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As if there was not enough ammunition for LeBron critics and media talking heads to discuss about his every moves, he just lobbed them another gold nugget. During shoot around practice held in Cleveland on the day before the Heat face the Cavaliers LeBron was asked about the possibility to return to Cleveland.

“I don’t know. I think it would be great,” he said. “It would be fun to play in front of these fans again. I had a lot fun times in my seven years here. You can’t predict the future and hopefully I continue to stay healthy. I’m here as a Miami Heat player, and I’m happy where I am now, but I don’t rule that out in no sense.

“And if I decide to come back, hopefully the fans will accept me.”

Time to initiate fan over reaction sequence. When that quote hit the radio waves, television and internet it sparked a whole ton of discussion questioning whether LeBron was sincere or just trying to gain some possible respect back from the hometown fans he spurred two years ago. While I would greatly appreciate if LeBron could avoid some of these loaded questions so we could discuss the historic season he is currently having, it’s hard for him to do that with a microphone shoved in his face during every moment he isn’t playing a game. I’ve started to here some Heat fans in Miami feel disrespected by the comment and now wanting Riley to consider trading LeBron for Howard. It’s absolutely outrageous how over-reactionary the fan base, and fan bases in general, are.

I honestly didn’t look too much into the comments made by LeBron but I couldn’t help getting annoyed by the remarks by others about his comments. Some questioning if he is “having fun” or “truly happy” in Miami is absurd. I always figured there was a possibility of LeBron going back to Cleveland when his contract with Miami since it is his hometown and something tells me he feels genuinely disappointed he couldn’t bring a championship to his hometown. So while others clamor over his comments and attempt to over analyze them, I’ll be watching Lebron and the Miami Heat make their way back to the NBA Finals where they will look to win two more games in that series than they did a year ago.

A note on the recent win streak including the back to back to back road trip: The Miami Heat became the first team since the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks to win all three games by ten or more points. Can you guess what that Bucks team went on to do that year? That’s right, they won the NBA title. Here’s to hoping history repeats itself in that regard.

He deserves it.

Norris Cole was added to the BBVA Rising Stars Game tonight, along with Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks.

Norris thanking his supporters

Dwyane Wade showed his excitement for Cole right after the announcement.

D-Wade is pretty excited about Cole and All-Star Weekend

It should be a great All-Star weekend for Miami Heat fans. That makes it 6 Heat players participating in All-Star Weekend. LeBron, Wade, and Bosh will play in the main event, Norris Cole will be in the Rising Stars Game, and James Jones and Mario Chalmers will be in the 3-point contest!

The Miami Heat are holding out hope that a Mike Bibby situation takes place with Chris Kaman. Only, they hope that Kaman does not play as bad as Mike Bibby did last season for the Heat.

The search continues for another center to complement the undersized Joel Anthony. Eddy Curry and Dexter Pittman are just not getting the job done. We have heard about the Heat interest in Joel Pryzbilla for a while, but nothing has happened on that front yet.

Heat president Pat Riley has inquired about Kaman’s availability. Kaman’s contract is $14 million this year, the last year on his contract. That will make it very hard for the Heat to acquire the centers services through trade.

The prevailing thought in Miami however is that if no team ponies up what the Hornets want, they will be forced to buy his contract out. At that point, the Heat would likely emerge as favorites to land the free agent center.

The center was the sixth overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. It was rumored then that Riley preferred Kaman and his size over Dwyane Wade. Obviously Riley made the right decision with Wade.

If the Heat were to acquire Kaman, they would then have 4 of the top 6 picks in the 2003 NBA Draft. Lebron James went number 1 overall, Bosh 4th, Wade 5th, and Kaman 6th.

This was an interesting line that caught my attention on NBC Miami:

The Heat cannot talk with Kaman himself due to NBA tampering rules, so Riley has been speaking with “people who know Kaman,” according to Fox Sports. The Heat aren’t believed to have the right pieces to send to the Hornets in a trade, so the team will have to wait and hope that another team does not swoop in with a deal New Orleans can’t refuse.

