Miami Heat Times

Meet The Draft Picks: Michael Beasley

2008-06-29T16:05:00.006-04:00

The draft is over, the smoke has cleared, and Miami has two new players on the roster. Michael Beasley, a PF from Kansas State, was selected with the 2nd pick in the draft, and, after a couple trades, we also added Mario Chalmers, PG and folk-hero from Kansas. So, to get to know them a little better, I've checked stats, highlight tapes, and various web-site sources to give a complete breakdown of what each player can and can't do. First up, Michael Beasley.

Beasley was, in my opinion, the best prospect in this draft class. I'm sure everybody knows the two big numbers Beasley put up in college, 26 pts and 12 rebs a game. But his other numbers are just as impressive. First of all, he is much better on defense than people give him credit for, averaging almost 2 blocks per game, and only 2.6 fouls. His shooting percentage was very high for a guy scoring so much; he shot 53% from the field, 38% from 3pt range. He's also a good FT shooter, hitting on 78% in his one year of college. His assists numbers weren't very good, at only 1 a game, but he was the guy finishing plays, not starting them. He is a high-volume scorer and rebounder, without being a high-volume shooter. In fact, there was only 5 games in which he shot 22 times or more, and he scored more than 33 all 5 times. He made 14-22, scoring 40 pts against Winston Salem. He put up 12-22 and 40 pts against Mizzou. He scored 44 pts on 14-25 shooting in a loss vs Baylor. In back-to-back games, he scored 39 on 11-23, and 33 on 12-22. In every one of those games, the high number of shots didn't bring his shooting% down at all. Beasley shot 50+% in all of those games. He will be a perfect fit with Wade, because he can put points on the board without having to shoot every time down the floor.

I've hit up RealGM.com, one of the best sites going, for an in-depth breakdown of his skills, and they didn't disappoint. You can read the entire acticle here. http://www.realgm.com/src_fromtherafters/170/20080605/draft_report_michael_beasley_of_k_state/
Some highlights in the article:
"In the triple threat position, there is nothing he can’t do, and Beasley (a very self-assured young man when I spoke to him) knows this fact exceedingly well."

"But unlike certain remorseless prolific scorers, Beasley doesn’t excessively force things."

"Very explosive in the post, Beasley is NBA-ready to bang and score. He scores at a tremendously effective rate despite the constant collapse of double-teams when he touches the ball."

"Beasley is excellent at finding the vulnerabilities of a defense when he moves without the ball. Even more remarkable is how he always has his hands facing the ball, readying for a pass."

"By being so long to the ball despite being a little short for a power forward, he will always be an above average rebounder"

"Defensively, he is more motor and athletic talent than technique. He can block/affect shots quite easily, but he sometimes is mentally lackadaisical..."

The article finishes up comparing Beasley to Rasheed Wallace offensively, but a better scorer because he has the ability to score off the dribble. There is really nothing Beasley can't do on a basketball court, and he will be an all-star caliber forward in the very near future. To finish up, here's a highlight video that really shows all of Beasley's skills, offensively and defensively.

Heat Still Dealing, Trade Darnell Jackson

2008-06-27T07:53:00.002-04:00

I woke up this morning to find out that Miami has dealt their second round pick, Darnell Jackson from Kansas, to Cleveland for one of their 2 second rounders in the 2009 draft. That didn't take long. My guess here is that after dealing 2 of our '09 second rounders to get Chalmers, the FO decided to get one of those back. Obviously there's no way to say whether this is a good deal or not, but it does give us some options going into next offseason. Basically, we gave up a late second round this year, and a second next year to jump up to 34 and get Mario Chalmers, the perfect PG for this type of team. He's Derek Fisher lite, and putting him on the court with Wade, Beasley, and Marion (who I think will be traded) will be great for him. He will be asked to play D and shoot 3's, his two strengths.

So the Darnell Jackson era is over. It lasted a couple hours. But I still say we won on draft day, Beasley and Chalmers is a nice 1st rd/2nd rd combo. I'll try to keep track of any big news story throughout the day, but most likely I'll be back tonight with a recap of today's moves.

NBA Draft: Heat Get Beasley

2008-06-27T00:11:00.004-04:00

Well, the waiting is over. The drama ended soon after Chicago made Derrick Rose the top pick in the Draft. Miami bypassed any type of trade or twist, taking Michael Beasley at number 2, and disappearing for a couple hours. I couldn't be happier right now. We just added the best college prospect of the last decade to a team with one of the top 5 (when healthy) players in the league. Beasley is a certifiable stud, and we will get to watch him become that cornerstone-type player in Miami for the foreseeable future. Coach Spoelstra can plug him in at the 3 or 4 right away and not have any worries. Double-Double from the get-go, focus of the inside offense, the second superstar you need to win that NBA Title.

Basically, all the trade talks and garbage about Mayo, Bayless, or any other rumor flying the last few weeks involving Miami passing on Beasley were put to rest, and apparently the character concerns and reservations went with them. Like I've been saying for a while now (although I even started questioning it), Riley played the game brilliantly and got the player he wanted all along. Our roster is also still completely intact, so tonight was all about addition. And Beasley is one hell of an addition. I'll post videos within the next couple days of our 3 newest players.

Speaking of the other 2, we grabbed 2 potential impact guys in the second round, one with our pick at 52, and another through a trade. At pick 52, we drafted Darnell Jackson, the 6'8 PF from Kansas. He has a big frame, and works hard on both ends of the floor. He's a very good finisher, and has a pretty good mid-range jumper. Jackson averaged a respectable 11.2 pts and 6.7 rebs last season, very good numbers considering he played in one of the most loaded frontcourts in the NCAA last season. He really flew under the radar behind Darrell Arthur, and I think he can make the team and contribute in a year or two. Soon after that pick, it was announced that Miami was involved in a trade with Minnesota. My heart stopped for a second, thinking it was Beasley for Mayo, but it turned out to be a much better deal from Miami's perspective. We traded two 2nd round picks next year and some cash, for Mario Chalmers, PG from KU, who the T'Wolves chose at pick 34. There was talk of him being in the lottery, but he dropped into the early second round, and we were able to get him without giving up much of anything. I think that may turn out to be a very good pickup, he's a solid defender, good with the dribble, and can definitely shoot the 3, which is all we really want out of a PG next to Wade in the backcourt.

Overall, this draft gets an A+ from me. Maybe I'm just a homer. But Beasley will be a star. And Chalmers and Jackson could both be good role players in a few years, and good young bench players don't exactly grow on trees in the NBA. Very good draft, Riley clearly is still the genius he's always been.

Some other draft notes:
- Mayo looked absolutely DEVASTATED that he has to play in Minnesota instead of Miami. I kind of feel bad for him, because Riley played him as part of the whole "master plan" he had going, and Mayo seemed disappointed that he wasn't the 2nd pick. Oh well, he'll be a good player, and in 3 or 4 years he can leave Minny and get to the big market he craves. Good luck to him.

-The Knicks took the Italian Danilo Gallinari, and the fans in NYC booed him. New Yorkers booing an Italian? WTF?

