Who hears a Horton? Heat preseason "tryouts"

Well, folks, it is that time of year again. On the eve of the final preseason matchup, where our Heat face the up-and-coming Magic in Orlando, there will be something to play for - a roster spot.

Right now, it seems that the final spot on the 15 man roster is up for grabs and there are basically three men in the race - Antonio Burks, Chris Quinn and Robert Hite.

Burks was signed away from the Grizzlies, and was expected to contend for the backup-backup PG spot the Heat need to fill (Jason Williams won't be back from knee surgery until mid-November). Yet, some serious competition arose along the way.

Quinn, the Fighting Irish alumnus is battling along with Robert Hite, the ex-Cane, for that spot that was all but assured to Burks.

Hite is displaying an electric offensive touch, scoring efficiently and effectively all preseason. He dropped 25 points on 10-14 shooting in only 25 minutes against the Grizzlies while Quinn had a solid game scoring 4 points with 5 assists and one turnover.

There was much speculation about the guys being brought in - Vincent Grier and Daniel Horton are all but forgotten now - and their possibility of making the championship squad. It will come down to a final showing against Orlando tomorrow night. Stay tuned, but it looks like Hite has emerged as the favorite, with Riley speaking very highly of him and his athleticism and quickness.

It wouldn't be the first time a Cane made the Heat's roster - Tim James and Darius Rice being others who paved the way, but neither could stick.

Heat add Antonio Burks

The Heat singed Antonio Burks, formerly of the Memphis Grizzlies, to a one-year $744K deal that is not guaranteed. He will have to make the team to earn the full worth of the contract.

But with Jason Williams estimating his return to be sometime in mid-November, and Gary Payton as the incumbent starter (at the ripe old age of 39), there will be plenty to motivate Burks besides the money including playing time at the start of the season for the defending champs as they begin the year banged up.

The six foot 195lb Burks played at Memphis in college as well, and as a pro was able to get some solid minutes at around 10 per game to display his developing skills. He is a quick, athletic point guard that seems to be able to score the ball pretty effectively at the NBA level. Per 40 minutes, based on his 2 seasons as a pro, he estimates to have a 9.4 PPG average along with 5.3ASTs to 2.4TOs.

Payton returns, but what next?

14 of 15 of the Heat players have returned to the roster, something that Pat Riley himself had called "pollyana-ish" after the championship run itself, with Gary Payton inking a one year deal with the Heat. The only player yet to re-up is Shandon Anderson, who may retire.

Although it is fun to see the fellas come back for a reunion tour, it may prove much more difficult for success the second time around. Their biggest concern? The Heat have very little room for growth on their roster.

It is vital that every year a team improves its talent pool in order to keep up with the rest of the league as the jockeying for superiority becomes the yearly ritual. The Heat have seen several teams tinker, but fortunately nothing major. Indiana has re-obtained Al Harrington in a strange and lucky series of moves, while the Pistons have let Ben Wallace go to Chicago (which immensely improves the Bulls already tough defense) and make some minor moves to change their identity (Flip Murray) to a more offensive one in the process.

The Heat? Stood pat. The question is not only can they repeat what they did last season, under a full season of Pat Riley and his playbook, but what can they do to shore up the weaknesses that will continue to exist and improve?

The Heat were criticised for not having a great perimeter defender, although they seemingly silenced the critiques on their championship run last season when facing the Bulls, Nets and Pistons. The one glaring weakness that does seem to crop up is their need for a backup PG.

Some would think that signing Gary Payton addressed that need, but at 38 and turning 39, nothing from Gary is guranteed at this point. Not to mention, Jason Williams is undergoing rehab for his knee surgery to alleviate the tendonitis that drastically affected him last season.

A need for a younger point guard to alleviate the situation is present.

The other problem is, how do the Heat find this player? There are currently rumors about Micheal Doleac being on the block, with his contract and his ability to serve a team's size needs both being very valuable. The Heat's depth at C, with Shaq, Zo and Earl Barron, even makes Doleac almost redundant. This also grants an opportunity for Barron to play, while a rumor such as this only validates Barron's ability as well. The Heat also have other expiring contracts available in Jason Kapono and Derek Anderson to throw into any deal to get what they are looking for.

Then there are the contract and cap issues. Arison has determined that he doesn't want to spend for the luxury tax and Riley has been very adamant about keeping his team at or under the cap as much as is possible. To send away a couple of expiring contracts, in say Doleac and Anderson, is to also invite one back that could have a longer term attached to it. Which means that the plan to shed some financial weight may not prove to be possible and Arison is going to have to re-think his stance in order to free up Riley to improve his team by addressing the need. There is hope in that Arison approved Zo's new contract, which does cause the Heat to spend some of their minimum level exception and push them over the threshold some.

The Heat could continue to stand pat, and sign a vet to round out the roster (Anderson) or keep one of the young undrafted players they have in camp (Gansey, Quinn, Horton, Grier). After all, three of these young players are being looked at for playing PG - both Quinn and Horton played there in college while Gansey has to quickly learn the position. Yet, neither of those options seem optimal at this point.

Forcing Dorrell Wright to play point guard is an option, but an unattractive option as well. Let alone getting him playing time in the first place with Pat Riley coaching this team.

