Progress Report: Heat's Midseason Grades

MIAMI – Just before the All-Star break, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra asked his team two pertinent questions that will define their destiny. 

“What kind of team do we want to be?” Spoelstra probed. “What's our motivation?” 

The Heat will resume their search for those answers on Thursday, when they open the second half of the season with a game in Portland. But to this point, what we've seen from the Heat is a team that appears determined to return to the NBA Finals and finish the job this time after falling to Dallas in six games last season. 

Miami is far from perfect, but it very well could be in the midst of the best basketball we've seen since LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh joined forces in the summer of 2010 to alter the league's landscape. They've yet to define their destiny, but the Heat have developed this season into a team that tied with Oklahoma City for the NBA's best record entering the break at 27-7, and one that resumes play riding an eight-game streak of victories by a double-digit margin. 

Overall, the Heat deserve an “A” for a midterm grade after getting off to the best start in franchise history. But I'll go a step further and break down the marks for each player on the roster, along with evaluations of Spoelstra and team president Pat Riley based on the progress they've made amid Miami's lofty championship-or-bust expectations. 

JOEL ANTHONY, Starting C 
(3.0 PPG; 4.3 RPG; 1.2 BPG) 
Upshot: There have been stretches this season when Anthony has simply dominated the paint defensively with his shot-blocking. His offense has improved enough to the point where he's developed a decent jump hook, and there's a pretty good chance he'll actually catch and finish once in a while. 
Downside: Being undersized and mainly a non-factor overall offensively puts the Heat in a tough spot. His rebounding numbers could also be better. 
Midterm Grade: C 

SHANE BATTIER, Reserve SG/SF 
(4.5 PPG; 2.1 RPG; 1.1 APG) 
Upshot: The cold front finally ended about two weeks ago. Maybe it coincided with his guy, Jimmy Buffett, coming to town for that concert. It finally appears his offense is catching up with his defense. Battier also ranks among the NBA's leaders in drawing charges, and will be key down the stretch. 
Downside: His first half was such a struggle offensively, he shot just 38.9 percent and sometimes looked like a washed-up player on both ends of the court. Consistency is a significant concern. 
Midterm Grade: D+ 

CHRIS BOSH, Starting PF 
(18.4 PPG; 8.30 RPG; 2 APG) 
Upshot: It finally seems to be sinking in for Bosh that he might never be as productive, statistically, as he was as a featured man in Toronto. He's had a great attitude and is trying to make the most of his adjusted role. Recently, his rebounding has picked up and his mid-range jumper continues to drop. 
Downside: Bosh just doesn't spend enough time attacking the lane. He should easily be a 20-10 player, but too often falls short. His play will ultimately determine how tough Miami will be in the postseason. 
Midterm Grade: B- 

MARIO CHALMERS, Starting PG 
(11.1 PPG; 2.5 RPG; 3.6 APG) 
Upshot: Chalmers is justifying that new $4 million-a-year salary by having a career season. He's developed into one of the top 3-point shooters in the league. He's always been confident about his game, but we're now seeing a dependable and consistent presence from a far more mature Chalmers. 
Downside: If he faced Jeremy Lin every night, Chalmers would be just fine defensively. But that's one area of his game that leaves a bit to be desired at times. He should be that motivated every game. 
Midterm Grade: B 

NORRIS COLE, Reserve PG 
(8.7 PPG; 1.7 RPG; 2.5 APG) 
Upshot: Two words you'll never use to describe the Heat's rookie point guard: Bashful and slow. The kid is flat-out fearless on the court and has proved to be a late first-round steal. Cole has been the change-of-pace guard Miami needed to push the pace for it's much-improved second unit this season. 
Downside: For a guy who gets to the rim with relative ease, Cole should be a much better finisher in the lane. He also needs to make more plays as a facilitator and learn when to shift gears to mix things up. 
Midterm Grade: B 