-Utah had 3 draft picks, and picked 3 international guys. Kosta Koufos, Ante Tomic, and Tadija Dragici-whatever the hell it is. It became a bit of a running gag by the third pick with me and my dad, and we laughed for about 5 minutes after they took Dragicevic (or something). Apparently they don't want to see the two guys they got in round 2. And they definitely need a Euro guy to stick between Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko on the frontline. What a fun locker room that must be. Meh.

-Joey Dorsey was picked ahead of CD-R, who incredibly dropped to the 40th pick to New Jersey. What a joke. CD-R was the best player on Memphis last season, and he went after Joey Dorsey. And after Euro Stiffs like Omer Asik.

-Jay Bilas narrowed his Draft Vocabulary down to about 5 phrases by the end of the night, and he used them to describe every single pick. Long Wingspan. Can get off the floor. Will make an NBA team. Etc etc... Bilas is as boring as it gets.

-Wow. As I'm sitting here typing this, Minnesota has worked out a deal with Memphis that would swap Mayo for Love, with Marko Jaric, Antoine Walker, and Greg Buckner accompanying Mayo to Memphis, and Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal, and Jason Collins heading to Minnesota with Love. Blockbuster. Doesn't affect us any, but still, Wow.

-I'll have more in the next few days, as all the trades are worked out and picks are finalized. Free Agency starts soon as well, so as Riley makes moves, I'll post blogs. Sleep well Heat fans, dreaming about buying that new Michael Beasley Heat jersey. I know I will.

Qualifying Offers for Wright, Quinn, and Powell

2008-06-25T22:25:00.002-04:00

The Heat extended qualifying offers to SF Dorrell Wright, PG Chris Quinn, and PF/D-League MVP Kasib Powell. This officially makes them restricted FA's. So, if any team decides they absolutely need Chris Quinn in their lineup, the Heat have the opportunity to match any offer he receives. I think Powell will most likely end up either a) cut, b) traded as filler in a bigger deal, or c) sent back down to NBADL. Quinn will probably be our backup PG behind Banks, unless we make a trade for a starter and keep Banks in the process, which would demote Quinn to the 3rd PG and alot of "DNP CD" box scores. Dorrell Wright, in my opinion, will be resigned and see significant minutes off the bench, or used in a sign-and-trade package with Marion, Cook, or Haslem.

Meanwhile, the draft is in less than 24 hours, and rumors are SWIRLING regarding the Heat and the number 2 pick. Some of it is assinine, some of it is ridiculous, and most of it is borderline retarded. The deals offered and rumored are so horrendously bad I can't help but feeling Riley is leaking information just to hide his true intentions. I get an image of Riley, Pfund, and Arison sitting in somebody's living room, smoking giant cigars, and prank-calling Chad Ford and Andy Katz with stupid trades and rumors, then laughing hysterically when it's plastered all over the network minutes later. ESPNEWS even went as far as speculating on a Wade-for-spare-parts trade in the works. Hilarious. But, if we really come out of this draft without Beasley or a comparable star, I will be royally pissed, along with most of the Heat fans I talk to. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens tomorrow night. Just remember that in the NBA, trades are announced after picks are made, so be sure to watch until at least the start of the 2nd round to make sure we keep who we pick. Just because we take Beasley at 2 doesn't mean we don't have a deal in place, however unlikely it may seem. I'm gassing up the B-Easy Bandwagon tonight, and I hope Riley and the rest of the Heat FO jump aboard.

Draft Day Approaches

2008-06-25T07:00:00.002-04:00

In less than 48 hours, the Miami Heat will make a franchise-altering move in the NBA Draft. The overwhelming consensus with fans, experts, and the occasional "anonymous GM" is to take Michael Beasley at 2, and call it a night. Then start to wheel and deal with other pieces to fill in the gaps between Wade and Beas. But apparently every source ESPN has that's close to the Heat says we will be passing on Beasley (or trading him) to secure a PG. Mayo has been in the discussion for weeks, and Bayless has been mentioned in the latest reports. Also, that pesky anonymous source is giving info on Riley actually making the phone calls regarding trades, instead of just fielding offers. All this speculation and information can mean many different things. I'll try to give you a couple plausible reasons why these reports continue coming out.

A) Riley has lost it, and he is seriously considering passing Beasley to another team to end up with Mayo/Bayless. This, in my mind, is the most unlikely, but also the scariest if it happens to be true. Since the night of the lottery, Riley has tried to bury Beasley's draft stock 6ft under, and it seems like it will continue right up until we make a selection/trade. If Riley has been truthful in his comments, and he does in fact select Mayo at 2, or accept a horrible trade to drop down, it will indicate that Riley isn't the shrewd GM he's been in the past. I find this hard to believe as well, considering he was able to rectify this past offseason by dealing Shaq and his enormous contract for a versatile player and valuable trade chip. There is no way Riley could actually be thinking about just letting the best college prospect this decade slip through his fingers. And if he does, I'll be driving the Fire Riley Wagon down I95, so feel free to hop on.

B) ESPN is creating interest and thus boosting ratings for their draft coverage by publishing outlandish reports from unnamed sources. This is about as unlikely as Riley all the sudden losing his touch, but it's still a possibility. ESPN doesn't seem like they are in the business of sports news as much as they are in the business of ratings and money as of late. And this would go along with that. If ESPN wants to create intrigue and lure viewers Thursday night, what better way to do it than to open the door to a possible blockbuster deal in which any team in the NBA may jump into the 2nd spot and grab the top prospect? It's a smart move by the Network, if that is indeed what they are doing. On a side note, it could also come from some misinformation coming out of the Heat offices getting to the ESPN reporters, and they are in a mad dash to break the blockbuster news before anyone else. This is the same thing that happened at the Boston paper during the Spygate garbage. Ratings, and being the first network/writer to break the news, could drive ESPN to come up with some interesting trade scenario's involving the Draft.

C) Riley continues to put out false reports of his supposed interest in other prospects, or trading his pick, or other ways he can dump Beasley. This is the scenario I'm leaning to, if only because I've felt this way for a while, and I think any fan of the Heat knows that Riley isn't stupid, and lies and misdirection are just a part of the game he plays come draft time. Isaiah is dumb enough to pass on Beasley, McHale is probably dumb enough, Billy Knight is dumb enough, but not Riley. He built a championship team here before, and he came damn close in his first attempt as well, so I can't see that same man absolutely blowing the biggest moment for this franchise in a long time. I feel (and I've felt this way since lottery night) that Riley has wanted Beasley from day 1. When he began taking games off to scout prospects, he often went to see K-State play, to watch Beasley. He talked up both top prospects (Rose included) during the weeks leading up to the lottery, and then, after landing the 2nd pick instead of the 1st, immediately nuked Beasley's stock and did everything he could to launch Rose into the 1 spot. Whether his opinion had any affect on Chicago's impending decision, I have no idea, but it very well may have. The fact that he was so blatant in his statements suggests to me that it was a Parcellian misdirection ploy, and that he was trying his absolute hardest to make sure Beasley fell to us at number 2. All the trade talks will just enhance this smokescreen, making it seem that we would be willing to take just about anything to avoid taking MB.