The Heat also need more three point shooting accuracy on this team. Kapono is a one dimensional player that wont see floor time until he plays better defense. An idea to trade back for Damon Jones from the Cleveland Cavaliers has been discussed, but nothing serious seems to be cropping up.

The Heat need to improve their three point shooting and they need to acquire a young, veteran point guard that could step in and run the offense should the Heat have another injury at the PG position. They could acquire this player via a trade that has several options starting with Micheal Doleac, but until the Heat do make this move their offseason won't be complete.

The Return of Riley was Inevitable

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about Riley returning being pretty much a done deal. At least, I started to. But for some reason, my computer coughed and hacked and erased my article.

So much for speculation - because it was pointless to speculate on something that was pretty much a known factor. Of course Pat Riley was going to return to the Miami Heat's coaching helm. It was just too hard to resist.

There was no way that Riley was going to be able to walk away. Sure, he just won a championship, but he is a lifer in this coaching gig. Jerry West, his former boss and mentor, called him as much. Besides, you don't think gambling with his roster only to win a championship would be enough vindication for this man? No, he is bent on perfection and last year's team - as good as it was - is far from perfect. There is much room for growth.

That may seem like firebreathing rhetoric or just chest thumping to outsiders, but a team armed with Shaq and Dwyane Wade is only beginning to scratch the surface with simply one championship.

And Riley knows this all too well.

So, Riley's return is a pretty good indication for a windfall of sorts for this franchise. It is definetly the golden days for this once snake-bitten franchise.

Besides, last season it is well-known that Riley was only able to institute part of the playbook - about 25% by some estimates. Considering that the Heat were able to gel enough to win a championship with that little sophistication is only a testament to the talent of this team. With more experience and the unquestioned authority of Pat Riley's system in place, this team is only going to get better. Scary better.

Riley knows this. He couldn't walk away from completing what could be by the end an unfathomable masterpiece.

Heat Update: August

There is a heatwave sweeping over the country - from the West coast to the East coast. It has nothing to do with the Miami Heat, but it might as well. Ever since the Heat have taken the trophy back from the Mavericks, prying it from their overly confident hands, the team has undergone a major PR explosion - most notably for Shaq, Wade and Riley.

Shaq has actually remained somewhat quiet, considering he has pulled off probably the greatest sports promise since Broadway Joe or even the mythological Babe Ruth who pointed to center field before hitting one out of the park. A couple of late-night talk show appearances and poof, Shaq is gone from the spotlight.

Same goes for Pat Riley who joins Shaq as fulfilled in the championship dream/prophecy category. He, too, made a late-night appearance, with Jay Leno, and then went on safari in Africa - probably to escape the media and get some R&R in peace. His impending coaching decision - will it be the coach who decides or the team president? - is upcoming in mid-August but stop the presses: it has already been made. Indications are that Riley has already made his decision and is just waiting to put the final touches on the details. It is pretty certain he will be back - otherwise, why wait so long to find a coach when training camp will be starting up very soon. There isn't an assistant he would turn the team over - unless Stan Van Gundy is making some kind of improbable comeback. Mike Fratello has been mentioned as a possibility, but that is also unlikely since he is very much entrenched in Memphis for the time being. The life of Riley will continue...

And then there is Dwyane Wade. Now, finally and officially, vaulted to the level of superstar, all he is doing is playing a little summer ball on the international level with team USA as they take on the world at the FIBA World Championships in Japan this summer. The buzz is already surrounding the young American team that has a ridiculous amount of athletic talent and is lined with basketball greatness. Wade is not only expected to be one of the leaders of that team - along with LeBron James and a re-emerging Carmelo Anthony - but is the promotional leader for Gatorade's Asia campaign. The Finals MVP is now becoming a recognized icon on other continents as he promotes Gatorade and Converse along the way.

But what about the team? Well, everyone is doing their offseason thing but most importantly Jason Williams is undergoing his crucial knee surgery to alleviate his knee tendonitis. And the rumors swirl about the Heat signing a backup PG - the likes of an Eddie House return increase. Riley has had interest in getting House back for a couple of seasons now and House also has the same agent as James Posey and Antoine Walker. The Heat's signing of Robert Hite (UM), Chris Quinn (Notre Dame), Mike Gansey (WVU) and Daniel Horton (Michigan) has only solidified the youth pool from which the competition will come from. None have really stood out in any way, but it is enough to make Gary Payton very nervous since he wants to come back but it is looking more and more like the Heat are going to opt for youth this season.

Which brings us to Dorrell Wright and Earl Barron. Both have wowed coaches, peers and fans in the Orlando Pepsi Summer Pro League this past month. Both players were named to the tourny's all-tournament team, provoking what possibilities they will have in the near future - and all indications seem that there will be a mini-youth movement within the Heat. The timing couldn;t be more perfect - if this team is going to grow into a dynasty, it has to expand the window by expanding the talent pool. And having a core of talented young players like Wade and Udonis Haslem already established to go along with the talents of Wayne Simien, Wright and Barron could prove up to the task of such a vision. Yet, they need to play now and get into the rotation of this team. Indications are Riley realizes that and is willing to go that route insofar as it does an apt job of supporting Shaq.

Other than that, not much else to report at the moment...enjoy the Heatwave...