Burning Up Miami | 2k10

[SuperNova854]

That pic makes him look like he belongs in Arkham

[SuperNova854]

wtf
that heat team looks unbeatable

They ended up having the best record at 69-13, LeBron MVP 25.3 ppg 6.7 rpg 6.6 apg, Wade avg 24.4 ppg 4.8 rpg 6.3 apg and finished 2nd in mvp votes lol. They beat the Blazers in 7 games to win the ship.

[LC AAU]

Miami Heat still exploring trade options to fill veteran void




As training camp is slowly approaching, the Heat know they still have a void to fill. We all know that Miami is looking to add a veteran presence at the point, and while there are still options out there, its difficult to gauge what exactly is going to happen. Pat Riley has reiterated that the only way the Heat will add someone is through a trade, yet the rumors are still swirling about free agents Allen Iverson, Jamaal Tinsley, Bobby Jackson and a slew of others.

For arguments sake, we'll look at some of the trade options/rumors that have been thrown around the past few days. The Heat have reportedly spoken to the New Jersey Nets about acquiring either Keyon Dooling or Rafer Alston, who was shipped to Jersey earlier this summer in the Vince Carter trade. The question with this move would be ‘who is Miami giving up?'. The obvious choice would be Udonis Haslem, who would be an instant upgrade over Yi Jianlian, the Nets incumbent starter.

Star-divide

However, you have to wonder how willing the Heat would be to deal Haslem, which would mean that Michael Beasley becomes the starter. Now assuming that Beasley comes out of his rehab problems ready to start the season, I've got no issues with that. Sure, I'd miss Udonis Haslem, the hometown guy who gives 110% every second he is on the court...but I still firmly believe that Mike Beasley is going to be a star in this league and wouldn't mind him getting a starters playing time.

That may also mean that Joel Anthony becomes the backup power forward, but that's a topic to tackle another time.

Another possibility is a guy who the Heat showed interest in last offseason as well, Portland guard Steve Blake. The hometown shooter (born and raised in South Florida) who is capable of being a more then reliable bench scorer who handles the ball extremely well would be a great fit in Miami. He is a great passer who tied an NBA record last season with 14 assists in a quarter. He also is coming off his best 3-point shooting season of his career, hitting 42.7% of his shots from beyond the arc.

Blake may end up being the odd man out in Portland this season. With newcomer Andre' Miller obviously getting the starting minutes, many people think that the guy getting the backup minutes will be youngster Jerryd Bayless. Portland would also likely try to snag Udonis Haslem from the Heat, as they only have LaMarcus Aldridge to play power forward on their roster.

[LC AAU]

Chalmers, Cook and Beasley lead the Heat's youth movement




As of now (September 8th) the Heat haven't done a whole heck of a lot as far as adding depth or layers to their roster from last season. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, as you have to consider the maturation of guys like Mario Chalmers, Daequan Cook and of course Michael Beasley into consideration. All three should be much improved, which in itself is an upgrade to our roster.

I strongly feel that despite not adding any major players, we will be a better team. Mario Chalmers has been working especially hard all summer in an attempt to improve his all around game. I expect him to show much better stamina which will keep him from hitting any late season walls, which was a problem last spring. I'd like to see him moving his feet more on defense to go with his extremely active hands/arms, as it was a major problem for Chalmers getting beat off the dribble. Granted, he is a much better defender then Chris Quinn, but as we all know that isn't saying much.

Star-divide

If you remember the first half of last season, one of the bright spots was the bench play of Daequan Cook. He was the outside presence early on that the Heat lacked down the stretch and into the playoffs, and hopefully the experience of losing his touch in the 2nd half will give him all the incentive to ensure that doesn't happen again this season. His defense continued to improve, as did his shot selection...but the key will be playing a ‘full season' at a high level. Many of our bench problems will be solved should Dae-Dae play 82 games at a high level. I will get into this more as the season gets closer, but I see Cook as one of the big X-factors when considering how the Heat will finish in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Then, of course, there is Michael Beasley. It's not secret the issues that he dealt with this summer, but some would say that they were blown a bit out of proportion. I sincerely doubt that any of those ‘issues' will hinder him when training camp rolls around. He is simply a young man who was likely overwhelmed with everything that comes with being a 19-year old that is suddenly an NBA star in the spotlight, with more money then you know what to do with.

