Heat Burn Out Kings

Two days after allowing the New York Knicks to score 120 points, Erik Spoelstra apparently delivered the right message to his players. Miami's defense was scrappy and active, as they held Sacramento to just 38.2% shooting from the field in a 103-77 decision.

The Heat led this one from the start. Dwyane Wade was absolutely sensational. His first basket of the game was an and-one driving layup. He dished a nice pass to Udonis Haslem for a good and-one layup for the center. Wade put the exclamation point on this all with three dunks in the second quarter. By the time intermission began, Miami had already built up a big lead of 18 points.

Wade finished with 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting, eight rebounds, four rebounds, four steals, four blocked shots and just one personal foul after fouling out the previous game. However, the turnovers continue to be a concern for Wade, this time with five mishaps.

All eyes would be on Michael Beasley tonight, and he did not disappoint. The second overall pick registered 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the field and also grabbed nine rebounds. However, Beasley was pulled by Spoelstra twice in the first half after missing defensive assingments. But 17 and nine is a good night for anyone.

Shawn Marion had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Marion also made sure no entry passes were made to seven-footer Spencer Hawes with ease, adding four steals and three blocked shots. Spoelstra utilized a running game, which (obviously) ended up working very well for Marion.

Overall, it was a great team effort for Miami. Udonis Haslem was able to step up to the challenge of going against Hawes and earned all 14 of his points. Mario Chalmers was not the same Chalmers we saw against New York, but at least provided some energy for Miami. Daequan Cook, who played about as much as Miami's starters, has started the season strong. He shot three-of-six from beyond the arc and was especially useful when Sacramento went to a zone defense. Mark Blount provided some offense but could not grab more than one rebound in 15 minutes of action.

I would have liked to see more of Joel Anthony, but I have been very plesantly surprised by Udonis Haslem at center. He has more than held his own against people who are a good four inches taller than him. We are still going to have to see more of him at the pivot to make a final verdict on whether he is up for the job. But so far he has been nothing short of impressive.

The Heat definitely wanted to win this game more and showed heart and resilience in the win. Miami has not been able to call itself a .500 team in a while, but can now. They should be able to build on this win and try to emulate this formula against Charlotte Saturday night. But I think it's important to remember the Heat beat a rebuilding Sacramento team without Brad Miller. And the Heat won it exactly how they were supposed to win it.

Heat Hope to Regain Footing

In its first game of the 2008-09 season, the Miami Heat lost to the New York Knicks. Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion, Udonis Haslem, Mario Chalmers and Daequan Cook all played well. In fact, Miami's offense was spot-on, scoring 115 points in 48 minutes is no easy task. The problem was the defense. The one-two punch of Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford was simply too much for the Heat.

The Heat face off again today against the Sacramento Kings in its' home opener. All eyes will be on Michael Beasley, who struggled in the loss to New York. Beasley attempted five three-pointers -- connecting on only one, and shot an additional three attempts from beyond the paint. Beasley may not be bulkier than David Lee, but can at least go hard to rim and get fouled. The second overall pick in 2008 did not even attempt a free throw.

Many eyes will also be on Mario Chalmers. Because of his outstanding performance Wednesday night, we should expect Spoelstra to start Chalmers again. But questions still surround this second-round draft pick. Sure, anyone can have a good game, but can be consistent to the point where he can be a starter for Miami? Every dog has his day. Now, two consecutive games of good play does not immediately constitute starting status, but it would be a step in the right direction.

The Kings will probably start sophomore Spencer Hawes tonight against the Miami Heat. Hawes was able to register 12 points and 14 rebounds in last Wednesday's loss to the Timberwolves. Hawes also stands at 7-feet tall, which could pose a problem with Udonis Haslem starting at center.

Mark Blount was the first center off the bench Wednesday night, and I expect that we'll see more of him tonight. But I would also like to see Joel Anthony get some playing time. He's got long arms and a nice vertical leap, which would help him defending a tall presence like Hawes.

It should be a nice game, and I am hoping it will put the Heat at .500, a feat the 2007-08 Heat team never even came close to. But a fan can merely hope.

Sink or Swim -- Heat Start Season Tonight!

After a horrendous season of losses and losses, the Miami Heat will have a chance to vindicate itself this season, starting with the first of 82 games tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks.

