Wade's World Revamped [1-0]: Roy Hibbert Goes Red & Black

A Miami Heat AssociationPresented by YoOiTsJoN


About the author: Hey guys, it's Jon here with (yes you guessed it), a Miami Heat Association! Before I start I figured it'd be cool to kind of say something about myself just so we can all get better acquainted. For starters, I've been a Miami Heat fan since 2003 when Dwyane Wade came into the league. I've followed him since his days at Marquette and I guess it's safe to say that he is my favorite basketball player of all time (yes, I said all time). I've been with this team when they first built the team around Wade, from when they won the 2006 Championship to when they only won 15 games. And now, with the acquisitions of Bosh and James, my Miami Heat are looking to make noise in the East and becoming a true dynasty.

I myself play basketball and honestly, kind of have a Dwyane Wade style going on. I'm a shooting guard for my squad but can run the point. I've been playing for as long as I can remember and feel like there's no other sport that can touch basketball!

Now, as far as this association is concerned I am looking to run a deep and informative association. I like to keep things in order so don't expect anything out of place here. I am a noob in writing these associations but I'm sure I can get the hang of it as I've been reading everybody else's and getting a few ideas. Anyways, without further ado, here goes my Miami Heat Association! Wish me luck!

Last edited by YoOiTsJoN on Fri Oct 22, 2010 10:24 am, edited 11 times in total.

Gameplay & Settings
The Rundown: So I will be playing NBA 2K11 for the XBox 360. As far as non-setting information, I will tell you right now that I'm not the type to make bogus trades/signings. Everything will be done realistically and fair for both me and the CPU should they get involved. I don't have a set format on how I will be posting my reviews, recaps, news, etc... so everything will be done on the fly and if I like one particular set up then I will stick to that one for the remainder of the season.

Playing 82 games is hard enough, which is why I've decided to play two games per week with you guys deciding which games you want to hear about. If I don't get the decisions from you guys then I will choose the game based on difficulty. I will typically play the harder games unless you guys tell me otherwise. Don't expect any blowout games as I've tweaked the sliders so that most of the games I play (not including simmed games) will be close. Now as far as setting information, it goes as follows:

Game: NBA 2K11
Season Length: 82 Games
Play NBA D-League Games: Off
Team Chemistry: On
Player Roles: On
Progressive Fatigue: On
Trade Deadline: On
Trade Override: On
Allow CPU Trades: On (Lord, please hope for nothing crazy!)
Preseason Games: On
Injuries: On
Headline Ticker: Franchise
Sub Method: Rotation
Playoff Series: 7-7-7-7
Quarter Length: 10 Minutes
Sim Quarter Length: 11 Minutes
Autosave: On

Table of Contents
2010-2011 Miami Heat
2010-2011 Depth Chart/Situational Units

Miami Heat Schedule
2010-2011 Schedule

Team News
2010-2011 Miami Heat Preview
Riley Gives Up Total Control of Team
New GM in Midst of Big Trade
Miami Pulls Big Trade Sending Hibbert to Miami

Game Previews
Miami Heat @ Boston Celtics Preview

Game Recaps
Wade Leads Miami With 28 in Win Over Boston

Storylines
Wade's World Revamped Part I
Wade's World Revamped Part II

NBA News
2010-2011 NBA Season Preview
Los Angeles Lakers: 3 Questions for Three-Peat Quest
Thomas Announces He Will Retire At Seasons End

Team/League Stats
[coming soon]

Injuries
[coming soon]

*Contents will be added/deleted as I see fit.

Last edited by YoOiTsJoN on Fri Oct 22, 2010 10:23 am, edited 16 times in total.

2010-2011 Miami Heat Depth Chart/Situational Units

STARTERS

M. Chalmers || D. Wade || L. James || C. Bosh || J. Anthony

No surprise here as the Miami Heat have decided to use the combo of Wade, Bosh and James in the starting unit. Many will wonder how exactly the Heat will be able to mesh these three different talents together on one team but according to Spoelstra, "It will all work out. Just you watch." Hard to believe a statement like that when this league's second youngest coach is given the trio of all trios and is expected to take them deep into the Playoffs.