Pat Riley is a very smart man. He has assembled arguably one of the best rosters in NBA history. If he is able to somehow get Kaman to Miami, we can remove the arguably out of that previous statement.

Not many Heat draft picks get to play in their first season on a Pat Riley-run team, especially on a Heat team with 3 superstars, but Norris Cole has been an exception. His electrifying play had made him a fan-favorite and his style has reminded people a little bit of Dwyane Wade. After his 2^nd 20 point game of the season on Tuesday night, a lot of people around the NBA are wondering who this Norris Cole guy is.

Growing up in Dayton, Ohio, Cole attended Dunbar High School, where he was a 4-sport star. He had other options besides basketball, but eventually chose going to play at Cleveland State because he felt his best chance of being a pro athlete was in basketball. Boy, was he right!

At Cleveland State, Cole had an amazing career. His senior year, he averaged 21.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.2 steals per game. What really tells you about his game is that he was the first player in the Horizon League to win both Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. Although he played at a small school, that meant enough to Pat Riley for him to trade up for him on draft night. The fact that he played hard on both sides of the ball was the reason they valued him so much.

Cole made his NBA debut in the win against the Mavericks, but really had his coming-out party in the 2^nd game of the season against the Celtics. He had 20 points, 4 assists and shot 50% from the field. After that, he became a fan-favorite and a much-needed spark off the bench. Cole is averaging 8.7 points and 2.4 assists in just 21 minutes per game this season, but over the last 3 games, he has averaged 13.3 points, 2.3 assists, and 1.3 steals.

#28 Pick vs #1 Pick

While he may not be the starting point guard for the Heat, yet, Cole is a guy the Heat are going to need in the long run. He has proved that he is not afraid to shoot and lead the team in sticky situations and is very confident when he leads the team. Cole’s intensity on both sides of the ball really fits in with the Heat’s style of play and that’s why he has gotten so much playing time. He’s still young, but give young Norris Cole a couple of years, and he’ll be one of the best players in the NBA. But before he does, Norris needs to bring back the high-top fade he had while at Cleveland State.

With the All-Star break starting Friday night, it’s time to analyze and evaluate the Miami Heat and their season so far.

As a team, the Heat are on a 4-game winning streak and playing their best basketball. 23-7 equals their best start in franchise history and they’re half a game behind Chicago for the best record in the East. Miami could easily be on top, except they had a couple of hiccups along the way with 3 losses in a row on a road trip, 2 losses to the Bucks, and losses to Atlanta and Orlando. Otherwise, it seems like the team has picked it up as a whole and every player has seemed to find their role.

LeBron James: What can you say about LeBron besides MVP? He is playing out of his mind and probably having the best year of his entire career this year. James is averaging 28 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 1.7 steals. He has been amazing this year and looks like he is finally ready to lead the team to a championship.

Dwyane Wade: When he has been healthy, he has played just like the old D-Wade from the 2006 championship team. The only problem is that he’s been injured so many times. It’s a shame to see one of the best players in the NBA only play 70% of his team’s games. Hopefully Tom Thibodeau doesn’t play Wade much on Sunday, so that he continues to get rest.

Chris Bosh: Pretty much the unsung hero of the team. He has played in every game and is averaging 18.6 points per game and 8.1 rebounds. Bosh led the Heat to a triple-OT victory against Atlanta when James and Wade were injured. He has had a very solid season and it is good to see that he got selected to the All-Star game.

Mario Chalmers: You never know what you’re going to get with Mario Chalmers, but to his credit, he has had a very solid season. He’s averaging 11 points, 3.6 assists and 1.3 steals. When he doesn’t turn the ball over, which he has had a problem with this season, he runs the team like a veteran point guard. I would not be surprised if he is the Heat’s starting point guard for the next couple of years.