It is pretty much set in stone that Erik Spoelstra will start Dwyane Wade, Shawn Marion, Michael Beasley and Udonis Haslem. The question on everybody's mind is who will Spoelstra start at the point guard position. Spoelstra declined to disclose who he will start, but rookie point guard Mario Chalmers said that he practiced with the starting team.

Starting Spoelstra would be a bold, gutsy and risky move. But it would also be the right move. Chalmers did not impress at first, but has really come along over the course of this preseason. I've said before that Marcus Banks would be better suited as a sparkplug off the bench. And Chris Quinn has simply not provided enough to earn him that starting job. I know he's not great at everything, but he can be more than a ghost.

For this matchup, I do not see the undersized Udonis Haslem at the pivot as a liability for Miami. Mike D'Antoni never played a big lineup with the Suns, and the buzz is that D'Antoni will probably start David Lee at the center.

There is nothing more I can say that I have not told you already. The Heat still need to trade Marion for a big-name center if they want be a force to be reckoned with in the East. But for now, the players should just leave their best effort on the court and let the chips fall where they may.

Heat Show Heart in Win

After its first win of the preseason since 2006, the Miami Heat were defeated in a humbling 100-80 loss to the New Orleans Hornets. The next day, the Heat faced the San Antonio Spurs without Dwyane Wade. And won.

Reminding Heat fans of his clutch three in the final moments of the National Championship Game against the Memphis Tigers, rookie Mario Chalmers hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to win the game for Miami in a 96-93 decision. But it was more than his last-second shot that made this performance memorable for Chalmers. He registered his first double-double of this NBA career, with 11 points on four-of-five shooting including a perfect three-for-three from downtown coupled with 10 assists. He did not particularly shut down Tony Parker, but it was improvement over Chris Paul's clinic the night before. And Chalmers did collect four steals, nothing to be ashamed of.

Sophomore guard Daequan Cook started in place of Wade and had his best preseason effort yet. He had 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting and hit four-of-six from downtown. I expect him to get minutes off the bench backing up Wade, but he also showed some chemistry with Chalmers. He and Chalmers combined for all seven of Miami's three-point field goals. When Erik Spoelstra does not have James Jones to go to, it helps having someone like Cook.

Spoelstra had previously mentioned that Wade would not overexert himself during exhibition play. On the second night of a back-to-back, this should not seem like a concern for Heat fans. But Spoelstra did mention that Wade felt "weak" in his right knee. Hm.

In a game that stayed tight most of the way, rookie Michael Beasley played well. The 6'9" forward nearly registered a double-double with 19 points on 9-of-17 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds. The left-handed Beasley showed a level of craftiness with both hands and showcased chemistry with All-Star forward Shawn Marion. Some people are saying the Rookie of the Year contest is a three-man race between Derrick Rose, Greg Oden, and Beasley. Beasley certainly has the skill-set to win it, and he also has the luxury of not being the go-to guy in Miami.

Udonis Haslem started again at the pivot. He made his first six shots and finished 8-for-10 from the field. Haslem also grabbed seven boards. Fabricio Oberto shot well from the field as well, but he had some open looks. Haslem has had experience playing against Tim Duncan in the past, and Haslem held his own this time around.

Dorell Wright and Shaun Livingston both played last night, an encouraging sign for the two, who are coming off of knee surgeries. Livingston played well and shot four-of-eight from the field while Wright hardly made his presence felt. But the three-point concerns with both may lead to more time on the bench with Chris Quinn and Marcus Banks waiting in the wings at the point guard spot and Yakhouba Diawara waiting in the wings for the three.

The Miami Heat finished the preseason 2-5, but you could say they won two of their last three games. The Heat will have to cut two players before Monday, and my guess would be that the two odd men out are Jason Richards and David Padgett.

The Heat Won. So?

Erik Spoelstra (finally) inserted Michael Beasley into the starting lineup and the Heat (finally) got its first win of the season against the Memphis Grizzlies. Beasley got into early foul trouble in the first half, but was a key contributor in the fourth quarter, scoring nine points in the final stanza of play to put the Grizzlies away.

