Yes, if there’s one thing we’ve learned over the past four or five years, it’s that Sam Presti and Scott Brooks really have no clue what they’re doing. So hopefully a newspaper article by someone who’s never coached or played in the NBA will help.

BTW, Jenni Carlson that was a good article to cover regarding how to lived as rookies in the NBADL. I hope it opens the eyes of Presti and Brooks

The question is; Will they be given that chance by their coach or will they be given their chance after two or more years as Brooks has done? These youngsters are eager to get going right away, just as the fact that Presti and the scouts had an eye on them for so long, but they should have an orientation on how to attain that chance going to the big league and not get stucked on the minor league.

Its the job of the coaches to point them in the right direction to succeed on this quest of the rookies. Supposing the coach or coaches don’t use them the right way and after one or two chances they are nt again played, that imposes a mark to the player that they are not good enough to play. Even Brooks had his chance to play in the big leagues, but during that time he had some setbacks. He should not duplicate those bad times he had if he had them. He should shy away from that system, but introduce a better one these players to get the experience right away, even for a contending team like the Thunder, just as what Popovich is doing right now. In his case, he has to do it because of his aging players and the eventual replacement of the older players who will retire. He is now trying to intrigrate to his tried system the new player, in order to transition them smoothly!

So maybe there’s still hope.

The Thunder should also be graded according from coach to players.

MIAMI — With the All-Star break looming, the defending champion Miami Heat sit in unfamiliar territory at the season’s midway point during the Big 3 era: atop the Eastern Conference.

“And we know we still haven’t played our best basketball yet,” three-time league MVP LeBron James said. “There’s been some ups and downs. We’ve had some struggles. But for the most part, we like the direction we’re headed.”

With James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh set to anchor the Eastern Conference’s All-Star team, guided by coach Erik Spoelstra next week in Houston, Miami is halfway to its goal of repeating as NBA champion. Let’s chart the team’s progress with our mid-term report card that grades each player on the roster.

Grades are weighted and determined by specific player performance based on expectations entering the season.

Starters

LeBron James: What else is there really to say? He came to Miami three seasons ago as the centerpiece of the so-called Big 3. But that no longer applies. He stands alone as a clear-cut sensation. He has gone Beyonce. He’s still the best player on the planet, still the most unselfish superstar in the league and still getting better each month of the season. Already shooting a career-high 55.5 percent from the field this season, LeBron has upped that number to a ridiculous 60 percent over the past 11 games. Grade: A+

Dwyane Wade: He asked not to judge until around the All-Star break, based on his recovery schedule from offseason knee surgery. Don’t expect the nightly dominance from Wade. But he can deliver it just about every other night. Turnovers have become a concern recently, but he’s making far more explosive plays as he regains strength and confidence in his legs. Like James, Wade is also shooting a career high from the field and remains one of the most efficient guards in the league. Grade: B

Chris Bosh: So far, it has been a season of playing to the extremes for Bosh, who is capable of being the best post player in the East one night and a 6-foot-11 invisible man the next. Bosh went as far as to apologize to Heat fans after Sunday’s game in Toronto for inconsistent play. His rebounding and scoring are at or near career lows, but so are his opportunities in Miami. That said, he’s also shooting at a career-high clip and is again an All-Star. Grade: C+

Mario Chalmers: Despite recently fashioning himself as a top-10 point guard in the league, there are many nights when Chalmers isn’t even the best at his position on the team. His overall shooting numbers aren’t impressive, but his 72 steals are second-most on the team. Instead of solidifying his role as a clear-cut starter in this league, Chalmers’ biggest task is fending off backup Norris Cole. But just when you count him out, he responds. Grade: C-

Udonis Haslem: Having re-emerged in the starting lineup to help address the Heat’s recent rebounding woes, Haslem has yet to recapture the shooting touch and production on the boards that have defined his gritty career as a key member of two championship teams. Multiple injuries in recent seasons have quietly caught up with him and his production has been in steady decline. Haslem’s leadership, accountability and intangibles remain valuable. Grade: C-

Bench Rotation

Ray Allen: How long ago does it seem when Allen made three game-winning shots in the first couple of weeks of the season? His consistent impact hasn’t been the same the past few months. Allen leads the team with 72 three-pointers, and he ranks among the NBA’s best at 42 percent from deep. But he’s still searching for a comfort level that might not be found until the stretch run. Grade: C+

Shane Battier: First off, give Shane extra credit for that rare dunk in Monday’s game. Intangibles are his thing. Battier is a consummate professional who plays with the same effort and attitude regardless of the role. That’s invaluable this team. All but nine of his 72 made shots this season are from 3-point range. Ask him to step inside the arc, and he’s in trouble. But he’s also third on the team in blocked shots, which was a bit of a surprise. Grade: B

Norris Cole: Aside from LeBron, Cole returned from last season as the Heat’s most improved player although his offensive numbers don’t always reflect it. But there was a point earlier this season when Cole absolutely frustrated several of the league’s top point guards with his ball-hawking defense. If he continues to make strides with his jumper, he’ll earn more clutch-time trust. Grade: B-

Chris Andersen: For the second straight season, an out-of-work big man walked off the streets and directly into the Heat’s primary rotation. Last season, it was Rony Turiaf. This season, it’s the Birdman, whose energy and rebounding are having a much-needed impact. Imagine how effective Andersen, nearing the end of his second 10-day contract, might be once he’s in actual game shape. Grade: B

Deep Reserves

Mike Miller: Eventually, Miller will get another shot in the rotation. He always does. But for now, he’s the odd man out — basically for no real reason at all. That’s the luxury — and curse — of depth. At least he’s healthy. Grade: C+

