 ok defensive Half doesn't make up for entire season of sucking for me, to each his own.

I do appreciate his heart and effort, but not to long ago comments on this board read "time to take Haslem out back to the woodshed and put him down" etc etc.

An by the way, next year he makes about 5mil, just eating up cap space. Potentially costing us good free agents.

heater4life · Post #5 » by **heater4life** » Fri Mar 28, 2014 11:11 am

Bourne85 wrote: not to long ago comments on this board read "time to take Haslem out back to the woodshed and put him down" etc etc.

I think everyone assumed he was done, as opposed to resting and recovering, fact is he just didnt play much after the first weeks of basketball. I think a good example of a similar situation is Shane Battier. Hes been struggling, so hes been playing a reduced role, albeit not as harsh as Haslem, allowing him to recover. After averaging 26.3 minutes in February, Battier is down to 16 minutes. He needs his rest to be effective come playoff time, much like Haslem.

WD · Post #6 » by WD » Fri Mar 28, 2014 11:21 am

I never doubted him, it's incredible what we've asked of this guy over the years

I am more encouraged knowing he has something in the tank for the playoffs. He the only one left that knows how to play the "old heat" style of defense that they want others to do.

Definitely the bright spot in the game for me.

P.s. The woodshed and other negative comments from posters were premature and/or immature

Zasterror · Post #7 » by **Zasterror** » Fri Mar 28, 2014 2:18 pm

Haslem has and been done for a while now but if his jumper is consistent in the Playoffs he will definitely earn his minutes and be an impact in some way.

Dupas · Post #8 » by **Dupas** » Fri Mar 28, 2014 2:21 pm

i dont know what ppl even think when they talk about ud.
undrafted , came here and sacrificed ALOT of money in the sake of this team. How many ppl would do that? More respect about haslem and someone who trashs haslem isnt a true heat fan. just my 2 cents

BballMania47 · Post #9 » by **BballMania47** » Fri Mar 28, 2014 3:23 pm

I should have known one of these threads would come up.... I'll wait until after the postseason to remove him from done. He's played well recently though

Post #10 » by **heat4life** » Fri Mar 28, 2014 3:46 pm

Haslem has always been a role player. Earlier in his career his role was more prominent and as time and injuries robbed him of his health, his role changed. The one thing you can count on is his physicality, heart and determination. In a series against physical teams such as Indiana, Chicago, Nets, Memphis etc, I see the team needing him to fill his role.

I was never down on UD. I just wished he never injured his foot. Since that happened, his reliable shot became inefficient and he lost some of his speed and athleticism because of it. He hasn't been the same since. But you always knew the heart, physicality and determination was there. Definitely deserving of a roster spot.

MartyCONLONNN · Post #11 » by **MartyCONLONNN** » Fri Mar 28, 2014 3:56 pm

I'm still very skeptical of UD (in terms of + productivity on the court) at this point, except when it has to do with the Pacers... I know somewhere deep in that shell sits a quiet ember that will accelerate back into an ancient warrior's torch once we see Indiana in the ECF

THEASSOCIATION · Post #12 » by **THEASSOCIATION** » Fri Mar 28, 2014 4:10 pm

He simply plays well vs the Pacers, doesn't mean he deserves to be in the permanent rotation. He's shooting 44% this year, that's terrible. I see no problem with him logging in minutes every couple of games otherwise he shouldn't see the floor unless it's against Indiana.

KingHomer · Post #13 » by **KingHomer** » Fri Mar 28, 2014 4:11 pm

MartyCONLONNN wrote:I'm still very skeptical of UD (in terms of + productivity on the court) at this point, except when it has to do with the Pacers... I know somewhere deep in that shell sits a quiet ember that will accelerate back into an ancient warrior's torch once we see Indiana in the ECF

It's like he himself said, sooner or later they're going to need him. and I agree with you and Haslem. His role is for those physical teams you mentioned. What bugs me is that you can't speak about Haslem or Beasley since 2008 on this board w/o anyone thinking you're a fanatic or a cynic. There's like no grey area or ability to discuss their pros and cons under different circumstances.

WD · Post #14 » by WD » Fri Mar 28, 2014 4:53 pm

^how do U ask a guy to sacrifice as much as he has, then have ANYTHING negative to say about him? The main issue with some posters is they are stuck in the "what have you done for me lately" bubble.....

if lbj/bash can get bashed by some of these same posters, i guess everyone is fair game. I don't really know what some posters definition of a fan is, i wonder if they support the team in other ways besides posting on these boards? Do they even go to games?

Playing with cracked ribs, broken foot, etc. means nothing. UD...All those charges you were forced to take, I know of NO OTHER player who has endured as much INTENTIONAL damage to their body for the sake of team. Some of these guys want blood or your expiring contract.

UD, you'll always get the benefit of the doubt with me....and since I know you read these boards from time to time, cause you said so when a group of us met you years ago..I'll always value your services much more when I watch your determination. I won't be quick to run to stat sheets/sites to value your worth to the team...

See, they want you to be an enforcer, you know, take care of the dirty work, but as soon as your jumper is off, they quickly forget WHO YOU ARE

GO HEAT/UD

Altered_Beast · Post #15 » by **Altered_Beast** » Fri Mar 28, 2014 5:09 pm

i propose every playoff thread vs the pacers be prefaced with this

"The Desolation of Old Yeller": Heat vs Pacers Game 1

MartyCONLONNN · Post #16 » by **MartyCONLONNN** » Fri Mar 28, 2014 5:20 pm

Yeah truth is, the way our roster is constructed lends itself to situational oriented lineups... moreso than any other team IMO. That's why there actually needs to be an understanding of how much grey area there is with our players. Beasley can't be in all the time because he doesn't stretch the floor (all that well) & create spacing, he's a playmaker hence why he mostly plays when one of the big 3 are out & why we might think it better to go with Rashard against a team we really value spacing against like Indiana. Haslem isn't really effective in our lineups unless we are dealing with two rough bangers in the post, otherwise he messes with our spacing and is too slow to defend a quicker more versatile 4 man, which is more common in the today's league.

