NBA scores 2016: The Heat are still too inconsistent to be trusted

When the Miami Heat are playing their best, they become one of the most impressive teams in the league. On Friday, the Heat gave Dallas a shellacking at the American Airlines Arena, drubbing them in a 106-82 win that had them leading by double figures by the entire second half. Seeing them play like this, it's easy to wonder if they couldn't be the best team in the East.

Miami's problem is their inconsistency, though. Performances like this are impressive -- toppling Dallas' four-game winning streak and limiting them to 36 percent shooting from the field -- but they don't come nearly often enough. Hassan Whiteside, who ravaged the Mavericks' front court for 25 points and 19 rebounds, doesn't always close games because his defense is focused more on shot blocking than actually preventing opponents from scoring. Gerald Green, who scored 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting, came into the game shooting under 40 percent on the season.

But then you see it all come together in 48 minutes of crushing basketball antics and you wonder what happens if this does become more frequent? That we're even discussing this would have seemed crazy a year ago, before Whiteside emerged as one of the NBA's best centers and before the Heat nabbed Goran Dragic at the deadline. As soon as that team came together last year, they broke back apart, losing Chris Bosh for the rest of the season with blood clots.

Beating Dallas gives them another quality win to add to a list that features teams like the Thunder and the Hawks, just as they try to gloss over losses to the Timberwolves and the Nets. Miami has seesawed back and forth between being a great team and a mediocre one all year. If 2016 brings even a modicum more consistency, then perhaps the Heat can be one of the league's biggest risers.

Lakers vs. Sixers was even worse than we thought

The Sixers are shooting 33%, the Lakers are shooting 34%, and I'm shooting venom directly into my veins as the Lakers lead by two.

— Liberty Ballers (@Liberty_Ballers) January 2, 2016

John Wall's still making things happen in Washington

Even as the Wizards remain lifeless in the Eastern Conference, sitting just outside the playoff picture at 15-16, John Wall might be having his best year yet. The Wizards' star, still just 25, is averaging nearly 20 points and 10 assists, often being the only player in Washington's offense able to make things happen on a regular basis. I mean, when he's blowing by players like this, what can you do?

It's time for the Bulls to embrace the future

Trading one of their front court players seems like an inevitable move for Chicago at the deadline. Ever since they drafted Bobby Portis in the first round last summer, the Bulls have been dealing with a backlog, using various combinations of Pau Gasol, Taj Gibson, Nikola Mirotic, Joakim Noah and Portis, but not quite having as much room as they would like for each one.

With Noah out on Friday, Chicago played Portis 30 minutes and was rewarded with 16 points on nine shots and 10 rebounds from the youngster. Mirotic lit up the Knicks, too, scoring 17 points on eight shots and dishing seven assists. This is the front court of the future for the Bulls, but trading Gibson or Noah could make it the front court right now, too. Portis keeps showing he's good enough to become a rotation player. He just needs Chicago to commit to him and create an everyday role for him.

Cory Joseph is trying to get himself another Drizzy shoutout with this cross.

Wizards 103, Magic 91 (Bullets Forever recap | Orlando Pinstriped Post recap)

Raptors 104, Hornets 94 (Raptors HQ recap | At the Hive recap)