Beasley showed throughout the year the pure scoring ability that will likely make him an even bigger star as his career progresses, and despite his ‘issues' he has also been working very hard to improve his game this summer. The main thing he needs to get better at is his post up game. If he is going to be a successful power forward in this league he is going to need to play more with his back to the rim. We already know how well he can shoot and drive the ball from the outside, which will make posting up easier when he can establish that part of his game.

It will be interesting to see how these youngsters develop, but I reference Dwyane Wade when thinking about the timeline. Wade ‘broke out' in his 3rd year, but was still a force in his first two. With Wade, he had to develop his outside shot, which has progressively gotten better with each passing year, and now he has gotten to the point where he is getting more confident shooting the 3-ball.

Its going to be the opposite with Beasley, who has shown he can drill jumpers with the best of them, but needs to be a bigger presence in the paint. A main key will be in his rebounding. His best games last year were usually attributed to great rebound efforts, which lead to 2nd chance points and more offensive opportunities for Miami.

Chalmers will need to improve his off the dribble defense and be able to play a full season at a high level. The same can be said for Daequan. If he can have a full season playing the way he did during the 1st half of last year, we're already looking at a much-improved Heat squad without adding any new players. I'm sure this is something that Pat Riley has thought about many times this offseason as he has done little to add depth to our roster.

I love the addition of Quentin Richardson, who should set a good defensive example and provide another scoring threat off the bench. Combine that with a healthy James Jones and Jermaine O'Neal and we have a very formidable unit.

Sure, it will be great to add a veteran guard to help mentor our young guys, and I'm sure Riley will make some kind of move before the season begins. He seems to have a knack for making moves right before the season begins, and this year is shaping up to provide a similar roster move. Still, we should be looking at a much-improved Heat team, and despite other teams swapping free agents, I wouldn't count the Heat out of the mix.

Assuming that we don't get bit by the injury bug, and we get the kind of improvement out of our young guys that we are expecting, it is not crazy to think the Heat could win around 50 games this season. For the handful of teams that look to be improved this year, there are still plenty of teams who have stayed the same or even taken a step back in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, the way it works in the East is once we get into the Playoffs, making it out of the 2nd round will be hard. Considering what the Heat did with the roster they had last season, I firmly believe that we should have a better year then last.

[LC AAU]

Dwyane Wade and Pat Riley speak




A couple days ago Pat Riley spoke to the media for the first time about the whole Michael Beasley situation. Riley said that the team is in daily contact with Beasley, and are "confident....very confident" that not only will he be in camp, but have a very strong sophomore season.

"I was told this by somebody: Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future," Riley said. "You can't put yourself above and beyond anybody. We all have periods where things haven't gone our way for whatever reason, and we've all had an opportunity to grow. Because of what's happened in the past, we hope there's growth spurts for him."

For obvious reasons, Riley can't get into specifics about the kind of treatment Beasley is receiving. Either way, the youngster is getting exactly what he needs. He needs to start believing in himself again and realize that he is very young, that many many young people make mistakes, and that all will certainly be forgiven and forgotten...in time.

As for Dwyane Wade, he also made some interesting statements this week. He's basically said that he is not going to negotiate with the Heat for a new contract until after the season is over. There is still so much uncertainty with Wade and the possibility that he may opt out of his contract after this season, this may not be as bad as it seems.

We all knew that he wanted to see the franchise make moves and try to 'win now'. Well, we know that Riley and the Heat think they have a very good team with the players on their roster right now, so is it unreasonable for Wade to wait and see if that is the truth? One thing that IS a certainty is that Riley will do everything in his power to keep Dwyane in Miami. You can absolutely count on that. Here is what Wade told the Miami Herald yesterday on the subject:

"Yeah, that's no longer a conversation we're really having right now," Wade told the Herald. "We've talked about it all summer. We know where they are -- they know where we are. We both want the best. But the focus is only on trying to get better than we were last year. And then we'll get back to the table and look at everything."

"Me buying a place in Chicago, that's supposed to mean more than what it is," Wade said. "I just sort of laugh at it, all the speculation."

