So, where do the Heat go from here?

[Samphin]

I am a Laker fan. I have followed the Heat this for one obvious reason. Shaq. They went farther than I thought they would, but htankfully, not all the way. Laker fans are, for the most part, fed up with Shaq and his bellyaching. I imagine Heat fans will be eventually too, but I am prepared for the barbs and insults now.

Anyhow, my question is, how do the Heat improve from here? Wade is good and Shaq is Shaq. However, the rest of the team seems like it may be in dissarray. Will Mourning be back? What about Dooling and Haslem? Will limited draft picks over the next ocuple of years prevent Miami from bringing in quality rookies? I am genuinely interested here. Indiana will be strong again next year wth artest, O'neal, Jackson and co. bakc in the fold and Detroit will undoubtedly be there again. New Jersey seemed to come alive with Carter, Jefferson and Kidd. Next year they could be dangerous. Not to mention that Cleveland might be able to ocmpete with an nice offseason. I really think that next year, you will see four teams in the East have a shot ( Heat, Pacers, Pistons, Nets ). My question is, how will the Heat seperate themselves from the rest?

 

[Section126]

I am a Laker fan. I have followed the Heat this for one obvious reason. Shaq. They went farther than I thought they would, but htankfully, not all the way. Laker fans are, for the most part, fed up with Shaq and his bellyaching. I imagine Heat fans will be eventually too, but I am prepared for the barbs and insults now.

Anyhow, my question is, how do the Heat improve from here? Wade is good and Shaq is Shaq. However, the rest of the team seems like it may be in dissarray. Will Mourning be back? What about Dooling and Haslem? Will limited draft picks over the next ocuple of years prevent Miami from bringing in quality rookies? I am genuinely interested here. Indiana will be strong again next year wth artest, O'neal, Jackson and co. bakc in the fold and Detroit will undoubtedly be there again. New Jersey seemed to come alive with Carter, Jefferson and Kidd. Next year they could be dangerous. Not to mention that Cleveland might be able to ocmpete with an nice offseason. I really think that next year, you will see four teams in the East have a shot ( Heat, Pacers, Pistons, Nets ). My question is, how will the Heat seperate themselves from the rest?

I disagree completely with your assesment of the Eastern Conference....

those teams you mentioned have reached and gone past their peek.

The HEAT should dominate the EC.

 

[Muck]

I must have missed Shaq's bellyaching. He's been cool in Miami. Just sucks that he had to labor thru the playoffs instead of having fun and dominating them.

I'll leave the second part of your question to someone else. But I'll add Washington to the list of up-and-coming teams. The East is rising again.

 

[Samphin]

I must have missed Shaq's bellyaching. He's been cool in Miami. Just sucks that he had to labor thru the playoffs instead of having fun and dominating them.

I'll leave the second part of your question to someone else. But I'll add Washington to the list of up-and-coming teams. The East is rising again.

Good point about Washington. I live by the Warriors facility. I guess I just refuse to believe that those same players can win there but not in Oakland ( Arenas, Jamison, Hughes ). The Wizards are going to lose Kwame Brown and will ne a big body in the center. Perhaps another former Warrior in Dampier? He seems like he may become available.

 

[Samphin]

I disagree completely with your assesment of the Eastern Conference....

those teams you mentioned have reached and gone past their peek.

The HEAT should dominate the EC.

I doubt it. The Pistons have a great core and I think they will be around for awhile. The Pacers haven't reached their peak. O'neal, Artest and Jackson are all pretty young and in a still weaker ocnferance ( although the gap is closing ) they will be there again. The Nets may fade back again, but I think the dynamic of Jefferson, Kidd and Carter is a good one. It gives them an outside threat as well as a penetrating inside threat with a great player to get them the ball.

The Heat will be good as well. I just see some roleplayers leaving for more lucrative contracts. The Lakers, in their heyday, could attract people to play for them for less, because they were winning championships. The Heat have failed to do so and may lose key players like Mourning, Haslem and Dooling while not having any money to replace them adequately. They will still be up there, but I doubt they "dominate", as you said.

 

[Section126]

I doubt it. The Pistons have a great core and I think they will be around for awhile. The Pacers haven't reached their peak. O'neal, Artest and Jackson are all pretty young and in a still weaker ocnferance ( although the gap is closing ) they will be there again. The Nets may fade back again, but I think the dynamic of Jefferson, Kidd and Carter is a good one. It gives them an outside threat as well as a penetrating inside threat with a great player to get them the ball.