Chalmers' position is not guaranteed as Eddie House is slowly making noise. However, House was key for the Celtics during their 2008 Championship run off the bench and that still maybe how he will be used in Spoelstra's system as the Heat are still stuck on Chalmers as the starter. Center, Joel Anthony seems to have his spot on lock as he has proven a lot during last season and this off-season. However, don't be surprised if we see Ilgauskas in this position if Anthony can't hack it as the starter.

BENCH

E. House || M. Miller || J. Jones || U. Haslem || Z. Ilgauskas

As non-threatening as this bench looks, keep in mind that each player can score! House and Jones can light it up from outside, Miller can do just about anything and Big Z and the hometown favorite Haslem have the ability to knock the 15 footer with ease. So for opposing teams, don't take this bench unit lightly as they can be just as deadly as their counter starting unit.

Situational Units

QUICK

E. House || D. Wade || L. James || C. Bosh || U. Haslem

DEFENSE

L. James || D. Wade || M. Miller || U. Haslem || C. Bosh

FREE-THROW

E. House || M. Miller || J. Jones || U. Haslem || C. Bosh

*All units subject to change during season due to player trades, signings, releases, etc...

Last edited by YoOiTsJoN on Tue Oct 19, 2010 12:43 pm, edited 2 times in total.

This association is now open for post's.

Unique, not a lot of people have the guts to make a Miami association, good luck

Unique, not a lot of people have the guts to make a Miami association, good luck

Lol why is that? And thanks!

good luck buddy!

Being criticized for using them, that's why

Wade's World Revamped Part OneChapter One
The set-up: After a 5-3 preseason, the Miami Heat haven't looked like a championship calibur team as of yet. With Wade's hamstring in the midst of healing, the Miami Heat had to go through the eight games without the one guy that gave them their first championship. Luckily enough, James and co. carried the load and gave Miami a decent record to finish the preseason. Now, with the season just around the corner and with Wade ready to re-join the team, the Miami Heat will need to address one more issue...

[Ring, ring]

"Jon here! Who's speaking?"

"Jon?"

"Yeah, who's this?"

"Jon, this is Pat..."

[silence]

"Jon, listen... I'm calling because I want to put everything that happened behind us. You know that it was nothing personal and that it was all business. I'm not saying what I did was right, but at the same time I wasn't wrong in doing it. I was thinking about the teams future and what I needed to do."

"Listen Pat, if this is an apology call, then please spare me. I've grown to the fact that I am no longer in line to take over after you retire and I'm glad things are looking up for you now."

"This is more than an apology call man, I'm calling because I have some news that may or may not interest you. And it's up to you on whether or not you want to hear what I have to offer."

"I'm listening..."

"I'd rather bring this up to you in person. Can I swing by later today?"

"Today won't be good. I promised my boy's I'd spend time with them today because I've been busy as of late- you know, looking for a job and all."

"Alright, that's fine, how about tomorrow at noon. My place. Is that fine with you?"

"Yeah, I'll see you then."

"Cool, see you tomorrow!"

Summary: On his way out, Jon get's a phone call from Pat Riley. Riley is looking for forgiveness as he fired Jon as his understudy a couple of seasons ago and has an offer on the table that may fix everything. Jon & Riley were close friends and decided to take the Heat to extreme heights when Wade joined the team in 2003. In fact, it was Jon who brought the idea of bringing in the Big Diesel to the Heat from the L.A. Lakers in 2004. However, after the teams 2006 championship run, Riley decided to let Jon go and pursued another understudy. Now, after a total makeover of the Heat's roster and a boatload of new faces on board, it seems Riley has one more face he wants to hop on the Miami train to what many are claiming to be another championship run for the Miami Heat. But this time, the position is of higher value.

Last edited by YoOiTsJoN on Tue Oct 19, 2010 1:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.

good luck buddy!

Appreciate it man!

Being criticized for using them, that's why

Oh ok. Well I'm just using a team that I've liked since 2003. But i do understand the criticism that may or may not come along with doing this association.

NBA 2010-2011 Season PreviewCourtesy of Wikipedia
The 2010–11 NBA season will be the 65th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 2011 NBA All-Star Game will be played on February 20, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.

