ducks
10-28-2005, 11:18 AM
Have the title-hungry Heat added too much for their own good?
October 28, 2005
By Drew Silverman
SportsTicker Staff Writer
BRISTOL, Connecticut (Ticker) - Miami Heat coach Stan Van Gundy has plenty of bullets in his gun. The question is, will they backfire on him?
After watching his team fall one win short of the NBA Finals last season, president Pat Riley brought in an impressive collection of talent to surround superstars Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade that has the Heat favored to win the Eastern Conference.
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One of the most dominant centers to play the game, O'Neal likely is looking at his final few seasons of playing at an All-Star level. The future Hall of Famer is coming off a pair of campaigns in which he failed to average 23 points for the first time in his career.
"I felt like I was kind of weak," O'Neal admitted. "I was normal, an earthling, last season."
That's where Wade comes in. In just his second season, Wade emerged as one of the premier talents in the league. In just 138 career games, the 23-year-old has gone from a question mark to an exclamation point. He averaged 24.1 points, 6.8 assists and 5.2 rebounds last season as he earned his first All-Star selection and was named All-NBA second team.
"Of course, me and Shaq will be the main focus of the offense," Wade said. "That was successful for us last year and will continue to be successful for us, hopefully."
Last season, O'Neal and Wade carried the Heat deep into the playoffs but short of the franchise's first NBA Finals. The Detroit Pistons were able to focus on the two stars - each of whom was slowed by injuries - and there simply was not enough firepower on the rest of the roster to overcome the defense of the defending conference champions.
"They're the best two players, but it goes beyond that," Van Gundy said. "You need a lot of people. I think everybody coming in here has an understanding of that, but it doesn't come down to those guys. The teams that have won (the NBA title) the last couple of years have had a lot of people around (them)."
After a brief dalliance where he may have been considering a return to coaching, Riley acquired enigmatic point guard Jason Williams and athletic swingman James Posey from Memphis in a five-team trade, the largest in NBA history.
Miami parted with starting forward Eddie Jones in the deal and also lost sharp-shooting guard Damon Jones to free agency, but Riley more than replaced them.
Forward Antoine Walker, a three-time All-Star, came over from Boston in the massive swap. Riley also signed guard Gary Payton, a nine-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer. Both players have earned reputations as being selfish and greedy at times, but each claims to understand his new role in the stacked Heat lineup.
"For our team, you've got probably seven, eight guys that are used to starting and playing big minutes," Walker said. "I think we all have to come in with the mind-set that everybody's going to have to share in every category - shots, minutes, anything possible basketball-wise."
"We added experienced veteran guys who know how to play the game," Van Gundy said. "It's never easy. It's still going to require great effort. We do have a lot of very versatile people. ... Whatever anybody does to us, we should have an answer for."
While Miami's offseason additions clearly have drawn more attention for their offensive prowess, Van Gundy believes the team - which re-signed veterans Shandon Anderson and Alonzo Mourning - also has strengthened itself on the defensive end.
"If you look at Gary, if you look at James Posey, Shandon Anderson, Alonzo, those are guys you look at as defense-first guys," Van Gundy said.
"They know they're here because they were assembled to be part of a championship puzzle," Mourning said. "Nobody's playing for contracts. It's about winning."
While Payton is a nine-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection and Posey is known as one of the league's more versatile and athletic defenders, Williams never has been known for his defense.
"(Williams) has got to give more attention to the defensive end of the floor and I think he realizes that," Van Gundy said.
Walker, who also has been known as an offensive player throughout his nine-year career, knows that his primary role - as well as Payton's and Posey's - will be to do whatever the team needs to be successful.
"Without question we're the supporting cast for (O'Neal and Wade)," Walker said. "(Shaq's) got three rings to my none, so all I'm going to do is fit in here."
"I accept that challenge," Posey said. "It starts on the defensive end."
O'Neal also was a part of the 2003-04 Los Angeles Lakers - the last NBA team that attempted to overload its roster with stars, hoping that a surplus of talent would equate to instant success.
Behind four future Hall of Famers in O'Neal, Payton, Kobe Bryant and Karl Malone, the Lakers went 56-26 to capture the Pacific Division before they were stunningly dominated in the NBA Finals, losing to the Pistons in five games.
The Lakers ultimately were doomed by an excess of egos and an abscess of chemistry. Payton never gelled with jhe team, Malone could not stay healthy and there were not enough shots to go around.
Payton claimed that he understood his role and would do whatever it took to contribute to a champion, but he never adjusted to being a role player and let his displeasure be known. But after spending a season with Boston, Payton once again teams up with O'Neal in a similar situation. This time, he claims things will be different.
"When we came in here, we knew what was going on," Payton said. "We pound it into the Big Fella and then Wade's going to get his touches. All we have to do is support them. We're trying to take all the weight off of 'em. They got hurt in the playoffs (last season) and we want to cut some of their minutes and make the game a lot easier for them."
Despite the logical comparisons to the 2003-04 Lakers, O'Neal claims that this team has a better chemistry and the offseason acquisitions all understand their roles in the system.
"Different teams. Different situation. We have a different system here," O'Neal said. "I think the guys that we brought here can relate to the system, coming off pick-and-rolls, spot-up jumpers. I think the guys can relate to the system."
With Riley lurking and his roster loaded, Van Gundy also is taking a wait-and-see attitude before he decides whether or not the combination of veterans proves to be a viable one.
"I certainly can't judge them on the shots they got in the past, the roles they played," Van Gundy said. "We'll judge them on what they do here.
"They're here for the opportunity to do something special, and they're going to do whatever it takes to get it done. The people out there (in the media) with the (talk of) too many stars, not enough basketballs, too many egos, all this stuff - it's wrong. I don't think that's the way it's going to play out at all."
