Reflecting on 15-67 and where we are now

[Dupas]

2005 was the worst for me. I mean i think we could win that year if wade didnt get injured. Our whole squad was clicking like ive never seen a team click that year. Then 2006 , we sucked up in those 2 games. When people talk about kobe i just say to them " go watch 2006 finals and theres your jordan succesor." Shame that wades knees couldnt hold on. We would have more rings than we have now..

[Big NBA Fan]

At the beginning of the 2007-2008 season both Shaq and Wade had filed for divorce, which I think put them in a bad place mentally from the start. Riley was back in full "hard driver" mode after the vets came back to training camp out of shape in the 2006-07 season. Deep down I think Shaq had a lot of resentment towards the way that season ended because the team had centered it's offense around Shaq and went a nice winning streak when Wade was out with the shoulder injury. Riley implemented the Triangle offense because we didn't have any penetrators and it worked perfectly. If I remember correctly we had blown the Bulls out by 20 or 30 points durning that stretch. But when Wade came back and had that awesome 4th quater against the Pacers Riley through the Triangle to the side and went to a Wade centered offense. I don't think Shaq appreciated that at all and Wade wasn't anywhere near close to being ready to carry a team. A storm was brewing...

Shaq had this little guard from the DC area added to the 2007 Pre-Season roster after tearing up their local Pro-Am, who could flat out shoot it from anywhere!!! He was a scoring machine, but Riley cut him and signed Chris Quinn instead after the Pre-Season ended. That was another strike/blow to Shaq's fragile physique. That was the 1st year I bought League Pass and it was just a disaster from the start. Smush Parker started training camp with a severe ankle sprain, when he started to get healthy Riley cut him for the parking incident, Penny was starting, we turned Ricky Davis into a straight up gun after trying to make him a 6th man(he actually played under control as a starter, he just couldn't make shots), and when Wade came back he still wasn't right. I still remember us almost being the 1st team to beat Boston's new Big 3! That game was very symbolic of the season... We had the talent, but had zero chemistry from the start and Riley patience for BS was wearing very thin.

Behind the scenes Riley and Shaq were beefing heavy and I remember we were playing in New Jersey and Riley yanked Shaq quickly for not showing on the pick n roll. Again I had Leage Pass and the visiting commentators were talking about how disrespectful it was for Riley to yank a future HOF'er like that. That was it... Things had gone too far bad... Shaq was traded and us being serious contenders went with him. I still remember people saying the Wade and Marion would be the new Mike and Pip!!! I didn't see it... I was pissed about that trade to say the least. But after all the info came out, I learned to just trust Riley's judgement as far as team management goes.

Random thought... We gave KD his 1st win that season!!! They came to Miami 0 for the world and we let them walk outta Miam with a W!

As good as this team has been since 2010, I still feel like we should be way more dominant. I'm happy but just not fully satisfied, because things can definitely change in a blink of an eye! I really would love for this group to put it all together and challenge for that 72-10 record and be the first team to go 16-0 throughout the Playoffs. I would just like them to put a stamp on this truly special this group.

But when the Championships are won it still makes those lean years worth it all!!!

Thank you for the response.

While Marion was indeed a big disappointment in Miami, getting rid of Shaq was addition by subtraction. There are not enough words to describe how disruptive he had become off the court.

The 2005 season was very exciting, but very disappointing from the standpoint of Nash winning that MVP over Shaq and the heartbreaking Game 7 loss to the Pistons in the Conference Finals.

Wade was the best player in the entire NBA playoffs that year and his injury cost the Heat a spot in the Finals that season. Very unfortunate.

And then the Heat lost a great coach in Stan van Gundy because Shaq was holding a grudge over that Game 7 loss, feeling that Stan cost the Heat the game by not calling more plays for him in the final 3 minutes of a very tight game.

If the Big 3 never formed in 2010, I think the Heat would be regretting the Shaq trade for Caron and Lamar. Micky Arison actually said a few weeks ago that trading them was one of the hardest decisions the Heat ever had to make because of how popular they were.

Shaq declined really quickly after 2005 and was a non-factor after 2006.

I still feel he should have been the MVP over Nash in 2005, though.