Coaching Changes:
On May 21, the Philadelphia 76ers hired Doug Collins as head coach, replacing Eddie Jordan who was fired on May 15.
On June 7, the New Orleans Hornets hired Portland Trail Blazers assistant coach Monty Williams as head coach, replacing interim head coach Jeff Bower who returned to his original position as general manager.
On June 10, the New Jersey Nets hired Avery Johnson as head coach, replacing interim head coach Kiki Vandeweghe whose contract expired at the end of the 2009–2010 season.
On June 13, the Atlanta Hawks promoted assistant coach Larry Drew, replacing head coach Mike Woodson whose contract expired at the end of the 2009–2010 season.
On June 23, the Chicago Bulls hired Boston Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau as head coach, replacing Vinny Del Negro who was fired on May 4.
On July 1, the Cleveland Cavaliers hired Byron Scott as head coach, replacing Mike Brown who was fired on May 24.
On July 7, the Los Angeles Clippers hired Vinny Del Negro as head coach, replacing interim head coach Kim Hughes who was fired on April 15.
On September 27, the Golden State Warriors promoted assistant coach Keith Smart to head coach, replacing Don Nelson who resigned after his contract was brought out.

Free Agency:
The 2010 off-season has one of the most talented free agent pools in recent NBA history. The list of free agents includes All-Stars LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Amar'e Stoudemire, as well as other veteran players such as Ray Allen, Joe Johnson, Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady, Dirk Nowitzki, Shaquille O'Neal and Paul Pierce. Below are the major free agency signings, including the sign and trade agreements, that occurred during the off-season.

* Joe Johnson re-signed with the Atlanta Hawks.
* Paul Pierce and Ray Allen re-signed with the Boston Celtics, while Jermaine O'Neal and Shaquille O'Neal signed with the Celtics.
* Carlos Boozer signed with the Chicago Bulls.
* David Lee signed and traded to the Golden State Warriors.
* Dirk Nowitzki re-signed with the Dallas Mavericks.
* Ben Wallace re-signed with the Detroit Pistons, while Tracy McGrady signed with the Pistons.
* Luis Scola re-signed with the Houston Rockets.
* Rudy Gay re-signed with the Memphis Grizzlies.
* Dwyane Wade re-signed with the Miami Heat, while Chris Bosh and LeBron James signed and traded to the Heat.
* Amar'e Stoudemire signed and traded to the New York Knicks.

Regular Season:
The regular season will begin on Tuesday, October 26, 2010 and will end on Wednesday, April 13, 2011. The Opening Day schedule on TNT will have the Miami Heat face the Boston Celtics, followed by the Los Angeles Lakers' championship ring and banner ceremony and their game against the Houston Rockets. The opener begins at 7:30 p.m. ET. On Christmas Day, ABC and ESPN will have a five-game set, with ABC broadcasting the game between the Celtics and the Orlando Magic, and the Heat against the Lakers, starting at 2:00 p.m. ET. On Martin Luther King Day , ESPN will air the game between the Chicago Bulls and the Memphis Grizzlies at 1:00 p.m. ET, while NBA TV will air the Sacramento Kings-Atlanta Hawks matchup at 4:00 p.m. ET. TNT will cap off the holiday with a doubleheader, beginning with the Magic facing the Celtics, followed by the Oklahoma City Thunder facing the Denver Nuggets, beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET. The full schedule was released on Tuesday, August 10, 2010.

Other much-anticipated games are as follows: on March 4–5, 2011, the New Jersey Nets and Toronto Raptors will face off in two regular season games held at London's O2 Arena. Also, John Wall, the No. 1 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, debuts with the Washington Wizards as they visit the Magic on October 28, 2010 on TNT. And on December 2, LeBron James returns to Cleveland for the first time since the Decision as his Heat face the Cavaliers on TNT. The Celtics–Lakers rivalry renews on January 30, 2011 (at Los Angeles on ABC) and on February 10, 2011 (at Boston on TNT) in a rematch of the 2010 NBA Finals.

Salary Cap:
On July 7, the NBA announced that the salary cap for the 2010–11 season would be $58.044 million, an increase of $0.344 million from previous season's $57.70 million, and would go into effect on July 8 as the league's "moratorium period" had ended and teams could begin signing free agents and making trades. The increase came as a surprise as the league initially predicted a decrease in the salary cap. On March, before the playoffs, the league projected that the salary cap would be around $56.1 million. The tax level for the season was set at $70.307 million, with each team paying a $1 tax for each $1 by which it exceeds $70.307 million. The mid-level exception was $5.765 million for the season and the minimum team salary, which was set at 75% of the salary cap, was $43.533 million. The maximum salaries for players are set at $13.604 million for players with zero to six years of experience, $16.324 million for players with seven to nine years of experience, and $19.045 million for players with more than 10 years of experience.

