Posey No More

James Posey signs with the Celtics

So things didn't work out as planned. Jason Kapono was not supposed to bolt for Toronto and James Posey was supposed to be signed-and-traded to another team so the Heat could find a suitable replacement.

Looks like neither things happened and the Heat have to deal with it. Or just deal.

Signing Alexander Johnson may be a prelude to a deal, as he adds depth at the power forward position and with Posey's departure all that is left at SF is potentially Wright, Penny and summer league prospect Jeremy Richardson. It just seems like something has to give.

But what happened? Did the Heat really make a run at signing Posey, or did they just assume he would be out of their price range?

And since he clearly wasn't, what exactly is meant by a competitive offer? Posey's agent, Mark Bartelstein - also Mo Williams' agent - confirmed that the Heat did tender an offer but that it ultimately was a better opportunity to play in Boston than in Miami.

Huh?

Talk about a bandwagon - it's already bloated and full in Boston. Apparently all it took was landing Kevin Garnet and the trophy is on a one way ticket to Boston. But seriously, what does this say about Miami's chances? They made a "competitive offer" to one of their own free agents, and he takes the same - or less - money to play in Boston? Shaq and Wade aren't enough, not to mention you live in Miami and have one ring just a season removed already. What kind of an opportunity is Posey looking for?

This should sting a bit to the Heat players, their coaches and their fans. None of us expected that Posey would stick around, but the fact that the market was so bad for FAs this season should have only increased our chances of retaining Posey, yet the Heat didn't seem to be interested. And perhaps, that is the biggest shock of all - Miami had graded Posey out of their plans and instead hoped they could use him as a chip to trade up with.

Could it be a rivarly in the making? Well, let's let Boston get their bearings and see how good they will be by mid season first. Right now, they are a bunch of names and unsure depth.

Alexander Johnson Fits in Miami

He's young and he is under appreciated. Most fans will not have heard of Alexander Johnson, unless they were Florida State basketball fans - like myself.

I had the privilege of watching Alexander Johnson play basketball at FSU while Leonard Hamilton was just starting up his program and right away I was impressed with his physical ability.

Johnson seems to be cut in that same mold as a Charles Barkely, a physical player with a strong power game and the ability to explode and surprise opponents. See for yourself:



Johnson has a long wingspan and can play on both ends of the floor. He is a gifted athlete, has good agility and quick feet and can get up off the floor very quickly - sometimes it can be somewhat surprising as he looks slower than he is. Just check that video above.

He can stick the jumper to about 18 feet, he has good form and a high release point and he can play physical down low in the block. He also has shown great passing ability and at FSU he was frequently used to set up plays at the top of the key.

Also while at FSU, Johnson often took on the tough, physical assignments and proved he was up to the task. In fact, it almost seemed as if he preferred it. He might have struggles against smaller, quicker players but only because of his positioning and understanding of defensive techniques needs some help when guarding players. However, he is a very strong rebounder on both ends of the floor due to his physical nature, his vertical leap (around 40") and his reach. In fact, some scouts and experts marked Johnson the 2nd most athletic big man in the draft behind Tyrus Thomas.

The Heat just got younger at PF and expanded their roster up to 18 players by signing Johnson. He also signed a high value contract for 2 years at 1.5M - this demonstrates the Heat are thinking more shrewdly about their situation. With Shaq and Wade eating up a bulk of the finances, the Heat have to be smarter with their spending which means they need to focus on younger talent that could be cheaper and fit their system while at the same time tolerating more risk on the court. Alexander Johnson just makes sense.

Further Reading:
Ex-FSU Star Signs with Miami

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Also, keep an eye on PJ Brown. Rumor has it he would like to retire after this season and he might be looking to do it in Miami where he would have a chance to win a title and finish up where he spent his better professional years.

All's Quiet on the Offseason Front

We shouldn't mistake the relative quiet from the Heat for inactivity. Rest assured that options are being explored but don't bet on anything happening at this point.

I know we all but gave Mickael Pietrus a Heat jersey, but it is looking like the Heat are retracting their interest. Maybe it is a ploy to drive up Dorell Wright's value - or maybe they really are that interested in Wright after all. One thing is for certain, Riley needs to play him and give him a shot and the only thing that seemed to keep him shackled on the bench was his inconsistent shot. Statistically, you might be surprised to learn that Wright fared pretty well against his peers at his position. He demonstrated himself to be fairly efficient, but he excelled at rebounding and that is something the Heat need more of, especially on the offensive side.

That and the fact that the Heat "leaked" information that Wright is now being listed at 6'10" make him an even more intriguing prospect that even last season. Perhaps some time at PF in addition to SF? We'll see. But it is also one of the reasons why Riley is going to stand "pat" with the roster at this point.

Also, there is the Penny factor. He has been getting rave reviews from other players who have seen him in private workouts, and also he has been doing a pretty good job working with some of the young players like Daequan Cook and Jeremy Richardson - a sleeper at the SF spot that might even get some significant PT if he makes this team.

So, although the Heat haven't made that big splash, and it is uncertain if they will or not, there is reason for hope here as some of the key young players have room for growth and with Kapono and Posey almost entirely out of the way, there is certainly an X factor that could see the Heat's identity change and grow. That is, if Riley is open to it. Which may be illustrated by a trade - if he makes one, he needs to make it. If not, he might be satisfied with his talent already.

Ime Udoka No Longer a Possibility for the Heat

Take Ime Udoka off the board. The Heat will not be able to sign the defensively-minded guard that worked his way up from the NBDL and obscure Portland State into a starter on the Blazers last season.

The Oregonian is reporting that Udoka is close to finalizing a deal with the Spurs, the defending champs, on his way out of Portland. It seems that the Blazers drew Udoka out of their plans with their flurry of offseason moves.

Udoka, who can stick the three and has developed a reputation for being a tough perimeter defender, will probably land a deal in the $2M ranger starting out. He would have been a very good option for the Heat who are looking for more depth at the guard and small forward positions, and his pricetag is in the Heat's financial range.

Reminiscing With Little Penny

So there was a rift between Shaq and Penny, probably over Little Penny and all his off court antics. It has been troubling times for Little Penny, out of work for many years due to a declining Penny Hardaway. But now, with a new team and a new lease on life, and claiming his knees are pain free, Penny Hardaway is back with Shaq for one final run and rumors of Little Penny's return have started.

Let's take a moment to consider some of Lil' Penny's work:









Still trying to find that documentary about what happened to Little Penny. There was a rough patch for him and he had to go through drug rehab. He doesn't seem to want to talk about that though.