2007-2008 In Review

Record: 15-67
Eastern Conference Seed: 15

Summer Of 2008

Key Additions: Erik Spoelstra (via coaching change), Michael Beasley (via draft), James Jones (via free agency), Mario Chalmers (via draft), Shaun Livingston (via free agency), Jamaal Magloire (via free agency).

Key Losses: Randy Pfund (via resignation), Ricky Davis (via free agency), Jason Williams (via free agency), Alonzo Mourning (via free agency/retirement?), Earl Barron (via free agency – left for Europe).

After one of the most abysmal regular season showings in NBA history this past season, the Miami Heat underwent some big changes in the summer of 2008, both from a roster and personnel standpoint.

Replacing Pat Riley as head coach, as the ultra-accomplished head coach decided to step down from the role, is Erik Spoelstra. The 37-year-old rookie head coach has spent 13 seasons with the organization under various titles, such as the as an assistant coach, Director of Scouting, the head of Individual Player Development Program, and the team’s video coordinator.

Subsequently, Riley found himself a new title - General Manager - after Randy Pfund “resigned” from the position just over a week ago.

Why is the word “resigned” in quotes? Rumor has it that Pfund was forced out of the job, so that Riley could have the superiority and “official” job title. That seems mighty reminiscent of the 2005 incident where Stan Van Gundy stepped down as the Heat’s head coach to “spend more time with his family.” Funny how that works, isn’t it?

On the bright side, Riley can no longer reel in criticism for missing his own team’s games to do extra scouting work.

One of the prospects that Riley has spent extensive time scouting is Michael Beasley, who was available on the draft board when Miami was on the clock with the second overall pick in June’s NBA Draft. After much speculation regarding the possibility of trading down, or even boldly taking O.J. Mayo at #2, many a personnel convinced Riley to select Beasley, the Kansas State sensation who put up superior freshman numbers to Kevin Durant’s of 2006-2007.

Simply put, “B-Easy” can do it all on the offensive end, whether it be posting up, using a soft touch around the basket, hitting a mid-range jump shot, burying at three, rebounding, or bulling his way to the hoop after contact. You name it, Beasley can do it, and he can get it done at either forward position.

The defense remains a work in progress, but it will be utterly shocking if Michael Beasley doesn’t establish himself as a perennial All-Star and consistent 20/10 threat for a long time to come.

Via trade on draft night, Miami also picked up a fairly promising and well-rounded point guard in Mario Chalmers, who is popularly known for “the shot” he drained to force overtime against Memphis in the 2008 NCAA Championship game. Chalmers is in the mold of former Heat backup Keyon Dooling - a long, athletic guard that can shoot the ball, defend, run the floor, and provide a great deal of energy to help lift the team.

As long as the rookie camp’s marijuana incident is put behind him, Chalmers should prove to be more than worth the exchange with Minnesota (future second round pick and cash considerations).

In order to try and make up for the three-point shooting lost from 2006-2007’s Jason Kapono, Miami went out and signed veteran sharpshooter James Jones to a five-year deal in July. The native of South Florida appeared in 58 games for the Trail Blazers last season, where he scored eight points per game and shot an impressive 44.4% from beyond the arc. Another positive to the addition of Jones is his on-ball defense, as his lateral quickness and outstanding length allow him to disrupt the opposition far more than Kapono ever could have dreamed of.

Riley also brought in a couple of flyers in Jamaal Magloire, who will add much-needed depth at the five-spot, and former number four overall pick Shaun Livingston, who looked to be one of the NBA’s most promising guards two season ago before tearing multiple left knee ligaments in 2007. The 6’7’’ point guard is said to have worked tirelessly to return to form, and potentially get on the right track to advancing his career to where he had once envisioned himself going - the NBA All-Star game.

Time and patience will be required, but with a two-year deal, the low-risk, high-reward signing could result in a perfect backcourt complement to Dwyane Wade in the future.

