Heat's Offseason to Remember

After a great year of success, the Miami Heat had come to realization that they hadn’t reached the promise land, despite challenging Detroit to a game seven in the Eastern Conference Finals, which was played at the American Airlines Arena in Miami. But President of Basketball Operations Pat Riley wasn’t going to stand by quietly.

This years draft proved to not only be great, but incredibly deep. Miami, who had the 27th pick this year, selected Wayne Simien from the University of Kansas. With, what some might say, the “steal of the draft”, Wayne made the Heat an even deeper, and dangerous team.

With Wayne locked up with a contract already, the free agency period hit. Miami’s first priority was to sign Shaq to a long term deal. Finally, on August 2nd, that was exactly what they did. Shaquille signed a five year, 100 million dollar deal, which showed what a loyal player he was to the Heat organization, by leaving millions of dollars on the table to other teams. But to O’Neal, it wasn’t necessarily about the money, as much as it was about winning a championship with Miami. The 12-time All-Star, averaged 22.9 points, while snatching down 10.4 rebounds, while also leading the league in field goal percentage during his first year with the Heat. Udonis Haslem, who also re-signed, and who also took a pay cut, was happy that he could continue playing with a legend.



"I guess that's five more years of wide-open shots for me," said forward Udonis Haslem, who signed his five-year, $30.7 million deal to stay in Miami on Tuesday. "I'm looking forward to that, definitely. Obviously Shaq has been a tremendous benefit to the whole team. ... I'm going to ride him until his wheels fall off."

The news only got better for the Heat, who on August 3rd, made the NBA’s largest trade in which they received Antoine Walker, Jason Williams, and James Posey, while only dolling out Eddie Jones, and Rasul Butler, one thing was clear…The Heat are becoming the leagues most dominant team. The trade was the largest in NBA history, edging out the 2000 trade in which Patrick Ewing was traded.

"We traded a lot, but we got back three quality players," said Heat president Pat Riley. "Antoine Walker is one of the very best multi-faceted, versatile players in this game. ... He is able to handle the ball, pass it, make plays, shoot 3's and rebound the ball. There isn't anyone in this league better at doing that."

Walker, who was selected to three All-Star games in his career already, will play the small forward position, while James Posey, an above average defender, serves as his backup. And barring the absence of three point threat Damon Jones, who is currently still a free agent, Jason Williams would become the starter at point guard.

It was announced as the largest trade in NBA history, a record 13 players switching teams, with four teams involved, and no one could have been happier than the Miami Heat. Antoine Walker, who was reunited earlier in the year with the Celtics, was surprisingly let go, and has arguably made the Heat a much stronger team.

Antoine has put up numbers of 19.1 points and nine rebounds a game, just missing a double-double average, while stealing 1.16 balls a game. Add Jason Williams to the mix, who last year with the Grizzlies averaged 10.1 points per game, while dishing out 5.6 assists. Not to mention James Posey, the seven year veteran, who came packaged with Williams in the deal. Posey, who was a fan favorite in Memphis for his explosive strides to the basket and his incredible dunks, averaged just under ten points, and five rebounds, while averaging 1.67 steals per game. Last but not least, the Heat received a throw in player, Andre Emmett, a player who has a ridiculous vertical leap, and dazzled fans while attending Texas Tech. The Heat unfortunately had to give up Eddie Jones, a proven leader for the team, and Rasul Butler, who was a solid role player off the bench. Jones leaves the Heat after five seasons with the team.

"I spoke to him and he's appreciative of the five great years he's had in Miami," agent Leon Rose said. "He's proud that he's helped build something, although it's unfortunate that he won't be able to see it to fruition. But he wishes the organization nothing but the best."

However, with this trade, the Heat have not only gotten stronger, but more feared as a team.

The Heat are also welcoming back rookie sensation Dwyane Wade, who has been nothing else but great. And if you know Pat Riley, then you know that there could still be something left up his sleeve. But for now, I’m sure everyone involved with the Miami organization is happy with their revamped roster.

Now the only thing left to do now is wait for the regular season to open, because this is an off-season to remember.

I didn't know that Haslem took a pay cut. Definitely fishy; there's something coming on the back end for him.

I hope Simien wasn't planning on playing very much this year.

PM me if you'd like these to be proofed before posting.

:lol. You beat me to it, CD. I was going to post the same thing.

Amazing what a good editor can do.....