The idea of a three-forward lineup was the right move by Spoelstra. Marc Gasol is not his brother and Darko Milicic isn't an imposing presence to have a big advantage over Haslem. Gasol might have grabbed 10 rebounds, but Haslem got 13. Milicic may have shot five-for-nine from the field for 12 points, but Haslem shot 6-of-11 for 14. This was a match-up in which going small was getting better.

Dwyane Wade played like himself again. In 35 minutes (I thought Spoelstra was trying to keep Wade's minutes low), Wade scored 25 points on 9-of-19 shooting, dished out six assists and blocked two shots. Despite logging heavy minutes, Wade seems to continue to be the energetic player he was in the Olympics. In the fourth quarter, Spoelstra even went as small as having Wade as the small forward next to Mario Chalmers and Marcus Banks. Again, going small can be advantageous in certain situations. Pat Riley used a three-guard lineup of Jason Williams, Gary Payton, and Dwyane Wade during his championship run in 2006 and it did work well.

Miami played very well on Tuesday. The Heat shot nearly 53% from the field and five players scored double-figure points. Chalmers had his best preseason game of the season by far. He had seven points, six rebounds and nine assists in 29 minutes. The foul trouble is a concern, but the positives greatly outnumbered the negatives in this performance. Banks scored 11 points and had six assists. Even Shawn Marion didn't look lost in Miami's offense.

But this win should be taken with a grain of salt. One game does not tell you much. Despite the efficient play of Chalmers, it does not suggest he is the point guard of the future. Despite the pass-first play of Banks, it does not mean he is ready to start for the Heat. And despite Haslem fitting in nicely in the middle, it does not mean he will do well in future contests.

I once argued that Chris Quinn should start for the Heat. After two games of starting, Quinn has offered less than inspiring basketball. His above-average shooting is a constant, but he does not do anything great. Banks made three of his four attempts from beyond the arc and Chalmers had nine assists in under 30 minutes, looking like a true point guard. As I said before, no one should take too much out of this one game, but I would experiment a little bit with Chalmers starting in the final three games of exhibition play. With Shaun Livingston progressing with his knee rehab, he can also be an option for Spoelstra.

In one of the rare poor performances from Tuesday night, backup swingman Yakhouba Diawara played 16 minutes off the bench and shot zero-for-four from the field. Meanwhile, Daequan Cook did not even get off the bench. The Heat connected on six triples against Memphis, and Banks had half of those. But now that James Jones will be out for the next three months, the three-point shooting is even more important for Spoelstra. I would have given Cook minutes off of the bench. Spoelstra is going to need his shooting in the future and he cannot afford to have his lethal shooter off the bench to have a cold night in a close game. No one can develop from the bench. Just ask Dorell Wright.

Another player who did not get off the bench was Joel Anthony. I know that Mark Blount scored a respectable eight points on the night, but if Spoelstra really wants Anthony to develop offensively, he would give him minutes. As I said, no one can develop from the bench. And considering we are still in the preseason, it gives Spoelstra more liberty to experiment with more lineups. One of the problems last season was the lack of definitive lineups to be used in certain situations. Erik Spoelstra should know which lineup to go when they need offense, defense, a half-court style or a full-court style. And he should know that better than most.

No Magic Here

After three close losses, the Orlando Magic showed the true force of the more dominant team in Florida as they opened a 20-2 run in the second quarter to build a 15-point lead at halftime. Although the Heat staged a valiant comeback, it was to no avail in a 100-92 decision.

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.

James Jones Out for 3 Months

A spokesperson for the Miami Heat announced Thursday that forward James Jones will miss the first three months of the season after rupturing a tendon in his right wrist. Surgery for him is scheduled today, as the Heat will play the Orlando Magic at 7:30 p.m.

The signing of Jones was a very smart move by Heat President Pat Riley. Last season, Jones finished third in three-point percentage, behind only Jason Kapono and Steve Nash. The injury to Jones is a blow to the Heat, but Erik Spoelstra's team may be able to weather this storm.

For one, this injury will not affect Miami's starting lineup. They can still start Shawn Marion at the three. Moreover, Marion has showcased his ability to shoot three-pointers, even with his ugly shooting mechanics. In my last post, I advocated that Chris Quinn should start. This injury provides more support for that claim. Mario Chalmers and Marcus Banks can hit threes, but Quinn can do it and be a steady, pass-first point guard. As I said, Banks is more of a scorer and Chalmers has simply not proven enough thus far.

