A few weeks ago, when Miami had the number 40 in it's win column, attaining 50 victories this season seemed fairly probable. But now with a 48-32 record, the goal that the Miami Heat wishes to accomplish is loosely lying on it's fingertips. Miami is 10-6 in it's last 16 games, and with the unfortunate absence of Tim Hardaway due to a minor bone contusion, Miami has lost it's last two games against the Raptors and Magic, respectively. Hardaway has been hexed with the misfortune of late-season injuries, being prone to getting sidelined a short amount of time prior to playoff commencement.
Hardaway missed Round One of the playoffs last year (in spite of that the Heat still swept the Pistons) but was quite rusty when Miami took on the Knicks. "Hopefully I'll be back for the playoffs next weekend", addressed Tim to the media. Pat Riley on the other hand, with a more optimistic tone, said "I am expecting him back for Game 1, healthier, rested, and with a lot of vigor." Riley has sufficient confidence in his experienced point guard.
When Mourning wasn't in action, the true leader of the squad was Hardaway. In sudden death match-ups where they would normally do an inbound pass to Mourning to shoot the game winning basket, Tim was the one called for recourse, and he did succeed most of the time. Tim is the ninth highest paid player in the NBA at $14 million, but not even money can stop the process of aging. Timmy asserts that he plans to stay in this team for a couple more seasons, because the fire that glows within him to capture an NBA Championship is more intense than in any other Heat player.
Hardaway's experience, in addition to his leadership qualities, are ingredients that the Heat need to move ahead. He was had some horrible slumps in the past, but one thing remains for certain. - Tim Hardaway is the guy that Pat Riley will always depend on when a certain game has to be placed in a player's hands.