Miami was very close to a championship last year. They just got better than that which is scary for any team who plays them. Miami will make San Antonio look like an average defensive team. Too many threats equal unguardable. Wade is the next Jordan.

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Originally Posted by HeatChamps

Miami was very close to a championship last year. They just got better than that which is scary for any team who plays them. Miami will make San Antonio look like an average defensive team. Too many threats equal unguardable. Wade is the next Jordan.

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Sure

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23239

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Originally Posted by HeatChamps

Wade is the next Jordan.

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:rolleyes

All these moves ESPECIALLY the Jason Williams move get my seal of approval. Playoffs are his time to shine.

Yeah, Miami got alot better....I will buy that for a dollar.
Frikkin Jason Williams and Antoine Walker :lol

What a joke


Go champs

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Originally Posted by Isiah Thomas

All these moves ESPECIALLY the Jason Williams move get my seal of approval. Playoffs are his time to shine.

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:lol imao

cant climax without a dwyane wade jersey on forum

Miami's "Offseason to Remember" may end up more memorable than the season itself, much less the postseason.

OK, you're officially stupid. Wade is not only NOT Jordan from an offensive standpoint, but MJ at least took pride enough in his defense to make first team All D a couple of times. The only thing I think of while watching Wade attempt to cover someone is Ole'!

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Originally Posted by HeatChamps

Miami was very close to a championship last year. They just got better than that which is scary for any team who plays them. Miami will make San Antonio look like an average defensive team. Too many threats equal unguardable. Wade is the next Jordan.

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They still aren't as good offensively as the 2004-05 Phoenix Suns or the 2002-03 Dallas Mavericks.

But with Jason Williams and Antoine Walker on the floor, they might be similar to those two on defense.

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Originally Posted by exstatic

OK, you're officially stupid. Wade is not only NOT Jordan from an offensive standpoint, but MJ at least took pride enough in his defense to make first team All D a couple of times. The only thing I think of while watching Wade attempt to cover someone is Ole'!

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That's not fair. Wade is an above-average defender at least, He's no Jordan of course, but I wouldn't take that comment too seriously. HeatChamps reads suspiciously like a certain rodent that frequents these parts.

The only time Wade will look bad on defense is when Shaq is supposed to rotate on the pick and roll but doesn't.

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Originally Posted by HeatChamps

Miami was very close to a championship last year. They just got better than that which is scary for any team who plays them. Miami will make San Antonio look like an average defensive team. Too many threats equal unguardable. Wade is the next Jordan.

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why don't you wait till' the season starts before you talk trash. and by the way. post this crap in the nba forum.

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Originally Posted by Extra Stout

That's not fair. Wade is an above-average defender at least, He's no Jordan of course, but I wouldn't take that comment too seriously. HeatChamps reads suspiciously like a certain rodent that frequents these parts.

The only time Wade will look bad on defense is when Shaq is supposed to rotate on the pick and roll but doesn't.

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The original post does eerily reek of a certain tooting of a specific Vanhorn

what the hell is this, the heat forum???
jesus christ, do you accually believe that adding walker and williams to your squad is gonna make you better?? COME ON!! Miami is making the same mistake that the lakers and mavs made last year.. and if remember correctly, a TEAM won the championship "bulked up" team full of nothing but headachs... All im suggesting to you is that you have the advils on standby :lol

lol... they got a lot better offensively ill give them that... but with shaq at the middle...
shaq defending pick and rolls.... with Udonis haslem guarding the ring

WAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

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Originally Posted by HeatChamps

Wade is the next Jordan.

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http://i.b5z.net/i/u/230085/i/Crack_Kills_ezr.jpg

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Originally Posted by Isiah Thomas

All these moves ESPECIALLY the Jason Williams move get my seal of approval. Playoffs are his time to shine.

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- Isiah Thomas
:lmao

Look up "Undisciplined 3-point shooting" in the basketball dictionary and you see Jason Williams and Antoine Walker pictured.

Those long rebounds had better be chased down by Heat perimeter players instead of the opposition, because they sure aren't going to be within Shaq's reach.

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Originally Posted by HeatChamps

The Heat are becoming the leagues most dominant team.

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Scoreboard and O'Briens = dominance

Prediction on the season:
Walker will be traded by mid season.
Shaq will not play all 82 games in fact he'll find another way to aviod the regular season and make it back for the playoffs.
D-wade will be specttacular. (But to say he is Jordan-like is completely ignorant)
J-will will have his usual season but will dissapear come playoff time.
Say hello to your easter confrence champions The Indiana Pacers.

