The Strange Case of Mario Chalmers
Miami Heat point guard Mario Chalmers has always been inconsistent. But with the team’s current struggles, is it now something that needs to be reevaluated? Or will things just continue to remain the same?
At 28 years old, Chalmers has been in the NBA for six seasons. Drafted 34th in the second round of the draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Chalmers was quickly traded to the Heat and has been with them ever since.
Inconsistent in skill, as well as behavior on and off the court, many do not know how to make heads or tails of “Rio.” While often praised for his clutch performances, conversely he has also become the butt of many jokes around the league. Really, the only thing stable about Chalmers is his instability. And from incidents like LeBron James almost knocking him out, it seems as though his past and present teammates may not totally understand what to do with him either.
Once ranked the second best point guard overall in the 2005 recruiting class, Chalmers spent three years at the University of Kansas before entering the NBA. In 2007 he was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, and helped his team win the NCAA Championship in 2008, also earning him the title of Most Outstanding Player. His jersey was even retired by the basketball program. However, once his college days were over, a new Chalmers slowly emerged.
On September 3, 2008, Chalmers was excused from the league’s rookie transition program for being caught in a hotel room with two women and marijuana, and later the NBA fined him $20,000 for being suspended from the rookie symposium. Off to a bad start, the former Jayhawk ended up having quite a rookie season; he started all 82 games and averaged 10 points, 4.9 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.9 steals a game. He even set a Heat team record with nine steals in only his fourth game as a professional basketball player.
But the next two years were quiet. And then Chalmers re-signed with Miami on a 3-year, $12 million deal.
In 2011-2012, Chalmers recorded the best season he had since 2008. He was especially praised for his post-season performances, during which he won his first championship ring. Similarly, he shined during the 2013 NBA Finals when the Heat battled the San Antonio Spurs in a brutal seven-game series, winning his second ring.
Unfortunately, the once impressive tournament player fell short in 2014. Although Miami was able to make their fourth Finals appearance in a row, Chalmers was replaced by Ray Allen in the starting lineup and in the end, the Heat lost to the Spurs in five games.
Obviously, both the organization and it’s fans are used to Chalmers’ inconsistencies by now. While he may have a stellar first quarter, dishing out perfect passes and able to pull the trigger from anywhere on the court, he could be silent by the third, with three turnovers under his belt. When he is on, he is on, but when he loses his touch, the whole team seems to crumble around him. And with the loss of James already affecting Miami’s season, coupled with injuries popping up left and right, it seems as though perhaps there is no more room for unreliable play.
Game after game, some crucify his selfish tendencies, while others glorify his defensive tactics. Truly, one never really knows what they are going to get with Chalmers; a conditioned NBA frontman, or a foolish newbie, who has yet to quite figure himself out. For most athletes, six years would be enough time to perfect a craft, but Chalmers’ game may always be just that: his own. Jekyll and Hyde.
During the Big Three era, Chalmers had more room for error, simply viewed as the sidekick, an added piece of the circus act. But with the King gone, Dwyane Wade growing older and Bosh’s recent injury, Chalmers has had to take on more responsibility. And at this point, perhaps he has bitten off more than he can chew.
Unfortunately, with Norris Cole underperforming and Shabazz Napier lacking the needed experience, Miami has little choice but to keep starting Chalmers. And yes, though it is true that I take great pleasure in scrolling through Chalmers-memes (like this one) during my downtime, and feel a sense of stress relief when I yell at him during a game, at the end of the day all I want is for the Heat to succeed. Therefore for now, it seems I have no choice but to accept Rio for the player that he is, and hope that his smart moments outweigh his poor choices.
So while inconsistency is not usually the gateway to success, in the strange case of Mr. Chalmers, the Heat may just have to learn how to embrace it.