Heat Finish Preseason By Taming Grizzlies
By Chris Posada
The Miami Heat may have played their most complete game of the preseason by beating the Memphis Grizzlies 104-98 on Friday night. It couldn’t have come at a better time as this was their final chance to show their stuff before things get real.
The Heat, who started 0-4, finish the preseason on a four game winning streak and carry some confidence going into the regular season. When it comes to predicting how this team will perform this season, Miami is a bit of an enigma. Who’s the point guard? Do they have enough depth? Can they make it through 82 games healthy? Can they rebound from the departure of You Know Who? The one question that can be answered this preseason is that this team will not go quietly.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra now has some work to do trying to decide on the final fifteen man roster, as well as what his rotations are going to be going into Wednesday night’s opener against the Washington Wizards. The Heat gave some extra run to the kids, as Luol Deng, Danny Granger, and Josh McRoberts all missed tonight’s game with injuries/illness, so this was their time to shine (more on them in a bit).
As for the core players? Well, they showed up too.
Things that pleased me: Health will always be the question mark, but to think that Dwyane Wade can’t contribute at an All-Star level is absurd. He’s as efficient a player as you’ll ever see play, scoring 16 points on 7 of 9 shooting. My big takeaway was that five of his baskets came in the paint, as he got inside eight feet with ease. He still has that uncanny ability to get around guys when going to the basket, while also backing guards down into the paint. The ultimate X-factor, a healthy Wade is a force to be reckoned with in the East.
Meanwhile, Chris Bosh is doing Chris Bosh things, scoring 21 points and grabbing 6 rebounds. No longer relegated to settling for the 18-footer, Bosh has made a concentrated effort to get to the basket with an aggressiveness that he didn’t need to have the past four years. Five of his made shots came from inside the paint, as he pump-faked his way to the basket or used his quickness on the pick-and-roll. Oh, and when you try to take away the drive, do’t forget that he still has that 18-footer.
Norris Cole played possibly his best game of the preseason, dropping 14 points, while dishing out 7 assists, as he has all but locked up the starting point guard spot. Cole broke the defenses down with his penetration, then kicking out to open shooters when his shot wasn’t there. The Heat will need somebody that can get to the teeth of the defense, while hitting timely threes, from their point guards. So far, Cole has passed the test.
Things that annoyed me: That there have been eight preseason games. I’m so tired.
Things that perplexed me: Really? Eight games?
(In other words: nothing annoyed and/or perplexed me tonight.)
Scale of 1 to 10, how bad did I want to throw a lamp because of Mario Chalmers?: 1. After a shaky start to the preseason, not to mention battling a hip injury, Chalmers has taken to the role of backing shooting guard with ease. Credit goes to him being the good solider and accepting the job. He finished tonight’s game with 11 points and seems comfortable coming off the bench. He’s probably trying to figure out if it’s possible to win Sixth Man of the Year and MVP at the same time.
What we’ve learned: The final roster will probably be announced over the weekend, but we can safely etch in granite Wade, Bosh, Cole (no matter how coy Spoelstra wants to be, Cole looks like he’s getting the nod) , Deng, and McRoberts (when healthy) into the starting lineup. The rotation will probably shake out with Chalmers (SG), James Ennis (SG/SF), Shabazz Napier (PG), Granger (SG/SF), and Chris Andersen (C). We can presume that Shawne Williams has locked down his spot – he’ll probably start Opening Night, with McRoberts still hurting – and Udonis Haslem has a spot because he’s Udonis Haslem. Justin Hamilton has been the Heat’s pet project the last couple of years, so he more than likely sticks as the thirteenth guy.
That leaves two roster spots remaining out of the group of Shannon Brown, Khem Birch and Andre Dawkins. Brown might have the inside track on a spot, since the Heat don’t have great depth at the wings. Combine that with any time Wade ends up missing and Miami will need a veteran to plug in to the lineup.
Looking for a less insane JaVale McGee? Birch might be your guy. He has a motor and has shown flashes of it this preseason, but the Heat already have a big they’ve been trying to develop (Hamilton) and might feel better served to send Birch to Sioux Falls. The advantage he does have over Hamilton is that he would bring energy on the defensive side of the ball (he’s a two-time Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year) and if there’s something Coach Spoelstra likes from his players is effort on defense.
Then there’s Dawkins, the young guard from Duke. The Heat are going to need consistency from three-point range and Dawkins shot almost 41% from deep in college. He would probably be better served getting his minutes in the D-League, but shooters are a luxury that Miami is lacking. The Heat with so many young guys with upside is such an odd thing to comprehend that it almost seems like it’s too good to be true. I’m glad I don’t have to make these decisions. My guess: Brown and Birch make the roster; Dawkins gets his time in South Dakota. I hope I’m wrong, because I’d like to see Dawkins get his shot.
Panic Meter: N/A. Last game of the preseason. It’s been fun trying to piece this thing together, but it’s time to move past this and on to the real thing.
Let’s get this party started!