This is why it isn't always entirely Spo's fault on the lineup issue, nor is it that we have BAD players... truthfully we have a weirdly constructed roster in relation to us wanting to build continuity and achieve "identity". The key piece that has thrown us into this identity crisis? IMO it's the major regression of Shane Battier... his inability to be a knockdown shooter this season has downgraded our success at small ball & reaching that pinnacle of offense that we were at last year and for a portion of this season. Now we have gone big, one season to the next.. with 3 centers in rotation and Haslem being a variable depending on matchups. If you're telling me that's not because small ball has hit a wall due the play of Shane, and even Ray for the first 2/3 of the season then someone please offer me another explanation (other than building fatigue) for why we are caught in a rotation mess & "identity crisis" with 10 games to play in the season.

KingHomer · Post #17 » by **KingHomer** » Fri Mar 28, 2014 5:27 pm

MartyCONLONNN wrote:Yeah truth is, the way our roster is constructed lends itself to situational oriented lineups... moreso than any other team IMO. That's why there actually needs to be an understanding of how much grey area there is with our players. Beasley can't be in all the time because he doesn't stretch the floor (all that well) & create spacing, he's a playmaker hence why he mostly plays when one of the big 3 are out & why we might think it better to go with Rashard against a team we really value spacing against like Indiana. Haslem isn't really effective in our lineups unless we are dealing with two rough bangers in the post, otherwise he messes with our spacing and is too slow to defend a quicker more versatile 4 man, which is more common in the today's league.

This is why it isn't always entirely Spo's fault on the lineup issue, nor is it that we have BAD players... truthfully we have a weirdly constructed roster in relation to us wanting to build continuity and achieve "identity". The key piece that has thrown us into this identity crisis? IMO it's the major regression of Shane Battier... his inability to be a knockdown shooter this season has downgraded our success at small ball & reaching that pinnacle of offense that we were at last year and for a portion of this season. Now we have gone big, one season to the next.. with 3 centers in rotation and Haslem being a variable depending on matchups. If you're telling me that's not because small ball has hit a wall due the play of Shane, and even Ray for the first 2/3 of the season then someone please offer me another explanation (other than building fatigue) for why we are caught in a rotation mess & "identity crisis" with 10 games to play in the season.

Spot on. And i've been wondering what happens if Battier does find his shot? And even then he's getting too banged up to play w/ some of the 4's in the east specifically. It works against teams like OKC and the Spurs. (if his shot is falling).

He's gone through a lull like this every year he's been with us and even Ray Allen took some acclimating last year despite some timely 3's. Also, Ray Allen forces us to go w/ 3 guards at times because we need minutes for him and Wade.

BballMania47 · Post #18 » by **BballMania47** » Fri Mar 28, 2014 5:31 pm

MartyCONLONNN wrote:Yeah truth is, the way our roster is constructed lends itself to situational oriented lineups... moreso than any other team IMO. That's why there actually needs to be an understanding of how much grey area there is with our players. Beasley can't be in all the time because he doesn't stretch the floor (all that well) & create spacing, he's a playmaker hence why he mostly plays when one of the big 3 are out & why we might think it better to go with Rashard against a team we really value spacing against like Indiana. Haslem isn't really effective in our lineups unless we are dealing with two rough bangers in the post, otherwise he messes with our spacing and is too slow to defend a quicker more versatile 4 man, which is more common in the today's league.

This is why it isn't always entirely Spo's fault on the lineup issue, nor is it that we have BAD players... truthfully we have a weirdly constructed roster in relation to us wanting to build continuity and achieve "identity". The key piece that has thrown us into this identity crisis? IMO it's the major regression of Shane Battier... his inability to be a knockdown shooter this season has downgraded our success at small ball & reaching that pinnacle of offense that we were at last year and for a portion of this season. Now we have gone big, one season to the next.. with 3 centers in rotation and Haslem being a variable depending on matchups. If you're telling me that's not because small ball has hit a wall due the play of Shane, and even Ray for the first 2/3 of the season then someone please offer me another explanation (other than building fatigue) for why we are caught in a rotation mess & "identity crisis" with 10 games to play in the season.

I agree with some of what you said but your post does put Spo at fault as rightfully so. The lineup issue is something he needs to do a better job evaluating. UD shouldn't be used all the time and Shane's regression can be pointed to the fact that Spo constantly had him battling bigger players. I definitely believe Spo has pushed Shane towards retirement, unconsciously, and has reduced the years of his effectiveness. It's a shame because I like Shane, but Spo... you can't tell him anything and then people wonder why he misses his 3's?? He has no legs

heatlespeatles · Post #19 » by **heatlespeatles** » Fri Mar 28, 2014 5:48 pm

He's done, but if some how magically he is Hibbert's kryptonite then alright alright alright

homecourtloss · Post #20 » by **homecourtloss** » Fri Mar 28, 2014 6:02 pm

Spo loves the job he's doing on the defensive boards. In these last 5 games, he's grabbed 34% of all possible defensive rebounds while on court and 20% of all total rebounds. If nobody else will box out and rebound, UD will. Now, this doesn't mean he will continue to rebound like this or that he will get back that baseline jumper or that he will get his lift back, etc., but it does show that at least he's a viable option for something in certain situations and looks a lot better than he did earlier this year when he looked completely done.