Heat Lack of Depth Should Force Youth Movement

Riley is starting to get to me these days. Look, we don't have the greatest depth in the world and at times last season we were seen as slow, old, sluggish, apathetic and just not hungry enough to care.

Gone are Jason Kapono, arguably our best outside shooter since Glen Rice, and James Posey - the defensive dynamo that had the panache for big shots.

What are we left with, a Penny Hardaway comeback story? Riley, are you serious?

Sure, Hardaway could be a serviceable presence in tough game situations, like the playoffs. But you have to get their first.

The general consensus is that Riley would be more likely to keep Hardaway over young players like Jeremy Richardson or Devin Green. Why?! Just because it is a name that is familiar to Riley? He's thinking about 8 years ago when he should be thinking about 8 years from now.

Fortunately, players like Dorell Wright, Daequan Cook, Wayne Simien and Alexander Johnson are all in spots where the Heat need them. Joel Anthony, Marcus Slaughter, and possibly even Earl Barron could be sent packing even though each has talent enough to make the roster. Then there is the backup PG battle heating up between Chris Quinn and Brian Chase...

This bias - or is it an unhealthy fixation - has no benefit. Hardaway is not going to give the Heat more of a future than a talent like Jeremy Richardson, a player who can play in this league and contribute. Look at Allan Houston - the Knicks told him, finally, to pack it up. Doug Christie is still trying to make his comeback - or sell his blasted book about he and his wife's love life (bleck!). Christie contacted the Heat, ironically, and they said no.

So why should Hardaway get a spot that would be best served for a younger player with more upside? Because Riley doesn't want to spend his time developing players and his demands are high. He wants perfection. That is great, but frankly, a veteran might be less likely to make a mental mistake, but is going to be far more limited in what he can do on the court. It really is a tradeoff.

Yet, you can't win games if no one comes to play healthy. Hardaway's durability is just as much of a question as is how would Richardson perform in games. Hardaway might have more experience, but Richardson has less miles.

On a team that saw its two superstars miss almost an entire season's worth of games, there is little to be gained by having another high mileage presence that could be out with an injury. Wade is already going to miss at least the first month. Time to shift the thinking around here.

Training Camp 2007: It All Starts Here

The offseason hasn't been kind to the Miami Heat - in fact, it seems like they put the "off" in offseason.

From the misses on Mo Williams, Mickael Pietrus, Juan Carlos Navarro - even Charlie Bell - Miami was unable to add a marquee name to its roster. Heck, even a somewhat vague name would have helped.

There is hope though. After years of stacking up with veteran help signing to the bare minimum, Riley FINALLY shifted gears a bit and stocked up on young talent - signing them to the bare minimum.

There is a noted difference in camp with the younger crowd. The team seems a bit more hungry and energetic - things they definitely were not last season.

The buzz? Keep an eye on Jeremy Richardson. We have been pretty high on this guy's athletic ability and his skills offensively. He was kind of labeled a project with some upside, but he has matured physically and with the Heat's system, they may be able to fine tune him enough to get into the rotation. Riley has commented that Richardson reminds him of a young Glen Rice, which would obviously be a good thing for the Heat since they will need to find an offensive shooting presence off the bench to replace Jason Kapono.

Another young guy to keep an eye on is Alexander Johnson. If he can show his promise and deliver consistent performances, he could squeeze into the backup PF role that was envisioned for Wayne Simien. Johnson, however, has more skill, more size, more explosiveness. If both he and Richardson can show they belong, the role for Antoine Walker, the Heat's most controversial and most inefficient player, becomes diminished.

At point guard there seems to be some excitement over Jason Williams' quickness returning. He has said that he feels the best he has in about 5 years, and that his lateral quickness is back and he can actually penetrate into the paint. Everyone has been raving about J-Dub's ability to pass the ball and how his energy level is up. Shedding 15 pounds and resting some surgically repaired knees will help.

Which brings us to Williams' backup, Smush Parker. It seems an ankle injury that never healed is bugging him, keeping him limited in practice for now. Rest assured, that the Heat have a capable backup PG that could keep pushing the tempo once Williams' is resting on the bench. Riley, of course, realizes he cannot push Jason Williams as much, but if healthy, it would be more prudent to keep him minutes limited so he can endure the regular season for the post season.