I thought last year was the offseason to remember?

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Originally Posted by Useruser666

I thought last year was the offseason to remember?

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:lol That's what I said in another thread.

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Originally Posted by HeatChamps

The Heat are also welcoming back rookie sensation Dwyane Wade, who has been nothing else but great.

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:wtf :wtf

Shaq Says'Heat The Team To Beat'
Shaq: 'There ain't no stoppin' us'

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) - The temptation to play reporter was too strong for Dwyane Wade to resist, so he grabbed a microphone and asked the $100 million question.

"Shaq, now that you didn't take all the money, what's next for the Heat?" Wade asked, grinning.
Shaquille O'Neal hopes the eventual answer to that question is a championship.

"This year," O'Neal said, "there ain't no stoppin' us."

Speaking publicly for the first time since agreeing to a $100 million, five-year contract with the Miami Heat - who offered more money than O'Neal ultimately accepted - the 12-time All-Star center said Saturday that he believes a flurry of offseason moves has brought his team closer to that elusive NBA title.

"I'm getting to the point in my career where I do need firepower," O'Neal said. "I want my career to be about championships. So I took one for the team, and that's what a great team player does. I'm very grateful and I'm very honored that (Heat owner) Micky Arison did what he did and I appreciate it."

He put together a trade that brought forward Antoine Walker from Boston, plus guard Jason Williams and forward James Posey from Memphis - all part of a five-team, 13-player deal that cost the Heat swingman Eddie Jones, and a pair of relatively little-used reserves from last year's squad.

"We lost a great teammate," Wade said. "But I was also excited because the guys coming in can help us get to where we need to go, and that's to win a championship."

O'Neal said he'll make sure the right chemistry is in place to ensure that the revamped roster works.

"Jason Williams is going to get everybody the ball. He sees everything. Antoine is going to shoot the 3. It's going to be fun," O'Neal said. "I'm very excited. I mean, I can't wait to play the first game and then go home and watch the first game."

The Heat entered the offseason looking nothing like a team that needed to be revamped.

Miami won 59 games last season, was the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and went to seven games with Detroit in the conference finals - losing with O'Neal hobbled by a bruised thigh and Wade suffering from a painful rib injury that restricted his movement.

"We still could have got it done," O'Neal said. "It just wasn't our turn. It just wasn't meant to be. Now you just have to live with that. Like I said, the thing that happened last year is only going to make us stronger. The great Pat Riley has made us stronger."

Instead of just adding a piece or two, Riley went out and brought in another scorer, a true point guard, some longer bodies - all designed to complement O'Neal and Wade.

"Of course you're surprised after the season we had, a heartbeat away from the finals," Wade said. "But you know, Pat Riley seemed to change. He seemed to change from the year before when we were excited about our young team, and it did us good - so I'm sure this will do us good also."

O'Neal said he plans to report to training camp weighing about 335 pounds, or roughly eight more than he played at last season; O'Neal said he currently weighs 345 with 10 percent body fat. And he tried to distance himself from the soap opera earlier this season, surrounding rumors that Riley was ready to replace Stan Van Gundy as the team's head coach.

"I think it's unfair to both guys," O'Neal said. "And I think it's unfair to me, to put me into that. Anytime a coach wants to make a change or needs to be changed, my name has been put in there unfairly. I'm staying far away from that."

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"Jason Williams is going to get everybody the ball. He sees everything. Antoine is going to shoot the 3. It's going to be fun," O'Neal said. "I'm very excited. I mean, I can't wait to play the first game and then go home and watch the first game."

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Walker's career 3pt fg% is .326.

You keep denying O'Neal touches with his >50% fg% and stroke that 3, 'Toine.

I mean you gotta love Shaq's logic. This is a guy who once compared himself to the pythagorean theorem because "there is no answer".

Walker does not shoot many 3's anymore. It was more of O'brien's system that made everyone shoot those shots more than normal. Heat are the Champs of 2005-06. You better believe it kiddos.

I might believe it if the heat can actually stay healthy in the playoffs
shaq is a year older now also

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Originally Posted by HeatChamps

"Antoine is going to shoot the 3."

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Yeah, you bet he is. No doubt about that.

