The Heat trail the Pacers 2-1 in their Eastern Conference Semifinal series with the Pacers, and Brian Windhorst of ESPN says this could be the last shot for this group to win it all. Windhorst, who covers Miami for the World Wide Leader, told “Mike and Mike in the Morning” that the team will consider trading one of its All-Stars if they end up getting bounced by Indiana.

Miami hasn’t had the postseason success it originally hoped for, and will have trouble improving its team because of the rules of the collective bargaining agreement. According to Windhorst, the Heat may look to move Dwyane Wade in return for a few good players, instead of another star.

Wade may be the most logical person for the Heat to trade.

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LeBron James is playing the best ball of his career, winning his third MVP in four seasons. Wade is better than Chris Bosh, but Miami would not get as much in return for the forward.

Wade is still considered an elite player, but scouts say his best years are behind him. He has played a lot of games in his career, and is injury prone. As a result, he has trouble when the Heat don’t have a lot of rest in between games.

Miami’s strategy of signing older veterans to come off the bench hasn’t worked out very well, and moving Wade would allow them to acquire younger players that would better compliment their core. Aging players like Shane Battier and Mike Miller have not produced as Miami had hoped.

Trading Wade might be the best basketball move, but it probably wouldn’t be the best public relations decision. He is the most popular player on the team, even more so than LeBron James. He helped bring Miami its first championship, and is the best player in the history of the franchise.

There’s still a chance that the Heat can turn this around. They only trail the Pacers by a game, and could get even stronger later in the postseason if Bosh returns from his injury.

But if the Heat underachieve for a second straight year, the Big 3 might turn into the Big 2 by the start of the 2012-2013 Season.

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The Heat trail the Pacers 2-1 in their Eastern Conference Semifinal series with the Pacers, and Brian Windhorst of ESPN says this could be the last shot for this group to win it all. Windhorst, who covers Miami for the World Wide Leader, told “Mike and Mike in the Morning” that the team will consider trading one of its All-Stars if they end up getting bounced by Indiana.

Miami hasn’t had the postseason success it originally hoped for, and will have trouble improving its team because of the rules of the collective bargaining agreement. According to Windhorst, the Heat may look to move Dwyane Wade in return for a few good players, instead of another star.

Wade may be the most logical person for the Heat to trade.

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LeBron James is playing the best ball of his career, winning his third MVP in four seasons. Wade is better than Chris Bosh, but Miami would not get as much in return for the forward.

Wade is still considered an elite player, but scouts say his best years are behind him. He has played a lot of games in his career, and is injury prone. As a result, he has trouble when the Heat don’t have a lot of rest in between games.

Miami’s strategy of signing older veterans to come off the bench hasn’t worked out very well, and moving Wade would allow them to acquire younger players that would better compliment their core. Aging players like Shane Battier and Mike Miller have not produced as Miami had hoped.

Trading Wade might be the best basketball move, but it probably wouldn’t be the best public relations decision. He is the most popular player on the team, even more so than LeBron James. He helped bring Miami its first championship, and is the best player in the history of the franchise.

There’s still a chance that the Heat can turn this around. They only trail the Pacers by a game, and could get even stronger later in the postseason if Bosh returns from his injury.

But if the Heat underachieve for a second straight year, the Big 3 might turn into the Big 2 by the start of the 2012-2013 Season.

To report problems or to leave feedback about this article, e-mail:
To contact the editor, e-mail:

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The Miami Heat are a team in turmoil as they prepare for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Indiana Pacers.

The Heat are missing power forward/center Chris Bosh for the rest of this series and possibly the rest of the playoffs. Then during Thursday night’s Game 3, the Heat completely imploded en route to a 94-75 loss to the Pacers, who took a 2-1 lead in the series.

Much of the blame for Game 3’s loss fell on the shoulder of the greatest Heat player ever, shooting guard Dwyane Wade. The All-Star guard managed just 5 points on 2-13 shooting and just 1-2 from the free throw line and committed five turnovers.

During the Game 3 blowout, Wade lashed out at Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. It was the boiling point of Wade’s worst playoff game ever as a member of the Miami Heat. Several Miami players stepped in before the confrontation escalated.

Coach Spoelstra blew it off saying it happens on teams. But Friday, the Heat abruptly cancelled the team’s scheduled practice and announced they would not be available to the media at any point on Friday.

Wade has struggled at times during the playoffs while shooting 43 percent from the field. He’s shooting just 15 percent from behind the 3-point line and is hitting just 70 percent of his free throws in the eight playoff games the Heat have played in this year.