I hope and pray that scenario C is the correct one, and that we will, when the smoke clears, select, sign, and suit Beasley up next season. Like I mentioned before, Riley will have to do some serious explaining to the fanbase should he pass on a possible Superstar. So keep an eye out for more reports, and check the Draft out tomorrow night. Just know that if, by Friday morning, Beasley is not a member of the Heat, that there may not be a new post coming up because I'll be checking into a mental hospital. Pat, don't fail us now.

Alexander Johnson Waived

2008-06-23T21:55:00.003-04:00

The man that my Dad and I called 'Anonymous' Johnson has been put on waivers by Miami today. A little (very little) history on the nickname: when he first appeared in a game last season, we kept calling him Anthony Johnson. Then it was Antonio. Then we found out it was Alexander. But we couldn't keep it straight. Add that to the fact that neither of us knew who he was, where he came from, or how he ended up on the court for the Heat, and the 'Anonymous' moniker was born. Not that any of you care. Back to the topic.

I'm actually surprised by this move. I figured that he may be the odd man out, but I thought we would wait until we had a couple bigs to replace him. He was basically a FA insurance policy, because if we couldn't land any quality bigs, Anonymous is not a bad guy to have as the 4th big in the rotation. 6'10, big body, good rebounder, ok defender, not a starter/6th man by any stretch, but he's was a decent player. Or maybe last year's D-League roster made him look like a much better player than he really is. Probably the latter.

So, on this note, we bid farewell to the Anonymous Johnson era in Miami. Can't say I'm disappointed. I'm ready to get back to winning games. Draft on Thursday, don't miss it.

Shawn Marion Opt-Out Watch

2008-06-23T13:53:00.002-04:00

The deadline for Marion to opt-out of the last year in his $17.8 million contract is Tuesday evening, and all signs point to him bypassing that option. His agent said Sunday that it's "highly unlikely" that he'll forego the final season to become a free agent. In my opinion, it's a good decision on his part. He won't get that kind of money from anyone, so he's better off taking the big payday and trying to play his way into a better contract than he would get as a FA this year.

On Miami's front, I think this basically puts him on trading block. He suddenly becomes worth much more than just his on-court play because of the large amount of money coming off the cap next season. If the Heat land Beasley on Thursday (and I expect them to) Marion will most likely be moved for a couple decent starters. So, I believe Miami will end up with Beasley, sign 1 or 2 key FA's, and move Marion to fill in the other spots. I have faith in Riley to get the job done.

Rose Changes His Tune, Meets With Heat In Cali

2008-06-21T20:34:00.002-04:00

Last we heard from Derrick Rose, he wasn't planning on working out for the Heat, but he decided against that strategy yesterday, and met with the Miami coaching staff in Santa Monica, California earlier today. Rose did some court work for the staff, and Miami's coaches also took him to lunch. Pat Riley was unable to be there, but he did speak to Rose by phone during the course of the meeting.

Rose's agent, B.J. Armstrong, said that the statements Rose made about not visiting with the Heat arose from his busy pre-draft schedule, and the fact that his reps didn't want him to cross the country to visit in Miami, double back to LA, and travel cross-country again to NY for the Draft Thursday. Not sure why they couldn't meet earlier than the last week before the draft, to avoid this kind of scheduling overload, but I guess there was more important things for Rose to take care of than meeting with the Heat.

My take: I'm not sure the meeting was necessary because I seriously doubt Chicago passes on Rose. And I believe that Riley wants Beasley, despite what the major media will tell you. I wouldn't bank on a trade out of the 2 spot either. In my view, the top of the draft is gonna be pretty cut and dry. 1. Rose. 2. Beasley. 3. Mayo. And then the fun will begin. Somebody will take Brook Lopez too high. Somebody will take Eric Gordon too low. And Phoenix and Portland will both make a trade, but probably not with each other. I'm expecting the Knicks to try and trade down and dump one of their horrendous contracts on a team looking to move up. However, don't be surprised to see something completely out of the blue. This IS the NBA, after all.

Rose Won't Work Out For The Heat

2008-06-20T07:30:00.000-04:00

Derrick Rose is putting all his eggs in Chicago's basket, it seems, after his comments today. A few quotes:

On his reaction if the Bulls select him: "Everything would be perfect, it would be a dream come true, I swear. I'll probably faint if they call my name, I'll need a paramedic close by."

On falling to Miami at number 2: "I'll hate it. Anybody would hate their hometown not taking you, knowing that it could happen. But the biggest thing was playing in the NBA. My work ethic isn't going to change."

On if he has a workout scheduled with Miami: "I don't think so. All I know now is that I'm here."

When asked if he has a reason why he hasn't scheduled a workout with the Heat: "Not really. They're in the top two. So I'll probably go down there and work out. But if not, too bad."

Reggie Rose, Derrick's brother and trusted advisor, also chimed in: "This is our last stop."

I think it's important to note that Rose's agent is former Bulls PG B.J. Armstrong. It's becoming more and more likely with each passing day that Rose will the first pick in the draft, and I'm very happy with that. He seems like he would actually be disappointed coming to Miami, and I don't want a player like that. And it also means we would get Beasley, who I believe has been Riley's target all along.

Rose's statements can mean 1 of 2 things. 1) Chicago has already made him a promise, so no Miami visit is needed, and all the hysterics over being drafted by Chicago is playing to the fans before the draft. or 2) Rose has maturity issues and/or is pretty dumb making statements that could jeopardize his draft status should Chicago pass on him. I'm leaning towards 1, but looking back at all of Rose's past quotes leading up to this, he goes back and forth with regularity. There was his "Beasley is better than me," moment, where it appeared he was pushing the Bulls to take the KState prospect. And the "I would love to play with Wade." comment when asked about coming to Miami. And now, he basically says that he would "hate" to be drafted by anyone but Chicago, including the Heat. Confusing, to say the least, but I think it'll all be a moot point once Chicago takes him.

Upcoming Free Agents Part 4

2008-06-20T02:00:00.000-04:00

This is the final installment of the Free Agency feature here at Miami Heat Times. There are 8 teams left to be covered, but I'll try to keep it short, especially since there aren't many players coming up that are worth talking about. The Draft is coming up in less than a week, and the FA period soon after, so it's about to get real busy down here in Wade County.

Phoenix Suns
Restricted: None
Unrestricted: Gordan Giricek, Grant Hill, Linton Johnson, Sean Marks, Eric Piatkowski, Brian Skinner
> Lot of age in this group. In fact, other than Linton Johnson (who?), everyone here is over 30. Not exactly the kind of players Miami needs to sink money into during a rebuilding year. We're looking for young, up and coming role players to be high-energy, consistent performers alongside Wade and (insert draft pick here). Since exactly zero of these guys fit the bill, I'm moving on.

Portland Trail Blazers
Restricted: Von Wafer
Unrestricted: James Jones
> I could've skipped Portland altogether, and nobody would've noticed. However, I wouldn't totally write off James Jones. He's not that good, but he's from Miami, he's got good size for a SF (6'8 220), and he shot 44% from 3pt range last season on 200+ attempts. If we fail to land a decent backup swingman, Jones could probably end up like a middle-class man's James Posey. I definitely wouldn't take him over a guy like Ariza, Deng, or Iguodala, but as a worst-case scenario, he wouldn't be half bad.

