I didn't go to the game last night. I knew it was going to be a record crowd and I just didn't want to be one of the johnny-come-latelys that sprout every time the Heat is winning (I've been to far too many games the past three seasons for that) nor one of the fanboys that only go to a game because of MJ ad now LeBron. It makes me sick, but that's sports in Miami for you. But I got to say, as good as LeBron is and will be, right now I'm sticking with Wade. First of all, last night he matched LeBron's effort, thanks also to Caron and his defense. Second, he brings as much inspiration and drive to the team as LeBron does. During the season, you could just see every time he made a huge play, the whole team got energized. Third, he's a team player and this is a team game. He doesn't get anything more than Odom or Jones get in the way of plays called, etc. I've never seen a Heat team with this much chemistry. Is not LeBron's fault that he's gotten so much hype, and he's kept it out of his head as good as anyone could expect but the fact is that the Cavs play LeBron's game and one rookie alone can't do it. Here's an article from today's Herald (I hate LeBatard by the way, he's the biggest wheaterwane, hating on hometeams when they lose andthen doing a 180when they win. He did the same with the Marlins last year. I was at at Marlins event after the World Series win and LeBastard was one of the speakers, people actually booed him. It was great.) Torrid Heat prevails despite LeBron DAN LE BATARD dlebatard@herald.com The largest crowd in the history of this building came to see basketball's Mozart play Friday night, but once again it was the Miami Heat producing the symphony of majestic music. LeBron James, who just turned 19, had more points than anyone on the floor (24). He had more assists than anyone on either team, too (eight). He tied for the most rebounds on his team with a 7-3 teammate (seven). Do you understand how absurd this is? Doing this at the highest levels of pro basketball less than a year removed from the prom? When he should still be worrying about puberty and pimples? James is an unprecedented talent. There is no qualifier there. No basketball player has ever been this good this young, period. But the Heat nonetheless took James and his teammates and threw them down a flight of stairs. James is the future. Make no mistake about that. Teams will not be beating him like this when he's, you know, old enough to get into bars. They didn't make teenagers like this when you were in high school. Guy is built like something God would sculpt in art class. Le-Braun. And make what you will of this: With five minutes left in the game, as moppers came out to wipe up the floor and Cavalier Carlos Boozer had sweat through his jersey and shorts in a way that made them a darker shade of red, James wasn't sweating at all even though he had played more minutes than anyone on either team. It's that easy for him. He scores points the way waiters pour water. His passes sometimes hit surprised teammates in the face. And here's the most amazing thing: He makes the court appear smaller than it is. Not even Shaq does that. James is the fastest 6-8 man you've ever seen. Actually, that's not accurate. He's the fastest 6-8 teenager you've ever seen. He was born in 1984. Stan Van Gundy might have things in his closet older than that. JAMES VS. WADE There were breathtaking moments Friday night, when James and Dwyane Wade were isolated on each other with only the basketball between them, and the 20,213 fans here knew they were looking into the future. ''I could feel the hush,'' Wade said afterward. ``Everyone got quiet. It's different than anything I've felt on a court. All eyes were on just us. I could feel that.'' Wade likes those moments, and rises up to them in a way that makes him bigger than 6-4. He outplayed James on Friday, actually, when you consider that James had eight turnovers, more than any three Heat players combined. But feel free to worry about Wade if you are a Heat fan, given that he is awfully reckless with that body, landing hard from high places far more often than he should. ''I've got to get smarter about that, and I will,'' Wade said. ``But I'm not going to stop attacking.'' Neither is his team, evidently. Miami has won 12 of its last 14 games, the only losses coming on the road against the two best teams in the conference in games that were tight. It's hard to have a month better than that. RIDING THE JOY Hard to enjoy it more, too. There was Caron Butler laughing with the dancers after tumbling into them Friday night. And Rafer Alston actually kissing the referee after a call. The Marlins showed us how far you could ride joy, and the Heat carried it around late, trailing after three quarters but then cracking a bottle over Cleveland's head with an absurd 30-12 fourth. The Heat had six players in double figures Friday. You aren't going to beat them too often when that happens. More startling is getting that kind of balanced contribution even though Miami only calls plays for three of its players. Cleveland shot 49 percent for the game, which is very good, and still was blown out. AmericanAirlines Arena was swaying and buzzing as the Le-circus came to town, opening an area of extra seats that hadn't been sold since some guy named Michael Jordan played here. James and Cleveland have a future, obviously. But the Miami Heat have a now.
The heat are so tough. I watched the game at towards the end they were just flowing so smoothly and you can tell they were having lots of fun. Rafer Alston pulled an And1 move and faked out his defender, and did you check out Wade's crossover? It was killer. Hes got to be the most exciting rookie, between him and LeBron.
The Heat have really come along, Grant has begun to play decently again. The fact that Wade, Odom, Jones and Alston have been scoring and working hard was a great help also. Caron Butler's D was always a Godsend, Rasual's balanced play is coming along nicely to help build up the Heat. I see them going far once Wade goes peak and less injury prone.
