howard2
12-04-2005, 05:50 PM
The Sun-Sentinel
By Ira Winderman
Dec 4, 2005
Link: Sun-Sentinel (http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/basketball/heat/sfl-ira04dec04,0,7124241,print.column?coll=sfla-sports-heat)
Riley to pounce if bargain pops up
Somewhere in his massive desk in his massive office with the massive view of Biscayne Boulevard, Pat Riley has the petty-cash key hidden from those who would dip into the funds a bit too freely.
Based on what has transpired around the league in recent days, Riley may prove prescient in his preseason decision to hold on to the balance of the Heat's mid-level salary-cap exception, a sum of about $3.9 million.
While the Heat certainly is in no need of a panic purchase, the possibility of bargain hunting remains.
Over the past week, Portland's Ruben Patterson, Chicago's Tim Thomas, Denver's Voshon Lenard and Boston's Mark Blount have expressed disappointment over playing time and their current situations.
Should any work out buyouts, the Heat's remaining petty cash could trump almost all bidders. Only Golden State, at $4 million, has more remaining of its $5 million mid-level exception, with the Lakers, Sonics and Timberwolves next closest at $2.5 million.
Of the four aforementioned players, the most likely to be discarded either sooner or later (after the Feb. 23 trading deadline) are Lenard and Thomas, players in the final years of contracts.
Less likely to be moved without significant buyouts are Blount, who has four more years remaining on a contract that maxes out at $8 million in 2009-10, or Patterson, who is on the books this year at $6.4 million and holds a player option for next season at $6.8 million.
Whether the Heat makes a move in any of those directions is beyond the point. That it retains the flexibility to potentially do so is the entire point.
Riley saw how last season's March 1 addition of Alonzo Mourning bolstered his team's playoff prospects, and the Heat president now is in position to similarly bid this winter.
Of the four caught in recent chaos, Thomas could prove the most intriguing if waived. Already, the Bulls have sent him home, disenchanted with his indifferent defense and lack of ball movement. At $14 million, Thomas likely isn't going anywhere in a trade. But should there be a buyout or should he be waived, the possibilities of a 6-foot-10 3-point shooter could prove tempting.
Word is Thomas' preference is to play in Indiana, but if he is forced to take a significant hit in a buyout, the Heat's extra cash could come in handy.
Patterson, too, could prove useful for the Heat, but the baggage with the defensive-minded forward could prove too cumbersome. Amid his fallout with Blazers coach Nate McMillan, Patterson last week told the Oregonian that minutes matter most.
But with Antoine Walker, Gary Payton and, eventually, Mourning locked into the first three reserve roles off the Heat bench, it would be difficult to envision Patterson getting his minutes in South Florida.
Then there is Blount, who intrigued the Heat during the 2004 free-agency period but has been benched by Celtics coach Doc Rivers over a lack of rebounding and defensive aggression.
As for Lenard, the backcourt 3-point specialist, it does not appear his status is at the level to qualify for any of the Heat's remaining mid-level share.
The point is that players often come available when least expected. The NBA's only requirement for playoff eligibility is a player be waived by his previous team by March 1.
By holding on to most of his mid-level salary-cap exception (minus the $1.1 million spent on Jason Kapono), Riley has put the Heat in a far more flexible position than all but a handful of teams.
In this case, his patience (and the tucking away of that petty-cash key) has proven to be a virtue.
In the lane
CAPITAL DISAPPOINMENT: Its 5-1 start having melted into mediocrity, Washington has been left to wonder about the missed chance to distance itself from the injury-riddled Heat in the Southeast Division. "That was a golden opportunity for us because you don't know how Miami is going to respond when the big fella comes back," forward Antawn Jamison said of center Shaquille O'Neal, who has been lost with a sprained right ankle since the season's second game. "You know they're going to play better, so we don't want to put ourselves in a position where Shaq comes in and they win 15 of 20 or something like that and we put ourselves in a tough position."