The Heat will be good as well. I just see some roleplayers leaving for more lucrative contracts. The Lakers, in their heyday, could attract people to play for them for less, because they were winning championships. The Heat have failed to do so and may lose key players like Mourning, Haslem and Dooling while not having any money to replace them adequately. They will still be up there, but I doubt they "dominate", as you said.

You are in San Francisco...you do not have the pulse of the HEAT....Haslem and Dooling are local boys..they will stay....

This is the first year of this HEAT team....you don't think they improve?

BIAS ALERT.

Larry Brown will be gone...and check the cap situation of the Pacers....and who replaces Reggie? The Heat is the #1 seed again next year.

Be objective.

 

[Samphin]

You are in San Francisco...you do not have the pulse of the HEAT....Haslem and Dooling are local boys..they will stay....

This is the first year of this HEAT team....you don't think they improve?

BIAS ALERT.

Larry Brown will be gone...and check the cap situation of the Pacers....and who replaces Reggie? The Heat is the #1 seed again next year.

Be objective.

I am being objective. If I wasn't objective, I would say the Heat stink and my Lakers are winning it all next year. You clearly are the one being subjective here. You claim they will dominate the East because everyone else is over the hill, breaking up etc. That isn't the case. The Pacers will make some noise next year as will the Pistons.

I think you put to much stock into the local boys thing. If Haslem or Dooling get a nice money offer from another team, they could leave. I could really see Haslem leaving. He opened my eyes and can get money elsewhere that the Heat cannot match. The Heat are not that deep. they are built like the Lakers in their hayday. Superstar Center and Superstar Guard with a bunch of roleplayers. The similarities are actually pretty scary when you stop and look at it.

However, the Heat have not won anything yet and roleplayers may look to jump to another team where they get more minutes, more money and may blossom into a better player with no one in front of them.

As for them getting better next year, it will be hard to. They won 59 games this past year and that will be hard to accomplish again. However, I think their main problem will be the cap. Shaq gobbles up so much of it and leaves Miami with no money to bring in other players. L.A. had players under the "Laryr Bird" rules so it made keeping players easier. Plus, draft picks. Miami has traded away some draft picks over the next few years to get Shaq. They don't have the luxury of drafting young talent and signing good roleplayers.

I think they will improve within the dynamic between shaq and Wade. That is really the most important part anyway. However, unless something happens in the offseason (Haslem, Dooling stay, a trade etc. ) I think they will find themselves in a dogfight in the East.

 

[Section126]

Another authority on the HEAT from across the country....


When I say dominate the East...I mean that they will be the number one seed.....not that they will be in the finals for the next three years...

Do you know who Dorrell Wright is? Qyntel Woods?

Probably not. Yet you are an authority.

 

[Samphin]

Another authority on the HEAT from across the country....


When I say dominate the East...I mean that they will be the number one seed.....not that they will be in the finals for the next three years...

Do you know who Dorrell Wright is? Qyntel Woods?

Probably not. Yet you are an authority.

Please re-read my initial post. The whole point is that I am not the authority. I fail to see how you are any more of an authority than myself though. Unless you have access to the team in some way, we have the same information available to us. I asked for your opinions. I even said I figured that the Heat would be good next year, and yet you jump on me. The fact is, you seem to be looking through Heat colored glasses and won't even listen to any other opinions than your own.

Being a number one seed in the East is not "dominating" either. Dominating means winning championships and winning them pretyt handily. The Suns were the number one seed but they didn't dominate. In fac,t they struggled for two rounds in the playoffs.

 

[Section126]

Please re-read my initial post. The whole point is that I am not the authority. I fail to see how you are any more of an authority than myself though. Unless you have access to the team in some way, we have the same information available to us. I asked for your opinions. I even said I figured that the Heat would be good next year, and yet you jump on me. The fact is, you seem to be looking through Heat colored glasses and won't even listen to any other opinions than your own.

.

I live down here for one.......I follow the team for another......are you serious? Those two reasons make me 100 times more qualified to talk about what will go on with the HEAT next season.

 

[Fresh]

Damon Jones can opt out and try his luck, or he can stick around for another year to make $2.5-2.8(I forget) million and have the benefit of wide open shots with Shaquille O'Neal & Dwyane Wade on the floor with him. I think Shaq will have a big influence on urging D.J. to stick around, and in the end I believe he will, especially with how he played in this series(yes, I know he was hurting a bit). He had a season similar to Rafer Alston's 2003-2004 year, but there's one difference....he can't play a lick of defense, and it's very noticeable. I expect DJ back, but he is replaceable.