Sacramento Kings
Restricted: None
Unrestricted: Beno Udrih, Anthony Johnson, Lorenzen Wright
> There's a realistic chance Artest could opt out, at least giving some name recognition to the Kings' FA's, but I wouldn't touch him in free agency, or a trade, or for free. Let's just focus on the actual names here. Beno Udrih looks like he could develop into a solid PG, but he doesn't shoot the 3 ball enough to satisfy me at the position. However, if he can stay around 38% at a higher shooting clip, he could be a nice complementary player.

San Antonio Spurs
Restricted: None
Unrestricted: Brent Barry, Michael Finley, Robert Horry, DerMarr Johnson, Damon Stoudamire, Kurt Thomas, Jacque Vaughn
> This is the NBA's Senior League All-Star Team. A few of these guys might retire, but it doesn't matter to me, we won't be seeing anybody here in a Heat uniform. What's next?

Seattle SuperSonics
Restricted: Mickael Gelabale, Robert Swift
Unrestricted: Ronald Dupree, Francisco Elson
> Two 7ft stiffs. In the same paragraph. And in a couple months I may have to come back and change the team to the Oklahoma City something-or-others (I propose Bombers). I told you this post would be short.

Toronto Raptors
Restricted: Jose Calderon, Carlos Delfino
Unrestricted: Primoz Brezec, Rasho Nesterovic
> I seriously doubt Toronto allows Calderon to go elsewhere, especially when you consider that they are trying to move Ford in a trade. I'd love to have him here, but i can't think of a scenario where the Raps would allow him to get away. However, if Jamario Moon is available, somebody over at Heat HQ should get on the phone with Toronto ASAP.

Utah Jazz
Restricted: C.J. Miles, Paul Millsap
Unrestricted: Jason Hart
> We already have a Millsap-clone in Haslem, (or is Millsap a Haslem-clone?). We don't need two guys like that. We're getting close to the end here, and there isn't one guy I really want out of this group of teams.

Washington Wizards
Restricted: None
Unrestricted: Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison, Roger Mason
> Arenas opted out of his contract as expected, but I kind of expect him to resign with Washington eventually. And I wouldn't want him on this team anyway. With DWade and our rookie, there won't be enough shots to satisfy him, and he'll probably take shots away from the other two guys to get his own. He's not a very good second banana, and we don't need another top dog in the rotation. Jamison would be a solid PF for us, but at 32, how much longer can he really go before his play declines? I think I would rather have a younger guy who has the potential to put up Jamison's numbers, than take a chance that Antawn can continue this level of play into his mid-30's.

This may have been the weakest group of the 4, but that's everyone. Not exactly a strong class, but there's some hidden gems out there that could contribute nicely. I doubt Pat breaks the bank for anybody this season, considering we could be major player's in '09 and '10 when we'll have Marion's 18mil to throw around. If Marion decides to opt out, we could make a play at one or two of the restricted FA's (Okafor, Deng, Boobie Gibson, Iguodala). There's alot of ways we can go this offseason, and it'll be interesting to see how this all plays out in the coming weeks.

Wade To Be Named To Olympic Squad

2008-06-19T08:00:00.001-04:00

Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel reported yesterday that DWade will be formally named to the Olympic squad when the 12-man roster is announced Monday. He will most likely be a reserve/bench player behind LeBron and Kobe in the SG rotation.

First of all, I'd like to congratulate Wade on being selected. In my opinion, it's a huge honor to be one of twelve people in your sport to be chosen to represent this country, and Dwyane is certainly deserving of this honor. He has been one of the brightest stars in the NBA since he was drafted, and he's proven time and time again that he one of the elite players in the league. I'm sure he will go to Beijing and play at the top of his game. Bring home the Gold, Dwyane!

The other side of the story is how this will affect him come next season. Alot of people feel like he should stay home, continue rehabbing, and rest up for the NBA season this October. I'm not one of those people. There is a tremendous amount of pride in competing under your country's flag, and he would be missing out on a rare experience if he decided to stay home. And what's better rehab than playing 15-20 minutes every couple days against the best in the world? I think the competition will be good for him, and he won't be used for 40 minutes a game and come back home physically exhausted. So I'll be rooting for him and the rest of Team USA to take back the Gold Medal to the States. And I think every fan of the Heat should do the same.

Upcoming Free Agents Part 3

2008-06-18T12:00:00.001-04:00

In Part 3, I'll take at 7 more teams' free agents. Same format as before, hopefully we can get some more quality out of this group than the last one. Let's get started.

Milwaukee Bucks
Restricted: Ersan Ilyasova, Awvee Storey
Unrestricted: Royal Ivey, Michael Ruffin, Jake Voskuhl
> One word. Who? Nothing on this list impresses me, and I think I would actually be disappointed if we signed any of these guys. If I absolutely HAD to take one, it would probably be Ivey. He's a NY point guard, and would come super cheap, and there's an outside chance he can become a solid backup. But unless he takes some serious positive strides, we're not winning anything with him. I'll pass on this group.

Minnesota Timberwolves
Restricted: Ryan Gomes, Craig Smith, Chris Richard, Kirk Snyder, Sebastian Telfair
Unrestricted: Michael Doleac
> Anybody up for bringing back Doleac? Me either. Gomes is an interesting player, and I could see him as a useful bench player if we trade Dorrell. I wouldn't touch Telfair, he's pretty much a bust in my mind. I doubt that he will all the sudden "get it" and begin playing like an elite NBA point guard like everyone thought he'd be out of high school. So I guess the only guy here that strikes me as a possibility is Gomes, but it's a long shot.

New Jersey Nets
Restricted: Nenad Krstic
Unrestricted: Darrell Armstrong, DeSagana Diop, Bostjan Nachbar, Stromile Swift
>I could see Diop here in Miami, especially if we get Beasley in the draft and need to play him at the PF for the first year or so. He's a big, strong center who does everything that we need at the 5 spot. He rebounds, defends, blocks shots, and doesn't ask for shots on the offensive end. Getting him cheap, then plugging in Boozer with a trade this year, or through FA next year, and moving Beasley to the SF would give us one of the best frontlines in the NBA. Everyone else on this list, no.

New Orleans Hornets
Restricted: None
Unrestricted: Chris Andersen, Ryan Bowen, Melvin Ely, Jannero Pargo, Bonzi Wells
> The Hornets were a very good young team this year, and players like Pargo, Wells, and Ely contributed quite nicely off the bench. Pargo is a streaky shooter who plays the point and can score in bunches, but he's small and doesn't always make the right decision with the ball. If he comes at a relatively low price, he could be a valuable player to come off the bench and score points, but he may not leave New Orleans. Ely is a big bruising center, but he played sparingly, and doesn't look like he has the skills to earn any more PT than he already gets. I wouldn't make it a point to sign him. Wells is a dynamic scorer, but he's also somewhat of a ballhog. He probably wouldn't fit into the offense on the first or second team, and he won't play the kind of defense that E. Spo. will demand. Chalk that up as a no. So only Pargo should really be considered from this group.

