Miami is without question, behind the Detroit Pistons in terms of how great a team we are. This is not a great team. This is a very talented team. Big difference.
The one player on this team you cannot question is Dwyane Wade. He is gonna give his all every night, and if he has an off night, he's gonna help the team defensively, he's still gonna bring the energy, and he will always get to the free throw line. However, each and every other player on this team is a HUGE question. Shaq is playing excellent basketball right now, but for how long? His rebounding is down, even though he's starting to be a force inside again, OFFENSIVELY. To me, the second most consistent player this team has had this year on both sides of the ball has been Gary Payton. He's been doing it all for this team this year, although I love what we're getting from J-Will. If Jason Williams can stay healthy, our backcourt will be in wonderful shape, with Payton playing the crucial minutes and providing veteran leadership and tight defense. I don't have much to say about Alonzo Mourning, because when he's in there, you get 110% effort on every possession, and he's been a fantastic player for us all year. Udonis Haslem is finally starting to play better, but he tends to disappear against the elite squads like Detroit, Dallas, San Antonio, & Phoenix. James Posey is a huge question every night. I thought we'd get a sure three point shooter who would bring a great defensive effort every night. However, Posey has been a fairly inconsistent defender this year to say the least. Antoine Walker is a player I refuse to comment on. He's a very talented player, but I cannot stand the man as a player and I wish we could find a way to send him elsewhere for a SF who can shoot the ball and is a somewhat good defender.
This team is not going to win anything with Antoine Walker. I promise you that. When it comes down to Detroit in the Eastern Conference Finals, Walker will surely disappear and/or screw it up for us in crucial situations of the series. I think this year is a wash, because guys like Peja and Ricky Davis are already off the market. I'd love to see us trade Michael Doleac and another player to the Cavs for Damon Jones, a rumor posted up by Ira Winderman in the Sun-Sentinel about a week ago. Gary Payton can play the 2-guard, and we do need a player who can sit back and hit a three whenever you ask him to..
