Miami’s Beat

You know things have gone to bad when the Heat has the worst record in the Eastern Conference. You know they’ve gone to worse when they have about half as many wins as the second-worst team. And they’ve bottomed out when that team is the New York Knicks.

Are the Knicks really twice as good as the Heat? Well, almost. That’s despite Isiah Thomas’ sexual harassment trial earlier this season, despite the Knicks losing by 40-plus-points twice, despite Daily News headlines such as, “Knicks: frustration can’t get worse.”

Au contraire! The Miami Heat’s season has been an exercise in drilling worst from worse. Smush’s valet-slapping spat. Wade’s injuries and turnovers. Alonzo’s patellar tendon tear. Udonis’ injuries. Shaq’s injuries. Daequan’s burnout. Ricky Davis, beginning to end. A general abdication of defense. A total abdication of offense.

About all you can say for the 2007-08 Heat is that Pat Riley managed to acquire Shawn Marion, in his prime, in a contract year. No telling whether the Heat will pony up the dough Marion expects to play for next year, nor whether he’ll be interested in accepting any offer that means he’ll have to hang around for another season full of losses next year. If he wants to go somewhere to be overpaid by a terrible team, he could always see if the Knicks have any openings. See bad meet worse at the American Airlines Arena (601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami) on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets begin at $10. Call 786-777-4667, or visit www.heat.com.
Wed., March 12, 7:30 p.m., 2008