Five On The Floor: Miami Heat/NBA

Miami Heat: Keeping the Fan Favorites?

Fans fall hard for certain players. 

Does that influence the way a team handles them?

Ethan J. Skolnick and Alphonse Sidney discuss how the Miami Heat have handled that balance over the years -- focusing now on Tyler Herro, Meyers Leonard and others. 

Miami will have difficult decisions to make to build a contender. Who do they keep? Trade? And how will fans feel about it?

Sponsored by ChiropracticKeystone.com (free 15 minute video consult by mentioning 5 Reasons) and MacaINC.net 

Miami Heat: Do they have the NBA's best young core?

Ethan Skolnick, Alphonse Sidney and Alex Toledo are joined by the youngest Five Reasons Sports contributor, Brady Hawk, to talk about the latest NBA developments and to rank the Miami Heat's young core (Bam, DJJ, Herro, Nunn, KZ) against the rest of the NBA? 

Better than New Orleans (Zion)? Dallas (Lukas)? Boston (Brown and Tatum)?

Memphis? Atlanta? Phoenix?

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Miami Heat: OKC Thunder, Chris Paul first round? Uh oh.

There continue to be reports about an NBA return in Orlando, and now there's more discussion about seeding the teams 1-16, without conferences.

That means the Miami Heat would play the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round.

On paper, that sounds like an OK matchup, but digging deeper, Chris Paul and company would present problems.

Ethan Skolnick and Alex Toledo break it down.

Sponsored by Bankruptcyisgoodforyou.com and the Lessons Via Leaders podcast.

NBA: Last Thoughts on Michael Jordan's Last Dance

Greg Sylvander joins Ethan Skolnick, Alphonse Sidney and Alex Toledo to discuss the entire 10-part series The Last Dance, about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls.

How legitimate was it? How biased?

What did we all learn about the NBA then and now?

And how would life for the Miami Heat have been different without MJ around?

Sponsored by UBreakItWheelFixIt.com and OneCallLegal.com

Keith Smith on the NBA's Orlando return plan

Keith Smith of Yahoo! Sports may have willed it into existence. He wrote a month ago that the NBA should consider Orlando's Wide World of Sports as a site for its 2019-20 season return.

Now that site appears to be the frontrunner. 

Ethan Skolnick and Alex Toledo speak to Smith about all the developments. 

How would it work? Who would compete? How would they stay safe? What will it mean for the salary cap, and players like Giannis, Anthony Davis, Blake Griffin, John Wall, Chris Paul and more?

Sponsored by: UBreakItWheelFixIt.com and ChristophersBakery.com/fivereasons 

Miami Heat: NBA Awards for Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler?

We hope the NBA season isn't over.

But if it is, some Miami Heat players are in contention for awards.

We discuss two of those honors, Most Improved Player (Bam Adebayo, Duncan Robinson) and the All-NBA teams (Bam and Jimmy Butler). What are their chances? What biases may work against them? 

Ethan, Alex and Alf are joined by mega-Heat fan Luis Peters of LuisPeters.com (State Farm)

Also sponsored by Dr. Jonathan Chung of ChiropracticKeystone.com (free 15-minute consultation by mentioning 5 Reasons)

Miami Heat, NBA: Dwyane Wade disrespected by ESPN list?

ESPN has released its list of the top 74 players in NBA history... and we have some questions.

Ethan J. Skolnick and Alex Toledo are joined by resident Five Reasons Sports NBA historian Ricky J. Marc to review the selections, starting with Dwyane Wade but also focusing on the other five players on the Heat (Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James, Alonzo Mourning, etc.) who played for the Heat. 

Sure seems like a lot of Boston Celtics bias on there. And what's Wade doing so far ehind Jerry West?

Sponsored by BankruptcyIsGoodForYou.com and ChristophersBakery.com/fivereasons (use fivereasons as the code for 15% off). 

NBA, Miami Heat: Season coming? And Pat Riley vs. Phil Jackson

In a double episode, Ethan J. Skolnick and Alphonse Sidney discuss the latest developments in the NBA talks toward playing this season. Things sound.... promising, especially with LeBron James involved. 