Taking shots and making shots isn't the same thing though, big guy.

Why all this hate on Shaq? He is a nice guy. He is like a kid. He doesn't try to hurt people or anything. I don't get it.

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Originally Posted by HeatChamps

Why all this hate on Shaq? He is a nice guy. He is like a kid. He doesn't try to hurt people or anything. I don't get it.

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Mostly it's cause he's a dick.

Shaq sells himself as a nice guy. He wants everybody to love him.

But he still says dirty things about players (including his own teammates), creates tension within the locker room, and flips out if he doesn't get to be the 'alpha dog'

The only reason he's changed his act in Miami is because he knew he was getting stuck with that label, and as I said before...Shaq can't seem to stand for people to not like him. Unfortunately, he seems to live by his words, not his actions. It's how he managed to play his part in tearing apart two very good teams in the past.

No team can stand for their superstar to be a locker room cancer. Shaq likes to talk the talk, but isn't quite as good at walking the walk.

Whether that will truely change in Miami or not, remains to be seen.

And yet every team he is on is a championship contender automatically. He made Wade, Bryant, and Hardaway. None of them are even close as efficient as they were with him. Shaq makes everyone better. Kobe just wanted to take over the team. His greed caused the discension. Not Shaq.

Both Shaq and Kobe wanted to take over the team. Only one person can sit in that throne, and the Lakers chose Kobe. If anything, they were equally at fault for the breakup in Los Angeles. At least Kobe never publically came out and said it while he was with the team. The worst he did was demand that if Shaq wanted to be the head honcho, the least he could do was show up to camp in shape.

The same thing happened in Orlando. Shaq couldn't stand to share the spotlight with Penny Hardaway, because he thought that 'he was the man.' Once they said they weren't handing the team over to him, he wanted out.

He seems to be more willing to share with Wade than he has in these past instances, but Shaq still knows he is the man in the Miami. His face being plastered everywhere reminds him of that, and Wade is more willing to concede to O'Neal then his past 'sidekicks' have been. Regardless of how well he gets along with Dwayne, all you hear about in the media when they bring up Miami is Shaq, Shaq, and more Shaq. He's getting the attention that he was insisting upon his entire career. Of course he's going to be happy now.

I'm not saying Shaq isn't a very dominant player. I'm not saying he doesn't make teams better. I'm just saying that he isn't as sweet and innocent as all of his commercials, media jokes, and TV show makes him out to be.

It's easy to to make yourself look like a nice guy when you make a show that only shows you playing around with your kids. I'll admit: It's great that he has that side of him. He ISN'T a complete ass. But that show wouldn't dare mention anything regarding the Kobe fued or the Lakers scandal, because it's all about building up his reputation, not tearing it down.

Heatchamps:

How can the Heat, with this new lineup, be "dominant"? They've not even played a single game together yet and you're proclaiming this?

Walker, IMO, is WAY overrated. And I've been a huge KY bball fan since before the Eddie Sutton era. Walker is a mediocre 3baller, at best. He's not a great defender. He's a decent passer. Frankly, I've never really liked him, even in his college days. He's one of those TO types where "I" comes before the team.

JWill has never impressed me. Sure he'll have a highlight reel pass now and then on SportsCenter, but come on! It will take at least half the regular season for him to gel with the team, IMO. What about his defense?

I just don't conceive how this team will make it to a Finals, ever. Mark my words on this. I also don't see how this "new" Heat team will make SA look like an "average" defensive team.

And by the way, being a staunch Spurs fan, how is it that when you read an article about the Heat/Pistons conf. finals that we read about how Shaq and DWade were injured and would have possibly made the Finals if they had not been? Yet, when the Spurs are winning against tougher conf. opponents and having Manu with his contusions of the same type as the Big Diesel and especially Timmy with his double ankle problems, why don't we hear about those injuries and still winning the world title? Why do I feel there's a double standard here? "If Shaq and DWade hadn't been injured, Heat would've won the championship". But if it had been the other way around and the Spurs had lost in the conf. finals in 7 with their injuries and the Heat had won theirs, the tone would have been something like, "Timmy and the Spurs can't win without DRob" or something else down the lines of not respecting this franchise and what they've accomplished in the last seven years in terms of overall wins, regular season and playoffs included. Whew. I'm done ranting...for now.

mando

Yeah but Duncan and Ginobili didn't miss any time with those injuries. It wasn't serious enough for them to actually miss games. Shaq got out of shape during that period of missing most of the playoffs. Wade missed game 6 and looked very messed early in game 7 against the Pistons. That is true for any team if they get those injuries they can't win. If Miami is healthy I can't see anyone stopping Wade or Shaq and Jason Williams would be able to get other players involved also which is unusual for Shaq to have a pure point guard. They can beat you many ways now.