Another option for Miami is Daequan Cook. He's in a slump thus far, but one thing I like about the kid is that his confidence never waivers. If Spoelstra has him as just a shooting guard, he can't expect to play more than 10 minutes a night behind Dwyane Wade. But Spoelstra can experiment a bit with Cook and Wade in the backcourt together. I know that it would provide more on the shoulders of Wade, but it would also give Wade some spacing on the floor with Cook by his side.

When Pat Riley signed Yakhouba Diawara, many people, including myself, thought it was a little excessive for him to sign all of these small forwards unless he was considering trading one of them. However, Diawara may play more minutes than expected this time around. Spoelstra has repeatedly praised Diawara's three-point shooting and defense, two things he has emphasized this training camp. If Diawara can translate his play from the practice court to the real court, he may end up being Marion's backup.

There is also Dorell Wright. At yesterday's practice, both Spoelstra and Wright said that the 6'9" forward should play in a handful of exhibitions, but not in today's meeting with Orlando. Has Wright been practicing his three-point shooting this entire summer? Don't count on it, because he had knee surgery this past summer. But Wright's range goes up to about 20 feet away from the rim. Wright has had his moments defensively, but he also looks lost at times.

At the end of the day, it'll be an open fight between Diawara and Wright for the backup small forward spot. It was once considered to be a lock for Jones, but this injury can be advantageous for either of these two.

Holes Remain for Heat

After Sunday's close loss to the New Jersey Nets, the Heat does not take the court again until Saturday's meeting with the Orlando Magic. The Heat returned to practice earlier today, but no questions have been answered since the start of training camp.

Let's start with the center, Miami's deepest hole. Jamaal Magloire's hand fracture is not looking nearly as bad as it was predicted. Although coach Erik Spoelstra did not release a new timetable, but indicated it would not be as long as the six-to-eight-week timetable which was initially predicted. Nonetheless, Spoelstra does not expect to have Magloire ready for Oct. 29's season opener against New York.

The remaining options at center are: Mark Blount, Joel Anthony, and David Padgett. Despite the fact that none of the fives have been appreciatively better than any of the others, Anthony has made an impact. Because of his freakishly long arms and impeccable timing, he is able to compensate for standing at 6'9". He is still very raw offensively, but I would not worry about offense. With Dwyane Wade, Michael Beasley, Shawn Marion, Udonis Haslem, and James Jones all high-octane offensive threats, Spoelstra can mask Anthony's offensive shortcomings.

Still, we could expect to see Udonis Haslem spend time in the middle. Spoelstra only used the three-forward lineup of Marion, Beasley, and Haslem for a little over two minutes, so any concerns are a bit premature. Those three forwards are Miami's best rebounders, period. But Haslem, while effective defensively, has never been anything close to an imposing defensive force. I expect Spoelstra to use that lineup in certain situations. For example, Mike D'Antoni may start David Lee at center on Oct. 29. A three-forward lineup would be perfectly viable then. But against Dwight Howard and the Magic, it would be asinine for Spoelstra to use Haslem as Miami's center.

Now, I have long advocated for a trade involving Shawn Marion to get a center in return. Although the Antoine Walker trade last season was a (regrettable) exception, many teams do not make trades in the preseason. You do not hear the drums of trade in November or December. It usually happens close to mid-season. If Marion plays well these first few months of the season, Pat Riley may be able to swing a deal for him. I don't want to hear any more of his "we are taxed out" crap. I'm sure those empty seats at the Triple A are more hurtful financially than going a few million dollars into the luxury tax.

Now, Miami's other hole is (you guessed it) the point guard position. Chris Quinn remains an option for the Heat on Saturday. Mario Chalmers has not exceeded the expectations of a typical second-round draftee thus far. He's got some way to go before he can even get himself off the bench when Spoelstra's rotation is set. And Marcus Banks has shown some ability to slash and hit the occasional three, but he hasn't been a floor general. For now at least, it makes the most sense to start Quinn in the backcourt with Wade, and then have Banks as a scorer off the bench.

I would not object to a trade to get a point guard, but I feel the five should be priority number one. I feel the Heat can survive with Quinn as the starting point guard if you have Dwyane Wade next to him. I see many problems defensively and even offensively as far as second-chance points go with the lack of leadership at the center. But holes remain for the Heat. Unless one player for their respective positions shows true effectiveness, Pat Riley needs to call up another GM if he wants to fill up his seats.

