State of the Heat

[propheticWrit]

As we get ready for another NBA season it looks like the Heat have become the Hawks.....a million undersized forwards, one dynamic SG, and a bunch of unknowns at PG and C. Fortunately for the Heat that dynamic SG is one of the best in the league and one of those undersized forwards promises to be one of the top scorers.

At PG:

Marcus Banks
Chris Quinn
Mario Chalmers
Shaun Livingston (probable)

It looks like Livingston is coming down to Miami.....and for good reason. This is one of the few teams where the starting PG job is wide open. Chalmers impressed enough over the summer to get a guaranteed deal, but he's still a rookie with limited ball handling skills. Banks has been a great disappointment ever since he signed the deal with the Suns, and Quinn is the token slow white guy who can shoot. One can hold out hope for Chalmers or Livingston, but this position is the great unknown for the Heat at the moment.

SG:

Daequan Cook
Dwyane Wade

During the olympics while surrounded by all-world talent, Wade was often the best player on hardwood. If he plays like that for 70+ games, the Heat will be going places in May.

SF:

Shawn Marion
James Jones
Yakhouba Diawara
Dorell Wright

For whatever reason this was the most targeted position in FA, presumably because Riley thought he could trade Marion. Jones is the three point specialist and Diawara the defensive stopper, but so long as Marion is around both will struggle to find their place on this team. Wright continues to be an egnima.

PF:

Udonis Haslem
Michael Beasley

Beasley looks far more comfortable in the post than on the perimeter, especially on defense, so for now he'll be a PF. One of Spoelstra's greatest challenges is going to be figuring out how to find playing time for Marion, Haslem, and Beasley. Some have suggested Haslem at the five...

C:

Jamaal Magloire
Mark Blount
Joel Anthony
David Padgett

The reason why some have suggested Haslem at the five..... Sans Mourning this is about the worst set of centers any team has at its disposal. Blount was aweful last season, Anthony not much better, and Magloire hasn't done anything in four years. Padgett is the classic energy guy, and may be the best of the bunch. At least you know he'll fight for a rebound and play decent post defense. That's more than you can say for any of the others.

Ladies and gentlemen, your Miami Heat....

 

[Dolphins7273]

I think they'll contend for a low playoff seed. I'm mostly looking forward to watching the development of Beasley.

 

[BAMAPHIN 22]

Turnovers drop Miami Heat to 0-3 in preseason

First-year coach Erik Spoelstra said the miscues are somewhat a product of a roster that has been dramatically overhauled since the Heat won the 2006 NBA title.

"When you bring in a bunch of new players on a team and you try to put it together quickly, which we've tried to do in the last two weeks, that's going to happen," he said. "Every time, coming back to the huddle, we had conversations and guys are like, 'Oh, did you want me to do this?' 'Did you want me to go here?' That's part of the process."

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/basketball/heat/sfl-heatgamer1012,0,4469455.story

 

[Tpaddle]

im excited to see how wade and beasley will mesh together..if they play well together, we got a shot at the playoffs imo

 

[Ferretsquig]

Beasley is an amazing talent, but hes scary as well. The Heat are going to need him to be a lot more than just a scorer and he seems to have the bad habit of only excelling in the other areas of the game when he feels like it. The Heat can live with Wade gambling on defense or not bothering to block his guy out if hes playing at his '06 level again but they can't have four other guys doing that and expect to win anything.

 

[CedarPhin]

I see us getting in with a 7th or 8th seed in the playoffs. Beasley looks like he's going to be a good one. Wade looks improved after the last 2 seasons.