Jeff Van Gundy, Two Scouts Dissect Miami Heat’s New Arrivals
By Ehsan Kassim
Jun 15, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) hugs forward Chris Bosh (right) late in the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs in game five of the 2014 NBA Finals at AT&T Center. The Spurs defeated the Heat 104-87 to win the NBA Finals. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Heat and Heat nation is excited to get the post-LeBron ERA started in Miami. In the wake of losing the superstar that led them to back-to-back championships, the Heat chose to reload instead of rebuild for the upcoming seasons. To make up for the loss of LeBron James, the Heat actually went the “Moneyball” route, signing players they feel fit their system and maybe undervalued by the rest of the league.
We all know about Chris Bosh and his max contract. Their is heavy skepticism that Pat Riley overreacted to LeBron bolting and overpaid to save face and keep Bosh in Miami. I am in disagreement with that sentiment, as I do believe Bosh will be worth his contract, and more. Bosh was also offered a max contract by the Rockets and pursued by many other teams.
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Then there’s Dwyane Wade. The guy is still a superstar talent when he’s healthy. The problem lately has kept him healthy. Last season, Wade played 54 games and averaged 19 points a game on 55% shooting. Wade has always been an efficient player shooting the ball, but last season he only averaged 15.4 shots a game, his lowest total since his rookie season. It’s fair to expect that number to creep up with LeBron gone, and he should stay efficient. Wade may not be a superstar next season, but he can probably play at a quiet all-star level next season.
Then there’s Mario Chalmers, a guy that many expected to sign a multi-year deal in free agency that would be well out of Miami’s budget. Yet his struggles in the playoffs scared many teams off of him. Huge mistake by teams that needed a starting point guard, as Chalmers is a capable NBA starter and will prove that next season.
We can talk about Chris Anderson and Udonis Haslem all day being the glue guys for Miami. Over the past two seasons, no other Miami player has left as much on the court as Anderson. Haslem has done it a lot longer than Anderson in Miami, though. He’s played sparingly the past three seasons, but could see an increase in his playing time and prove to be a guy that can hustle around the court with the best of them.
Now onto the Heat newcomers. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald had a chance to talk to the great Jeff Van Gundy and two scouts about the Heat newcomers. They all had some interesting things to say about the new guys for Miami.