Deja Vu? Heat Lose Again in OT

When the Heat were in Miami, they lost to Detroit in a 95-91 overtime decision. When the Heat were in Paris, they lost to New Jersey in a 100-98 overtime decision.

The stars for Miami were Dwyane Wade and Michael Beasley. Wade registered 21 points on an efficient 6-of-11 shooting from the field, seven-of-eight from the free-throw line, and two-for-two from downtown. Moreover, Wade grabbed five rebounds and collected three steals. In 28 minutes off the bench, Beasley shot 8-of-18 from the field and snatched seven rebounds. Not surprisingly, Erik Spoelstra's best offense came when either Wade or Beasley was creating.

In a way, that is the problem for Miami. If the preseason is any indicator, Miami's point guard problem isn't going to be fixed with what Spoelstra has. With Chris Quinn out with a sprained left ankle, Marcus Banks started. Banks had nine points on 4-of-10 shooting and dished out seven assists. That's not bad. But he turned the ball over six times. That is not something you want out of your point guard. In 26 minutes, Mario Chalmers was nothing like himself during the summer league. He had eight points on two-of-six shooting, dished out three assists, and turned the ball over three times. Shaun Livingston did not play.

I am not saying that Chalmers cannot be the future point guard for the Heat. But you can't expect him to just take over as a rookie. He is no LeBron James and he is no Dwyane Wade. Pat Riley is going to find himself at the very least, a stopgap at point guard for the Heat. Right now, the Heat only has backup point guards. These first two preseason games have only reinforced the need for another point guard.

Miami's other hole is at the five. Against Detroit, Mark Blount had a solid game. Against New Jersey, you could not notice Blount was on the floor. And Jamaal Magloire and David Padgett do not offer much reassurance as is, but they couldn't even get the attention of the statistician today. Joel Anthony had a solid game with five points, six rebounds and three blocked shots in just 13 minutes of action. But I would put him on the floor more because he gives Miami that defense and rebounding.

Before going into training camp, everyone knew that Miami had problems at the one and the five. Two games into the preseason, the same problems still exist. Daequan Cook had his moments, but the Heat still need to make a move. Shawn Marion is still a guy who cannot create his own shot, and it showed earlier today. As a guy who relies so much on his athleticism, the fact that he is on the wrong side of 30 does not help. Ben Wallace was a guy who relied a lot on his athleticism to block shots and get garbage points. But after he signed that huge deal with Chicago, they tried to trade him because they knew he was on the decline.

The problems at the point guard and center have an adverse effect on the Miami Heat. When the point guard position is vacant, it leaves too many responsibilities on the shoulders of Wade. I am sure Beasley will help, but there still will be a lot riding on Wade if the is not a guy setting up people to score. At the center, it leaves Miami vulnerable defensively in the paint. On the other end of the court, the lack of a center makes there be less high-percentage shots and second-chance opportunities. I would be putting Joel Anthony in because it looks like he can be a defensive-minded guy who can get some garbage points.

In addition to Quinn and Livingston, Udonis Haslem, James Jones, Dorell Wright, and Jason Richards all sat due to minor injuries.

Beasley Makes Strong Debut in Loss

In a hard-fought exhibition opener, the Detroit Pistons defeated the Miami Heat in a 95-91 decision that went into overtime.

The Heat opened with a lineup of Chris Quinn, Dwyane Wade, Yakhouba Diawara, Shawn Marion, and Mark Blount. Coach Erik Spoelstra said he wouldn't read too much into this lineup.

Sophomore Rodney Stuckey was the one who put the nail in the coffin for Miami. Stuckey hit a 22-foot jumper that may have been off the backboard to inch Detroit within one with 8.8 seconds to go. After Daequan Cook connected on one of two free throws, Stuckey hit another jumper to force overtime. In the extra period, Detroit scored the first three field goals, essentially putting away the Heat.

