| How The Best Get Better Authored by Andrew Friedman - July 4, 2006 - 12:14 pm
The Heat managed to establish itself as the best team in the NBA with at least one glaring weakness. Miami’s most consistent shooter is a player whose biggest weakness is shooting: Dwyane Wade. Somehow, nobody has caught on to this fact that the Heat stink at outside shooting. Before the rest of the league finds out, Miami needs to find itself a player who can crack the rotation, hold his own defensively and make open long-range shots.
There are two realistic methods Miami has to make significant changes. Miami has the mid-level exception available to offer to free agents. The exception starts at about $5.2 million. In addition, the ‘other’ half of Miami’s 15 Strong (the half that did not play in the Finals) is made up of players with small, short contracts or young project players with potential. Packaged with future draft picks, Miami could make additions by trading these players.
Presently, Miami will have every starter back from last season as well as James Posey off the bench. The Heat is also waiting to hear from free agents Gary Payton, Alonzo Mourning and Shandon Anderson. All three are weighing retirement and a return to defend the Title. In the event that all three players retire, Miami can make its mark in an offseason that has been extremely busy thus far.
Gary Payton’s defense and clutch veteran plays during the playoffs were invaluable to the team’s success and his role on the team is irreplaceable. However, Miami could use the position of backup point guard to acquire someone younger, or at least someone who can hit an open three-point shot consistently. Among the arsenal of Payton’s weapons, making open long-range shots was not one.
Many players are available who can make such a shot as well as perform other duties. Mike James isn’t a young player by any means (he’s 31), but he is younger than Payton. He is also a terrific shooter who can play active defense at both guard positions. Miami gave James his NBA debut in 2001 and has a role waiting for him as backup guard on the Heat.
If Alonzo Mourning retires this summer, he will have capped off one of the most legendary careers in the history of sports. His passion and intensity will never be matched. His defense will never be matched either. But Miami may be able to acquire a young, athletic shot blocker such as Stromile Swift to play as a reserve.
Swift was recently traded back to his original team, the Grizzlies, and he isn’t thrilled to be back. The Heat could take advantage of the situation by trading for him. Any feasible trade for Swift would likely involve Wayne Simien, future draft considerations and the contracts of some of Miami’s small, short contracted players such as Michael Doleac, Jason Kapono and Derek Anderson.
As for Shandon Anderson’s role, Miami could use some fresh legs. Dorell Wright has spent the previous two seasons practicing with swing-men Eddie Jones, Dwyane Wade, Gary Payton, Shandon Anderson and James Posey among others. He has been groomed alongside some of the great, most respectable players in the league. And in the two games where Wright has played significant minutes in his young career, he averaged 19.5 points, 7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steal with 57% shooting. Wright plays a similar game to Dwyane Wade, but at 6’8” has more height and is a better shooter than Wade was at 20.
If all three veteran free agents (Payton, Mourning and Anderson) return to the team, Miami will have a successful offseason. If any (or all) of them don’t return, Miami has a golden opportunity to fix weaknesses and get younger. |
