Shawn Marion Promises Bright Future

Ray Bans? Panama Jacks? Blu Blockers?

Look, the future is so bright, I just might grab me a pair. Kim Jong Il has some, much be watching Heat games.

Why has the Heat's future been resurrected from one of a dilapidating old sorry site to a sleek, new, hip one? They traded Shaq away and got Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. And so far, it has paid immediate dividends.

Banks has already started to turn things. He called the Heat slow. Old man Heat need to get young buck quick and they are doing so by getting rid of the old diesel engine for a high-octane variety.

"It feels like we're pacing ourselves for something," Banks said. "If we get out there and just lay it on the line, we can shock a couple of teams and get a different outcome."

But Banks isn't the only one feeling prophetic these days. Shawn Marion believes in the future of this team too.



You heard the man. "I'm happy to be a part of this Heat organization and we're trying to build for the future." We all are.

The Heat got back not only an legit all star at a position they were iffy on, small forward, but they also added a potential starter for another position they are desperately thin at - point guard. Both Marion and Banks will take what they learned in Phoenix and help the Heat overhaul their offense and tweak it up to a faster paced model. The fans here in Miami are talking about it more, and seem to be rejuvenated.

Tonight is just another point in case. The Heat lost, sure, 114-113. But it was to the Denver Nuggets who had to rely on a career night from JR Smith to survive. Smith's 8 three pointers propelled him to 28 points on the night, with which the Heat may have won this game and may have done so convincingly.

Shawn Marion did poor in another productive night with 23 points and 18 rebounds. Dwyane Wade, all of a sudden, is looking more like the play maker he was in the 2006 playoffs - having 10 assists and only 2 turnovers.

Not to mention the Heat, averaging around 77 shots a game, put up 100 shots tonight.

In fact, after a dunk from Marion, who was on the receiving end of a bounce pass from Marcus Banks, took a 42-28 lead at home against the Nuggets.

Overall, the team is performing better. Blount had 18 points, Wright dropped 19 and is showing himself to be not just an athlete that can score, but that can contribute with rebounds (8) and in other ways (4 assists, 2 steals, 1 block).

Remember, Udonis Haslem and Alonzo Mourning are currently injured and in street clothes. They were both at the game cheering on the team and getting very excited. Could this mean Zo might lean towards returning? Regardless, the excitement was visible and could be a barometer of what is going on within the organization.

This team may or may not win a lot of games to close out the year, but the future is actually going to be brighter as a result. They not only will have salary cap space to play around with (expect another trade before the deadline so the Heat can get a player they want without having to play the numbers game - possibly Mike Miller) but with their continued losing efforts they are actually stepping closer to getting one of the top picks in this year's draft.

So Enter the Matrix and watch as the Heat, with their true architect Pat Riley, turn this thing around very quickly.

Heat In Need of Makeover

It could be cosmetic or even a bit more serious, but Miami is in need of change these days. Riley knows it, Wade knows it, and even Shaq now realizes it.

Right now, this team is confused. Jason Williams was cleared by Riley to get back to his "White Chocolate" style of playing, but has admitted it is something he is struggling to do. Why all of a sudden was Williams unleashed?

Shaq, frustrated over not getting enough touches, has now realized he has done a terrible job this season and vowed to change. Yet, recent comments have shown Shaq to have lowered his expectations.

What is going on? Miami has no identity - and Riley is not helping matters.

This team doesn't shoot particularly well, it doesn't play strong defense, doesn't have high energy, doesn't dominate the paint. It is a jack of all trades but a master of none. Their record, 13 games below .500, indicates that as well.

Also, there is a particular pattern you could almost bank on each game for the Heat. They come out sluggish, with no energy, and fall behind by double digits. Then the Heat pick it up and either tie it up or take the lead. When the 4th quarter rolls around, however, Miami slacks off defensively and gives up a double digit run. A loss at the end of the buzzer and Miami shakes its defiant and proud head.

