I will be the first to admit that Shaq has not played up to par this year. His willingness to grab rebounds has vanished, he commits fouls incessantly, and he is getting far fewer touches than he has ever seen in his career. However, there aren't many 35-year-olds putting up the same numbers he is putting. Besides, you have to put help around O'Neal if you want him to produce. Right now, the other coaches know the Heat don't have any threats from the outside. Therefore, they are able to just double-team Shaq and let the other guys beat them. It's worked for them well so far, and they will continue to do it until the Heat revamp their roster.
That is exactly what the Heat need to do to their roster: revamp it. It is obvious that Miami is going to the lottery. These summer months are crucial for the rebuilding of this franchise to their winning ways. Even if they make a trade before the deadline, it is too late for them to salvage their season.
If the season ended today, the Heat would have the best chance of securing the second pick in the Draft. If I was Pat Riley, I'd really look for a point guard in the Draft. Even if the Heat don't get some luck with the ping-pong balls, there are several options at the point this year. Derrick Rose, Eric Gordon, Jerryd Bayless, and OJ Mayo are all quality options in the Draft. All of those guys could start for the Heat. Obviously, my first choice would be Derrick Rose, who has heard comparisons to Jason Kidd and Baron Davis.
Although I said you can't revamp the roster in the middle of the season, but I would probably try to make a mid-season trade to possibly dump off a big contract (cough, Mark Blount, cough) and get another first-round pick. I'd most likely trade with a team "on the bubble" to make the playoffs, so Miami would get a pick around the early teens.
I said a pick in the teens because another player I'm eying for the Heat is Roy Hibbert. A strong 7'2" center out of Georgetown, Hibbert can prove to be a solid backup for Shaq. His rebounding and shot-blocking are already polished, but he also has an excellent touch on his jump-shot.
If the Heat do that, then they would have taken care of two problems (point guard and backup center) in one night: Draft day. Miami would still have a few glaring weaknesses, which is why they need to make a splash in the free agency, with $18 million coming off the books due to expiring contracts. Once free agents have seen that the Heat are gearing up for a strong season, Miami will appear more attractive to them.
Personally, my main target in free agency would be Ron Artest. He can not only shut down opposing shooting guards and small forwards, but also be another consistent scorer, and a three-point threat. Artest is shooting about 35% from beyond the arc this season, but it will only go up once Shaq and Wade will give him open shots. He can be a distraction to the team, but it's a risk I'd be willing to take. Artest can be a great option for Miami if Riles can keep him in line.
If the Heat make these moves, they'll have a starting lineup of Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, Ron Artest, Udonis Haslem, and Shaquille O'Neal with Roy Hibbert and Daequan Cook coming off the bench. As I have said in the past, I would groom Cook to be a point guard, and have him and Rose share minutes at the point, as well as give Cook more minutes playing behind Wade. However, a few role players are missing from this team to return to their championship days.
I would sign Mickael Pietrus, who has said he would like to play for the Heat. Pietrus could backup Artest as well as share minutes with Cook at the shooting guard spot. I would also sign Stromile Swift. Like Artest, Swift can opt-out of his deal (as I imagine both will) and become a free agent. Swift can be Udonis Haslem's backup. Swift does give Miami shot-blocking and athleticism, things that Haslem does not.
Now, you do have a lot of players sharing minutes and playing different positions, but that's a good thing, in my opinion. If you can spread the love around during the regular season with several versatile players, then they'll have fresh legs during the playoffs.
In this situation, Miami would probably be predicted to be back in the upper echelon of the East, with teams such as Boston, Detroit, and Orlando. With that team, Miami can beat anyone of those teams. If the Heat make a revamp of this caliber, maybe the only team that can beat the Heat is the Heat. But remember, this is just through the eyes of a fan.
2 comments:
why wouldnt you rather get michael beasley, an athletic power forward who can score. then we can have ron artest dwade and beasley. since dwade has the ball most of the time, why waste a high pick on a point guard??
Hello. Thanks for posting. I've watched a little bit of Michael Beasley, and he plays like a small forward to me. I've heard comparisons to Carmelo Anthony, and I'd say they're pretty accurate. I know the game is changing, but with Shaq on your team, you should have your PF inside the arc, not 4 players hanging around the perimeter. That's why the Heat had Haslem as the PF and 'Toine as the SF when they made their championship run.
DWade does handle the ball a lot, but I wouldn't start him at the point. He is a guy who is very turnover prone. And to add more responsibilities to the man is just going to equate into more and more turnovers. If you get a point guard who can really create plays, then you could have Wade just focusing on scoring for himself.
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