EDDY CURRY, Reserve C 
(1.1 PPG; .7 TOT; .1 APG) 
Upshot: Even though he's privately frustrated with the lack of playing time, Curry has publicly maintained a professional and positive demeanor about his role in Miami. He lost a ton of weight to prove to Pat Riley that he was serious about this comeback after nearly three years of inactivity. 
Downside: Spoelstra is more comfortable with second-year center Dexter Pittman than Curry. That doesn't bode well moving forward for Curry's chances on a team that already prefers to play smaller. 
Midterm Grade: I (Incomplete) 

MICKELL GLADNESS, Reserve PF/C 
(.3 PPG; 1.4 RPG; .3 APG) 
Upshot: The second-year development player was brought back for a second 10-day contract on Tuesday, and could be one step closer to remaining for the rest of the season. Gladness, a slender shot-blocker, showed enough talent to make the team out of camp but opportunities have since been slim. 
Downside: Gladness needs to spend more time in the weight room to bulk up. He's also learning the hard way that life trying to get his shot off in the NBA is a lot more difficult than in the D-League. 
Midterm Grade: C- (Incomplete) 

TERREL HARRIS, Reserve SG 
(3.3 PPG; 2.6 RPG; .9 APG) 
Upshot: Harris has the size, strength, scoring ability and defense to contribute on any roster that doesn't include LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Shane Battier, Mike Miller and Norris Cole in the perimeter rotation. But when he got the opportunities, Harris showed in games that he's a legit NBA prospect. 
Downside: Unfortunately for Harris, the Heat have contract commitments for their perimeter players that extend beyond this season. He'll be the next Anthony Morrow to get away amid a numbers crunch. 
Midterm Grade: B- 

UDONIS HASLEM, Reserve PF 
(6.3 PPG; 8.1 RPG; .7 APG) 
Upshot: He's healthy. That couldn't be said about Haslem much of last season when he missed most of it, including the first two rounds of the playoffs, to recover from foot surgery. The Heat certainly missed his interior toughness and rebounding, which have been exceptional so far this season off the bench. 
Downside: Those baseline and straight-away jumpers that have been automatic for Haslem the past few years are flat broke right now. He's struggled to find an offensive rhythm and is shooting a career-worst 41.8 percent. 
Midterm Grade: B- 

JUWAN HOWARD, Reserve PF 
(.8 PPG; .7 TOT; .3 APG) 
Upshot: Howard is a proud vet who resents being reduced to this tag, but he's been a consummate professional and solid locker room presence. At 38, he is clearly along for the potential ride to a title. His best work comes in pushing Bosh, Curry and Dexter Pittman in workouts. He also still does a mean Cabbage Patch. 
Downside: But nobody does the Cabbage Patch anymore. And it hasn't been easy having a locker next to LeBron for home games and being smothered by media lining up for those postgame interviews. 
Midterm Grade: C 

LEBRON JAMES, Starting SF 
(27.4 PPG; 8.10 RPG; 6.8 APG) 
Upshot: So far, no one in the history of the game has done it better or more efficiently on the court that LeBron, who was named conference player of the month for December/January and has positioned himself well to win his third MVP award. He's added a post-up game, as promised, and has been on a tear lately. 
Downside: LeBron still can't get out of his own way sometimes. The flirting with Cleveland and the fallout from the way his All-Star performance ended created serious questions that just weren't necessary. 
Midterm Grade: A+ 

JAMES JONES, Reserve SF 
(3.3 PPG; .9 RPG; .2 APG) 
Upshot: There's no doubt in anyone's mind that Jones is capable of knocking down big shots when needed. He's shooting 42 percent from 3-point range and also continues to grade well defensively by draw charges. The fact that he re-signed shows how badly he wants to stick with his hometown team. 
Downside: Having Jones and not playing him is a luxury. In hindsight, though, would the Heat have been better off using Jones' or Howard's spot to get younger and more athletic at power forward/center? 
Midterm Grade: C+ 