Wade's World Revamped Part TwoChapter Two
The set-up: After speaking with Jon on the telephone, Riley is at home waiting on Jon to arrive. Riley has an offer for Jon which he believes will crush any negative feeling's Jon may have for Riley. As he stares outside his window, Riley tells himself that what he's doing will benefit the team in the long run.

Pulling up to the driveway, Jon looks at Rileys house and decides whether or not coming here was a good idea. He hesitates, thinks again and proceeds to get out of the car to approach Riley's front door. As Jon knocks on the door, he lets out a sigh as he feels as if this meeting will be a waste of time. A few seconds later, Jon is greeted with open arm by Riley...

"Nice seeing you, Jon. How have you been?"

"I've been good, Pat. Yourself?"

"Also good... how are the boys?"

"Listen Pat, no disrespect but why am I here?"

"Hahaha, yes, yes... You were always direct with your questions. Jon, as you know the Miami Heat are set for a deep playoff run. By adding James, Bosh & Miller this team has a huge target on their back and it seems as if we have something to prove to the league. Now, my reason for bringing you here is that I have an offer for you..."

"..."

"Jon, I'm in a position where I've got the perfect trio of superstars together. At the end of last season my goal was to put together a championship calibur team and watch them turn into a dynasty that I can be proud of and can say that I built. Well Jon, I've put the team together and all that's left is to manage this team into the direction."

"Pat, what are you getting at?"

"Jon, when you brought the idea of the Shaq trade to me back in 2004, I thought you were crazy! Two year's later, we're on the stage hoisting up that Championship trophy. Letting you go was the biggest mistake I made..."

"Pat..."

"Okay, okay, enough sugar coating... Jon, I'm asking you to be the new general manager of the Miami Heat."

[silence]

"If you accept, I am allowing you total control of the team."

[silence]

"I've been through a lot Jon and all I wanted to do was put my team in a position to win before I retire."

"Are you retiring?"

"Oh no! Before I retire I am asking for more rings. I need that sense of accomplishment. That feeling that makes me tell myself that I did what I wanted to do."

"How many?"

"It depends Jon, how many rings can you get me? I've left you with three of the most feared players today. How many rings can you get with them?"

"I don't know Pat, the offer is incredible but the pressure of taking this team far in its first year is too much for me. I don't know if---"

"No if's Jon. I've seen what you can do and I've seen the way you've handled your job. If you can dream it, you can do it! Listen, the season starts in a week and I want an answer in 24 hours. Can you give me an answer by then?"

"Yeah, I mean there's a lot to take in but I can get you your answer by then."

"Good. Jon, I know this is a lot to handle but I wouldn't make the offer if I didn't think you couldn't do it."

Summary: With many new faces in the Heat locker room, it seemed as if Pat Riley wanted to change who controlled the team. Instead of hiring someone already on the staff, Riley has gone as far as bringing in Jon, who has been out of the NBA for four years, to make this team a dynasty. However, one must question, "Is this a scheme to unload the responsibility if the Heat fails onto Jon?" or, "Does Riley sincerely believe Jon can be a better fit to control this team?" As the 24 hours slowly began to expire, Riley let out a smile as he checked his phone and read a text from Jon which read, "I'm in." With that, the Miami Heat are set to open the season against the Boston Celtics with a revamped team and a new face calling the shots. How will they respond? Ask me that question come Playoff time...

2010-2011 Miami Heat PreviewCourtesy of Hoopsworld.com
The Miami HEAT has become the NBA's most fascinating team. Rarely, if ever, have we seen a collection of elite stars in their primes all choose to align in one city. LeBron and Bosh joining D Wade has created a buzz reaching all corners of the basketball universe. However, the way the situation was handled rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Still, the talent level is undeniable. Love them or hate them, we will all be watching them…

Top Offensive Player:
LeBron James. On a team that now stocked with an incredible amount of top-tier offensive talent, one player stands out above the rest: LeBron James. Dwyane Wade had been Miami's best player since the day he was drafted, but the HEAT's main offseason addition is arguably the most potent offensive weapon in the NBA.