New York Knicks
Restricted: Randolph Morris
Unrestricted: Fred Jones
> No thanks. I don't want anything to do with anyone from that disaster formerly known as the Knicks. Pat, please steer clear of here.

Orlando Magic
Restricted: James Augustine
Unrestricted: Carlos Arroyo, Keith Bogans, Keyon Dooling, Maurice Evans, Adonal Foyle, Pat Garrity
> Alot of names on this list, but none that are really noteworthy. Dooling and Arroyo could add to our PG position, but are they Championship quality players? I say no. Foyle is another big physical center, and he rebounds and plays defense pretty well. He's nothing to go crazy over, and I would still choose 5 or 6 FA centers ahead of him this offseason, but I don't think there would be much downside to adding another large rebounder to the roster, especially if the price is low.

Philadelphia 76ers
Restricted: Louis Amundson, Herbert Hill, Andre Iguodala, Shavlik Randolph, Louis Williams
Unrestricted: Calvin Booth, Kevin Ollie
> Finally, a borderline superstar could be available. In actuality, Philly will most likely offer AI a max deal to keep him around, but it's fun to dream. He's a bit undersized for a SF at 6'6, but he plays big, and he can score and defend with the best of them. He's lightning quick off the dribble, and his shot is good enough to keep defenders off-balance. I can't see us realistically getting Iggy, but this is the NBA, and stranger things have happened. If Philly low-balls him, he may just decide to go elsewhere.

Getting close to the end here, and there aren't many top-notch players available. That should be expected, because the last superstar to switch teams in FA was Shaq, going from Orlando to LA. There is, however, plenty of talented role players on the list, and I hope we can add a couple pieces to fortify the rotation. Sorry for the delay in posting this, but Part 4 will be up soon.

Chad Ford Finally Sees The Light

2008-06-18T08:30:00.001-04:00

In Chad Ford's newest NBA Mock Draft, version 5.0 (he's working at a Todd McShay level right now) on ESPN, he is finally beginning to see what I've said all along regarding Rose and Beasley. Rose doesn't fit in with Wade in the backcourt. They are both slashers who need the ball in their hands to be effective, and neither is a knock-down shooter to open the lane. Here's a quote from the article.

"The skinny: The Heat continue to wait and hope that somehow Rose will fall to them at No. 2. Or do they?
One source close to the process says Pat Riley thinks Rose is a bad fit in the backcourt with Dwyane Wade, because drafting Rose would give Miami two athletic slashers who (a) are subpar shooters and (b) would have to try to share the ball. That source insists the Heat are bluffing about their interest in Rose in the hopes that Beasley falls to them at No. 2."

I don't think he has a source close to Riley, because if it ever got out that Riley was trying to influence Chicago into taking "his guy" Rose, Riley would probably fire the source. And make him disappear. I've felt that Miami has been pressuring Chi-town to take Rose by playing him up as the best player available and downgrading Beasley to try and drive his value down. My gut tells me Beasley is the player Pat wants, and he knows he has to do everything he can to make sure MB is there at 2. Hopefully it works, because the Chicago fans sure as hell want Rose, and I think the front office feels the same way. All the OJ Mayo talk is just more posturing to try and devalue Beasley even more. The way Pat is handling this, it makes Paxson think he may have missed something, or that there's something wrong with Beasley, because Riley is so adament in not taking him. I think the ruse is working, and I fully expect to land the 6'9 phenom come June 26. Feel free to throw it back in my face draft night if it doesn't work out like this, but I doubt I'm wrong on this one.

Celtics Win Title, 3 Former Heat Players Get Ring

2008-06-18T00:22:00.002-04:00

The Boston Celtics just finished off the LA Lakers in 6 games, winning their 17th Championship in franchise history. How does this relate to Miami you ask? Well, 3 players for Boston were, at one time, Heat players. P.J. Brown, Eddie House, and James Posey were all quality role players on the Celtics this season. I'm happy for Brown the most, because he was such a terrific player during the Heat-Knicks rivalry of the 90's, pairing with Zo to form one of the better frontcourts in the NBA for that period. He came out of retirement mid-season and was a big reason why Boston took care of business in the Finals. So, Congratulations to P.J, Eddie, and James for winning the title.

Beasley Visits Miami Next Week

2008-06-13T22:32:00.003-04:00

Michael Beasley will be visiting Miami for a workout June 17-19. I truly believe that Beasley is the top man on Riley's Draft Radar, but you won't hear that from the Top Man's mouth. Listening to Pat heap praise upon Rose and Mayo, discuss trading down almost daily, and generally dismiss Beasley as immature and a bad fit for Miami, it all seems like a huge bluff. Riley is anything but dumb, and I think he's just playing the game here, trying to pressure Paxson into taking a lesser prospect at #1, in this case, Rose, and leaving the top player (in my opinion, Beasley) for the Heat. Maybe I'm looking too much into it, but I seriously doubt Riley would a) pass on a potential superstar frontcourt player, and b) be so candid with his feelings about draft prospects, especially with a Conference Rival selecting ahead of him that will pretty much dictate who we end up with. Now, as always, I could be way off base, and Riley could really, really like D. Rose, but I'm just not feeling it. Riley is a respected man in NBA circles, and his opinion could potentially sway another GM's opinion, specifically in such a contested argument of Who's Number 1 in this year's draft. Only time will tell, but if we snatch Beasley at #2 without a second thought, we'll know Riley played the game with Paxson and won.

Upcoming Free Agents Part 2

2008-06-11T22:11:00.006-04:00

I'll be covering the next 7 teams (alphabetically) in the NBA, starting with Detroit. Once again, I'll be looking at each team's free agents, deciding which guys I would like in Miami and which guys I want no part of. On to the list..

Detroit Pistons
Restricted: Alex Acker, Walter Herrmann
Unrestricted: Juan Dixon, Jarvis Hayes, Lindsey Hunter, Theo Ratliff
> Um.. nobody? Seriously, does anybody on this list jump off the page? Didn't think so. Let's just move on...

Golden State Warriors
Restricted: Kelenna Azubuike, Andris Biedrins, Monta Ellis, C.J. Watson
Unrestricted: Matt Barnes, Austin Croshere, Patrick O'Bryant, Mickael Pietrus
> Some very intriguing names here. Monta Ellis would be a nice pickup, but he's a starting 2 guard, and wants to be paid like a starting 2 guard. We already have a starting 2 guard. So unless he can and will play the point, I don't expect to see him in Miami. Pietrus is another guy who can be a solid role player, but if Cook is still on the roster backing up Wade, there just may not be enough minutes to justify signing him. I would take a look at both these guys, but wouldn't make a big offer or tie either of them up in a long term contract.

Houston Rockets
Restricted: Carl Landry, Steve Novak
Unrestricted: Dikembe Mutombo
> Mutombo is 150 years old, and Landry is an undersized PF, which we have 2 of. Novak is a big body (6'10, 220), but we already have a guy that size who rides pine (A. Johnson). Nobody here fills a need or a roster spot. What's next?