MIKE MILLER, Reserve SF 
(6.3 PPG; 3.4 RPG; .7 APG) 
Upshot: Just like Haslem, Miller is enjoying an extended stretch of good health after missing a major chunk of last season with injuries. He's second in the league in 3-point shooting at 51.7 percent, has thrived defensively and has found a comfort zone on the second unit with Battier, Haslem and Cole. 
Downside: He remains the Heat's most realistic trade asset beyond the Big Three should Riley seriously pursue adding more size. Miller is on pace to average career lows in minutes, points and assists. 
Midterm Grade: B- 

DEXTER PITTMAN, Reserve C 
(1.5 PPG; 1.5 RPG; .1 APG) 
Upshot: Big body, big hands and solid footwork are all major assets for Pittman, a second-year center still trying to prove he can be a long-term fit. He's also dropped plenty of weight to show he's serious about maintain a roster spot in Miami. Pittman can at least say he's beating out a veteran in Curry. 
Downside: Pittman has had enough time to crack the rotation. Still, Spoelstra would rather play Bosh, Haslem and Anthony at center. That tells you all you need to know about Miami's project centers. 
Midterm Grade: D+ 

DWYANE WADE, Starting SG 
(22.4 PPG; 4.40 RPG; 4.8 APG) 
Upshot: LeBron's efficiency is obviously rubbing off on Wade, who is ranked second behind his teammate in PER. Wade has been a different player since he came back from the foot injury that cost him six games. His boost helped propel the Heat to their current eight-game streak of blowout victories. 
Downside: Wade is praised for his ability to help out in the lane and block shots, but he also deserves a bit of the blame for blown assignments that have led to the Heat giving up a ton of open 3-point looks. 
Midterm Grade: A- 

ERIK SPOELSTRA, Head Coach 
(27-7, First place in the East) 
Upshot: Miami lost eight games by the time it played 17 last season. This year, the Heat have yet to reach eight setbacks through 34 games. Credit Spoelstra for finding the right buttons to push. He's altered the playing style, managed egos, settled on a rotation and has Miami rolling through a tough schedule. 
Downside: No other coach works under the assumption that anything less than winning a championship could be considered a failure. That leaves Spoelstra in a tough spot regardless of that new contract extension. 
Midterm Grade: A 

PAT RILEY, President of Basketball Operations 
(27-7, First place in the East) 
Upshot: Riley was absolutely right about one thing: The Heat didn't need major roster tweaks after finishing two games short of an NBA championship in the first season of the Big Three era. Instead, they only needed to get healthy and focus a bit more on the game itself and less on distractions. 
Downside: It's too early to know if offseason investments in Battier and Chalmers will pay off in the playoffs. But the lack of depth in the post has yet to be addressed as the March 15 trade deadline looms. 
Midterm Grade: B

Statement by Dino Laurenzi Jr., who collected Ryan Braun’s drug test sample

Text of a statement released Tuesday by Dino Laurenzi Jr., who collected Ryan Braun’s urine sample that led to a positive test for elevated levels of testosterone:

On February 24th, Ryan Braun stated during his press conference that “there were a lot of things that we learned about the collector, about the collection process, about the way that the entire thing worked that made us very concerned and very suspicious about what could have actually happened.” Shortly thereafter, someone who had intimate knowledge of the facts of this case released my name to the media. I am issuing this statement to set the record straight.

I am a 1983 graduate of the University of Wisconsin and have received Master Degrees from the University of North Carolina and Loyola University of Chicago. My full-time job is the director of rehabilitation services at a health care facility. In the past, I have worked as a teacher and an athletic trainer, including performing volunteer work with Olympic athletes. I am a member of both the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and the Wisconsin Athletic Trainers’ Association.

I have been a drug collector for Comprehensive Drug Testing since 2005 and have been performing collections for Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program since that time. I have performed over 600 collections for MLB and also have performed collections for other professional sports leagues. I have performed postseason collections for MLB in four separate seasons involving five different clubs.

On October 1, 2011, I collected samples from Mr. Braun and two other players. The CDT collection team for that day, in addition to me, included three chaperones and a CDT coordinator. One of the chaperones was my son, Anthony. Chaperones do not have any role in the actual collection process, but rather escort the player to the collection area.