PROPER PERSPECTIVE: By contrast, Nets guard Jason Kidd is downplaying his team's 0-3 record against leading East contenders Miami, Indiana and Detroit. "Three games doesn't make your season, it doesn't make or break you," Kidd said. "You can only learn from them. Win or lose, you've got to learn from them. At the end, come April, we're right there with those three teams."
MISSING IN ACTION: ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan recently chronicled the fates of several who have disappeared from the NBA radar. Among his findings is that shooting forward Rodney Rogers is attempting to shed weight in hopes of signing somewhere late this month or in January; the agent for former Heat forward Wesley Person is hopeful of having the 3-point specialist back in the league by mid-month; former Pistons forward Darvin Ham has received feelers from the 76ers; former Bulls point guard Jay Williams continues to rehab from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident two years ago and will reconsider his options at the turn of the year; former Nets guard Ron Mercer recently underwent knee surgery; former Magic center Andrew DeClercq has been cleared for a comeback after recent knee surgery; and agent Lon Babby said former Heat forward Christian Laettner is deciding whether he wants to respond to overtures from several teams. ... And in a move that only can be described as fitting, Roy Tarpley, 41, has decided to make his latest comeback with the Michigan Mayhem of the Continental Basketball Association.
SECOND THOUGHTS: Buried in the Trail Blazers' rotation at point guard behind Sebastian Telfair and Jarrett Jack, former Miami prep standout Steve Blake has acknowledged second thoughts about his offseason free agency. Blake attracted interest from the Heat before departing Washington for Portland. He entered the weekend with a total of 32 minutes of action this season. "Of course you think about it. There's always that, `What if?'" he told the Oregonian. "But if you dwell on that, it could make you upset or down, so I just try to stay positive about everything."
IN THE DARK: Mavericks coach Avery Johnson gave Heat counterpart Stan Van Gundy the benefit of the doubt when the lights suddenly went out on his team's recent shootaround at AmericanAirlines Arena, forcing Dallas to instead work with limited sunlight on the Heat's practice court. "A lot of times, it's gamesmanship between coaches in the past who didn't like each other," Johnson said of intentional inconveniences. "We don't have that kind of rivalry with Miami. I don't know Coach Van Gundy that well."
TRIPLE-STUMBLE? Nuggets guard Andre Miller approached a most unusual triple-double last week against the Nets, with 10 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists -- despite shooting 0 for 10 from the field (he was 10 of 12 from the line). ... Speaking of oddities, Philadelphia outrebounded Portland 60-30 on Tuesday, then was outrebounded 59-40 the following night in Boston.
Quotable
"It's either Yao is right behind Shaq or Yao is right below the worst center in the league. With Yao, the only thing I feel badly about is people try to raise expectations up so high, they're actually satisfied with nothing that he does." -- Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy, on recent criticism of Rockets center Yao Ming.
"My thing is, we need to lay off talking about a championship until we get ourselves together and define ourselves as a team. Consistency is what you want if you're going to talk about being a championship team." -- Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal, on how his team has defeated the Heat twice and the Cavaliers once, but also has lost to the Bobcats and Hawks.
"ESPN games, you have long timeouts, listening to Bill Walton talking all that time, sometimes it's really tough. It's hard to hang in there, isn't it?" -- Lakers coach Phil Jackson, after taking in the network's recent telecast of Nets-Suns.
"I actually told him last game he needed a haircut. That's terrible coming from me." -- Mavs forward Dirk Nowitzki, on the ever-expanding afro of Spurs forward Tim Duncan.
By the numbers
14 -- Games to start the season that Allen Iverson had led the 76ers in both scoring and assists, an NBA record.
13 -- The previous record, set by Oscar Robertson in 1962-63 with the Cincinnati Royals.
60 -- Points scored by Utah in Tuesday's 84-60 loss to Indiana.
841 -- Prior to that game how many times in its 32-year history the Jazz had scored at least 60 points in a half.
6 years, 247 days -- Span between Alonzo Mourning's last 20-rebound game and his 21-rebound effort a week ago Saturday in Orlando. Mourning had 21 rebounds on March 24, 1999, for the Heat in Milwaukee.