Let's get this out of the way off the bat: Love him or hate him (and the way King James behaved this summer gave plenty of people reason to hate), there is no denying LeBron's otherworldly gifts. The back-to-back MVP awards on his mantelpiece are reminders of the epic numbers James has posted during his NBA career. He is the most physically gifted and uniquely talented basketball player on planet earth. There is nothing this guy can't do on the offensive end of the floor. The numbers speak for themselves:

Last season he averaged 29.7 points, 8.6 assists, and 7.3 rebounds. Just when we thought he scraped the ceiling of his incredible potential, he also averaged a career-high 1.7 made three-pointers per contest and shot a career best 50.3% from the floor. To help put those numbers in perspective, consider this: During the 2009-2010 campaign, LBJ had a higher scoring average than anyone in the league not named Kevin Durant. And he dished out more assists than point guards such as Baron Davis, Russell Westbrook, and Derrick Rose. And LeBron grabbed more rebounds than many teams' starting centers/power forwards. And he averaged more threes than Kevin Martin, Joe Johnson, or Durant. In the 76 regular season games he played this year, James amassed 2,258 points, 651 assists and 554 rebounds, becoming just the third player (seventh time) to have more than 2,250 points, 650 assists and 550 rebounds in a season (Oscar Robertson, five times, 1961-66; Michael Jordan, 1988-89). He also was among the league leaders in fourth quarter scoring; averaging over 9 PPG in the final stanza and recorded a league-leading 27 games with 10 or more points in the fourth quarter. And then there are the advanced statistics. LeBron recorded a mind-boggling 31.19 PER last season, which according ESPN's John Hollinger, is one of the best ever single-season Player Efficiency Ratings. His EWA (Estimated Wins Added) came in 30.5; head and shoulders above anyone else in the NBA last season (no other player topped 25). LeBron also became one of just six players to ever average more than 29.5 points per game with a TS% (true shooting percentage) over 60%.

Top Defensive Player:
LeBron James. LeBron gets the nod here as well. D Wade is a solid perimeter defender, and Udonis Haslem is an underrated enforcer down low; but LBJ is one of the best all-around defenders in the entire league. After finishing second to Dwight Howard for 2009 Defensive Player of the Year award, LeBron was once again one of the top vote-getters in 2010 – and was named to the All-Defensive Team for a second straight season.

Here again, numbers help tell the story. The Cavs were certainly one of the NBA's best defensive units, and King James spearheaded that attack, as James would often guard the opponent's best player. LeBron was one of only three players in the NBA to average over 1.5 steals and at least 1 blocked shot per game. Moreover, his patented "chase-down" blocks were often crowed-energizers and momentum changers.

Top Playmaker:
LeBron James. I'd love to spread the love around and give a different teammate this honor, but logic dictates LeBron is the man. Not only is LBJ one of the NBA's most explosive scorers, he is also an unparalleled playmaker – constantly setting up his teammates and delivering the ball to them in ideal scoring situations. LeBron is one of the least selfish superstars the NBA has seen in quite sometime. The beauty of LeBron's game is its versatility. He doesn't need to score 30 points a night to be effective, despite the fact he could score 40+ every time he steps on the floor. LBJ's basketball IQ is incredibly high, and he understands the undeniable importance of involving teammates. Off the floor, LeBron's image has been battered due to the way he handled the free agency process. But on the court, LeBron is literally the ideal teammate in every sense of the word.

Last season, James' shattered the all-time NBA record for highest assist average per game by a forward when he dished out 8.6 dimes a night. (The previous record-holder was Larry Bird at 7.6 apg back in 1986-87). In addition, LeBron's 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio was far better than any other forward in the league.

Top Clutch Player:
Dwayne Wade. Finally, we get to extol the virtues of someone other than LeBron. While James has hit plenty of big buckets in his storied career, D Wade is the player Coach Spoelstra and the HEAT players will want to take the final shot in the closing moments of important games this season. In fact, there may not be another player in the league (with the possible exception of Kobe Bryant) you'd rather have with the ball in his hands and the game on the line…

Wade has already proven he shines brightest on the game's biggest stage, as his excellence during Games 3 through 6 of the 2006 NBA Finals are quite possibly the greatest stretch of clutch performances the NBA has seen Michael Jordan in his prime. Whereas LBJ and Bosh have seemed to shy away from the big shot in end-game situations, Wade runs to the ball and seems to cherish the opportunity to decide the contest. There is no doubt Wade is the HEAT's top crunch-time go-to-guy.

