| Heat Heads Into Break With 40 Wins, 8 All-Stars, And A Familiar Face Authored by Andrew Friedman - February 17, 2005 - 1:49 am
Shaquille O’Neal and Dwyane Wade will represent Miami in Denver to participate in the 2005 NBA All Star game, but they aren’t going alone. All six Miami Heat coaches, Stan Van Gundy, Bob McAdoo, Ron Rothstein, Eric Spoelstra, Keith Askins, and Bimbo Coles will be there to coach O’Neal, Wade and the rest of the Eastern Conference All-Star team.
Remember how great last season was? Think about this: It took Miami 25 more games to win 40 games last season than it did for this season’s team. But this team is different for far more reasons than winning 20% more games. This team has all stars and more than just one nationally televised regular season game. This team has people watching Miami across the globe. This team also has the best duo in the league with Dwyane Flash Wade and his sidekick (that’s right, I said sidekick), Superman Shaquille O’Neal. And with the anticipated signing of Alonzo Mourning, this team has the best frontcourt in the entire league. This team also has expectations. Dominating the Eastern Conference is one of those expectations, and Miami has done that. In the three losses against the East, Miami lost by only 9 points combined.
Miami also has some distinct weaknesses. There tends to be a lack of either defensive intensity, or in some cases, defensive ability, at some positions, particularly at point guard, forward, and backup center. This does not go to say the players who play at those positions are playing poorly. They simply do not seem to be long-term solutions. Eddie Jones, for example, is not the answer for small forward. And when Miami plays the Mavericks, there is no reason Shandon Anderson should be guarding Dirk Nowitzki, who is 5 inches taller. When Miami plays the Spurs, Tony Parker should not be driving to the basket at will when Shaq isn’t there to alter his shot. The addition of Alonzo Mourning certainly helps this area tremendously. Parker would undoubtedly have a much tougher time doing what he did against the Heat in Miami’s win over the Spurs on February 13th with Mourning as the anchor for the bench. Don’t get me wrong. That win was excellent. But can Miami realistically win a 7-game series like that (with 22 lead changes and 22 ties)? Maybe, but it would be the ultimate challenge. Mourning increases Miami’s chances, however.
Miami could, should, and probably is working on another move, before the Alonzo Mourning move is finalized. By not officially signing Alonzo Mourning as of now, Pat Riley and Randy Pfund, the geniuses who are responsible picking Stan Van Gundy as Riley’s successor, drafting Dwyane Wade with the fifth pick in 2004, and trading a package of players that included Brian Grant’s immovable contract for Shaquille O’Neal, are likely holding off signing Zo to see if they can open up a roster spot for Mourning through another transaction.
Who should Miami look to acquire? I know just the player, though I am certainly not the first to think of this idea. His name is Eric Williams. He is known for his superb defense (Recall: Defense is Miami’s weakness) and leadership skills (which you can’t get enough of). He is a Riley-type player, fairly similar Keith Askins in terms of defense and leadership. He is also very unhappy with his current situation on the Toronto Raptors. To acquire Williams, Miami could trade Wesley Person (who is disgruntled and out of the rotation), along with Malik Allen (he is valuable—is still a young player, was awesome in the 2004 playoffs, and was doing great before he got injured), plus Wang ZhiZhi (who, with the Zo signing, becomes more expendable than ever), and perhaps a second round pick as well to Toronto. Miami would receive Eric Williams and perhaps Pape Sow, who is young, barely plays on Toronto, and was originally drafted by Miami.
Let’s take a look at what Eric Williams would mean to Miami. If he earns a spot at starting small forward, that would drastically improve both the overall team defense and the bench. Eddie Jones would shift down to shooting guard, and Dwyane Wade back to point guard. This indirectly solves the lack of defense at point guard because the Heat would no longer have to worry about Damon Jones going against the opposition’s starter. The new depth chart would look like this:
Point guard: Dwyane Wade…Damon Jones…Keyon Dooling
Shooting guard: Eddie Jones…Rasual Butler…Dorell Wright
Small forward: Eric Williams…Shandon Anderson…Qyntel Woods
Power forward: Udonis Haslem…Christian Laettner…Pape Sow
Center: Shaquille O’Neal…Alonzo Mourning…Michael Doleac
Note that the depth chart doesn’t necessarily mean the players in the second column are who Van Gundy will go to every time. If Miami needs more offense, Van Gundy could put Damon Jones, Rasual Butler, Doleac and/or Laettner in. If Miami needs more defense, then send in Keyon Dooling, Shandon Anderson, and/or Alonzo Mourning. If the Heat are up 20 with 3:00 left in the game, then send in Wright, Woods, and/or Sow. Miami would have a variety of role players and situational players, which would turn this team into a true contender.
Miami, however, is only a combined 1-6 against the best of the West (Spurs, Mavericks, Suns, Sonics). The aforementioned moves should give Miami enough firepower on both ends of the court to reverse their fortunes against these teams, especially come Finals time. Miami should enjoy the All Star break as one of only three teams in the league to have as many as 40 wins. After the break, the competition intensifies, and Miami must be prepared for what lies ahead.
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