Michael Beasley first checked into the game with 3:11 left to go in the first quarter to a loud standing ovation, despite the sparsity of the crowd. The rookie finished with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field. Beasley started the third quarter alongside fellow rookie Mario Chalmers, Wade, Marion, and Blount. Beasley thrived with Wade and Marion by his side. Early in the third quarter, Wade assisted Beasley on back-to-back field goals. Beasley scored 13 points in the third quarter alone.
Blount was another standout from the game. In 22 minutes, Blount scored 12 points on four-of-eight shooting from the field and four-of-five shooting from the free-throw line. Additionally, Blount grabbed five rebounds, but his four fouls may be a cause for concern.

Undrafted center David Padgett, who did not distinguish himself among the rest in the summer league, played surprisingly well. The rookie out of Louisville had 11 points and six rebounds in just 17 minutes. Meanwhile, centers Joel Anthony and Jamaal Magloire looked rather pedestrian. Despite the solid play of both Blount and Padgett, there is no definitive answer at the five.

The other position in which the Heat have no definitive answer is at the one. Last night, no questions were answered. Quinn shot an abysmal one-of-seven from the field. Chalmers had his moments, including a buzzer-beating three-pointer to end the first half. However, Chalmers also committed four turnovers in 24 minutes. And you could have forgotten Marcus Banks was on the Heat after his performance last night.

Wade shot an uneven three-of-nine from the field, but does not appear to have lost any steps since his impressive Olympic performance. The franchise player finished with 11 points, seven assists, and three steals. Marion had six points and seven rebounds, and looked comfortable in the up-tempo style Spoelstra utilized.

Diawara had nine points on a decent three-of-seven shooting from the field, but didn't do anything to make Spoelstra put him little bit higher on the depth chart. The trio of Wade, Marion, and Beasley looks promising. With Marion using up the majority of the minutes at the three, James Jones is the incumbent back-up. Jones did not play due to a wrist injury. It will be difficult for Diawara to find minutes at the small forward position.

I guess there could be minutes available for Diawara backing up Wade. But Daequan Cook showed some promise. Although he shot a sub-par four-of-15 from the field, he never put his head down and kept his confidence high. But who knows? Diawara certainly has the size over Cook, and he hit a three last night. If he can just come close to Cook's three-point accuracy, he may grab the second-string shooting guard spot.

In addition to Jones, Udonis Haslem, Shaun Livingston, Jason Richards, and Dorell Wright did not dress for Miami. The Heat left earlier today for France, as part of a NBA Europe Live tour.

Heat Brings in Shaun Livingston

In an apparent move to boost its point guard position, the Miami Heat reportedly signed former lottery pick Shaun Livingston.

The signing, which was described as being "on the verge" earlier today, is essentially a two-year deal which amounts to nothing more than the $1.9 million lower-level salary cap exception. Livingston will join a crowd in the point guard position with journeyman Marcus Banks, second-round pick Mario Chalmers, and undrafted guard Chris Quinn. All four will be fighting for one starting position.

Livingston, standing at 6'7", can provide mismatches for opponents on both sides of the court. He has great vision of the court and has great passing skills. First-year coach Erik Spoelstra compared Livingston's passing ability and size to that of a young Penny Hardaway. That's not a bad comparison for the 23-year-old, but Livingston was never Hardaway when he first came into the League.

In his rookie season, Livingston only played in 30 games and started in half of them. He averaged seven points and five assists per game. The best season of his career was in 2006-07, which was the one that ended with a sour injury. Livingston averaged nine points while shooting 46.3% from the field. Again, he averaged roughly five assists and one steal.

In some ways, this is Pat Riley rolling the dice. But in some ways, it's not. This was a low-risk, high-reward type of signing. He has been injury-prone and weak before his injury, but he's also got some skills. A criticism of Banks is that he's a not a true floor general. A criticism of Chris Quinn is that he's not very athletic. Livingston can be your answer. I realize that Chalmers has potential, but he's got to prove he can play well against the elite of the NBA. Livingston has more experience in that regard, and I'd put him in front of Chalmers for now.

I have no idea where Livingston will fit among Banks, Chalmers and Quinn. Maybe Spoelstra thinks he still needs some more work before he can hit the court. But this was not a one-year deal, it was a two-year deal. Therefore, it shows a little bit of a commitment to Livingston. I have heard reports that Riles is trying to trade Dorell Wright and/or Daequan Cook just so he can get below the luxury tax. I don't believe it.

