The Miami Heat’s Quest For A Backup Point Guard
The Miami Heat have had an extraordinary summer. They managed to draft Justise Winslow, re-sign Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic, acquire Gerald Green and Amar’e Stoudemire, and are killing it in Summer League as of Wednesday morning. The difference between the team’s success during the season and now, is night and day.
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However, there is still one pressing matter that the organization needs to address: who will play backup point guard to Dragic?
As of right now, there are four main contenders: Mario Chalmers, Shabazz Napier, Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson. And all of them certainly have things working for, and against them.
Chalmers has been in the league since 2008, when he was selected at No. 34 in the second round by the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was then traded over to the Heat and has been with the team ever since.
While the 29-year-old can certainly get hot, he can also be terribly off, resulting in overall inconsistent play. Many have called his behavior selfish, and have never quite seen him gel with his teammates (at least on the court). He has also become the butt of many jokes, after publicly being screamed at by the likes of LeBron James and Chris Bosh. And still, you could definitely do worse.
Last season, Chalmers averaged 10.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists on 29.6 minutes of play. He played in 80 games, putting up more points during 2014-2015, than ever before in his NBA career.
Shabazz excited the entirety of Heat Nation (including James) when he was drafted at No. 24 in 2014 by the Charlotte Hornets, and traded to Miami later that night. However, he fell short and ended up moving back-and-forth between the D-League, via the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He only played 51 games with the Heat, averaging 5.1 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists on 19.8 minutes of play.
He did show bursts of promise though. The rookie had a career-high 18 points, 7 rebounds and 6 rebounds against the New York Knicks, and hit double-figure scoring on 10 other occasions. He also scored 20 points during Miami’s Summer League game against the Denver Nuggets.
Johnson was a late addition to the Heat. After going undrafted in 2014, the North Dakota native played for Miami during last year’s Summer League. He was then signed to the team in August, only to be waived in October and picked up by Sioux Falls in November. In January, he returned to the Heat on a 10-day contract but his deal was not renewed; however, he got another 10-day contract a few days later and was then signed to a 2-year deal.
Obviously getting to South Beach was anything but smooth sailing, but that does not mean he should be counted out just yet. He may have only played in 32 games for Miami, averaging 5.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists on 18.8 minutes of play but he also had flashes of brilliance.
He led his team to victory with 26 points against the Phoenix Suns and 24 points against the Sacramento Kings during the regular season, and was averaging 9.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists during the Summer League, before breaking his jaw. He will now miss the remainder of the tournament.
Richardson was picked up in the 2015 NBA Draft (along with Justise Winslow) in the second round. Selected at N0. 40, he has been impressive so far this summer. Fast on his feet, he appears to have a high basketball IQ, and is comfortable spending time in the paint. His defense is also solid and he tends to limit turnovers.
Hoping to be signed to the Heat, he is currently averaging 11.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in the Summer League. And truthfully, exceeding many expectations.
If you were to ask me right now what Miami should do, my vote would have to be for Richardson. Although generally speaking the Heat tend to stray away from putting rookies in “important” roles, I see him fitting in as backup point guard quite nicely. He clearly has the necessary drive to win, and is hungry to prove what he is made of. He has already showcased his skill set, and seems to be consistent in his talent.
We have all already seen what comes of Chalmers, and have been disappointed by Napier. And while I do see Johnson helping the team out, for whatever reason I do not have as much faith in him, as I do Richardson.
Of course, there is always the possibility of adding someone new to the mix…
What do you think? Who should Miami go with? Or, should they find someone else entirely? Leave it in the comments!