For his playoff career, Wade is averaging the fewest minutes, points, rebounds, assists, lowest shooting percentage and second-lowest free throw shooting percentage in the 2012 playoffs.

But Wade is far from the only player struggling on the Heat’s roster. The only player who stepped up his game in Game 3 was point guard Mario Chalmers. He was 10-15 from the field and 4-4 from the free throw line and ended up with 25 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 0 turnovers.

No one quite knows what to do to spark the Heat since Bosh went down in Game 1 against the Pacers.

Spoelstra experimented with a lineup that included Dexter Pittman and Shane Battier in Game 3. The duo combined to shoot 0-9 and collected a total of 3 rebounds and 3 fouls.

Udonis Haslem once again failed to show up going 0-2 from the field and rookie Norris Cole also laid a goose-egg on the scoreboard for the Heat.

The Heat were hammered on the boards and its defense allowed the Pacers’ two big men, Roy Hibbert and David West, to shoot 48 percent from the field en route to 33 points. The dynamic duo also managed to pull down 27 rebounds.

All of it has left Heat fans grasping at straws and trying to find some reason to hope the team can come back in this series.

The one thing Heat fans can take solace in is that the worst thing an opponent can see is an angry and focused Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. Spoelstra will have to let the Pacers big men be guarded by others besides LeBron to keep him from wearing down.

If Spo can come up with the right defense and keep LeBron and Wade fresh into the second-half, then the Heat have a solid chance in Game 4. But, the Pacers are firing on all cylinders and Miami will have to find a way to calm the storm because the home crowd for the Pacers will be rocking on Sunday.

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The Miami Heat are a team in turmoil as they prepare for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Indiana Pacers.

The Heat are missing power forward/center Chris Bosh for the rest of this series and possibly the rest of the playoffs. Then during Thursday night’s Game 3, the Heat completely imploded en route to a 94-75 loss to the Pacers, who took a 2-1 lead in the series.

Much of the blame for Game 3’s loss fell on the shoulder of the greatest Heat player ever, shooting guard Dwyane Wade. The All-Star guard managed just 5 points on 2-13 shooting and just 1-2 from the free throw line and committed five turnovers.

During the Game 3 blowout, Wade lashed out at Heat coach Erik Spoelstra. It was the boiling point of Wade’s worst playoff game ever as a member of the Miami Heat. Several Miami players stepped in before the confrontation escalated.

Coach Spoelstra blew it off saying it happens on teams. But Friday, the Heat abruptly cancelled the team’s scheduled practice and announced they would not be available to the media at any point on Friday.

Wade has struggled at times during the playoffs while shooting 43 percent from the field. He’s shooting just 15 percent from behind the 3-point line and is hitting just 70 percent of his free throws in the eight playoff games the Heat have played in this year.

For his playoff career, Wade is averaging the fewest minutes, points, rebounds, assists, lowest shooting percentage and second-lowest free throw shooting percentage in the 2012 playoffs.

But Wade is far from the only player struggling on the Heat’s roster. The only player who stepped up his game in Game 3 was point guard Mario Chalmers. He was 10-15 from the field and 4-4 from the free throw line and ended up with 25 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 0 turnovers.

No one quite knows what to do to spark the Heat since Bosh went down in Game 1 against the Pacers.

Spoelstra experimented with a lineup that included Dexter Pittman and Shane Battier in Game 3. The duo combined to shoot 0-9 and collected a total of 3 rebounds and 3 fouls.

Udonis Haslem once again failed to show up going 0-2 from the field and rookie Norris Cole also laid a goose-egg on the scoreboard for the Heat.

The Heat were hammered on the boards and its defense allowed the Pacers’ two big men, Roy Hibbert and David West, to shoot 48 percent from the field en route to 33 points. The dynamic duo also managed to pull down 27 rebounds.

All of it has left Heat fans grasping at straws and trying to find some reason to hope the team can come back in this series.

The one thing Heat fans can take solace in is that the worst thing an opponent can see is an angry and focused Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. Spoelstra will have to let the Pacers big men be guarded by others besides LeBron to keep him from wearing down.

If Spo can come up with the right defense and keep LeBron and Wade fresh into the second-half, then the Heat have a solid chance in Game 4. But, the Pacers are firing on all cylinders and Miami will have to find a way to calm the storm because the home crowd for the Pacers will be rocking on Sunday.

Miami has now lost two in a row without Bosh and look lost offensively against a staunch Pacers defense. The Heat couldn’t get anything going against the Pacers on Thursday night, especially Dwyane Wade, and lost 94-75 to an Indiana team that had its way with them all night.