Then they are joined by Will Weinraub of the Lessons Via Leaders podcast to discuss the differences in leadership styles between coaches, specifically Pat Riley and Phil Jackson. How would each have handled the other's superstars?

Sponsored also by Seltzer Mayberg law firm (OneCallLegal.com) and Mr. M's Sandwich Shops

Miami Heat: Keith Askins, Original Heat Lifer

In the latest edition of the Miami Heat Stories series, Ethan J. Skolnick and Alex Toledo are joined by former Heat player (1990-99) and current Heat scouting director Keith Askins.

They discuss his signing with the Heat as an undrafted free agent, his role before Pat Riley arrived, the Heat's transformation in the Riley era, some highlights from the Big 3 era (when Askins was an assistant) and the differences between the 1990s and today's game -- including what it was like to defend Michael Jordan and coach LeBron James.

Check out the other Heat Stories episodes, with Chris Bosh, Shane Battier, Mario Chalmers, Grant Long, Ron Rothstein, Brian Grant, Udonis Haslem and more.

Sponsored by MACAInc.Net, Mr. M's Sandwich Shops and the Lessons Via Leaders podcast

 

 

NBA: LeBron and Jordan... in each other's eras

After episodes 7 and 8 of the ESPN documentary #TheLastDance, Ethan J. Skolnick and Alex Toledo discuss Michael Jordan and LeBron James, with Ethan sharing stories of his 1-on-1 interactions with LeBron. 

Whose personality and leadership approach would work better in the other era? 

Jordan's demanding nature... now?

Or LeBron's more collective manner... then?

Sponsored by Gonzalez & Tybor law firm (Bankruptcyisgoodforyou.com) and Keystone Chiropractic (ChiropracticKeystone.com). Mention 5 Reasons to Keystone for a 15-minute free video or phone consultation. 

Miami Heat: How would Heat-Bucks have gone?

After Ethan J. Skolnick appeared on Daniel Healy's Essex-based Miami Heat podcast, Healy (@TheMiamiHeatUK) returns the favor as they discuss:

-- How Healy became an obsessed Heat fan so late in the game

-- How the Heat are received in the United Kingdom

-- How the Heat-Bucks series would have worked out?

-- Some Big 3 moments that Healy may have missed...

-- Hassan Whiteside and Tyler Johnson. (Yes, we did.) 

Sponsored by ChiropracticKeystone.com and OneCallLegal.com (Seltzer Mayberg) 

 

Miami Heat/NBA: Start, Bench, Cut!

After discussing the latest news about the NBA's return -- with some inside info from Ethan J. Skolnick -- the guys start Start, Bench, Cut with great NBA players of the past and future. (Hat tip to @TheNBACentral). MJ, Kareem, Hakeem, Mailman, Sir Charles and more are debated in 8 different combinations. 

They are joined by mega-Miami Heat fan Courteney Harris, whose Christopher's Bakery is one of the Five on the Floor sponsors. You can order delicious @NillaWaferCakes at ChristophersBakery.com/fivereasons (use code fivereasons for 15% off).

Also sponsored by Bankruptcyisgoodforu.com

Miami Heat: Paul Pierce's comments, Victor Oladipo's availability?

Paul Pierce can't seem to get over the Miami Heat. He disparaged them this week. But is he right? And with the struggles of the Indiana Pacers ownership during Coronavirus, is it more likely that Victor Oladipo or Myles Turner becomes an option for Miami?

Ethan J. Skolnick, Alex Toledo and Alphonse Sidney discuss.

Sponsored by MACAINC.Net and ChristophersBakery.com/fivereasons (code fivereasons for 15% off)

Miami Heat: Pat Riley's Optimism and the NBA's Plan

Miami Heat president Pat Riley appeared on the organization's platforms to speak about the team, where it was this season, and where it may be going. Meanwhile, the NBA started discussing a plan to continue the 2019-20 season in Orlando.

Ethan J. Skolnick and Alex Toledo discuss.

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