Heat Vs. Wizards Preview: Meet LeBron James And The Evil Empire

by Mike Prada on Feb 10, 2012 4:16 PM EST in Game previews

This should be fun.

Are they good in general?: Sadly, yes.

Are they good against the Wizards? They haven't played the Wizards this season, but last year, there was this game with this moment that was pretty awesome.

Are they fast or slow? The Heat made a big stink during the offseason about wanting to push the pace, with coach Erik Spoelstra visiting Oregon football coach Chip Kelly to learn more about his spread offense. How a basketball coach feels like he can find inspiration in a football coach is beyond me, but for what it's worth, the Heat are playing at a much higher pace (95.1 possessions per game this year as opposed to 92.9 last year).

Are they especially good at anything? The Heat have the league's best offense, the highest effective field goal percentage, one of the league highest free-throw rates and they run like crazy. As much as we all hate LeBron James, he's having arguably his best season as a pro. Want me to go on?

Are they especially bad at anything? They haven't been great defending the three-point line, as Sebastian Pruiti spelled out here. Unfortunately, the Wizards have very few three-point shooters.

Are there any people involved with the organization that Mike really likes? Shane Battier and Udonis Haslem are two really solid veterans that any good team needs to have.

Are there any people involved with the organization that Mike really doesn't like? Well...

After all these years I still love DC! Always show me so much Love back
— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 10, 2012

Are there any players poised for a breakout? Norris Cole played really well early but has tailed off recently. I guess he qualifies.

Are there any players the Wizards especially need to worry about? The Wizards need to do what teams always do to them: build a wall in transition, coordinate perfectly to prevent the Heat from getting to the rim and make them win with their half-court offense.

Is their mascot cool? What is this?

AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

Any other random quirks: Going to be great when the crowd is full of bandwagon Heat fans, if by "great," I mean "awful."

Game thread at 6:30, recap right after.

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Comments

mikes a masochist?

This should be fun.

Waiting for the Prodigal Son to Return KH12 BITCHES!!!!
In the Chemi-meter we trust!

by piccolomair on Feb 10, 2012 4:21 PM EST reply actions

Hey we did it to OKC...

Lightning could strike twice…

On second thought, Nah.

Me, I will be watching Jeremy Lin take on Kobe and all.

by khrabb on Feb 10, 2012 4:34 PM EST up reply actions

I hate LeBron so much.

by thewiz06 on Feb 10, 2012 4:23 PM EST reply actions

Good we can use the word "hate" when talking

about the cry baby. Because I just don’t like that dude. He makes me sick!!!!

Long-Time Wizard Fan

by WizardFan on Feb 10, 2012 4:32 PM EST up reply actions

I'm proud to be a Wizards fan

Since afterall, we are the original LeBron haters.

by dhall88 on Feb 10, 2012 4:39 PM EST up reply actions

Even though Gil fell out of favor with me

the couple words he put in during the fourth quarter in Game 6 back in 2006 still stings me to this very day.

by thewiz06 on Feb 10, 2012 4:41 PM EST up reply actions

he meaning lebron

by thewiz06 on Feb 10, 2012 4:41 PM EST up reply actions

I put myself through the Clippers and Knicks games

Don’t think my heart can take much more. I think I’ll take the family out tonight

by AnyGiven on Feb 10, 2012 4:49 PM EST reply actions

there will be a good amount of "heat fans" if theres any such thing

But ill never forget when we played lebitch in the playoffs and it was nothing but Wizards fans in there. Hopefully we get that feeling soon again. That was the best game I ever attended

by no more kwame's in dc on Feb 10, 2012 4:50 PM EST via mobile reply actions

i remember that day myself.

by thewiz06 on Feb 10, 2012 5:36 PM EST up reply actions

SAme

I was there, too. I’ll never forgive LeCrabDribble for that nonsense with Gil…

by gbkdc on Feb 10, 2012 6:04 PM EST up reply actions

it was a beautiful sight to see vc all white and no bron fans in there

by no more kwame's in dc on Feb 10, 2012 6:06 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Eff bron

I hope he’s mad hungover.

And lmao @ “Heat fans”

by terpsDC on Feb 10, 2012 4:53 PM EST reply actions

More like " lebron and the legion of doom"

by Jordo on Feb 10, 2012 5:01 PM EST via mobile reply actions

Not a Lebron hater anymore

For some reason after all the animosity built up during the Cleveland-Lebron years, I actually root for and defend Miami-Lebron…I have no self-respect

by NickYoung'sBush on Feb 10, 2012 5:51 PM EST via Android app reply actions

Tweet back?

@kingjames DC don’t love you, Son.

Anyway, I’m going to watch this game with hope for the Wizards until the Heat gets a 20 point lead (in the first quarter?), and then I’m going to watch reruns of The Wire.

by gbkdc on Feb 10, 2012 6:03 PM EST reply actions

Sounds like a plan

I’m gonna stick with arrested development though

by oakhillswag on Feb 10, 2012 6:05 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Also a wise choice!

by gbkdc on Feb 10, 2012 6:10 PM EST up reply actions

Alternate TV plans

Yeah, I’know I’ll be searching for something else after getting fed up with the Wizzies——-again.
Doubt I’ll find anything as worthy as “The Wire” (best tv show ever) or “Arrested Development” ( Better than 99% of crap that’s on tv but nobody watched it—-go figger)

by VBfan on Feb 10, 2012 6:20 PM EST up reply actions