Seems like he just wants to see where the team is at before making any decisions. It's understandable. I still have yet to see him come out and say anything about leaving, exploring other options, 'how nice it would be' to play in his hometown....nothing. He has simply not signed an extension. Yet. While places like ESPN will lead you to believe that Wade is leaning towards leaving, there has been nothing that Dwyane has actually said that would cause me to think he wanted to leave. He just wants to make sure he is playing for a great team that is a championship contender.

[LC AAU]

Wade will stay in Miami his whole career. Beasley will continue to get baked.

:applause:

[LC AAU]

Heat coaching staff to take major pay cuts




Not to worry, the economic crisis hitting the Miami Heat isn't going to break up our coaching staff. Despite the fact that the Heat may be going with less then the NBA allowed 15-man roster, there are still other actions being taken in order to reduce the total number of money being spent/lost this year.

To avoid simply laying people off from their jobs (like they did in May when around 20 people were sent to the unemployment line), Pat Riley has asked some of those on the basketball side of things, who make considerably large salaries, to take pay cuts in order to retain more jobs for people with lesser roles in the team.

The cuts, which include everyone from the team's media-relations staff to the scouting staff to the executive staff, will cost Spoelstra and Riley well into the six figures.

While it's great to see the people making the big money willing to take pay cuts...what happened that made our franchise so financially strapped? It could be that we're already beginning to put away every penny in order to go after the biggest of all the fish next summer.

For now, we can just be happy that there are still some good people out there, and that those people are a part of our organization.

[LC AAU]

Miami Heat to retire Tim Hardaway's No. 10 jersey




For six seasons, Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway led the Miami Heat to its longest consecutive streak of playoff appearances in franchise history.

Soon, they will now be reunited again -- this time in the AmericanAirlines Arena rafters.

Hardaway will become only the second Heat player in Miami's 21-year history to have his jersey retired. The Heat announced Wednesday that Hardaway's No. 10 jersey would be honored during a pregame ceremony before the Oct. 28 season opener against New York.

That moment for Hardaway, 43, will come seven months after the Heat retired Mourning's No. 33 jersey March 30 during an emotional ceremony at halftime of a game against Orlando.

Hardaway, a five-time All-Star, spent six of his 13 NBA seasons with the Heat and led the team to a club-record 61 victories and its first trip to the conference finals during the 1996-97 season.

`BUILDING BLOCK'

Regarded as the greatest point guard in franchise history, Hardaway was acquired from Golden State in a 1996 trade and played in Miami until he was dealt to Dallas after the 2000-2001 season.

``We feel that Tim has been one of those building blocks and one of those players who has done us proud and we feel he is most deserving of having this special honor on this particular night,'' Heat president Pat Riley said in a statement Wednesday.

Hardaway was not immediately available for comment Wednesday.

It's not by coincidence that the ceremony will take place on a night when the Heat plays the Knicks. Hardaway's legacy as one of the most productive, fierce and clutch playmakers of the 1990s was cemented during the Heat's epic playoff matchups against New York.

The Heat and Knicks met in the playoffs three consecutive seasons, with Miami advancing in 1997 to face the eventual champion Chicago Bulls in the conference finals. Three years later, the Knicks knocked off the Heat en route to the NBA Finals.

A FENCE TO MEND

The honor from the Heat comes at a time when Hardaway has been working to repair his image in the aftermath of controversial comments about homosexuals. During a Feb. 15, 2007 radio interview, Hardaway said, ``I hate gay people.''

Those comments cost Hardaway, who retired after the NBA after the 2002-03 season, a promotional appearance at the 2007 All-Star Game and other business ventures. Hardaway has since met with gay and lesbian groups to make amends and last week co-sponsored a fundraiser for a national suicide prevention group for gay youth.

``Gays and lesbians, we don't have to accept the act, but we have to accept them as people,'' Hardaway said last week before revealing he is still dealing with the fallout from the controversy. ``The endorsements will never come back. People have taken that and it's gone. I understand that. I'm trying to look for work and provide for my family. All that stuff has left me high and dry. I have to dig for work.''

Hardaway has regularly attended Heat games and hopes to eventually break into coaching at the NBA or college level on the strength of his career credentials.