Joel Anthony: He’s the Heat’s big guy in the middle and he always does his job. There have been a couple of games this season where he has stepped up on the offensive side of the ball too and scored in double digits. If he continues to do what he is doing, then the Heat will be fine in the middle.

Udonis Haslem: U has always been the energy off the bench that the Heat need. He’s shooting 40% from the field and averaging 8.2 rebounds per game. Haslem has a solid jumper that he can knock down, but his really values to the team are his leadership and aggressiveness.

Norris Cole: “Speedy” has probably been the biggest surprise for the Heat this season. Riley saw something in him and traded up because he knew he was something special. He brings energy on both sides of the ball and slashes just like D-Wade does. He’s a streaky shooter and some days he’s hot, and other days he’s cold. Cole was a great addition for the Heat and could be a great point guard in this league.

Cole- A pleasant surprise

Back and healthy

James Jones: After a good season and All-Star 3-point championship, Jones has barely played this season. He’s appeared in 24 games but only averages 10 minutes per game. While he’s still shooting 40% from three-point land, Jones is only averaging 3.4 points per game. Spo needs to find a way to get him more involved, it could only help.

Juwan Howard: He’s only appeared in 14 games, but he is a leader and you can always see him getting pumped up on the bench. When he plays, Howard tries to be as aggressive as possible. At 38 years old, he just wants a ring and believes this is the team that will do it.

Eddy Curry: Sometimes I wonder what the Heat see in him, but I will give him props for getting back into shape and sticking around on the roster. He’s only 29, so maybe he will actually develop into a solid role player. Hasn’t done anything yet, but don’t count him out, he was a first round pick you know.

Mickell Gladness: He probably has the best name in the NBA, but he hasn’t had many opportunities to play. He’s appeared in 8 games, but expect Spo to use him more after the All-Star break, that is, if they don’t cut him (again) to sign a veteran big man.

Terrel Harris: His biggest Heat moment was the triple-OT victory against Atlanta. Harris played 44 minutes and had 9 rebounds that game, but hasn’t seen much time after that. On a team loaded with talented guards and forwards, he’ll probably never get more playing time than garbage time.

Erik Spoelstra: Managing a team with 3 superstars and other big name players isn’t easy, but Spo has found a way to do it. If he keeps it up and that Heat continue playing as well as they are, Spo will be a coach of the year candidate.

Overall, the Heat are playing well and have great chemistry. A few losses here and there have made them a better team. Come playoff time, I think this Heat team is ready to capitalize and win a championship.

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The NBA All-Star weekend just got more Heat heavy in Orlando. Mario Chalmers has been invited and has accepted to join the NBA 3-pt shooting contest during the All-Star festivities in Orlando. Some might be surprised to see Mario Chalmers in the event but the stats this season back it up. Chalmers, to date, ranks 7th in the NBA in 3pt field goals made with 57 made three pointers. Even more impressive is Chalmers has the highest percentage made out of the 27 players that have 120+ attempts beyond the arc so far this season at 46%.

Chalmers has come a long way the past three seasons and it says a lot about his work ethic and adjustments he made to add a consistent three point shot to his arsenal. The 46% he is shooting right now from beyond the three point line is ten percentage points better than his best season when he shot 36% from three during his rookie year. It also gives praise to Erik Spoelstra’s special coaching talent in helping players with their shot, which is what he did a lot of as an assistant under Pat Riley. Dan LeBatard of the Miami Herald recently spoke about that exact quality of Spoelstra on his radio show on 790 The Ticket explaining that after every practice last season he would see Spoelstra grab a bag of basketballs and head out to the court with Chalmers to work on his shot. His entrance into this competition is just some of the evidence that their hard work has paid off.

The emergence of Chalmers as a strong shooting threat gives LeBron, Wade and Bosh more room to work in the paint. The Heat are at its best when the Big 3 can attack and get in the paint and the presence of shooters like Miller, Battier, Jones and now Chalmers makes it all the more difficult to clog those driving lanes. When the Big 3 and the shooters are clicking on all cylinders with their defense good luck finding a team in the NBA capable of stopping them.