October 28, 2005
By Drew Silverman
SportsTicker Staff Writer
BRISTOL, Connecticut (Ticker) - Miami Heat coach Stan Van Gundy has plenty of bullets in his gun. The question is, will they backfire on him?
After watching his team fall one win short of the NBA Finals last season, president Pat Riley brought in an impressive collection of talent to surround superstars Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade that has the Heat favored to win the Eastern Conference.
ADVERTISEMENT
[-71724]
One of the most dominant centers to play the game, O'Neal likely is looking at his final few seasons of playing at an All-Star level. The future Hall of Famer is coming off a pair of campaigns in which he failed to average 23 points for the first time in his career.
"I felt like I was kind of weak," O'Neal admitted. "I was normal, an earthling, last season."
That's where Wade comes in. In just his second season, Wade emerged as one of the premier talents in the league. In just 138 career games, the 23-year-old has gone from a question mark to an exclamation point. He averaged 24.1 points, 6.8 assists and 5.2 rebounds last season as he earned his first All-Star selection and was named All-NBA second team.
"Of course, me and Shaq will be the main focus of the offense," Wade said. "That was successful for us last year and will continue to be successful for us, hopefully."
Last season, O'Neal and Wade carried the Heat deep into the playoffs but short of the franchise's first NBA Finals. The Detroit Pistons were able to focus on the two stars - each of whom was slowed by injuries - and there simply was not enough firepower on the rest of the roster to overcome the defense of the defending conference champions.
"They're the best two players, but it goes beyond that," Van Gundy said. "You need a lot of people. I think everybody coming in here has an understanding of that, but it doesn't come down to those guys. The teams that have won (the NBA title) the last couple of years have had a lot of people around (them)."
After a brief dalliance where he may have been considering a return to coaching, Riley acquired enigmatic point guard Jason Williams and athletic swingman James Posey from Memphis in a five-team trade, the largest in NBA history.
Miami parted with starting forward Eddie Jones in the deal and also lost sharp-shooting guard Damon Jones to free agency, but Riley more than replaced them.
Forward Antoine Walker, a three-time All-Star, came over from Boston in the massive swap. Riley also signed guard Gary Payton, a nine-time All-Star and future Hall of Famer. Both players have earned reputations as being selfish and greedy at times, but each claims to understand his new role in the stacked Heat lineup.
"For our team, you've got probably seven, eight guys that are used to starting and playing big minutes," Walker said. "I think we all have to come in with the mind-set that everybody's going to have to share in every category - shots, minutes, anything possible basketball-wise."
"We added experienced veteran guys who know how to play the game," Van Gundy said. "It's never easy. It's still going to require great effort. We do have a lot of very versatile people. ... Whatever anybody does to us, we should have an answer for."
While Miami's offseason additions clearly have drawn more attention for their offensive prowess, Van Gundy believes the team - which re-signed veterans Shandon Anderson and Alonzo Mourning - also has strengthened itself on the defensive end.
"If you look at Gary, if you look at James Posey, Shandon Anderson, Alonzo, those are guys you look at as defense-first guys," Van Gundy said.
"They know they're here because they were assembled to be part of a championship puzzle," Mourning said. "Nobody's playing for contracts. It's about winning."
While Payton is a nine-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection and Posey is known as one of the league's more versatile and athletic defenders, Williams never has been known for his defense.
"(Williams) has got to give more attention to the defensive end of the floor and I think he realizes that," Van Gundy said.
Walker, who also has been known as an offensive player throughout his nine-year career, knows that his primary role - as well as Payton's and Posey's - will be to do whatever the team needs to be successful.
"Without question we're the supporting cast for (O'Neal and Wade)," Walker said. "(Shaq's) got three rings to my none, so all I'm going to do is fit in here."
"I accept that challenge," Posey said. "It starts on the defensive end."
O'Neal also was a part of the 2003-04 Los Angeles Lakers - the last NBA team that attempted to overload its roster with stars, hoping that a surplus of talent would equate to instant success.
Behind four future Hall of Famers in O'Neal, Payton, Kobe Bryant and Karl Malone, the Lakers went 56-26 to capture the Pacific Division before they were stunningly dominated in the NBA Finals, losing to the Pistons in five games.
The Lakers ultimately were doomed by an excess of egos and an abscess of chemistry. Payton never gelled with jhe team, Malone could not stay healthy and there were not enough shots to go around.
Payton claimed that he understood his role and would do whatever it took to contribute to a champion, but he never adjusted to being a role player and let his displeasure be known. But after spending a season with Boston, Payton once again teams up with O'Neal in a similar situation. This time, he claims things will be different.
"When we came in here, we knew what was going on," Payton said. "We pound it into the Big Fella and then Wade's going to get his touches. All we have to do is support them. We're trying to take all the weight off of 'em. They got hurt in the playoffs (last season) and we want to cut some of their minutes and make the game a lot easier for them."
Despite the logical comparisons to the 2003-04 Lakers, O'Neal claims that this team has a better chemistry and the offseason acquisitions all understand their roles in the system.
"Different teams. Different situation. We have a different system here," O'Neal said. "I think the guys that we brought here can relate to the system, coming off pick-and-rolls, spot-up jumpers. I think the guys can relate to the system."
With Riley lurking and his roster loaded, Van Gundy also is taking a wait-and-see attitude before he decides whether or not the combination of veterans proves to be a viable one.
"I certainly can't judge them on the shots they got in the past, the roles they played," Van Gundy said. "We'll judge them on what they do here.
"They're here for the opportunity to do something special, and they're going to do whatever it takes to get it done. The people out there (in the media) with the (talk of) too many stars, not enough basketballs, too many egos, all this stuff - it's wrong. I don't think that's the way it's going to play out at all."