I followed the same procedure in collecting Mr. Braun’s sample as I did in the hundreds of other samples I collected under the Program. I sealed the bottles containing Mr. Braun’s A and B samples with specially-numbered, tamper-resistant seals, and Mr. Braun signed a form certifying, among other things, that the specimens were capped and sealed in his presence and that the specimen identification numbers on the top of the form matched those on the seals. I placed the two bottles containing Mr. Braun’s samples in a plastic bag and sealed the bag. I then placed the sealed bag in a standard cardboard Specimen Box which I also sealed with a tamper-resistant, correspondingly-numbered seal placed over the box opening. I then placed Mr. Braun’s Specimen Box, and the Specimen Boxes containing the samples of the two other players, in a Federal Express Clinic Pack. None of the sealed Specimen Boxes identified the players. I completed my collections at Miller Park at approximately 5:00 p.m.

Given the lateness of the hour that I completed my collections, there was no FedEx office located within 50 miles of Miller Park that would ship packages that day or Sunday. Therefore, the earliest that the specimens could be shipped was Monday, October 3. In that circumstance, CDT has instructed collectors since I began in 2005 that they should safeguard the samples in their homes until FedEx is able to immediately ship the sample to the laboratory, rather than having the samples sit for one day or more at a local FedEx office. The protocol has been in place since 2005 when I started with CDT and there have been other occasions when I have had to store samples in my home for at least one day, all without incident.

The FedEx Clinic Pack containing Mr. Braun’s samples never left my custody. Consistent with CDT’s instructions, I brought the FedEx Clinic Pack containing the samples to my home. Immediately upon arriving home, I placed the FedEx Clinic Pack in a Rubbermaid container in my office which is located in my basement. My basement office is sufficiently cool to store urine samples. No one other than my wife was in my home during the period in which the samples were stored. The sealed Specimen Boxes were not removed from the FedEx Clinic Pack during the entire period in which they were in my home. On Monday, October 3, I delivered the FedEx Clinic Pack containing Mr. Braun’s Specimen Box to a FedEx office for delivery to the laboratory on Tuesday, October 4. At no point did I tamper in any way with the samples. It is my understanding that the samples were received at the laboratory with all tamper-resistant seals intact.

This situation has caused great emotional distress for me and my family. I have worked hard my entire life, have performed my job duties with integrity and professionalism, and have done so with respect to this matter and all other collections in which I have participated.

Neither I nor members of my family will make any further public comments on this matter. I request that members of the media, and baseball fans, whatever their views on this matter, respect our privacy. And I would like to sincerely thank my family and friends for their overwhelming support through this difficult time. Any future inquiries should be directed to my attorney Boyd Johnson of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP
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Rain pushes Daytona 500 to 7 p.m. ET

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA.

NASCAR officials have announced that they will attempt to run the Daytona 500 at 7 p.m. ET Monday. Originally, the planned restart of the rain-postponed race was at noon Monday. 

GET READY

The Daytona 500 is almost here! Tune into FOX on Monday for live coverage starting at 7 p.m. ET.

NASCAR president Mike Helton said that officials would be drying the track all day long and would be working on preparing it for the start "whenever feasible."

Rain has continued to be an issue at Daytona International Speedway, where track and NASCAR officials have been working valiantly to run the Daytona 500 since Sunday afternoon.

Rain caused the first postponement of the race in its 54-year history on Sunday. The weather forecast calls for rain throughout today. According to weather.com, there is an 80 percent chance of rain throughout the morning. That chance dips slightly to 55 percent at 1 p.m., then to 30 percent starting at 4 p.m. However, the forecast does call for some degree of rain until around 7 p.m. ET, the changed start time.

NBA All-Star Game: West edges the East, 152-149

West power forward Blake Griffin of the Clippers finishes off a dunk in the first quarter of the NBA All-Star game on Sunday evening in Orlando. (Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images / February 26, 2012)

Kobe Bryant might have set the NBA All-Star game career scoring record on Sunday but it was Kevin Durant who was the difference-maker as the West won the annual showcase, 152-149, over the East.