Indiana Pacers
Restricted: David Harrison, Andre Owens
Unrestricted: Flip Murray, Kareem Rush
> The only guy I'm interested (mildly) from Indiana is Jermaine O'Neal, so if he opts out, I'd check out his asking price. Other than that, nobody here strikes me as a serious player, and I wouldn't waste my time. Man, nothing good so far in this post, but it should get better..

LA Clippers
Restricted: Paul Davis, Nick Fazekas, Shaun Livingston, Marcus Williams
Unrestricted:Dan Dickau, Corey Maggette (ETO), Smush Parker, Quinton Ross
> First off, I listed Maggette here because all reports are saying that he will opt out before the end of the month and become a free agent. His price will probably be way to high for us anyway, but that remains to be seen. The biggest name from the Clips missing here is Elton Brand, and I expect him to opt out as well in the near future. He would be a nice addition if he takes a bit of a pay cut and recovers from his injury, but, if we draft Beasley, it'll be redundant to add Brand too. My sleeper FA pick for Miami is Quinton Ross, but I doubt we sign him. I'd love to see him as a bench/role player who can come in and defend the opponents best backcourt player, but we'll have to wait and see what happens with the draft and any trades Riley pulls off.. We may not need any more backcourt players.

LA Lakers
Restricted: DJ Mbenga, Ronny Turiaf, Sasha Vujacic
Unrestricted: Trevor Ariza, Chris Mihm, Ira Newble
> There's a few names I like on this list, and hey, why not? There's a couple key pieces from a championship-caliber bench on here. Turiaf will help fortify our frontline with a big body, physical play, and energy off the bench. He would be a great addition to this squad, as would "The Machine" Sasha Vujacic. I can't envision LA letting him get away, but he has proven in the playoffs that he can be a bigtime shooter and a fiesty defender, two things this Miami team sorely needs. The fact that he handles well enough to play PG in spurts is another positive because he would be a terrific backcourt complement to Wade. The other player I like from the Lake Show is Ariza. He has a solid mid-range game, rebounds well, and is a solid defender. Basically, he's what we were all hoping Dorrell Wright would become. Any one of these three will be a good addition to the Heat, so we should take a good, long look at LA's FA's.

Memphis Grizzlies
Restricted: Andre Brown, Juan Carlos Navarro
Unrestricted: Kwame Brown, Casey Jacobsen
> Wow. Very impressive. No wonder Memphis traded Gasol. They had all this talent waiting in the wings. God, what a terrible collection of FA's this is. Kwame Brown? Let's just wrap this up, the Grizzlies make me sad...

OK, so what did we figure out from Part 2? I figured out that there's very few FA's from this group of teams that I would add in Miami. The Lakers have a few nice pieces I'd like us to go after, and the Clippers have 1 or 2 as well. If I had to pick 1 guy to sign from this list, it would probably be Turiaf. He could definitely play the Center position, and he would bring toughness and physical play to our frontline. Vujacic is another guy I really like off this list, especially if he can be a decent PG on our team. Part 3 will be up over the weekend.

Upcoming Free Agents Part 1

2008-06-08T10:00:00.000-04:00

The 2008 class of free agents doesn't boast any real must-have superstars, unless somebody feels that Gilbert Arenas is a must-have superstar (I don't). It is pretty deep in young role players who could be very valuable starters or bench guys. I've split this post into 4 parts to cover a quarter of the league at a time, and I'll go team by team pointing out guys I think can help us, and guys I would just pass over. Let's not waste any time.

Atlanta Hawks
Restricted: Josh Childress, Jeremy Richardson, Josh Smith, Salim Stoudamire, Mario West
Unrestricted: None
> The most intriguing names on this list are Josh Smith and Salim Stoudamire. Smith because of his athletic ability and youth, and Stoudamire because he has a great 3pt stroke. However, I don't think I'd be willing to pay Smith's price, and Stoudamire is more of a poor man's Ben Gordon, so I'll pass here.

Boston Celtics
Restricted: Tony Allen
Unrestricted: P.J. Brown, Sam Cassell, Eddie House, Scot Pollard, James Posey
> Wouldn't mind seeing Posey back with the Heat. I was pretty disappointed when we let him leave, and he fits very nicely with Miami's bench. He also adds a veteran presence to what will probably be a young team. He's the only one of this group I would even entertain with an offer though.

Charlotte Bobcats
Restricted: Jermareo Davidson, Ryan Hollins, Emeka Okafor
Unrestricted: Derek Anderson, Earl Boykins, Othella Harrington
> Biggest name on this list is Emeka Okafor, and I would love to plug him in at Center for the next few years. He's basically Zo-lite in my opinion, and if we can pick up Boozer either this year or in '09, they would compliment each other nicely in the frontcourt. If I'm Pat Riley, I make a nice offer to him and hope Charlotte doesn't match it.

Chicago Bulls
Restricted: Luol Deng, Demetris Nichols, Ben Gordon
Unrestricted: Shannon Brown, Chris Duhon
> Deng will probably be too expensive to pry away from Chicago, and Gordon may come at too high a price for a bench player behind Wade, so I don't expect us to make any serious offers to either one. One guy I would take a look at, however, is Chris Duhon. Depending on what we get in the draft and who we can acquire through trades, I wouldn't mind Duhon as a backup PG. He's not a great shooter by any stretch, but he takes care of the ball and can get the team into the offense.

Cleveland Cavaliers
Restricted: Daniel Gibson, Dwayne Jones, Delonte West
Unrestricted: Devin Brown
> I'm excited about one name and one name only on this list, and I bet you can guess who it is. Daniel "Boobie" Gibson. He is a lights-out shooter, and the rest of his offense is definitely catching up. He may not be a pure PG, but alongside a guy like Wade who initiates much of the offense in the halfcourt, he would be extremely valuable. His defense will improve under our coaching staff, and I think he could develop into a very good backcourt mate to DWade. Doubtful Cleveland lets him get away, but I would make an offer just in case.

Dallas Mavericks
Restricted: Jose Juan Barea
Unrestricted: Malik Allen, Devean George, Eddie Jones, Juwan Howard, Tyronn Lue, Jamaal Magloire, Antoine Wright
> Ehh, No Thanks. Not one guy here I absolutely have to have. We should just avoid anybody from Dallas this offseason.

Denver Nuggets
Restricted: Yakhouba Diawara, J.R. Smith
Unrestricted: Anthony Carter, Eduardo Najera
> J.R. Smith coming off the bench firing? Sounds good to me, but how much money would it take to get him? Probably more than I'd be willing to pay. And we could always just hang on to DaeQuan if we want a quick scoring burst; he doesn't do it as well as Smith, but he comes at about half the price.

Pat Riley Hits the Workout Circuit

2008-06-07T20:24:00.003-04:00

Pat Riley and a few members of the Heat brass will be traveling to Chicago this weekend to attend a workout with USC PG O.J. Mayo, who's been working out with Dwyane Wade the past few weeks. After a visit there, they will head to Cali, probably to check out a Derrick Rose workout in LA. They also plan on attending a workout with Michael Beasley in the near future. All three will most likely be brought down to Miami for a second workout sometime before the draft, so Riley and Co. will have a real good idea who they like at the second pick. Haven't heard about any of the other top prospects, and hopefully we don't. I would not be real happy if we end up with a second-tier player, especially when we can do nothing and get a potential superstar. I'll try to get any information from these workouts up as I hear it. Stay tuned.