Speaking of Dwyane Wade, how about the way he played for Team USA throughout its Gold Medal run this past summer in Beijing? “Flash” was absolutely phenomenal, and certainly proved himself to be back in typical form, and by that I mean 2006 NBA Finals MVP form.

With a healthy Wade, the addition of Beasley, a motivated Shawn Marion in his contract year, and a rejuvenated attitude, Miami’s 2008 offseason has to be considered a success. They couldn’t have gone anywhere but up from last season’s 15-win campaign, though, right?

Depth Chart

Biggest Strength

Offensive Weapons: The Heat have a few holes to fill and quite a few questions to answer, but the one thing that this team will have no problems with is offensive versatility and firepower.

Guys like Shawn Marion and Dorell Wright are killer in the open floor, especially Marion, who gets up and down with the best of them in the NBA. When the tempo is slowed, the four-time NBA All-Star can create off the ball and even knock down some open threes.

We’ve already touched on Michael Beasley. The young man has the total package on the offensive end of the floor, giving his team a tremendous inside-outside balance and the versatility to play both the three and the four.

Newcomers James Jones and Mario Chalmers, along with guards Daequan Cook and Chris Quinn, will help spread the floor with their terrific shooting ability, which will keep the defense honest and give the stars of the team more room to operate going to the basket.

Then there’s Dwyane Wade, who holds career averages of 23.9 points and 6.5 assists per game. The 6’4’’ combo guard is one of the most fierce penetrators and finishers in the game, and possesses a silky-smooth mid-range pull-up jumper to keep the defense from completely sagging off of him. If he gets caught in a trap or stuck in a corner, no worries; D-Wade will find his open teammates and play as unselfishly as any other star in the NBA.

Up front, the Mark Blounts and Udonis Haslems of the world give the Heat a pair of reliable mid-range jump shooters to open up the drive-and-kick game for the team’s guards.

Whether Miami comes out victorious or not, they’re going to make the defense work to stop the wide variety of offensive talent on this roster.

Biggest Weakness

Interior Presence: Despite all of the offensive talent, there’s not a single player on this roster that can be counted on to deliver in the post on either end of the floor. Haslem sure is aggressive, but his 6’8’’ frame gets outmatched by bigger opponents on the blocks, making him more of an intangibles-based defender than a post stopper. Recently acquired Jamaal Magloire will rebound for you, but if you’re expecting any defense or blocked shots, you’re going to be disappointed. To cap it off, you’ll be more disappointed with Mark Blount, who at age 33, has yet to have his testicles dropped.

Unless Alonzo Mourning returns to the court and manages to put together a healthy 16th and final season, Miami is in deep [you know what] on the inside.

X-Factor

Dwyane Wade’s Health: If Wade can manage to put together a healthy season, similar to the 05-06, the Heat can be a strong threat to more than double last season’s win total and give a top-seeded Eastern Conference team a run for their money in the first round of the playoffs. On the other hand, if Wade is only unable to appear in 51 regular season games, as he has in each of the past two seasons, Miami’s fan base is headed for another year of pure apathy.

If his Olympic showing is any indication, he’s in good shape. The question, however, is can he maintain it?

What to Expect In 2008-2009

Let’s go ahead and assume that Wade stays relatively healthy and returns to form. Should that be the case, this team could very well end up in the sixth-to-eighth seed range. In the same breath, they could fall in the ninth-to-eleventh range on account of their interior weakness and unstable point guard situation. I’m going to go ahead and play it safe by predicting Miami to be smacked in the middle of those possibilities - ninth seed, just one win short of tying Atlanta for the East’s final playoff berth.

Playoffs or not, Heat fans, you’ve got something to look forward to, as the Wade-Beasley pairing could develop into one of the league’s most dynamic for years to come.

2008-2009 Predictions
36-46
4th in Southeast Division
9th in Eastern Conference

Tomorrow: Milwaukee Bucks

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