Best New Addition:
LeBron James. As detailed in depth above, LeBron James is one of the most talented athletes to ever set foot on an NBA court. The one thing that has eluded him during his brief but illustrious career is a championship. Will he able to capture that elusive ring alongside his buddies in South Beach?

Can I post now? Great read, really like it Can't wait for the first games!

I think the defensive line-up should feature Anthony instead of Bosh. I'd go with Chalmers-Wade-LeBron-Haslem-Anthony for the defensive line-up.

Can I post now? Great read, really like it Can't wait for the first games!

Thanks a lot man. I'm hoping to get the first game up tonight.

I think the defensive line-up should feature Anthony instead of Bosh. I'd go with Chalmers-Wade-LeBron-Haslem-Anthony for the defensive line-up.

Thanks for the suggestion. The situational units were just the CPU's defaults but I'm looking to switch them around.

Being criticized for using them, that's why

I almost did a Miami Heat franchise, I was going to get D-Wade and LeBron pissed at each other and trying to outdo each other while Chris Bosh raped the shit out of both of them scoring 30 ppg and grabbing 15+rpg. Then Wade would get traded for Nash and Richardson to Phoenix

Los Angeles Lakers: 3 Questions for the Three-Peat Quest
Courtesy of Bleacherreport.com

With the 2010-11 NBA regular season right around the bend, the Los Angeles Lakers are gearing up for what could be an all-time league-best third three-peat. Still, the defending champs have some questions to address before they hit the hardwood on Tuesday for their season-opener.

1) How will the Lakers combat injuries and aging?

Andrew Bynum is out for the first month of the season, Kobe Bryant isn't 100% healthy (and quite frankly not very close to it) and Derek Fisher, Ron Artest, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol are all aging -- some like fine wine, others like soon-to-be sour milk. Still, during the offseason general manager Mitch Kupchak assembled a significantly deeper and dangerous bench, which will help the Lakers combat injuries and aging. Unlike last year's rather inexperienced and unproven reserves, this season's second unit features players who have the ability to sustain leads (something the 2009-10 bench failed to do more often than not) and thus allow the starters to spend some quality time on the pine. Ultimately, this will provide for fewer injuries and fresher legs, both of which many teams can't claim come April, May and June. Expect to see a lot of meaningless fourth quarters once the team is fully healthy.

2) Do the Lakers have a weakness?

Top to bottom -- and especially one through six -- there is not a team that is neither deeper nor more experienced than the defending champs. The Boston Celtics come close, but age -- coupled with a much more competitive Eastern Conference -- isn't on their side. But that is not to say the Lakers don't have a weakness, because they do: themselves. How much intensity and urgency will they play with during the regular season? Will they employ a killer instinct early enough in games so their key players don't have to play more minutes than need be? And to what extent will they try to lock up home-court advantage throughout the playoffs? Sure the Lakers don't want to put too much emphasis on the regular season, but don't forget five of the last six NBA champions have had the home-court advantage in the Finals.

3) Above all, which newcomer needs to have the greatest impact?

Matt Barnes will be counted on for his perimeter defense and shot-making; Theo Ratliff will be asked to play major minutes until Bynum returns to the team; and rookies Derrick Caracter and Devin Ebanks will certainly get some playing time as the season progresses. Steve Blake, however, will have to carry the largest load of all the newcomers. Although he'll be playing behind Fisher, Blake will likely get more minutes than the 36-year-old. In that case, the seven-year veteran will be heavily relied upon to not only orchestrate the triangle offense, but his cerebral defense and ability to consistently knock down the three-point shot will also be required if the Lakers hope to achieve the trifecta.

Riley Gives Up Total Control of Team
Courtesy of MiamiHeat.com

Miami, Florida (AP)- With the Miami Heat already looking to build chemistry amongst the new faces, Riley has yet one more trick up his sleeve. This afternoon during the Heat's press conference, Riley stated that he has decided to step down and give total control of the team to his understudy that has been out of the league since 2006.