STELLAR PRO CAREER

Selected by Golden State with the 14th overall pick in the 1989 draft, Hardaway averaged 17.7 points and 8.2 assists in 867 games with the Warriors, Heat, Mavericks, Denver Nuggets and Pacers. He ranks fourth on the NBA's all-time list in three-pointers attempted and seventh in made threes. He's also 13th in assists.

Hardaway's best seasons were the ones he spent with the Heat. A five-time All-NBA selection, Hardaway was the first player in Heat history to earn that honor. He also joined Mourning on the 2000 U.S. Olympic team that won the gold in Sydney.

A banner already hangs in the arena that honors Mourning, Hardaway and guard Dwyane Wade (2008) for winning Olympic gold medals. Soon, Hardaway will have a space of his own.

``When you think about the Miami Heat organization and the 20-plus years that the franchise has been in existence, there are always going to be those names that have helped develop the taproot and foundation,'' Riley said. ``Alonzo Mourning was one. Tim Hardaway is another.''

[LC AAU]

Team Report




Even with Michael Beasley forced to shift from an outpatient program to an inpatient program in Houston due to another slip-up in the NBA’s substance-abuse program, Heat President Pat Riley still expects increased productivity this season from the second-year forward.

“He could be a major factor for our team,” Riley said. “I’m going to continue to show that kind of belief and faith in him.”

Riley said the goal remains for Beasley “to play a prominent role, a bigger role than he played last year.”

The question now is whether Beasley will remain solely a power forward, as was the case last season, when he played almost exclusively off the bench after the first month of the season, or whether he will also spend minutes at small forward, as had been the plan entering the offseason.

Although Beasley was moved to the inpatient facility, the Heat was allowed to send trainers and coaches to work with the forward in a gym there. However, those sessions did not include teammates or other players, limiting Beasley to drill work.

While Riley stressed continued patience, he said he also expected team rules to be followed and expectations to be met.

“I’m not going to forgive anybody’s transgressions just merely because they’re 20 years old,” he said. “I think when you become a professional basketball player, a lot of things come at you a lot quicker than normal. There’s a lot of things you may be able to handle or not handle.”

For now, Riley is in second-chance mode, even though Beasley routinely was fined last season for violating team rules.

“We all have periods where things haven’t gone our way for whatever reason,” Riley said, “and we’ve all had an opportunity to grow. Because of what’s happened in the past, we hope there’s growth spurts for him.”

For Beasley, the opportunity to play, or even start, at small forward could come down to how the competition at the position fares.

James Jones, who closed last season as the starter at the position, said he is over last season’s wrist problem and has been credited by Riley with a strong showing in the team’s offseason program.

Offseason acquisition Quentin Richardson, defensive stopper Yakhouba Diawara and underachieving Dorell Wright also are roster candidates for playing time at small forward.

NOTES, QUOTES

• With C Jermaine O’Neal to again possibly miss practice time due to the chronic knee problems that have limited him in recent seasons, Riley said he would like to add at least one more big body to the training-camp roster, with O’Neal, Jamaal Magloire, Joel Anthony, Udonis Haslem and Beasley already under contract. The team worked out Trail Blazers free-agent F Shavlik Randolph earlier this month and more recently offered tryouts to former Thunder C Steven Hill and former Clippers C Paul Davis. Riley, however, said he would be reluctant to offer a guaranteed contract to any such candidate, with invitations therefore to come on a make-good basis.

• While Kings free-agent G Rashad McCants has mentioned an invitation to Heat camp, the former North Carolina guard merely has been extended an invitation for a pre-camp workout. More likely to be offered a spot in camp is former Siena point guard Kenny Hasbrouck, who has been a regular at the team’s offseason workouts, with the team since its July summer camp.

Quote To Note: “I see Michael as a teammate. I don’t look at him as somebody that I’m competing against. I see him as a teammate. Since he’s been here, I’ve tried to be a mentor and just lead him. My relationship won’t change with him when he comes back. I’m going to continue to try to lead and do the things that I can to be positive.”—Forward and team captain Udonis Haslem, on his plans to help ease F Michael Beasley back into the scene upon Beasley’s return from a Houston rehab facility, even though Beasley stands as Haslem’s prime competition for a starting role.

