An interesting item caught my attention as I was perusing hoopshype and it involves none other than former Miami Heat player Earl Barron being courted by the Philippines national team to come play for their country.

The Philippine Star think nothing of it to helpfully point out that Barron was a member of the 2006 championship team, although as the 4th center behind Shaquille O’Neal, Alonzo Mourning and Michael Doleac he scored a total of 13 points during 45 garbage time minutes in 8 games that season with zero appearances in the playoffs.

Although he did play in the Philippine basketball league before joining the Heat in 2005, I must say it rubs me the wrong way when countries try to get foreigners to play for their national team.

Even if it is Earl Barron.

To be honest with you, I wasn’t crazy about Tim Duncan playing for the USA when he really should have been playing for his native Virgin Islands. If Earl Barron is putting on a Philippine team jersey and sticking out like a sore thumb among his teammates then it starts to feel less like a competition between two nations and more like an exhibition featuring D-League players.

For all the doom and gloom that the last several games have been for the Heat it might soon be time to draw a collective breath, step back and take a look at what needs to be done going forward. But first, some perspective is needed on the Heat’s recent slide.
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It’s time to come on home, and it’s badly needed.

Everyone knew this was going to be a rough road trip. After struggling for a week, this gantlet laid before the Heat, featuring teams the Heat had done a very good job of almost beating this season. Unfortunately for them, that trend continued unrelentingly.

I would have bet almost all the money I had that the Heat were going to lose to the Bulls last night. After mustering everything they had to almost best the Celtics and the ensuing disappointment against the Cavaliers, the Heat are a team that are beaten down physically and mentally. They need to get off the road, and the last thing they needed to have was another trip to another city. But that’s what they got, and the result was – as I said – predictable, as the Bulls won 95-91.
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Welcome to WANT, your Friday connection to stuff you’ll want to buy as a Miami Heat fan. The item selected for WANT is in no way affiliated with Hot Hot Hoops, but just an item you’ll probably find interesting. After scouring the internet, here’s what will leave you saying “WANT”:

VINTAGE MIAMI HEAT BASKETBALL WINTER HAT, ONE SIZE!!

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About the only thing the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers have in common is that they’re both built around superstars. One actually has a cast that merits the word “supporting” before it and the other doesn’t. It’s really that simple. Just as the Heat did last night against the Celtics, they raised their level of play but reality settled in during the fourth quarter and the superior team closed the game out. It’s the same script for a double-header that played out exactly as we feared.

“The competition’s been better than us,” Wade said. “It’s realistic. You’ve got to be realistic. I’m that.”

I could also point out that LeBron James was spectacular as the primary ballhandler and was relentless on the attack. The Cavs were getting to the paint quickly at the outset of the game and took advantage of the Heat’s plodding transition defense. James is handling the ball because of injuries to the Cavs’ backcourt but why can’t Wade do the same considering we have no answer at the point anyway?
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