So, even though there is no definite identity for the Heat and their players, their losses follow a particular pattern. What has Riley done to adjust? Too much.

Miami has to make changes, but they need to be changes that address the problems they are facing. Not enough energy to start games? Start the younger players like Cook and Wright. Bad defensive stretches at the ends of games? Play more active defenders - Shaq is not an option for two reasons now at the end of games, his horrible free throw shooting and his lack of defensive intensity.

Speaking of Shaq, he really is better suited to coming off the bench to maintain leads. He slows the game down and can control the pace of a game. He also is playing less minutes these days do to his age and wear-and-tear. Can you convince a massive ego like Shaq to come off the bench? You have to. Statistically, Shaq is not doing anything wrong. Yet chemically, in fitting in with the fabric of the team, he is not helping by becoming a statue on the offensive side of the ball, too.

The reason Zo's injury is such a big loss is because he can change a game with his defensive play - one ferocious blocked shot would result in a Heat fast break opportunity. Shaq does not have that ability - or at least, doesn't demonstrate that desire to do so.

Miami must begin games faster and with more energy. Insert Cook, Wright and Wade. Put Barron at PF and plug in Joel Anthony, a shot blocking defensive dynamo, at center to start. Hey, we are 13 games under .500, why not try something completely different? All these players will defer to Wade who will manage the ball anyway. Cook provides vitality and a scoring threat from anywhere on the floor. Wright gives the Heat rebounding intensity and an athletic presence on the wing that works well with Wade. Barron can spread the floor with his jumper, but also provides a bit of a downside in regards to rebounding - but Haslem has peaked himself and it doesn't seem like the Heat lose too much with him off the court to start games. Anthony can provide a shot blocking presence that will force teams to think twice about playing in the low block.

This allows the Heat to substitute immediately Shaq at center, if they want to hold the lead or even build on one, and Haslem can come off the bench to provide a further calming influence on the game. You could even slide Barron back and forth between center and power forward.

The Heat have to make a commitment. Based on the patterns in their losses, the Heat are looking at some tough changes or their season will be lost.

Heat Bounce Past Jazz

This was probably the most impressive win this year for the Heat. Yes, it is only the regular season and only December at that, but still, gotta start somewhere.

The losses to Boston were impressive considering where Miami was during those two matchups - but they could have easily been wins, too. This game, however, was almost snatched away from Miami - but not by the players on the opposing team, but by the officials.

I was at the game in person tonight (sec. 110, row 15 seat 1) - shout out to my friend Kristen and her sister Kelly and her boyfriend. Anywho, despite the usual people watching, I was able to tune into the game and watch the boys on the floor. Here are some of the things I observed:

Riley is finally getting it with Barron. The guy has great range and can be a Jermaine O'neal type PF in that he can shoot the ball and spread the floor. He won't ever be a great shot blocker and will probably be just above average as a rebounder, but at PF the guy can create problems. His versatility as a PF/C can be utilized when Shaq comes off. Still, I think Joel Anthony is the answer at backup C. (Fantasy owners, running after Barron is a bit premature, although if you are in deep leagues the guy can get you some genius points...)

Wade is back. Despite being saddled with foul trouble, his game is there and his conditioning are probably about 98% there. Just a few ticks but he looks amazing out there and is the offensive catalyst de facto.

Shaq doesn't move enough. He put in a better effort tonight, but he falls into a bad habit of planting and waiting. This is not only his doing, however, as I saw Jason Williams do the same thing when the call is to give Wade the ball. Williams runs to a corner and stands there. Might as well be 4 on 5 at that point - these guys (and their coach!) have got to learn to keep moving. If you can't you're outta shape and need to get off the floor anyway. Go try shuffle board.

Shaq did earn two standing ovations though - one on the hustle play after a loose ball that dropped him headlong into the scorers' table; the other when he fouled out on yet, another BS call.