The Lakers got more out of Odom than the Heat got from Shaq and Butler went on to make two All-Star games with the Wizards.

The unfortunate thing about Shaq is he, to this day, refuses to take blame for ANYTHING and thinks nothing was his fault.

He is the one, after all, who:

- Forced out Stan

- Pushed for the Ricky Davis trade

- Quit on the team

- Never lived up to his huge contract

- Bad-mouthed team-mates behind their backs.

- Demanded a buy-out

- Refused to cooperate with the medical staff

- Only gave the Heat two good years after claiming right after leaving the Lakers that he hadn't reached his prime yet.

I still hate the way Shaq left the Heat, but at the same time, I still can't believe Nash won that MVP that year. (But I do agree with him winning the MVP in 2006)

[kyphi]

It was a blessing in disguise - traded Shaq for Marion and change. Traded Marion for J. O'Neal whose humongous salary was coming off the books, as well as almost the rest of the roster's salaries, the year LeBron and Bosh were free agents

Riley is a genius

[BIRDMAN BIRDMAN]

Oh and btw..........anyone else here who used to love DCook back when he balled? Man used to be a HUGE Dae Dae fan especially during his rook year which was during that horrible season. Always thought he was our SG of the future if Wade decided to leave. Too bad he forgot how to shoot ever since winning that 3 point contest vs. Rashard the following year

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFwLXIx13RU[/youtube]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glLHUiE9Cjg[/youtube]

[DWadeno3]

Oh and btw..........anyone else here who used to love DCook back when he balled? Man used to be a HUGE Dae Dae fan especially during his rook year which was during that horrible season. Always thought he was our SG of the future if Wade decided to leave. Too bad he forgot how to shoot ever since winning that 3 point contest vs. Rashard the following year

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFwLXIx13RU[/youtube]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glLHUiE9Cjg[/youtube]

That second game was Wade's 48 point game, one of the few highlights of that dreadful season. I remember him having 48 in regulation IIRC and then he didn't score a single point in OT after DQ sent us there with his three and we went on to lose to Orlando who were a pretty good team back then.

I always though Cook could be a nice niche player, he was moving fast without the ball, had a quick release and was a decent defender due to his solid athleticism. It's a shame he just fell off. That Miami p****, it ends careers.

[letsgoheat]

remember when we got smushy parker? lol

[Lord Hades]

remember when we got smushy parker? lol

...and then, the parking attendant (and Riley) got him.

Minor blip, but not a fun time.

[Rodrizzle]

Being a long time Heat fan and living in Toronto I go to all the Heat games here and during that season I remember going to this game
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=280319028

Probably the lowest point of any sporting team i have followed in my life. I stayed till the very end of the game though

[heat4life]

Being a long time Heat fan and living in Toronto I go to all the Heat games here and during that season I remember going to this game
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=280319028

Probably the lowest point of any sporting team i have followed in my life. I stayed till the very end of the game though

You just stabbed me

We actually played a game with Ricky Davis, Earl Barron, Mark Blount, Daequan Cook and Chris Quinn as our starters and only Bobby Jones and Joel Anthony got minutes off the bench ?!?!

Heat fans, remember that every time you feel like bitching about our current team

[LEIF]

Being a long time Heat fan and living in Toronto I go to all the Heat games here and during that season I remember going to this game
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=280319028

Probably the lowest point of any sporting team i have followed in my life. I stayed till the very end of the game though

You just stabbed me

We actually played a game with Ricky Davis, Earl Barron, Mark Blount, Daequan Cook and Chris Quinn as our starters and only Bobby Jones and Joel Anthony got minutes off the bench ?!?!

Heat fans, remember that every time you feel like bitching about our current team

But BUT BUT...the Riley quote post game:

The worse it got, the more heart we lost," Riley said. "Every time a shot rimmed out, we got more and more frustrated. Like the good team they are, they had no mercy, they just put us away. We'll have our day again. I don't know when, but we will have our day again."

[MiamiHeat04]

Anyone remember our +7'0 Center rotations of Vladimir Stepania and Wang from 2002-2003. Truly remarkable that we have one of the top 5 guards of all time and a top 5 player of all time in Lebron James.