Why would SVG change his offensive strategy b/c of the new players, such as JWill? Doesn't make sense that he would tweak it very much, thus making the Heat as ineffective in a half-court game as they have been. And they don't seem to have a PHX style running game either. Besides, if you watched the Spurs at all in the playoffs, you saw how they adjusted to different styles of bball, from half-court and defensive minded with the Pistons, to full-court run-n-gun with the Suns. I'd say we have more ways to win then any team in the league. And for several more years at the very least.

mando

Miami is going to run next year. Wade, Posey, Haslem, and Walker are at their best with a running style game. Though they can play well in the half court also but running is what they are best at. You haven't watched enough of Heat basketball to say they are a half court team and don't run alot.

OK, wake us when they get to the finals. THEN we'll watch.

Walker is dynomite when he's on the run.

And I don't mean that like DYYYYNOOOMIIIIIITE! It's a bad thing.

Besides, any team that's got Shaq in the middle will have trouble being a true running team. They'll probably succesfully run for the like...10 minutes that he isn't on the court. And whenever he is nursing that poor toe.

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Originally Posted by Dex

Walker is dynomite when he's on the run.

And I don't mean that like DYYYYNOOOMIIIIIITE! It's a bad thing.

Besides, any team that's got Shaq in the middle will have trouble being a true running team. They'll probably succesfully run for the like...10 minutes that he isn't on the court. And whenever he is nursing that poor toe.

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Exactly, Dex. And who's to say this team will have any chemistry to run an ebb and flow offense where you're changing from half-court to full court in a heartbeat?

You don't need all 5 people to run. Someone has to rebound and start the break. Wade is usually the fastest player to get on the other side. In that case you only need one player. The fast break happened with only 3 players in Phoenix. Nash, Marion, and Stoudemire. The other players were trailing and didn't have as much to do on the break.

Though I agree that you don't need every player to run the break, it's hard to keep together if you've got four guys pushing 4th gear with one stuck sputtering behind in 1st, especially if he's not the one to pick off the rebound. It's doable, sure...but nearly every team in L can push the break every now and then.

As for the Suns debate goes, I'd have to disagree. Last season, it was the Suns itinerary to run every play, all the time. Every player they put on the court (all like...7 of them) was in Starbucks Mode every play.

Hell, I think they even had the waterboy running downcourt after a board was pulled down.

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Originally Posted by HeatChamps

Walker does not shoot many 3's anymore. It was more of O'brien's system that made everyone shoot those shots more than normal. Heat are the Champs of 2005-06. You better believe it kiddos.

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Please. Your points are amateurish at best and not backed by any objective evidence. Walker attempted 341 3pt shots last year so please don't tell me he doesn't like to shoot the 3. That's over 4 3's attempted per game. He attempted 305 his year in Dallas and 268 in Atlanta in just 53 games played so it's not just a Boston thing. Walker is statistically one of the most inefficient forwards in the game. His shot selection and court decisions are atrocious.

Throwing "talent" (and I use that term loosely) at a roster does not make a champion. I would have thought the Laker "dream team" of '04 would have driven that point home. A major roster change where two starters are lost including a point guard is generally not conducive to a title run.

And BTW, in reference to another one of your comments about the Heat's injuries vis-a-vis the Spurs' injuries, Duncan most certainly missed a slew of games due to his ankle injuries and Manu was also forced to sit out games due to his assortment of injuries.

Bottom line, if you come on to a Spurs forum spewing weak arguments that the Heat will be contenders "just because" then you're not going to get a lot of respect. Try backing up with your points with something objective as it makes the discussion more interesting for the reader.

Oh, and you might want to try justifying how the Heat will get past Detroit - or even Indiana (who took you to six games without Artest) before you start talking smack about the reigning champs.

http://insider.espn.go.com/insider/m...log?id=2080176

Heat the favorite in the East

Chris Broussard
ESPN Insider Weblog

I'm not one of those skeptics who thinks the Heat went too far in bringing aboard Antoine Walker and Jason Williams. As presently constructed, Miami is clearly, easily, undoubtedly the hands-down favorite to win the East. In my humble opinion.