ROSTER REPORT

Player News:

• C Jermaine O’Neal has spent over a month in Chicago working out with noted trainer Tim Grover, in an effort to regain the form that previously had him as one of the league’s most respected post players. O’Neal remained in Chicago after teammates Dwyane Wade and Dorell Wright left their sessions with Grover, with O’Neal then also working out with Bulls players at the Bulls’ practice facility.

• Despite playing many of his minutes in recent seasons at small forward, Quentin Richardson has been classified as a shooting guard by Riley. Riley, however, noted that since starting shooting guard Dwyane Wade logs such heavy minutes, Richardson likely would have to spend time at forward. Riley, however, did not make it sound as if Richardson is a candidate to start at small forward. That said, Riley said he considers Richardson one of the team’s better post-up threats.

• C Joel Anthony is back working out at the Heat’s practice facility after helping Canada’s national team secure a spot in next summer’s World Championships. With Anthony helping push Canada through the FIBA Americas tournament, Canada could have two Heat players on its roster next summer, with C Jamaal Magloire also expected to accept an invitation.

[LC AAU]

After 30 days in rehab, Michael Beasley could be coming home




Michael Beasley could be returning to Miami this week after his stay in a Houston-area rehabilitation clinic reached 30 days this weekend. He had been permitted to work with Heat coaches while staying at the clinic, and is apparently ready to come back to Miami and resume working with the team.

Several of Beasley's Heat teammates have been in touch the soon to be NBA sophomore and fully expect him to resume his 'high ceiling' career.

[LC AAU]

As training camp approaches, Erik Spoelstra thinks there is a lot to be excited about with this year’s team




Erik Spoelstra thinks that the Heat are going to be a much-improved squad this season. That kind of optimism you would expect from the teams Head Coach, but Spo is backing it up with some facts that you cant help but pay attention to. We have guys coming back healthy who played much of last season hurt, or didn't play much at all. We have top-notch rookies coming back for a 2nd season who have been working their butts off all summer.

Starting off with the youngsters, lets begin with the one who has gotten the most attention this offseason. Obviously, that's Michael Beasley, who returned to the American Airlines Arena on Monday and began working out with some of his Heat teammates. He had been working with Heat coaches, including Erik Spoelstra, while at the rehabilitation clinic in Houston, doing lots of on court exercises.

Spoelstra said Beasley (240 pounds) added 10 pounds of muscle, and "improved his perimeter skills -- he would show us something new all the time. He made dramatic improvements with individual defense. He's quicker. People will see more versatility. He can play either forward position. You'll see a different Michael Beasley. His skill level is so much more advanced than what it was. "

I'm still banking on Beasley coming off the bench this year, as Udonis Haslem is already penciled in as the teams starting power forward, and according to Spoelstra the starting small forward job is very much an open competition. It will be between Beasley, newcomer Quentin Richardson and James Jones.


Jones has come right out and said that he is back to 100% and should be playing at a high level after spending most of last season recovering from wrist surgery. When he finally returned to the lineup last year he was nowhere near his usual self, and is now very hungry to make up for a sup-par last season.

As for Richardson, I am very happy about that trade. Not only because we were able to dump the useless contract of Mark Blount, but more so because Richardson is going to fit right in with our team and add an element that we were really missing last year. Quentin can play the 2 or the 3; he can run the floor well, shoot from the outside and play the kind of defense that our coaching staff loves. Hard nosed, long armed and quick.

Spolelstra said Richardson ``is in the best shape of his life, 230 pounds. He hasn't weighed that since he was at DePaul 11 years ago. He's got defensive toughness, can post up guards and some small forwards.''

We'll move on to the guy who I see as this year's wild card, Jermaine O'Neal. Going into a contract year, J-O is out to prove he can still play at a high level, looking to regain his all-star form that would demand a high paying contract next summer. He is already going to be competing with other UFA's who are better and younger, so a great season would really help his cause.

Apparently, O'Neal is well on his way to having that kind of season. His main goal has been to regain the strength in his knees and regain some of the stamina he prided himself on while playing for Indiana. Should all the work he put forth this offseason translate into Jermaine being a 15 point 10 board kinda guy for us, while playing in around 70-75 games, I think that's a huge success. Says Spo about J-O:

``He's as healthy as he's ever been. We rewound the clock and brought him back to 26. He spent seven weeks with us'' working on strength and conditioning, then eight weeks with Chicago-based trainer Tim Grover. ``I went to Chicago and saw him in pickup games. He looks quick, jumping well. He looked like the guy I remembered with the Pacers, but stronger.''