My Take on the Dwyane Wade Trade Rumors

2008-06-05T02:00:00.000-04:00

It seems the whole world is buzzing about the Wade to Chicago Rumors flying around lately. I wasn't gonna address it, because I really figured it would be cast off as ridiculous and people would move on, but that isn't the case. Instead, I see everyone debating whether he should or shouldn't be traded and what kind of package would be acceptable to trade him for. My reaction? Are you serious??? And the answer was, for some strange reason, yes. People actually feel like Wade will be traded, and there's some people out there calling a potential opt-out by Wade, "inevitable." So let me address this and hopefully ease the mind's of some Heat fans by using, of all things, logic (gasp!).

First of all, does everybody remember 2006? Remember when Wade was widely considered the best player in the league for that season? Remember when he carried a veteran team on his back and gave Miami it's first NBA Championship? Yeah, I think you do. The bottom line is, Wade is an elite player, a champion, and one of the best player's in the league, bar none. Those player's do not get traded. Sorry. Cleveland will never trade LeBron. New Orleans will never trade Chris Paul. San Antonio never traded Duncan. MJ was untouchable and everyone knew it. Hell even Kobe will not be traded, despite damn near trading himself during last offseason. You can mention Shaq, but anytime a player checks out both physically and mentally, all bets are off.

Second of all, Pat Riley is considered one of the smartest guys in the NBA today, and anybody with half a brain will tell you this following sentence makes no sense. Let's trade one of the best player's in the league, a player who has already won a title here, and will be the face of this franchise for his entire career, for a fruitbasket of underacheivers and castoffs, and, oh, we can swap lottery picks. Are you kidding me? Who takes that deal? Especially when said "face of franchise" is only 26 years old? Nobody. Maybe Isaiah, who doesn't count. But Definitely not Pat Riley. And who would you trust to get you back to a championship, Riley, or John Paxson? Exactly.

Finally, DWade is Basketball God in Miami. Why leave that for the infinite shadow cast over Chicago Hoops by Michael Jordan? Wade is already in the discussion as one of the greatest player's in Heat history, if not the greatest, and no matter what he does in Chicago, he won't earn that title. Miami loves Wade, and Wade loves Miami. So, anybody still thinking Wade will be traded to Chicago, I'm sorry to tell you that you are mistaken. And, if I'm somehow wrong, and Wade is dealt, I'll eat my bigass plate of crow, then immediately call for Riley's firing and public stoning. As for this blog, I won't be talking about this anymore unless something newsworthy comes out of it. I will, however, be looking into the upcoming class of Free Agents and whether or not I would like to see them in Miami. There's plenty more to come before the draft, plus, I may be doing a Live Draft Diary, so stay tuned.

My Best Case Scenario

2008-06-04T21:43:00.002-04:00

After reviewing the top 3 prospects in this year's draft and how they would fit in with Miami, I've come up with what I believe will be best for the Heat this offseason. And I'm sure everyone will have a difference of opinion with something, and feel free to voice it in the comments section. Let's see what we can come up to turn this team around.

Draft:
> We have 2 picks in the draft, #2 and #52. As far as pick 2, I feel like we shouldn't take any chances or try to be Boston 2.0 and deal the pick for a veteran, so there's really 2 options for us in my opinion. Option 1 - Draft whichever top 2 guy (Rose/Beasley) Chicago doesn't take, and build around that player and Dwyane Wade. Option 2 - Deal the pick to Minny or Seattle and pick up a big man in the process, then take Mayo at pick 3 or 4. So, assuming Chicago takes Rose, and the Wolves/Sonics don't offer a good enough package, we end up with Michael Beasley. At pick number 52, Miami has scouted a few players, and the one's that stand out to me are Gary Forbes, a 6'7 scoring G/F from UMASS, and Shan Foster, a 6'6 shooter from Vandy. I would lean towards Forbes because of his size, his ability to get his own shot, and the chance he could develop into a solid SF. No high hopes for a second round pick, but I would take Gary Forbes. Hopefully, he hits the D-League for a year or two and contributes down the road.

Trades:
> The Heat do not have very many valuable assets to trade, but our best bargaining chip is Shawn Marion. He could be the centerpiece of a deal to bring us a post scorer, allowing Beasley to play the SF and use his versatility to score against whoever matches up against him, and allowing Blount to at least be effective as a shooting big man until his contract runs out or we trade him. So, without going into total detail because the NBA trade rules are confusing as hell, let's make a deal involving Marion going to Utah for Carlos Boozer. We would most likely have to throw in a guy like Dorrell Wright, and they would need to add a player or 2 for cap reasons, but that's the principal deal.

Free Agents:
> I think we could use a starting C, somebody who can rebound, defend, and score somewhat efficiently. Either Emeka Okafor or DeSagana Diop would fit the bill here. Given the choice, I'd take Okafor. After trading Marion and Wright, we could use some depth at the SF spot, and Trevor Ariza can be a very good bench player behind Beasley. For more guard depth, and another perimeter defender, Quinton Ross could be a good pickup.

Final Roster:
> With the moves I've laid out here, our roster could be in very good shape going into next season. I know it's unlikely that everything plays out this way, but hey, what's the offseason for if not for idle speculation?
Starting Lineup: PG - Marcus Banks SG - Dwyane Wade SF - Michael Beasley PF - Carlos Boozer C - Emeka Okafor
Bench: PG - Chris Quinn, Blake Ahearn SG - DaeQuan Cook, Quinton Ross SF - Trevor Ariza PF - Udonis Haslem, Alexander Johnson C - Alonzo Mourning, Mark Blount, Joel Anthony

So.. what does everyone think?

Draft Outlook Part 3

2008-06-02T16:15:00.002-04:00

In the third installment of the Draft Outlook series, I'll take a look at the most hyped basketball player since LeBron, O.J. Mayo. We've already covered the 2 other top prospects, Michael Beasley, and Derrick Rose, and I feel like OJ should be in the conversation with them as an option at Pick #2. So let's not waste any more time.

O.J. Mayo PG USC
6'5, 200 lbs, 21 ppg 4 rpg 3 apg
> Mayo has been a top prospect since middle school, and would've been the top selection had he been able to come straight from HS. He has great range and a smooth release on his jump shot, and will have no problems draining open threes in the NBA. OJ has the ability to get to the rim and finish, or pull up from anywhere and drop in a midrange jumper. Comparing him to Rose, I would say he's less explosive and less physical, but a much better shooter/scorer, and a comparable floor leader. He turned the ball over at a pretty high rate, but he did alot of the ball-handling on a mediocre team, whereas D. Rose had a few future NBAers on the floor with him. Mayo has also shown the skill and desire to be a very good perimeter defender. He had a solid performance in a first-round loss to Beasley's K-State team in the NCAA's, scoring 20 and adding 5 assists, and he didn't have alot of help.

