Win 10,000

Another game, another win. Very impressive start for the Miami Heat, reaching a 3-0 start for only the third time in franchise history. The third win came against the Chicago Bulls, who once again left with a feeling of frustration after a close game that ended in disappointment for them. 

Dwyane Wade had 25 points for the Heat, but most importantly became the first Heat player to reach 10,000 career points. Yes, 10k and he is just warming up.  Udonis Haslem had another impressive performance off the bench coming up with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Michael Beasley also had 10 points and 11 rebounds, Carlos Arroyo had 12 and Mario Chalmers 11. 

The wildcard? That would be QRich, Quentin Richardson himself, who had a quiet night but hit two key 3-pointers late in the game. So once again it was a collective effort for Miami, who didn't need to rely on Dwyane Wade's miracles because everyone else contributed to the win.

Up next, Phoenix visits the Heat house on Tuesday. The Suns are also undefeated, but play Minnesota tonight at home. This will be the first game between the Heat and Suns since both Shaq and Marion left the teams after the blockbuster trade of 2008. 

So for us Heat fans, the best possible start. Let's keep getting better and winning games. Go Heat!

Win #1

Is it stupid that I'm actually relieved that we didn't finish the pre-season without winning games? I don't think so. The Heat won tonight thanks to the return of Dwyane Wade and solid contributions of Michael Beasley, Daequan Cook and Mario Chalmers. 

It was nice to see how everyone contributed a little, and this type of balanced effort can win games even if Dwyane Wade doesn't score 30 for the night (or 50). Jermaine O'Neal was back and played well, Quentin Richardson provided some solid minutes off the bench, and so did Joel Anthony, James Jones and the newly acquired Carlos Arroyo, who played his second game with the Heat uniform. 

Up next: Memphis. Let's see if the Heat can build on from this win and get another one. If we finish the pre-season winning a few games its more likely we can start the regular season winning some more. 

September

The summer is almost over. It has been a long, quiet summer for the most part in Heatland. We are all waiting to hear more about Michael Beasley, and as we send our best wishes to him we hope he will come back very soon and be healthy and excited to go back to the court. 

But September is here now. Dwyane Wade is back from his vacations, and so are most of the Heat players. Everyone is reenergized and ready to start a long and difficult season. It will be a huge challenge for our team for many reasons. First of all, we need to get better than last season. Secondly, we need to convince Dwyane Wade that this is his home. 

Last season it was more simple. Yes, we had 'something to prove', but nobody expected us to prove anything. Winning 30 games would have been enough for a team that won 15 the previous year. We beat everyones expectations and Dwyane Wade came back with a vengeance showing everyone that he is one of the best, if not THE BEST, basketball player in the world. 

But now people will be more aware of him and the team. Most teams in the East have improved, and our division alone will be very tough. Orlando is better, Atlanta is better, and most importantly Washington is better. Several other teams like Toronto and Detroit will be better, so we cannot expect to play the same way as last year and have the #5 seed again. 

So what is the first step? This month. This is when it starts, and when everyone has to get their Heat on. We need to support our team, show them how much we believe in them, and get ready for a great season. I am still disappointed on the lack of action for new signings and trades, but there is still time for that, and there is enough talent in our current roster to be a lot better than last season. 

So let's get them!

Top 10 Assists of the Season

Great video posted by J.E. Skeets on the Ball Don't Lie blog. Even better is that the best dime of the season features Dwyane Wade and the Heat in that unforgettable play against the Wizards. There is another one featuring Wade and Chalmers against the Bobcats. Two out of the top 10? Not bad!

Check it out below.

Seriously Now...

What is going on with our Miami Heat? I know I seem a bit impatient, but so is everybody else at the Official Miami Heat Message Boards, and everyone who read the rumors today stating that Allen Iverson is in 'serious talks' with the Clippers. 

This has been the strangest summer in a long time for the Miami Heat. Instead of picking up steam after the encouraging season we had, we find ourselves stuck in a very familiar territory. Nothing is going on. 

Then I started feeling worse as I read the news about the Orlando Summer League, the Las Vegas Summer League, and I don't understand why Pat Riley decided that we would not participate this year. Everyone seems excited about the Summer League. Everyone is making trades. Where are we?

I read the Iverson rumor, and then I read that Shaun Livingston is making a 'comeback' with Oklahoma in Las Vegas during the Summer League. Is this for real? Livingston came to the Heat after being injured for a couple of years, but his comeback with the Heat uniform never happened and he was waived some time after. It was yet another disappointment for us fans, but now the guy is once again showing promise while playing with a different team. 

So to recap our Summer. There is no Heat basketball to watch anywhere. No prospects, other than Pat Beverly of course and I'm still excited about him (but not that much). No trades or free agent signings so far. No real advances in getting Dwyane Wade ready to sign an extension or long term commitment with the Heat. 

I may be overreacting, but this doesn't sound good for us. Reading the Daequan Cook is improving will not make my day. I'm happy and expecting that he improves, and that Chalmers improve, and that Beasley improve. I'm also expecting that we can be a force in the Eastern Conference and that we can challenge other teams, and while everyone else is making sure of that by making moves, we are still sitting in the dark.