Speaking of BS foul calls, how did the Jazz end up with 43 FTAs (free throw attempts, for those of you who don't read this blog often enough) to our 23 FTAs? When you got a force like Shaq getting fouled on every touch and a jet engine incarnated in the form of Wade, how is the other team getting the advantage? Not coincedentally, most of the FTAs came at the end of the game - 15 FTAs in the final 7:38, to be exact.

Still, as hard as the officials seem to be trying to hand Miami their third straight loss, you could feel like this game was never really under threat. The Heat quietly built up a lead in the third quarter and maintained it for a while, except for the fact that 35% of the Jazz FTAs came in the final 7:38 of the game. Sure, Miami got some FTAs too, but it wasn't the bulk of their offense.

Miami played much harder tonight. They need to continue to battle to push through this horrendous start. Next up Cleveland on Christmas - probably one of the most overrated teams in the NBA. Miami could be one of the most underrated.

Smush Out; Jackson Debut

Heat look like they are going to lose this game to the Wiz, which is unfortunate because they are a better team without Gilbert. They just had to rely on an injury to him in order to discover what pretty much any half wit watching basketball knew. Its true because I have noticed this too!

That said, there were some bright spots. Quinn looks a bit more confident and seems to start to believe he can play at this level. He was bombing away from the three point line, being really the only consistent offensive threat at the end of the game.

Luke Jackson played some extensive minutes at the end of the game, and looked ready to fit in. He is athletic and seems to be able to find open spots on the floor - if only Miami can find him. Then again, their offense just looked dreadful in comparison to how well they played on the road.

7 losses out of 9 at home. Riley warned that the Heat come out sluggish and it showed.

Speaking of slugs, where is Smush you might be wondering? Legal problems have basically ended his tenure in Miami. He is being shopped and it is looking like Miami might be targeting a PG from Seattle, either Luke Ridnour, Luke Jackson's teammate at Oregon, or Earl Watson. Now, it is probably not likely that Smush would be enough to net something like that in return, but who knows? Smush is also the reason why Jackson was added as the Heat need more offense and can't afford to wait for Penny to get his shot back.

Heat miss out on a way to kick things back into high gear, but that is the Heat for you. They underdeliver and overpromise it seems.

Heat Fall to Celtics, Prove Little

Miami was out of this one almost as quickly as they were in it.

The Celtics had a laugher in their hands, the score at one point being 71 to 46. They were hitting threes so frequently, I half expected Doc to come off the bench and heave up a few.

Miami, on the other hand, was missing everything - so it seemed for a team shooting 48% at that point of the game. What really was going on was careless play and sloppy turnovers. Miami, however, really didn't seem to be doing too many bad things statistically, but an easy observation showed them to be out of sync and perhaps pressing a little too hard.

In the end, the Heat made a game of it - just like they did earlier in the year up in Boston. Yet, it matter little because just like that game, the result was still a loss. A maybe at best.

This Heat team continues to disappoint. Sure, it may not blow others away with big time acquisitions, but the names are there and the talent is there, too. Riley has to utilize better and there are signs of that happening. Still, the Heat seemed to underdeliver on a night that could have sent warning to the rest of the league that the Heat were rising once again.

At this point, it looks like they are struggling to stay alive.

There is plenty of time for the Heat to right the ship and get into the playoffs. In fact, there still is little doubt that this team is playoff caliber. It can be championship caliber IF Wade can return to his old, MVP self (lately he is looking fatigued and sloppy, part of the comeback panacea) and Shaq can continue to play like his old self and not just old. Wade's presence on the offensive side of things helps.

So even though the Heat missed out on an opportunity to make a statement, they still have something to build on. The first loss, however, was positive in that it showed that Miami could play with a higher caliber team. This loss, however, is positive in that the expectations for Miami was to get a win against a high quality team. They just couldn't deliver tonight and that proves very little at this point.

24 turnovers, a season high by the way, didn't help prove much either other than the Heat's sloppiness hampered their chances.

Heat Getting Jolt of Energy

Let's face it, Pat Riley knows what he is doing.

