| Heating Up Authored by Andrew Friedman - March 9, 2006 - 1:44 am
As the season inches closer and closer to the 2006 NBA Playoffs, Miami, now 20 games over .500 at 40-20, is slowly improving. Miami acquired Derek Anderson, a versatile, athletic guard who can play three different positions (point guard, shooting guard and small forward), score in a variety of ways (including outside shooting) and can be a true backup for Dwyane Wade. Miami's second string of Gary Payton, Derek Anderson, Shandon Anderson, Antoine Walker and Alonzo Mourning is extremely talented and balanced. Each player provides the Heat with a variety of skills that are invaluable to the Heat's potential playoff success.
There are some issues that surround the Heat that should work themselves out as the season progresses. First, Miami has played in several extremely close, gut-wrenching games. Although Miami has won each of these games, the Heat probably should have played much better.
Defensively, Miami still has a long way to go. With Shandon Anderson recently emerging as a regular contributor to the Heat's rotation, perimeter defense should improve. Also, we have yet to see Miami's full roster in action with Anderson recently joining the club and both Wade and Mourning missing recent games. With both the influence of Miami?s coaching staff and more time actually playing together, Miami should be remedy their defensive woes.
Miami's offense, on the other hand, has been fantastic. Miami leads the league in field goal percentage and has beaten opponents with offensive brilliance led by O'Neal and Wade. With Wade and O'Neal carrying Miami's load and playing 100%, combining for at least 45 points per game, Miami needs only one or two other players to step up and contribute. Fortunately, Miami has a group of eight other players who have each shown the ability to step up and both make defensive stops and hit crucial shots throughout the game and down the stretch. Jason Williams leads this group of the non-O'Neal/Wade players. Having Haslem, Mourning, Walker, Payton, Posey, Shandon Anderson or Derek Anderson makes the Heat an extremely difficult team to beat. As long as these players continue to allow Wade and O'Neal to lead the way, which they have, then Miami should continue to improve.
One player who has caught the ire of some Heat critics for a lack of production is James Posey. What these critics fail to see is Posey's defense hustle. He is an appropriate fit to start with the team. He is a true small forward and while he hasn't scored much, he hasn't taken many shots either, mainly because when he plays, the play is for either O?Neal or Wade. Later in games, instead of Posey, Miami uses either a three-guard lineup with Williams, Payton and Wade or Shandon Anderson, Derek Anderson or Antoine Walker who has played excellent ball during Miami's current 10-game winning streak. If Miami needs Posey's length, shooting or defense during the late segments of games, he must be ready.
Elsewhere in the conference, the New Jersey Nets, whose style of play gives Miami a lot of trouble, is now only two games ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers. If Philadelphia can surpass New Jersey in the rankings, they could become the third seed in the conference, meaning Miami would play Philadelphia before playing either Detroit or New Jersey, who would have to face each other. Cleveland would become the fourth seed, assuming the rest of the rankings remain the same. It would be to Miami's advantage not to play any team not named either the Nets or the Pistons, at least until the Eastern Conference Finals, assuming the Heat should make it that far. If Miami can continue to improve on defense and develop more cohesion, Miami should do even
better: Miami should win it all. |