Roy Hibbert basically set up camp in the paint and put together an impressive double-double of 19 points and 18 rebounds with no one on the Heat squad capable of stopping the 7-footer. Talented small forward Danny Granger added 17 points of his own as the collective frustration of members of the Heat was palpable.

Wade, one of the team’s biggest stars, was so frustrated by his five point, five turnover performance on a 2 for 13 shooting night that he was seen lashing out at coach Erik Spolestra during one of the team’s timeouts.

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“Get out of my f— face,” Wade told Spolestra, according to The Miami Herald.

It was a sign of a team ready to implode and raised some serious questions as to whether the Heat are truly a championship-caliber team. It’s too soon to declare the Heat dead in this series – Miami has plenty of talent to come back from a 2-1 hole – but the team might need to undergo some serious changes in order to survive and advance past the Heat.

The Heat have struggled at times in the regular season with a half-court set offense, as the team prefers to run and gun to capitalize on its superior athleticism. But it hasn’t worked against the Pacers and instead they’ve been forced to play in the half-court offense and have been unable to get good, open looks at the basket.

James and Wade have both struggled mightily since Bosh went down with an injury as the Pacers have one less scorer to worry about and can instead zero in on the talented duo. James managed 22 points on Thursday, but on 10 for 22 from the field and with four turnovers.

But for once it wasn’t James that is getting the lion share of the blame for a Heat loss – that rests squarely on the shoulders of the popular Wade. He played poorly, but worse was the encounter with Spolestra. He challenged his coach’s authority on a nationally televised game and that’s a big deal, no matter how much Spolestra tries to spin it.

“That happens,” Spoelstra said. “Anybody that has been part of a team or has been a coach or been a player, you have no idea how often things like that happen. That was during a very emotional part of the game. We were getting our butt kicked. Those exchanges happen all the time during the course of an NBA season.

Those exchanges do happen during the course of a season, but those types of outbursts during high-pressure situations in the playoffs are not a good sign.

Perhaps Wade can channel the fire to lead the Heat to a comeback in this series on the way to the team’s first title with the vaunted “Big 3.”

But it’s looking more and more likely that the Heat will flame out of the playoffs again with all of their flaws exposed on Thursday night.

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The Indiana Pacers put on one of their most impressive performances of the year against the Miami Heat on May 17, taking a 2-1 lead in Eastern Conference semifinals with their 94-75 victory.

The Heat actually got off to a solid start against the Pacers, but they weren’t able to keep it up as the game progressed. The Pacers fought their way back in the second quarter, and they lit the Heat up in the second half, walking away with the 19 point victory.

After slowing down in the first two games of the series, Mario Chalmers stepped his game up in Game 3, leading Miami’s offense with his 25 points. LeBron James was Miami’s second highest scorer, finishing with 22 points and 7 rebounds.

Dwyane Wade had a hard time knocking down shots against the Pacers, converting on only 2 of his 13 field goal attempts. He finished the game with 5 points – a career low in the postseason. Wade exchanged some heated words with Miami coach Erik Spoelstra as the game spiraled out of control, prompting some to question the team’s morale.

“That happens,” Spoelstra told reporters about the altercation. “Anybody that has been part of a team or has been a coach or been a player, you have no idea how often things like that happen. That was during a very emotional part of the game. We were getting our butt kicked. Those exchanges happen all the time during the course of an NBA season.”

Spoelstra does deserve some of the blame for Miami’s Game 3 loss, considering the fact he allowed Indiana’s defense to alter their offense, turning them into a jump shooting team. Miami’s players also did a poor job of boxing-out their opponents, getting outrebounded by 16.

When most basketball fans think of the Heat’s “big three,” Chris Bosh is often seen as the third wheel. However, Bosh’s presence on the floor is certainly missed by the Heat, and regaining control of the series without him won’t be easy.

With Game 4 set for May 20, the Heat will have a couple of days to figure out what adjustments they need to make against the Pacers. The Heat will obviously need Wade to play a lot better on Sunday, and they’ll also need a lot more hustle from the entire team.

David is a Miami Heat fan that has followed the team for 16 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter and check out his blog.

Sources:

Associated Press, “Roy Hibbert scores 19 and adds 18 boards as Pacers pound Heat”

Player and game information from ESPN.com

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Things didn’t go as planned in the Miami Heat’s last outing, and they’ll try to get back on track when they visit the Indiana Pacers on May 17.

The Heat will have their work cut out for them though, considering the fact they struggled on the road during the second half of the 2011/12 NBA season, and they’re 1-1 away from the American Airlines Arena in the postseason.

With Chris Bosh not expected back in the lineup anytime soon, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James will have to step it up a notch, but they’ll also need some help from the role players.