He is like that guy that quietly sits down at the bar, nestles on up and asks for his drink. While he does so, everyone stops what they are doing and watches for his next move.

You can feel the anticipation in the air.

Riley has not blown the doors off by simply pulling the trigger on an easy, big ticket deal that would instantly make Miami the favorites in the East. That would be too easy, and too amateur. If anything, Riley is no amateur. Besides, he has pulled that old trick before in the past - trading for Zo in the earlier heydays of the Heat team which lead to a series of successes in the mid to late 90's (and some heartbreaks) and also with the most recent trade of Shaq. Been there, done that, got the ring.

Other teams might feel the need to shortcut their way to the top - like Boston - but it is always a risky deal because you have to have the right components in place: a coach that can coach, a team culture that is about winning and pride. The Heat have that, and have always had that - except for last season the mix wasn't there. The team was bloated on its championship and believe it or not, one of the key components to last season's disaster is gone - James Posey. This isn't to knock Posey but failing to come in to camp in shape is one thing. A guy like Antoine Walker will never be that chiseled because of his body type, but the effort was there. With Posey, is just looked like complacency. This year's camp is already looking drastically different.

And it is the unsung, unknown young guys that are making the difference.

What Riley is quietly doing is taking the old recipe and infusing it with new ingredients. This is a factor that most of us mere mortals chose to ignore and instead whine about not getting the big trade that would instantly improve the team. Yet it isn't about instant gratification if you are trying to do something right, it is about a system and the process of executing that system. You need the right components.

You could add the right component by making a trade and also give up some of your talent that is currently in house.

Or you can fill the tub with your own water, and develop the talent to fit into your system.

The latter works especially well if you believe it is just a minor tweak that is needed rather than an overhaul. And this is in fact what Riley believes. Trading for a Zo or a Shaq is a statement about turning over the team's culture. When you have both of those guys on your roster, you really only need to tweak things.

The real difference between a good player and a great player is intrinsic motivation. If you have it, you don't need a guy screaming in your ear telling you to shoot 1000 more free throws or to go to the gym at 4 in the morning. You do all of that because you want to be great. You know nothing else.

In that category are players like Wade, Shaq and Zo. Others on the roster may have delusions of granduer, but because of Shaq, Zo and Wade they will be raising their play much in the same way the moon orbits the earth - because of gravity. Riley understands this principle, he has developed a system and has won everywhere he has coached. Having championship bookends on your coaching career only validates that you know what you are doing.

And Riley is up to something. He has taken this team and injected it with an infusion of youth in order to push the great players and the hoi polloi into getting back to the level they were in 2006.

It might come down to a guy like Brian Chase ultimately shaping the focus of this team more than Riley can do. And that is essentially what a great coach does - he puts things in place and stands aside while the team takes over its own destiny.

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.

Three Point Shooting Bad Trend for Heat

"Our problem is when we're off shooting, we keep shooting. We just can't keep shooting until it's too late."

"We need to get a little bit more movement. We have to find something."

The numbers don't lie, and neither do Shaq or Riley, respectively. When the Heat lose, they have a tendency to get lazy and settle for three point shots. Over their last 6 games the Heat are 2-4, suffering losses to teams they should beat but don't.

Right now, teams are doing something simple - they are packing the lanes and daring the Heat's shooters to beat them while fouling the hell out of Shaq every chance they get.

Here is a chart of the last 6 games the Heat have played and their subsequent three point shooting attempts:

Heat's 6 Game Three Point Attempts

Opponent	Three Point Attempts	Result
Orlando	4-22	L
Atlanta	5-18	W
Indiana	4-25	L
Philadelphia	6-27	L
Atlanta	6-13	W
Toronto	11-28	L

As we can see, the Heat have only two wins - against the same team, the Hawks - and in each loss the Heat have attempted over 20 three point shots in the game. Those attempts could be better spent by creating ball movement or penetrating. The problem is, the Heat are settling for three point shot attempts instead of moving the ball inside. Also, opposing teams are starting to crowd the paint by doubling on Shaq and having a "cheater" defender lumping into the paint as well.