By Ira Winderman
Dec 4, 2005
Link: Sun-Sentinel (http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/basketball/heat/sfl-ira04dec04,0,7124241,print.column?coll=sfla-sports-heat)
Riley to pounce if bargain pops up
Somewhere in his massive desk in his massive office with the massive view of Biscayne Boulevard, Pat Riley has the petty-cash key hidden from those who would dip into the funds a bit too freely.
Based on what has transpired around the league in recent days, Riley may prove prescient in his preseason decision to hold on to the balance of the Heat's mid-level salary-cap exception, a sum of about $3.9 million.
While the Heat certainly is in no need of a panic purchase, the possibility of bargain hunting remains.
Over the past week, Portland's Ruben Patterson, Chicago's Tim Thomas, Denver's Voshon Lenard and Boston's Mark Blount have expressed disappointment over playing time and their current situations.
Should any work out buyouts, the Heat's remaining petty cash could trump almost all bidders. Only Golden State, at $4 million, has more remaining of its $5 million mid-level exception, with the Lakers, Sonics and Timberwolves next closest at $2.5 million.
Of the four aforementioned players, the most likely to be discarded either sooner or later (after the Feb. 23 trading deadline) are Lenard and Thomas, players in the final years of contracts.
Less likely to be moved without significant buyouts are Blount, who has four more years remaining on a contract that maxes out at $8 million in 2009-10, or Patterson, who is on the books this year at $6.4 million and holds a player option for next season at $6.8 million.
Whether the Heat makes a move in any of those directions is beyond the point. That it retains the flexibility to potentially do so is the entire point.
Riley saw how last season's March 1 addition of Alonzo Mourning bolstered his team's playoff prospects, and the Heat president now is in position to similarly bid this winter.
Of the four caught in recent chaos, Thomas could prove the most intriguing if waived. Already, the Bulls have sent him home, disenchanted with his indifferent defense and lack of ball movement. At $14 million, Thomas likely isn't going anywhere in a trade. But should there be a buyout or should he be waived, the possibilities of a 6-foot-10 3-point shooter could prove tempting.
Word is Thomas' preference is to play in Indiana, but if he is forced to take a significant hit in a buyout, the Heat's extra cash could come in handy.
Patterson, too, could prove useful for the Heat, but the baggage with the defensive-minded forward could prove too cumbersome. Amid his fallout with Blazers coach Nate McMillan, Patterson last week told the Oregonian that minutes matter most.
But with Antoine Walker, Gary Payton and, eventually, Mourning locked into the first three reserve roles off the Heat bench, it would be difficult to envision Patterson getting his minutes in South Florida.
Then there is Blount, who intrigued the Heat during the 2004 free-agency period but has been benched by Celtics coach Doc Rivers over a lack of rebounding and defensive aggression.
As for Lenard, the backcourt 3-point specialist, it does not appear his status is at the level to qualify for any of the Heat's remaining mid-level share.
The point is that players often come available when least expected. The NBA's only requirement for playoff eligibility is a player be waived by his previous team by March 1.
By holding on to most of his mid-level salary-cap exception (minus the $1.1 million spent on Jason Kapono), Riley has put the Heat in a far more flexible position than all but a handful of teams.
In this case, his patience (and the tucking away of that petty-cash key) has proven to be a virtue.
In the lane
CAPITAL DISAPPOINMENT: Its 5-1 start having melted into mediocrity, Washington has been left to wonder about the missed chance to distance itself from the injury-riddled Heat in the Southeast Division. "That was a golden opportunity for us because you don't know how Miami is going to respond when the big fella comes back," forward Antawn Jamison said of center Shaquille O'Neal, who has been lost with a sprained right ankle since the season's second game. "You know they're going to play better, so we don't want to put ourselves in a position where Shaq comes in and they win 15 of 20 or something like that and we put ourselves in a tough position."
PROPER PERSPECTIVE: By contrast, Nets guard Jason Kidd is downplaying his team's 0-3 record against leading East contenders Miami, Indiana and Detroit. "Three games doesn't make your season, it doesn't make or break you," Kidd said. "You can only learn from them. Win or lose, you've got to learn from them. At the end, come April, we're right there with those three teams."