“It’s going to be fun,” LeBron said about Miami’s upcoming contest. “It’s what the playoffs are all about. At the end of the day, you’ve got to try to win on somebody else’s floor. And we look forward to going up there.”

After putting up decent numbers in the Heat’s first round series against the New York Knicks, Miami’s role players have failed to show up in their last two outings. Mario Chalmers in particular has slowed down against the Pacers. With Bosh likely out for the remainder of the series against the Pacers, Chalmers will need to become the third member of the “big three,” and put up appropriate numbers.

While it isn’t quite time for the Heat to start panicking, there is no question Game 3 is a must win situation for them. They’ve already lost home-court advantage, and falling behind in the series is simply not an option.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra will definitely need to find a way to motivate Miami’s supporting cast, as they’ll need to find a way to keep the series from spiraling out of control.

“You’ve got a 2 seed playing against a 3 seed,” Spoelstra told reporters. “That’s historically one of the more competitive battles over the years. And that’s the way it should be. … Nothing is going to come easy for either team. You look at it; both teams are shooting under 40 percent.”

David is a Miami Heat fan that has followed the team for 16 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter and check out his blog.

Sources:

Tim Reynolds, “Heat-Pacers Preview”

Player and game information from ESPN.com

More from the Yahoo! Contributor Network:

Miami Heat’s Defense Stifles Bulls

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Indiana Pacers Even Out Series Against Miami Heat

The Indiana Pacers shocked the Miami Heat on May 15, walking away with 78-75 win at the American Airlines Arena. With the win, the Pacers now have home court advantage for the remainder of the series, a position the Heat certainly didn’t want to find themselves in.

The Heat played well during the first half of Game 2, but they couldn’t keep it up in the third quarter, allowing the Pacers to outscore them by 14 points. They tried to dig themselves out of the hole in the final quarter, but they fell short in the end, allowing the Pacers to even out the series.

“Welcome to the playoffs, for us,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters after the game. “That’s how we’re viewing it. This series has started. They won on our home court. Now we have to collect ourselves, gather ourselves and get ready for Game 3. That’s all that matters right now.”

LeBron James led Miami’s offense against the Pacers in Game 2, finishing with 28 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 steals. LeBron did have a chance to give Miami the lead in the final minute of the game, but he wasn’t able to convert on a pair of free throws.

“The game is not lost or won with two free throws,” LeBron told reporters. “But I definitely want to come through for my teammates. So I’ll get an opportunity again. I know I’ll be at the line again in that situation. Just go up and make ‘em.”

Dwyane Wade also played well on Tuesday, adding 24 points and 6 rebounds to the scoreboard.

Chris Bosh -who is possibly out for the remainder of the series against the Pacers due to an abdominal strain – was definitely missed by the Heat, as they weren’t able to get their role players going on the offensive end. For the second straight game, Miami’s role players failed to show up, with no one besides LeBron and Wade finishing with over 5 points. With the series about to relocate to Indiana, Spoelstra needs to find a way to get them going.

Given how poorly Miami played on the road in the second half of the 2011/12 NBA season, they’ll need their role players to step it up a notch, if they want to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

David is a Miami Heat fan that has followed the team for 16 years. Follow him on twitter @davidkingwriter and check out his blog.

Sources:

Associated Press, “Pacers hold off Heat down stretch, knot series 1-1″

Player and game information from ESPN.com

More from the Yahoo! Contributor Network:

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MIAMI (USA TODAY) — Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh was injured when he was fouled by Indiana Pacers center Roy Hibbert with 1:06 left in the second quarter of the opening game Sunday of their NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Bosh converted the dunk, then fell to floor after Hibbert fouled him. Bosh got up gingerly, favoring what looked like his left leg, and made his free throw

Twenty-three seconds later, after Heat forward LeBron James grabbed a rebound on Hibbert’s missed shot, Bosh went to the ground again.

The Heat called a timeout so they sub out Bosh, who went straight to the locker room with 43.6 seconds left in the half.

The Heat trail 48-42 at halftime, even though Indiana’s Danny Granger and Paul George had not scored.

The Heat were unable to take advantage of Indiana’s foul trouble in the first half. Granger, forward David West and guard-forward George each had two fouls in the second quarter, but Indiana’s bench was outstanding.

Miami shot 40% in the first half and went 0-for-4 on three-pointers.

Bosh had 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting. The rest of the Heat were 9-of-30 (30%). Bosh also have five rebounds.

He was not on the court as the Heat warmed up before the start of the third quarter.

Copyright 2012 USA TODAY