This is the difference that a Dwyane Wade makes for this team - his ability to penetrate and create, draw fouls and score inside is what makes this Heat team an elite team. Jason Williams was doing his best to replace Wade, but he can't do it consistently every night and is obviously not the same type of player Wade is.

Still, the Heat have enough weapons here to make do and win games. They have to cut down on the three point attempts and focus more on penetration or setting screens to create jumpers on the wing.

The Heat have two tough games coming up here on the "Mini Road Trip of Integrity" that will see the Heat take on the TWolves and the Pistons, their Eastern rivals. It will be interesting to see how Riley reacts and if he can right the ship here.

Loss to Raptors Tough to Take

It isn't the end of the season by any stretch, but losing to the Raptors tonight was not an easy pill to swallow for the Heat.

The Heat were alone in first place over the Wizards, and then tied with the same record going into tonight's game with the Raptors. A win, and the Heat would kill two birds with one huge basketball - they would reassert their #1 spot in the SE division while also creating some more seperation from the Raptors in the standings. Which means homecourt advantage against either of those teams once the playoffs start.

All the Heat needs to focus on now, other than just getting Wade back, is getting the #1 spot in the SE division over the Wizards and getting a better record than the Raptors.

On the positive side, the Heat will have another meeting against the Raptors on April 3rd, this coming Tuesday. If the Heat can cobble a few wins together during that time, they will effectively reduplicate the opportunity they had tonight. Yet that feat won't be easy to do since they are playing the Timberwolves in Minny (30th) and at Detroit (April 1st). 1-1 is most likely, but stealing a win in both buildings would be a great feat considering the Heat have had a few more let downs of late than perhaps they deserve.

That is the real reason why tonight was a wasted opportunity - the Heat got blasted in the first quarter scoring only 15 points while watching the Raptors explode for over 30 points to start the game. The Heat could never catch up.

This team doesn't seem to like it any other way than the hard way. We'll just have to see what happens next, eh?

Heat Rollover Wizards; Three Straigh 100+ Performances

The Miami Heat continued their hot home streak on Sunday, beating the Wizards 106-104 in a nailbiter.

At least, for us Heat fans, it seemed to be a nailbiter. For the Heat, is just seems like business as usual.

Running off their newfound defensive identity, the Heat have now scored 100+ points in three straight games - each time out the Heat have won. Yet, over the past two games the Heat scored 100+ points in lopsided victories, running away early with the game. Tonight, the Heat had to dig.

Udonis Haslem's 10 footer saved the Heat, as he dropped in the basket to give the Heat their 106th point. "We just wanted to get a look at it," Riley said. "And Udonis got a look at it. He made a Dwyane Wade shot."

Indeed he did.

What is more impressive about this team? It's ability to play stifling defense or its growing offensive efficiency? Either way, this team is responding to adversity and showing the league that the champ is not dead.

The Heat built up a 16 point lead in the first half only to drown in the 3rd quarter, after the Wizards scored 38, and be down by 12. The Heat rallied, winning their 6th straight in a row and their 12th straight win at home.

Oh yeah, and they are only one game in back of the division title, which Washington seems to be only keeping warm until the Heat snatch it back.

Make no mistake, this was a huge win for the Heat. The Wizards put forth a great effort, but they just didn't have enough to knock the champs out. This win will serve as validation for the Heat as they stake their claim to get back to the Finals, something pundits were largely discounting given the injury Dwyane Wade suffered back on Feb. 21st.

The Heat is finding new ways to win, with new stars each night. Yet the recipe seems extremely simple, as Shaq has even noted. The thing that has impressed Shaq the most to this point, actually, is how simple they have been keeping the game - dump it inside to Shaq or Zo, if the defense doubles, kick it out. Game, set, match. Win. The Heat have been doing plenty since Wade has gone down. Just ask the Wizards who are definetly feeling the heat now. Pun, intended.