The East crawled back from a  huge deficit and got within a point with less than a minute to play but a put-back slam by Blake Griffin gave the West a three0point lead. Dwyane Wade followed by making a pair of free throws with 22.8 seconds left. Bryant was fouled on the inbounds and made one of two free throws.

The East had one last chance and Deron Williams missed badly, got the rebound but threw a bad pass that was intercepted by Griffin, who made one of two free throws for the final margin.

The Oklahoma City star, who was selected the game's most valuable player, set out to break Wilt Chamberlain’s single0game record of 42 points set in 1962 and was within eight after three quarters. But, he cooled off in the fourth quarter to finish with 36 points.

Bryant’s lifetime achievement record was for most points. With 4:56 left in the third quarter he got a feed from Durant and slammed it home to give him 20 points in the game and one more for his career than Michael Jordan’s 262. Bryant finished the game with 27 points on nine-of-17 shooting.

In addition, Griffin also made his mark in his second All-Star game, going nine for 12 from the field, mostly slams. He finished with 22 points and eight rebounds. And Chris Paul did what he does best -- pass the ball -- finishing with eight points and 12 assists. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love came off the bench to score 21 and 17 points, respectively, for the West.

The only down note for Los Angeles was Andrew Bynum, who left after 5:31 in the first quarter with a sore knee. He had an injection on Saturday and his mood during the remainder of the game made it appear it was nothing to worry about.

The East, which closed the game on a 31-14 run, was led by LeBron James, who scored 36 points and made a good case to be the MVP. The East, which never led in the game and trailed by 20 points with eight minutes left, made a late run, closing to within three with three minutes to play. But Durant connected for two on a runner and Russell Westbrook dunked an offensive rebound to momentarily stop the East's rally.

West 124, East 112 (end of third quarter)

Andrew Bynum did come out for warmups before the start of the second half. He basically just prowled around the key shooting flat footed --no jumping. When he didn’t start it was clear he was not  coming back in the game making his first NBA All-Star game less than memorable. He left after five minutes in the first quarter and reported that his knee was sore after Saturday’s routine injection.

Kobe  Bryant, in his quest to become the all-time leading All-Star game scorer got his 15^th and 16^thpoints at the free-throw line. He needed 19 to pass Michael Jordan.

He got one point closer with 8:48 left to play in the quarter and then took time out to attend to what appeared to be a bloody nose. After time resumed, he rattled the ball off the front, back and into the hole to tie Jordan. Now, it was only a matter of time.

Meanwhile, the East started  to close the margin, getting to within 10 points of the West with seven minutes to play. The East closed it to seven before Kevin Durant made a two, pushing him closer to the game MVP award.

Bryant set the record with 4:55 to play in the quarter with an uncontested slam. It gave him 20 points for the game, which he added to a minute later with two free throws. And with less than three minutes to go in the quarter he added another bucket.

Meanwhile, Blake Griffin was quietly adding to his reputation with 17 points on eight-of-nine shooting, mostly all slams. Three of those came from teammate Chris Paul.

Durant finished the quarter with 34 points and it’s just a matter of how he plays in the final quarter to see if he can pass Wilt Chamberlain’s single-game record of 42.

West 88, East 69 (halftime)

Kobe Bryant stayed on the bench in the second quarter until 7:12 was left with the West leading, 55-41, in the NBA All-Star game. But with so much talent on the floor he wasn’t getting many touches. His first touch came with 4:49 remaining and six seconds later he buried a three-pointer to give him 14 points.

Missing from the second quarter was Andrew Bynum, who was said to have a sore knee after Saturday’s injection. He is not expected to play anymore in the game.

As the quarter continued the players were doing whatever they could to set up spectacular dunks. The passes were long and unsteady, the emotion playful and the intensity low. Evident of that is that Bryant, once he got back in the offense, was voluntarily passing the ball to other shooters.