You have got to love the way things are sounding, as well as the optimism that Coach Spoelstra is showing for his team. Apparently, the Heat organization holds a similar optimistic feeling about their coach, as it was announced earlier this week that Miami had extended the contract of Spoelstra. The teams of the extension have yet to be released, but it's believed to be for a year. That will be added to the reported 3-year contract that he received before last season, after he had been named the teams new Head Coach.

HEAT ADDING PLAYERS TO TRAINING CAMP ROSTER

As of now nothing has been confirmed, but it appears the Heat are going to add some players to their training camp roster. John Lucas III is a 6' point guard who went undrafted out of Oklahoma State is 2005. He spent two years playing for the Rockets, but after the 06-07 season he headed east to play in Italy, and since then he's spent time in the Spanish league as well as the NBA's D-League.

Lucas has been working out with fellow free agent Shavlik Randolph, and both are expected to receive contracts to join the Heat in training camp. Randolph, also undrafted in 05 (Duke), began his career in Philly. It was just beginning to get good when he broke his ankle during a late November practice. He spent one more year with Philly, then last year he signed a non-guaranteed contract with Portland. He did spend the season on their roster, but only played in 10 games and didn't do much to stand out.

Someone who worked out with the Heat a few weeks ago is also on the verge of returning for training camp. 6'9" power forward Andre Brown will compete with Shavlik Randolph for minutes behind Udonis Haslem. How much playing time and what kind of roles they are needed for will depend on whether Coach Spoelstra uses Michael Beasley as a power forward or a small forward. Brown is also a member of the undrafted club, coming out of DePaul in 2004.

All three will get non-guaranteed contracts, and its possible that none of them make the final roster, though unlikely. The Heat can carry up to 20 players on their roster until the regular season, at which time they must trim the roster down to 15.

These moves would leave the Heat's training camp roster looking like this:

Center- Jermaine O'Neal, Jamaal Magloire, Joel Anthony

Power Forward- Udonis Haslem, Michael Beasley, Shavlik Randolph, Andre Brown

Small Forward- James Jones, Yakhouba Diawara, Dorell Wright

Shooting Guard- Dwyane Wade, Daequan Cook, Quentin Richardson

Point Guard- Mario Chalmers, Chris Quinn, John Lucas III

That's 16 players, meaning should the Heat like what they see from everyone, only one player will have to be cut in time for Opening Night (Oct 28th) against the Knicks. However, Pat Riley has said that its possible the Heat may end up carrying as few as the NBA minimum 13 players. Training camp begins in just 4 days on Tuesday the 29th.

[LC AAU]

Daequan Cook! Hopefully this will be Dorell Wright's breakthrough year.

Man I hope so. The man has so much upside, He's just been hurt. I really want him to do good.

[LC AAU]

2k10 Player ratings





Man, looks like no Beasley MVP in season two, all Wade from the looks of it.

[LC AAU]

Spoelstra Pleased With O'Neal's Offseason




Jermaine O'Neal is a proven former All-Star center, who is only 30 years old," the Heat coach said. "But he's a five-, six-time All-Star. Those guys don't grow on trees. You can't find these guys and the big thing with him was getting healthy."

Yes, he was a five-time All-Star, with emphasis on the past tense. But that hasn't been the case the last two years.

(Erik) Spoelstra also noted how O'Neal, "did seven weeks with us and then another eight weeks with Tim Grover."

To his credit, the second-year coach did note, "you aren't going to be able to find out until you actually see him playing, but he's moving around fine."

O'Neal certainly seems enthused after spending these past two months at Grover's Chicago gym, which proved to be nothing short of Lourdes for Dwyane Wade a year ago.

First O'Neal offered on his Twitter account, "I just finished up with my last full workout at attack with tim grover and i can honestly say that 'I AM READY" PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY!' "

He then followed up Monday with, "And thanks to the people in the chi for showing me some much love while i was here. Now im headed back to miami tomorrow to join the team.

[mfbmike]

Would be nice to see him show some semblance of his former self out there. The guy used to ball the fuck out before the injuries.