My prediction for the 3pt contest winner is James Jones despite his lack of playing time. Some of that might be because I’m a die hard UM fan and James Jones is of course representing not only the Miami Heat but the Miami Hurricanes as well.

The Heat continued to stay hot with a 105-90 win over the Indiana Pacers tonight. This is the Heat’s 4th win in a row and Indiana’s 4th loss in a row. Miami not only got an easy win, but also made lots of history in the process. At 23-7, the Heat are off to their best start in franchise history. Not only that, but they became the first team in 33 years to win three straight on the road in three days and the first in 42 years to win each of the three by double digits. So much for it being a tiring road trip. The Heat looked energized and on a mission.

Miami was just having fun the whole game. LeBron led the way with 23 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals. While he didn’t get the triple double, he definitely showed that he is the league’s MVP and will be the front-runner for the award. Dwyane Wade added 16 points on 50% shooting and Chris Bosh chipped in with 13 points and 7 rebounds.

Norris Cole had a huge game for Miami on Tuesday night against Indiana.

Indiana just played terribly from the start. At the end of the first quarter, the Heat were up 33-16. It seemed like Indiana just gave up after their best player, Danny Granger, sprained his ankle late in the first quarter. David West had 14 points and Roy Hibbert didn’t do much. Hibbert finished with 10 points and 5 rebounds, which are a little below his season average. A.J. Price and Paul George played well, but it was nowhere near well-enough to even compete with the Heat.

This was not only a historic win for Miami, but another blowout win where the stars got to rest. James played 33 minutes, while Bosh and Wade played 26 and 24. Also, the Heat got to give some of the bench guys some run. Mickell Gladness, Eddy Curry, and Juwan Howard all got to play and contribute. This was a great win for Miami and now they will finally get some rest before the Cleveland game on Friday, which is the last game of their 6th game road trip. Be tuned for a preview of the game on Friday morning!

Author’s Note: This game was special for me because Miami beat one of my best friends, Graham’s, favorite team.

Tonight the Miami Heat make their way to Bankers Field House in Indiana to take on the Pacers. The Heat are on fire (no pun intended) after winning three road games in a row by an average of 18.3 points. Indiana, on the other hand, is on a 3 game losing streak and slowly reeling. While they’re still 5th in the East, they are struggling and will have a tough time hanging with the Heat.

Battier shocked by the rare appearance of Lance Stephenson on the floor.

Although Miami is favored, they need to watch out for Roy Hibbert. He could have been an All-Star and hits the boards hard. Indiana has a very solid all around team with everyone in the starting lineup averaging double figures. If Miami can keep Danny Granger and David West from scoring and grab some rebounds, they will be fine. Hope fully the fatigue of three games in three nights will not affect them. Tune in tonight at 7 for the game and check AllUCanHeat.com after for some post-game analysis.

The Heat got their revenge on the Bucks and also prevented being swept in their season series in a 114-96 win in Milwaukee tonight. LeBron James had 35 points and Dwyane Wade added 22. The biggest surprise for the Heat was Mike Miller, who had a solid 9 points and 8 rebounds. He went 3-7 from 3-point range and was a beast on the boards. Norris Cole also had a great game with 10 points and 2 steals. He didn’t shoot very well (2-7), but was a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line and played great defense.

LeBron driving to the hoop against the Bucks on Monday night

Milwaukee started off hot with Carlos Delfino and Brandon Jennings leading the way, but the Heat then pulled away after the 1st quarter. The Heat outrebounded them 48-35 and played their best defense against the Bucks this season. They stopped Milwaukee from shooting as well as they had in the previous 2 games and limited their turnovers.

This was no doubt a big win for the Heat after losing the first two against Milwaukee, but it is also their third win in a row. The Heat go into Indiana with only two games left in their road trip and on a three game winning streak. Be sure to check back tomorrow for a preview of the Indiana game.