Is this season going to look awfully familiar to last season? I know this is a bit premature, but the last time the Heat emerged victorious in ONE preseason game was in 2006. Against Orlando, the Miami Heat was essentially Dwyane Wade. Wade registered 29 points, eight assists, six steals and seven rebounds. But only two other players even reached double digits in points. Orlando, meanwhile, had five such players do so, led by Dwight Howard's 26 points and 16 rebounds.
I was surprised by how little time Joel Anthony received last night. I don't mind starting someone 6'11" at center, but Mark Blount? He had one rebound the entire game. Anthony's long arms would help him grab rebounds and defend the post. He may be a raw, a second-year project, but he is probably the best defensive center the Heat have.
Udonis Haslem looked like his familiar, efficient self last night. Haslem finished with 16 points on 8-of-14 shooting and grabbed 11 boards. Haslem played heavy minutes at center, which will be a challenge for him against dominant centers such as Howard.
I love Haslem's work ethic and his mentality, but I feel that Erik Spoelstra made the wrong call by starting him over Michael Beasley. The Heat need someone with Beasley's offensive arsenal to start games beside Wade. Beasley played well last night, finishing with 14 points on 6-of-13 shooting and two-for-two from beyond the arc. As a college player, it was thought that the NBA three-point line would be out of Beasley's range. But last night, his stroke looked fine from 26 feet out. This will be a skill that can cause serious matchup problems for opposing power forwards.
Chris Quinn and Marcus Banks struggled from the field, while Mario Chalmers was rather pedestrian. Hopefully Spoelstra is able to find a point guard who can at least provide a steady eight or 10 points a game and do a good job of directing the offense, similar to Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics. But I heard that the Heat are looking at other options, such as Jamaal Tinsley. While I wouldn't exactly endorse a move for Tinsley, I like the fact that Pat Riley is attempting to get a proven point guard.
Something must be said of Shawn Marion's role on the team. Right now, Marion doesn't look like he has much of one. He seemed out-of-place last night. Marion finished with eight points and nine rebounds last night. The rebounds are fine, but Spoelstra is going to need more than eight points if Wade, Beasley and Marion can really become a Big Three.
All of what has been going on in the preseason has just reinforced what was known months ago. The Heat still does not have a steady point guard or even an existant center. Marion seems to be the most likely option for a trade, but the Heat are going to get his stock up first. Nobody wants to trade for a guy who looks lost in offense and can't create his own shot. But there are a lot of GMs who would want to trade for a guy who is athletic, a great defender, an explosive scorer and never gets tired.
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