This obviously raised a bunch of eyebrows as the man who put together one of the leagues premiere trio's, has now passed the torch down to an understudy (I don't think we can say that now) who has been out of the league for 4 years. Riley introduced Jon as "a man who will spend a lot more time on the bench with guys rather than be in the sky box looking from above. He's a real hands on guy who will do what it takes to get that chemistry going with the team." For Jon's sake, that chemistry better come by fast as he is expected to manage this team all the way to the Finals and possibly face the Laker's in a showdown of all showdowns.

As Jon came out to the table, he was immediately asked a bunch of questions regarding his position and the position of his team. Jon squashed all questions by saying, "I will not comment on myself or the team until after our season opener against Boston which exactly 48 hours from now. There is simply too much pressure as it is and I have to get these guys going along with Erik [Spoelstra]." Looking back at Riley, you can only see a smirk come across his face as if to say, "This is my guy." With that, Jon and Riley stepped down from the stage and hours later, hopped on the plane with the rest of the team to Boston where Miami's Big 3 will look to take on Boston's Big 3 in perhaps one of the best televised match-ups in ages...

MIAMI HEAT [0-0] @ BOSTON CELTICS [0-0]
October 26, 2010
7:30pm
Game Preview
Key Match-Up of the Day

#6 Lebron James || #34 Paul Pierce
Boston, MA (AP)- Possibly one of the most anticipated season match-ups the NBA will have to offer this year. Miami's Big Three versus Boston's Big Three! Stay in the house tonight folks because this one will feature 6 of the NBA's top talent as the Miami Heat will look to prove to the world that three superstars in their primes can co-exist on one same team.

Just hours before the game, the camera crew caught a glimpse of Wade, James & Bosh in the locker room speaking with one another. My bet is that their telling each other to go out there and play the way they've played. So much hype has gone into this Miami team this offseason that most teams still need to be provoked that Miami is the real deal. Well, Boston is one of those teams...

"I have to see it to believe it," Pierce stated before the game. "The talent is obviously there but they haven't played a real game yet. Wade was injured three minutes into their first preseason game and hasn't played since. This is his first game and this is where it counts so we'll see how they fair." Of course, Pierce, being one third of Bostons Big three can say something like that. If you forgot, it wasn't too long ago that Boston's Big Three won the Championship their first year together, so is Pierce doubting the Miami Heat?

Kevin Garnett was quoted as he said, "It's impossible to go to the Finals when we're still intact. It's as simple as that. We got much better this off-season and preseason and we're looking to take that into this season especially against the Miami Heat. Well, with moments just before tip-off Garnett and the rest of the Celtics can look to back it up.

Miami on the other hand have remained quiet about their first game together. New GM Jon has stated that the team will not speak until after their game and that the press will need to get used to it as he is using that silence as a ritual for the guys. "During that time they should be talking to the press before the game, they will be in the back building that chemistry. This is not about Wade, Bosh and James. It's about the team and those three guys know that. They don't want to distract the team one single bit."

"From now on, all press questions will be asked AFTER the games this season," Spoelstra added.

How will Miami fair against a tough Boston team who prides themselves on defense? Can the Big Three in Miami make Boston eat the words they spoke? With this being Wade's first game, how will he fair against a tough Boston team who has no problem being physical? All these questions will be answered in just a few hours as both team's are ready for tip off.

Enjoy as we give you Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat versus Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics!

Good start ... from the amount you're writing I could have sworn that is once again a Thierry fake account , but I don't want to be so harsh to Thierry. so I hope I am totally wrong with that.

Lookin good, though the Heat are really not that likeable this year.

Good start ... from the amount you're writing I could have sworn that is once again a Thierry fake account , but I don't want to be so harsh to Thierry. so I hope I am totally wrong with that.

I already made that mistake before.

Good start ... from the amount you're writing I could have sworn that is once again a Thierry fake account , but I don't want to be so harsh to Thierry. so I hope I am totally wrong with that.

I already made that mistake before.

Lol what's the story with that?

Good start ... from the amount you're writing I could have sworn that is once again a Thierry fake account , but I don't want to be so harsh to Thierry. so I hope I am totally wrong with that.

I already made that mistake before.

Lol what's the story with that?

Since you're new here, I'll explain. Thierry has failed at like 600 different associations by now right? So one time, we see this new guys called Schneijder? (I forget the name now, but that doesn't matter). He introduces himself as a friend of Thierry's and creates a association. He failed cuz everyone saw right through it. Pretty funny shit.