Udonis Haslem will be a RFA, and we can give him anything up to the MLE without breaking into our MLE. In other words, the Heat will have the MLE to spend this year. However, we can sign Haslem to anything up to I believe 6-years/$38 million, and still have the MLE to use on another player or a split between two. Haslem is an undersized PF who works like none other, but I highly doubt a team is gonna spend big bucks to have his services. Not everybody has a Shaquille O'Neal in the middle where you can survive with a 6'8/228 PF. I expect Udonis back.

Keyon Dooling was signed for the minimum last year, and he should get atleast the LLE from another team, because he's proved to be worth atleast $1.6 million a year. I don't really know about Dooling coming back, especially if DJ is retained and we find another PG, SG, or SF to replace him in the line-up, making him the backup PG. Dooling is obviously replaceable.

Qyntel Woods signed a 2-year contract and has been "dominating" the workouts according to the coaches. The scouting report on him was that if he can stay away from weed & other illegal troubles, he should develop into a nice player. He has a nice size & crazy upside, so all he has to do is live up to it. He's with the right company in the good guys we have on this team. Dorell Wright is obviously the future project. That kid's upside is outta the roof, and he's got an excellent head on his shoulders. Shaq said he's never seen a kid under 21 shoot as well as he does, so lets home he adds some bulk(he has a nice 6'7 frame) & improves his defensive game. His ballhandling skills are incredible for his size and there has been talk about him playing the 1, 2, & 3 throughout his career.

I have a feeling Chris Duhon will be one of the first players we talk to when free agency starts. He'd be a nice pickup for half of the MLE. I wouldn't mind splitting it between he & a guy like Donyell Marshall. We can try & offer the full MLE to Joe Johnson & try to luck out like Indiana did with S-Jax, but I doubt it. Two more players I wouldn't mind offering the full MLE to(more so if Haslem leaves) are Tyson Chandler & Stromile Swift. Sign & trade situations will give us more options........

 

[Martel]

Section 126:
"I live down here for one.......I follow the team for another......are you serious? Those two reasons make me 100 times more qualified to talk about what will go on with the HEAT next season."


I live in LA and I hate the Lakers (Kings fan) but I am exposed to alot of team news everyday that I don't really want. But you can't say, in this day and age (with the interweb, satellite radio, satellite TV etc.) that someone on the west coast could NOT be an authority on an east coast team just because they aren't out there. No way.

And how are you gonna already hand the #1 seed to the Heat next year when the Pistons are going for back to back titles and just beat them tonight (at home)?! Time to start showing Detroit some respect around here.

 

[Martel]

I must have missed Shaq's bellyaching. He's been cool in Miami. Just sucks that he had to labor thru the playoffs instead of having fun and dominating them.

I'll leave the second part of your question to someone else. But I'll add Washington to the list of up-and-coming teams. The East is rising again.

He's talking about the way Shaq keeps taking jabs at the Lakers. I happen to love it and wanted the Heat to win it all.

 

[DonShula84]

He's talking about the way Shaq keeps taking jabs at the Lakers. I happen to love it and wanted the Heat to win it all.

I live in LA also and I feel the same way you do about the Lakers. Not a Kings fan, just hate the Lakers. I wish Shaq and Wade had been healthy, they should have and would have won this series. There is no reason to think that they wont be contending for the title in the east again next year. I dont know what there salary cap looks like for next season but they dont need much help. They dont even need to be a #1 seed, with Shaq and Wade once they get into the playoffs they have a shot at running the table as long as Shaq is healthy. Like Section said, this the first year this team was together and look how far they got. There is no reason to think that they wont be just as good if not better next year.

 

[Martel]

I live in LA also and I feel the same way you do about the Lakers. Not a Kings fan, just hate the Lakers. I wish Shaq and Wade had been healthy, they should have and would have won this series. There is no reason to think that they wont be contending for the title in the east again next year. I dont know what there salary cap looks like for next season but they dont need much help. They dont even need to be a #1 seed, with Shaq and Wade once they get into the playoffs they have a shot at running the table as long as Shaq is healthy. Like Section said, this the first year this team was together and look how far they got. There is no reason to think that they wont be just as good if not better next year.

Yeah no doubt the Heat will be tough again next year for sure, no doubt.