MISSING IN ACTION: ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan recently chronicled the fates of several who have disappeared from the NBA radar. Among his findings is that shooting forward Rodney Rogers is attempting to shed weight in hopes of signing somewhere late this month or in January; the agent for former Heat forward Wesley Person is hopeful of having the 3-point specialist back in the league by mid-month; former Pistons forward Darvin Ham has received feelers from the 76ers; former Bulls point guard Jay Williams continues to rehab from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident two years ago and will reconsider his options at the turn of the year; former Nets guard Ron Mercer recently underwent knee surgery; former Magic center Andrew DeClercq has been cleared for a comeback after recent knee surgery; and agent Lon Babby said former Heat forward Christian Laettner is deciding whether he wants to respond to overtures from several teams. ... And in a move that only can be described as fitting, Roy Tarpley, 41, has decided to make his latest comeback with the Michigan Mayhem of the Continental Basketball Association.
SECOND THOUGHTS: Buried in the Trail Blazers' rotation at point guard behind Sebastian Telfair and Jarrett Jack, former Miami prep standout Steve Blake has acknowledged second thoughts about his offseason free agency. Blake attracted interest from the Heat before departing Washington for Portland. He entered the weekend with a total of 32 minutes of action this season. "Of course you think about it. There's always that, `What if?'" he told the Oregonian. "But if you dwell on that, it could make you upset or down, so I just try to stay positive about everything."
IN THE DARK: Mavericks coach Avery Johnson gave Heat counterpart Stan Van Gundy the benefit of the doubt when the lights suddenly went out on his team's recent shootaround at AmericanAirlines Arena, forcing Dallas to instead work with limited sunlight on the Heat's practice court. "A lot of times, it's gamesmanship between coaches in the past who didn't like each other," Johnson said of intentional inconveniences. "We don't have that kind of rivalry with Miami. I don't know Coach Van Gundy that well."
TRIPLE-STUMBLE? Nuggets guard Andre Miller approached a most unusual triple-double last week against the Nets, with 10 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists -- despite shooting 0 for 10 from the field (he was 10 of 12 from the line). ... Speaking of oddities, Philadelphia outrebounded Portland 60-30 on Tuesday, then was outrebounded 59-40 the following night in Boston.
Quotable
"It's either Yao is right behind Shaq or Yao is right below the worst center in the league. With Yao, the only thing I feel badly about is people try to raise expectations up so high, they're actually satisfied with nothing that he does." -- Houston coach Jeff Van Gundy, on recent criticism of Rockets center Yao Ming.
"My thing is, we need to lay off talking about a championship until we get ourselves together and define ourselves as a team. Consistency is what you want if you're going to talk about being a championship team." -- Pacers forward Jermaine O'Neal, on how his team has defeated the Heat twice and the Cavaliers once, but also has lost to the Bobcats and Hawks.
"ESPN games, you have long timeouts, listening to Bill Walton talking all that time, sometimes it's really tough. It's hard to hang in there, isn't it?" -- Lakers coach Phil Jackson, after taking in the network's recent telecast of Nets-Suns.
"I actually told him last game he needed a haircut. That's terrible coming from me." -- Mavs forward Dirk Nowitzki, on the ever-expanding afro of Spurs forward Tim Duncan.
By the numbers
14 -- Games to start the season that Allen Iverson had led the 76ers in both scoring and assists, an NBA record.
13 -- The previous record, set by Oscar Robertson in 1962-63 with the Cincinnati Royals.
60 -- Points scored by Utah in Tuesday's 84-60 loss to Indiana.
841 -- Prior to that game how many times in its 32-year history the Jazz had scored at least 60 points in a half.
6 years, 247 days -- Span between Alonzo Mourning's last 20-rebound game and his 21-rebound effort a week ago Saturday in Orlando. Mourning had 21 rebounds on March 24, 1999, for the Heat in Milwaukee.