Most people will disagree with me when I say Mayo can play the point, but I wouldn't peg him as a pure Chris Paul/Steve Nash PG, but more of a combo point/shooting guard. I think pairing him with Wade would allow both of them to handle the PG responsibilities until Mayo matures and develops into the position. He is definitely not as a polished as Rose at the point, but he's a better shooter, both from 3point range, and from the all-important free throw line. Adding Mayo would allow us to keep Marion at the 3, because he would be able to finish the plays made by OJ and DWade, and we would still have a good 3point shooter (Mayo) and a decent 3point shooter (Wade) to stretch the floor. The one missing piece would be a center who can score in the post. Jermaine O'Neal is a possibility, as is Elton Brand, but both guys are getting older and are injury prone. Marion is still our best trade chip, and using him to pick up a post scorer, then starting Dorell Wright at the 3 isn't out of the question either.

All in all, Mayo is an interesting prospect, because he seems ready for greatness, but out of the top 3 guys, he had the worst freshmen season. Having him on the team would give Miami it's number 2 scoring option to Wade, and a big guard to defend the opponent's scorer, but I'm not sure I pass on Rose or Beasley to take him. I would love to see him alongside DWade (and they are working out pre-draft together in Chi-town), but I would only take him if we trade down a few slots and pick up someone else along the way. An interesting deal would be trading the #2 to Seattle for the #4, Chris Wilcox, and the 24th pick, but who knows if that offer is even being considered. I'll have my Best Case Scenario's for Miami up later in the week, but for now, what's the feeling on OJ Mayo?

Draft Outlook Part 2

2008-06-01T17:16:00.004-04:00

Yesterday we talked a little bit about Michael Beasley and how he would fit in with the Heat should he be drafted number 2. Today I'd like to take a look at Derrick Rose, the explosive PG from Memphis who is arguably the best prospect in this year's draft. So, here we go.

Derrick Rose PG Memphis
6'3, 205 lbs, 15 ppg 4 rpg 5 apg
> Rose is probably the most athletic player coming out, with blazing speed, incredible quickness, and unbelievable jumping ability. He has an uncanny knack for getting to the rim and finishing, and his vision and basketball IQ allow him to make the right pass off of a drive. He has what all great PG's have, the ability to assess the defense, understand it, figure out who will be open and where, find them, and deliver the ball, all in a split-second while moving full speed towards the basket. That Memphis team from last year was loaded with finishers, from Dorsey to CDR, but Rose made everything go. He routinely found Dorsey near the rim, or CDR on the move cutting into the paint, and he made it look easy. He's an absolute beast on defense, using his strength and quickness to harass opposing PG's. I would say his only weak points are his jumper and FT shooting, both of which leave something to be desired. The silver lining is that he shot very well in high school (45% from 3), and his shooting touch will improve once he gets to the NBA and can put the work in. Remember, DWade didn't have a particularly deadly jumper his first year, but now he's practically automatic from 20ft in. Rose led his Memphis team to the National Championship game, losing to a very deep, very talented Kansas team in OT after a miracle three to end regulation.

Rose is a PG, there's no doubt about that. Pairing him with Wade would give us the most dynamic, explosive guard tandem in the league. However, both players excel with the ball in their hands, driving to the basket, and neither is a great 3point shooter. Along with Marion at the 3, there would be no shooter's on the floor. We could run teams out of the gym ala Phoenix, or we could make a deal to acquire a shooter at the SF position. Rose is an incredible talent, but it would take some tweaking to the roster to fully utilize his skills. We would definitely need some shooting on the floor, and a big that can run the pick-n-pop would open up the lane for Wade and Rose.

Rose would give Miami a PG destined for stardom and, along with Wade, give us one of the top backcourts in the NBA. He could add a couple new dimensions to our offense, and help our perimeter defense immensely. It's exciting to think about Rose running the fast break with Marion and Wade on the wings, and with Rose, Wade, Marion, and Haslem, we would have one of the most tenacious defenses, albeit smallest, in the league. So, how do you feel about Mr. Rose, the "Next Great Point Guard?"

Draft Outlook Part 1

2008-05-31T19:00:00.000-04:00

Beasley? Or Rose? Beasley? Or Rose? Mayo??

What should the Miami Heat do with that all-important 2nd pick? Most people are in agreement that between Beasley and Rose, we would just take whichever one Chicago lets go. I'm one of those people, but there are always other options. One of those options is trading down a couple spots to pick up Mayo and another player/draft pick in the deal. I'll take a look at how each player fits with what Miami currently has, what we could look for in a trade/FA signing to fit around that player, and my opinion of the Best Case Scenario for Miami's draft. Let's get to it. First up, Michael Beasley.

Michael Beasley PF Kansas State
6'10, 235 lbs, 24 ppg 12 rpg
> Beasley is the most naturally gifted player in this draft class. He has all the tools to be an elite scorer in the NBA. Good size, terrific post moves, great touch around the rim, a sweet jumper with range to the 3point line, and the ability to face-up and get his shot off the dribble. At times, he looked like he was on cruise control in college, and still put up better numbers than last season's freshmen superstar and this season's ROY Kevin Durant. The one question mark on him is his maturity, but it never seemed to affect his focus on the court. He led a sub-par K-State team to the second round of the NCAA tourney, and was the reason for his team's regular season upset of the eventual Champ Kansas.

Everybody seems to have him penciled in at the PF spot, but I feel like he could potentially be a better version of Lamar Odom as a SF. Both have similar size and skills, Odom being a better ball handler, but Beasley a better scorer. Tall, athletic, scoring SF's are matchup nightmares for defenses, and Beasley would be deadly as an inside/outside scorer. Think a taller Carmelo, or Lamar Odom with a better shot. Draft Beasley, play him at the SF, and then look to deal Marion for a guy like Boozer to play the PF position. That would allow us to use Haslem as the 6th man, bringing his energy, rebounding, and stout D off the bench. Blount would be much more effective at C because the post scoring and rebounding responsibilities would be taken care of, and he could just spot up and hit jumpers. Beasley and Blount's shooting would open the lane for Wade to slip in there and do what he does best. The PG would have an easy job: bring the ball up the floor, find Wade or Beasley, spot up for a potential 3.

In my opinion, Beasley would do so much for this team. He would allow us to explore a trade for Marion, our biggest bargaining chip, and he gives us the option of playing him at the 3 or the 4, depending on matchups and lineups. And his "winning is more important than scoring" mentality will mesh perfectly with Wade, giving us a terrific 1-2 scoring punch. So what's your opinion on the man they call B-easy?

Welcome to The Miami Heat Times

2008-05-31T02:31:00.002-04:00

I'd like to welcome everyone to the Miami Heat Times, a new blog dedicated to the Miami Heat. I'm a hardcore Heat fan, and used to write a blog about Miami Hurricanes football/basketball. I'd much rather cover a pro team because I have more of a passion for pro sports, and it's easier to find topics during pro offseasons :). My first post will be about the biggest story surrounding the Heat right now, what to do with the 2nd pick in June 26th's draft. I wanna thank in advance everyone who reads and responds to this blog, and I wanna encourage everybody to comment on the posts and offer up opinions, debate, ideas, or criticism. First post will be up in the next couple days.