ASSUME THE POSITION…..Ok, so I am really starting to wonder about these guys we call the Miami Heat.  When the team was formed I began talking a lot of noise to my friends, fellow media people and anyone who I thought would hate on those taking their talents to South Beach.  I really bought into the Big Three and how they would take the NBA by storm.  Now the more and more I watch, the more I realize that my boy Delvon McMillan might be right.  He said  “It’s not going to happen.”  It’s not about what’s on paper, or about which team looks sexy.  Right now the Heat are not a dominant team.  Lebron James could not get it done down the stretch.  I must admit, I couldn’t help but think as his shot bricked off the side of the rim that  Kobe would’ve made that shot.  Which means  Mike would have made that shot.  I even think Bird or Magic would’ve made that shot.  And for some reason it seems like Dwayne Wade never shows up in a big game anymore.  Wade goes 5-15 from the field.  First game of the year against Boston Wade gets 8 points.  2nd game vs. Celtics he goes 6-17!!!   So the question is, what position will the Heat end up in come playoff time?  If you want the answer look no further than the picture above.  But if they don’t get it together, they might as well substitute the stools for this. That’s how they’ll be enjoying the game after the 2nd round.

CAN I GET SOME OF THAT?…….Obviously there were a lot of players put in motion last week right before the trade deadline.  The best move obviously was the one the Nets pulled off bringing Deron Williams to the Garden State, even though it may only be for the time being.  We all knew, unless you were a fool, that Carmelo Anthony was going to end up NYC, so let’s not waste Celevision space on that one. But how about poor Baron Davis being force to walk the plank and fall into the shores of Lake Erie where he will no doubt be left to rot and die. What a cruel joke played by Clippers owner/heckler Donald Sterling. I’m sure we’ve all laughed at something before only to feel horrible about it later.  Well Davis’s predicament is a prime example. Davis still goes to see his grandmother in Compton every week and is a native of Los Angeles.  Not only will he no longer be able to visit his Grandmother,  but he will now be throwing alley-oops to Antwan Jamison instead of Blake Griffin.  Talk about a demotion.  But the trade that has me scratching my head is the Celtics moving Perkins to Oklahoma City.  What are they hiding here? Have Shaq or Jermaine O’Neal found some magic potion that slows the aging of the body? If so where can I buy some of that?  Time to get the comeback on.

THE MECCA…..So is it safe to say that the New York City basketball drought is over? Known as the mecca of basketball, it was such a shame that for years in maybe the most famous city in the world, college basketball didn’t matter. St. John’s was a laughing stock in the conference. They were dismissed by Big East purist. What better road trip could a young Big East player ask for then going to such an exciting city like New York City, knowing all the while that you were guaranteed to get a victory because the Johnnies had become the punching bag in the Big East. Enter Steve Lavin and in the blink of an eye things have changed. How impressive are the following top 25 wins? Georgetown..beat, Duke…ambushed, UCONN…smacked, Pittsburgh…done..Villanova…shot down. As much as it pains me to say, they handled my Alma Mater over the weekend. With 3 minutes to go St. John’s was only up four points. They would’ve lost this game last year, no doubt. How far they’ve come. They showed poise, senior leadership and looked as if they knew they were supposed to win.  The Johnnies have found their swagger.  No big celebration after the win, just another day at the office for the Red Storm. I am happy for Steve Lavin, as he was shafted when he was at UCLA. And I must admit, being from Jersey, it is nice to see college basketball back in New York City.

15 Seconds…..Hey I will be the first one to tell you that I am not into these rankings of high school kids. I am also not into projecting and putting so much pressure on these kids at such a young age. I don’t think it’s good for the kids or the game. But this is an exception. I try to be versatile with Celevison and give you a little of this and a little of that. Well how about some New Jersey girls high school basketball. I went to see my high school Piscataway play in the Greater Middlesex County Championship vs. Cardinal McCarrick. They have a player there Danaejah Grant,  a junior, who is one of the top 5 players in the state of New Jersey. The tap goes up, she gets the ball, makes one move,  goes to the basket, scores. In 15 seconds the first thing I thought was “Pro.” Now I may be jumping the gun, but the poise that she showed and the speed that she plays at is sometimes only learned on the collegiate or professional level.  High School kids usually play so fast, but the great ones understand pace.  Asjha Jones who plays for the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA was the best girls player ever at Piscataway High. Ok, let me rephrase that, she was the best player ever, boys or girls.  But this young lady Grant is in a very close second.  She’ll play big time college ball.  And I predict, she can play for a long time after that. She had 41 pts and 19 rebounds from the guard position!! It was the greatest girls high school performance I’ve ever seen in person.