First of all, the luxury tax shouldn't be that big of a deal when Livingston is making less than the lower level exception. Now, I can somewhat understand why Riley might want to trade Wright. He tried to groom him as a point guard over the course of a few summer leagues, and he hasn't panned out. Now you have a tall point guard in Livingston. But I can't fathom why Riley would want to trade Cook. He's one of the few lethal three-point threats Riley has. He's a valuable back-up to Dwyane Wade. Right now, I wouldn't be ready to put all of my eggs in the Yakhouba Diawara basket.

Banks has three years left on his contract, each paying him more than $4 million. He's a guy who I could see get traded. Banks hasn't been able to seperate himself from Quinn and Chalmers, who are more inexperienced than him. As mentioned earlier, Banks is not the best ballhandler in the world. He also is turnover-prone. He's a good spot-up shooter, but he wouldn't do a lot to take pressure off of Wade. Livingston would. The only question now is who will take Banks.

A backcourt of Livingston and Wade can provide numerous mismatches. But the Heat still lack a solid big man. Dwight Howard is the only dominant center of the East, but Beasley is going to have his hands full at times. Rasheed Wallace, Chris Bosh, and Kevin Garnett can all provide problems for Beasley. It will be important to have a defensive-minded center who can take off some pressure off of Beasley.

What Really Matters

Late Monday night, General Manager Randy Pfund announced that he had resigned from his position to pursue other business opportunities, a move that all but solidified Pat Riley's position as czar of the Heat.

There have been several reports that Pfund was forced out of the job. Pat Riley has vehemently denied that he was squeezed out. Was he? I don't know. I would not even guess. The facts in this case have not been revealed. Maybe Pfund was upset that Riley had too much of a voice in front office decisions. Maybe it was something different. But whichever side of the fence you're on, it doesn't really matter.

Let's be straight. Pat Riley's absolute control over the organization has been well-documented over the years. I know that Pfund pressed for Riley to pick Dwyane Wade in the 2003 NBA Draft, but notice it was not Riley pressing Pfund to draft Wade. It went through Riley. Pfund knew that.

What really matters is who the Heat put on the court. The quality of that team is what will lead to victories. I realize that quality upstairs can lead to quality on the court, but it's always been about Riley in the past. Now, it's only clearer.

Both coach Erik Spoelstra and Wade praised Joel Anthony's effort in training camp. Wade acknowledged that he enjoys having a shot-blocker behind him, which gives him more liberty to gamble on the defensive end. I find it perfectly conceivable that Anthony could get a lot of minutes. It's going to be an open field, with Mark Blount and Jamaal Magloire with Anthony on the center depth chart.

The problem is that Anthony is just 6'9". Now, just because he's 6'9" and can block shots does not make him Ben Wallace. Blount and Magloire both have the height advantage, but Blount has a tough time defensively and should grab many more rebounds. Magloire has the ability to block some shots, especially with his long wingspan. But if you're 6'11" and you can't even break the Mavericks rotation or the Nets rotation, something must be missing. Therefore, Anthony can be a center if he shows that he has the ability to defend people three or four inches taller than him.

Staying with the center position, Udonis Haslem has found himself playing the five in training camp. A three-forward lineup consisting of small forward Shawn Marion and power forwards Michael Beasley and Haslem is a viable option. In the East, the only dominant center is Dwight Howard. A three-forward lineup would certainly create a more up-tempo style of play. Moreover, Marion, Beasley and Haslem are all good rebounders, dispelling a conception that going small leads to less rebounds.


Don't forget that Riley can certainly trade one of his forwards away. The clear frontrunner is Shawn Marion. His contract is going to expire after this season and he's going to leave for another team. Additionally, Marion was clear in his opposition to his role as a third wheel behind Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire in Phoenix. Now, Marion finds himself behind Dwyane Wade and Michael Beasley with a worse supporting cast. Marion has been saying all of the right things in interviews, but I still feel trading Marion for a pressing need would behoove the Heat.

In a tidbit, Wade has said that he is working on his outside shot in training camp. Does that mean we'll see the one thing Wade has been missing from his offensive arsenal showcased this season? Wade started to shoot (and make) some long-distance shots in the 2006 playoffs and Finals, but we didn't see him attempt many triples the next season. Still, there is still a possibility that Spoelstra wants to see Wade add to his offensive repertoire.