Rashard Lewis: Just consider Lewis this season’s version of Juwan Howard, a veteran eager to be along for the ride and considers it a bonus when he gets the rare dose of meaningful minutes. It could be worse. At least Lewis isn’t this season’s version of Eddy Curry. Grade: C

Joel Anthony: Before he was planted on the bench, Anthony was praised as the answer for the Heat’s defensive lapses. Andersen’s arrival — and ability to catch and finish at the rim — led to Anthony’s departure from the coach Erik Spoelstra’s feast-or-famine rotation. Grade: C

James Jones: Tough to earn a grade when your best performance of the season came during Battier’s “Battioke” fundraising event. But still, Jones was on fire that night with Cee Lo Green’s “Forget You.” Grade: A

Dexter Pittman: Considering all of D-League assignments, including his third this season, Pittman has to be closing in on Sioux Fall’s career records for scoring, rebounds and minutes. That doesn’t appear to bode well for the three-year Pittman experiment with a Heat team that has been desperate at times for any productive inside presence. Grade: D

Jarvis Varnado: Signed for the duration of the season after serving two 10-day contracts, the Heat appear to be developing the former second-round pick to be a cheaper and younger alternative to Anthony. Grade: Incomplete

Coaching

Erik Spoelstra: His rotations may leave you puzzled at times and the in-game adjustments are sporadic. But credit Spoelstra for largely managing egos amid the challenge of a championship hangover, keeping Miami atop the East and earning his first All-Star coaching nod. With four consecutive playoff berths, including two straight to the Finals, Spoelstra has solidified himself and his staff as one of the NBA’s hottest commodities. Grade: B+

“He had just a great shooting night,” Brooks said. “I’ve said many times before, we don’t judge Perk on his points. We judge Perk on his activity and his leadership and his ability to anchor the defense. He made a couple of jump shots, he made a runner, but he’s been making that the last couple three or four weeks. It was a balanced scoring attack. Everybody participated.

“Perk works every day, guys. He anchors our defense and he takes pride in it. There’s no question that everybody feels good that they get opportunities to score, but he doesn’t go home thinking he had a bad game if he only scored four or five points. We don’t allow him to think that way. He’s one of our emotional leaders.”

“I’m just going to keep working,” Perkins said. “Guys are doubling Kevin (Durant) and Russ now, so I’m just trying to find the open spot. I’ve been watching a lot of film and going to the gym and working on my game. I’m just trying to find an open spot when they get doubled.”

That is so right to find the weakness of this team that every coach in the NBA only knows that Scotty will always rely on his two man offense every game his team will enter. Very good that Kendrick Perkins is keen to observe and e gets credit for it!

Here’s hoping the Thunder beat the Spurs to get back to home court advantage in the conference playoff, by getting the hometown crowd all rev-up and ready to support their local team.

Another thing to watch is seeing if the Thunder can get the monkey off their backs by watching videos on how Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks beat the Heat twice and Wizards, Clippers, Detroit, Boston, Utah, Portland, Milwaukee Golden State, Chicago and Memphis beat the Heat once!

So far the Thunder has not been successful with the Heat yet and really needs to focus on how to defend and be offensive minded to take are of the trio.

Maybe the Thunder has now have the right combinations with the second unit doing just fine and getting better acclimated to get things going. If things aren’t consistent throughout the series, then the coaches again have to remind the youngsters how to do it

James scored 30 points in another efficient performance, Dwyane Wade scored 20 and the Miami Heat dominated the middle two quarters on the way to an easy 111-89 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday.

James shot 9 for 11, giving him 37 makes on his last 47 attempts, and sat out the fourth quarter. It was his fourth straight 30-point game, tying him with Wade as the only Heat players with such a streak in the franchise’s 25-year history.

”He’s off the planet right now,” Wade said of James. ”He’s not even the best basketball player on the planet. He’s surpassed the planet. He’s somewhere else. He’s playing phenomenal.”

It was the first time in James’ career that he scored at least 30 points on 11 or fewer field-goal attempts. According to STATS LLC, it was only the 13th such game in the NBA since the start of the 2002-03 season.

”Nope,” James said. ”It’s nothing to figure out for me. I go out, see what the pace of the game is bringing and you go out and figure it out on the fly. I don’t predetermine anything. If the defense backs up, I shoot. They come up on me, I drive. My teammates are open, I find my teammates. The game flows for me that way, and I’m just in that comfort place right now where I can go out and just play free.”

Mario Chalmers finished with 18 points and Shane Battier scored 12 for Miami, which improved to 21-3 at home.

Mario Chalmers finished with 18 points and Shane Battier scored 12 for Miami, which improved to 21-3 at home.

The Clippers got Chauncey Billups, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin back from injuries, but that trio of starters combined for only 23 points. DeAndre Jordan led Los Angeles with 17 points.

”We lost to a good team over there but we’re not going to hang our heads,” Paul said. ”You never want to make excuses but they shot the lights out of the ball. We never really made an impact defensively. LeBron, Mario, all those guys were on a rocking chair all night.”

Miami was without Chris Bosh and Ray Allen, both sidelined with the flu.

”We just have to stay together,” Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said. ”It’s a test right now. I thought we gave up too much space, too much respect. Obviously, Chris is trying to get back. He’s got to take control of the game and physically right now he’s not capable of doing that.”

At one point in the third quarter, Miami was shooting 69 percent from the field and 68 percent from 3-point range for the game. The Heat cooled down the stretch, finishing at 53 percent from the floor and 56 percent from beyond the arc.

By TIM REYNOLDS (AP Basketball Writer) | The Associated Press – 7 hours ago