Yet, if Parker is not able to practice, there is an interesting battle for the 3rd spot heating up between Chris Quinn and Brian Chase. Chase was recently signed by the Heat after Shaq recommended him to Riley. The ex Utah Jazz point guard displays great quickness and agility and proves to be a tough defensive assignment at only 5'9". He is also pushing pressure on Chris Quinn to make the final roster.

As for other tidbits from the start of camp, there is Penny Hardaway's future with the Heat, which seems to be that of veteran presence off the bench much like Shandon Anderson was or even Eddie Jones was of last season. Also, Daequan Cook continues to show promise - the good news is he is playing with confidence and he is in shape. If he can continue to develop his game, he might get some solid minutes in the regular season.

And then there is the biggest question mark of all, Dorell Wright. If he can finally live up to the promise of being the Heat's only high school draft pick ever, it would be a boon for the Heat. He has grown, he has filled out some, and he seems to be taking a much more mature and professional approach this summer as he takes on probably his more pivotal point of his career. If he can show defensive skill while at the same time controlling the ball and hitting his jumper consistently, Riley may have found his starting small forward. If not, the Heat may be pressed to make a move.

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.

Add Joel Anthony and Jeremy Richardson

...to the Heat's flurry of signings. Taken from the Heat's official site:

MIAMI, July 5 – The Miami HEAT announced today that they have signed center Joel Anthony, guard Jeremy Richardson and forward Marcus Slaughter. Per team policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.

Anthony (6-9, 240-pounds), appeared in 68 games (nine starts) in two seasons for the University of Nevada (Las Vegas) after transferring from Pensacola Junior College. During his senior season, Anthony appeared in 37 games (six starts) for UNLV and averaged 5.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.9 blocks while shooting 59.7 percent from the field. He was named as the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year after setting an MWC record for most blocks in a game with 13 vs. TCU on Feb. 6, 2007. Anthony finished his collegiate career second in school history for total blocks during a single-season with 109.

Richardson (6-7, 190-pounds), appeared in six NBA regular season games, five with the Atlanta Hawks and one with the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2006-07 campaign, and averaged 1.3 points, 0.3 rebounds, 0.17 steals and 3.7 minutes while shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from three-point range. During his stint in the NBA Development League, Richardson appeared in 33 games (30 starts) for the Fort Worth Flyers after being drafted with the ninth pick of the second round in the 2006 NBA Development League Draft and averaged 17.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 30.8 minutes while shooting 45.8 percent from the field, 37.5 percent from three-point range and 81.9 percent from the foul line. While at Delta State University during his senior and junior seasons, after transferring from Copiah-Lincoln Community College, he appeared in 61 games (60 starts) for the Statesmen and averaged 16.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.15 steals. Richardson finished fifth all-time in school history in three-point field goals made (120) and ranks 14th on the all-time scoring list with 1,001 points.

Slaughter (6-8, 223-pounds), appeared in 29 games with Pinar Karsiyaka SK Izmir of the Turkish League during the 2006-07 season and averaged 13.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.30 steals and 1.3 assists while shooting 51.6 percent from the field. Slaughter was named to the Eurobasket.com Turkish League All-Defensive Team and to the Eurobasket.com Turkish League Second Team. After being selected to play in the Turkish League All-Star Game, Slaughter was named as the All-Star Game MVP after posting 18 points, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks in 17 minutes while shooting 9-of-10 from the field. Marcus also placed second in the Turkish League All-Star Game dunk contest. After three seasons at San Diego State University, Slaughter went un-drafted after becoming an early entry candidate in the 2006 NBA Draft. In his collegiate career, he appeared in 87 games (74 starts) and averaged 13.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.23 steals while shooting 47.7 percent from the field. Slaughter finished third all-time in school history in rebounds (775), sixth all-time in school history in blocks (78) and 10th as the Aztecs all-time scoring leader (1,211).

Heat.com

Looks like the rebuild continues. Rather, re-load.

Anthony looks like a tough defender with some athleticism. Great shot blocker and post defender, offense needs improvement but can certainly dunk and play physical. Check it out for yourself:



Richardson looks like a scorer that can play at the SF position, good shooter. Very young still, but has seen time in the NBA and NBDL. Got some potential.