Dare we dream? The Heat missing the playoffs?

After seeing Wade parade to the FT line on what look like 6 straight possessions in the last 5 minutes of last night's game with the Cavs, who wants to see that in the playoffs?

Will he get a pass like that in the opening rounds from the refs so that Stern can generate more TV revenue form the defending champs the longer they play?

Wonder if Billups would get those calls if he tried the same play to the hole 4 or 5 times in a row? I know hot head Rip would not get them..Those would have been called offensive fouls on him

Leave Shaq and Wade at home for the playoffs to devalue their 2006 trophy!! That title should have gone to the Mavs.

I'm still ticked over the phantom foul called on Laimbeer in the 87/88 final. That championship was OURS.

I hear ya........

Lebron got his share of those phantom calls also.

What was funny was seeeing the reaction of the Heat bench after some of the calls that went Mr. James way.....Rothstein got a tech after complaining after one call I believe.

In addition to Lebron and Wade there is a new kid on the block who will be parading to the FT line..........Gilbert Arenas!

OUr man Rip is making it to the lane a lot more this year, creating fouls on opposing teams and doing a good job of it. Billups does it doing crunch time. So the more aggressive we are, the more I see us getting "favorable calls".

No player on our team will ever get even close to "Wade calls". He's just too good ((at flopping, falling down, and basically acting like a jack-ass))

Also our players won't even get the calls they sometimes get now VS MIA.

It's difficult to see the Heat missing the playoffs in the East, especially if they continue to play as well as they played against the Spurs today.

The Heat defense looked very solid, and Wade just lit up the 4th quarter, hitting jumper after jumper from the top of the key. For once he wasn't driving the ball as aggressively and getting a ton of favorable calls, but it didn't matter as he wasn't missing many shots from anywhere on the floor.

I gotta admit, he looked pretty good. I watched the 4th quarter only, and he really dominated both sides of the ball.

Bowen made him expend slightly more energy, but he still managed to score time after time in the clutch. And he blocked Parker at least twice on D.

The Heat are our biggest problem. It's a game of match-ups and they have Shaq, Wade, and the refs.

The Heat will also have Stern in their pockets defending the refs as well as media and markerting hype of T-Mobile and the SI sportsman of the year in wade, and the arrogance and defending champ swagger that we displayed in 2005.

I am not saying we need to duck them, but the I rather the Pistons play them in the EC finals than the first round. Based on how the Heat are playing (six wins out of their last 7) they should move up the standings but hopefully only to the 5th or 6th seed.

Wade is one of my fantasy teams and addition to his heroics on the offensive end, he had 10 blocks this week, more than anyone else on my team that included Duncan and Al Jefferson. ..

If you can go in the 3rd qtr with a 10+ lead you can beat the Heat, Anything under that and Wade will handle the rock exclusively and you have to get it out of his hands before he makes his move to the hoop and then hope his jump shot is off from the outside late in the game.

Yes, I agree. Wade will make the playoffs. Notice I said: Wade will make the playoffs. And bring Shaq with him. They are the leagues money players. The rest of the team "sucks".

Sorry, I won't bother reading this thread so if I am repeating these thoughts oh well. Forget about Miami not making it. The Pistons must assume that Miami will be in their way and fully loaded. Detroit must prepare for worst case. Hey, then if Miami does not make it to us, we still make it to the NBA finals.

not to forget that guy is 6'4!!! I wonder how he'll be like when he's in his 30's. Til now, he has no jumper to rely on and as soon as his athleticism diminishes, I can't see him getting anything done.

We are on a collision course with the Heat. It is going to be a war. Shaq still looked tough against SA. And then there is Wade. Their role players do what they ask of them.

i'd rather play the heat in the 1st round of the playoffs than the east finals

I also think we might have trouble with the Heat, but it really would not be as much about winning a championship if the Heat were to not make it. I want winning the rings to mean more by the Heat having been in on the chase. The Pistons don't have to be the ones to beat them, but they need to be beaten during the run.

I guess this is diverse to what I said earlier about them being debased by not even making it to the post-season after winning a championship last year, but I have changed my mind.

BUT, if it is either the Heat or the Magic to make it, the Heat need to LOSE out.

IMO if we play them in the first round we may have to face a fresher Shaq and Wade. In the ECF, Shaq Daddy could be worn down and Wade could have enough rug burns to slow him down. Plus playing them in round 1, I am wondering how much it would take out of us both emotionally and physically, especially if it goes 7, and then we fall flat in round 2?

Long way off right now, but something to ponder...

I want to play them but I don't want to play them. They are tough for us because of the match ups. I wouldn't want them in the first round for the reasons Dre mentioned.

I HAVE just 6 words for yall SHAQUILLE ONEAL AND DWAYNE WADE, DAMN!!!!!