The question of whether Walker and Williams will accept lesser offensive roles can be answered in four letters: Shaq.

Two players in history have run afoul of Shaq, bristling at his "The Man'' status. Yet after parting ways with him, both experienced immediate drop-offs and neither has been the same. With Shaq, Penny Hardaway was the closest thing we'd ever seen to Magic Johnson. Sans Shaq? You know the deal.

With Shaq, Kobe was being compared to Michael Jordan. I personally was saying he was the second-best two-guard (behind the aforementioned MJ) ever. But after last season, I'm withholding judgment. Last season, he was no better than AI, T-Mac, D-Wade and Ray Allen. If that's the best he can do without Shaq, then history will have to be rewritten.

That's one reason I'm so eager to see what Kobe does this season. I want to see if he's really among history's ultra-elite or just a Hall of Famer.

But back to the Heat. Walker and Williams will accept their roles, even if it's just for one title-taking year, because it is natural (save the above exceptions) to defer to Shaq. I say that with the utmost confidence.

Shaq is on a mission. Pure and simple. He knows he failed to deliver on his guarantee to bring Miami a title, and he doesn't want to fail again. That message was sent loud and clear by Pat Riley's Shaq-inspired dalliance with returning to the bench.

We saw Shaq play cop on SportsCenter recently. Watch him police the Heat locker room if necessary this season. I don't think it will be necessary.

So with Walker's and Williams' attitudes in check, their games become the focus, and their games fit snugly into the Heat's scheme. Walker, who might be nice coming off the bench behind the defensively-gifted James Posey at small forward, is an excellent passer, a good rebounder and a deep threat.

Those who worry about his 3-point binges should check out the restraint he showed after returning to Beantown last season. He won't be hoisting triples without conscience with Shaq and Flash on the floor.

J-Will is also a 3-point threat, but more importantly a deft ball-handler who can get the Heat in the offense on time.

Look, I'm a Damon Jones fan. I covered him when he was getting his first break in the league back in New Jersey.

He's a great guy and a good player, but he's better suited to come off the bench as a long-range sniper because he's not a true point guard. We saw that in the series against Detroit. The Pistons' relentless ball pressure was too much for him, as it took him 10 seconds to get the Heat into the offense, and many times he did that with a hook pass into the post.

J-Will, on the other hand, has the quickness and the handle to get defenders off of him and have Miami's offense flowing smoothly. After a few years in Memphis, he'll be glad to be back in the spotlight so he won't cause problems. After all, what good is it having such a great nickname -- "White Chocolate''-- if no one ever sees you play?

Plenty of folks will see J Will play this season -- all the way to the Finals.

Speaking of White Chocolate, I was the original. Kendall Gill started calling me that back when I was the Nets beat writer for the New York Times. But don't get it twisted. I'm Black -- inside and out. But for a brotha' my melanin count is low.

Since this is my first post here, I will give a little background. Before 1999, my dream was for Indiana and San Antonion to meet in the finals, guaranteeing that one would be the first ABA team to win an NBA championship. The Spurs have gone on to take care of that little dilemma.

At this point, I wouldn't even predict the Heat to win the ECF, until we see what Indiana does. Like the the Spurs, the Pacers look okay from a cap standpoint, until you actually do the math and look at two-three years down the line. I am assuming the Pacers will use the new Amnesty provision to dump Bender, if only because I can't see why not.

At any rate, my point is that the other significant teams in the East have just started making their moves.

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So with Walker's and Williams' attitudes in check, their games become the focus, and their games fit snugly into the Heat's scheme. Walker, who might be nice coming off the bench behind the defensively-gifted James Posey at small forward, is an excellent passer, a good rebounder and a deep threat.

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Again, Walker's career 3pt fg% .326. Last year, it was .323. Hardly what I'd call a "threat".

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Those who worry about his 3-point binges should check out the restraint he showed after returning to Beantown last season. He won't be hoisting triples without conscience with Shaq and Flash on the floor.

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Right. Why? because this writer says so. At least he was right about Walker showing restraint. He toned it down from shooting over 600 3's in previous years with Boston down to only 341 3's. Quite an accomplishment. :rolleyes

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J-Will is also a 3-point threat, but more importantly a deft ball-handler who can get the Heat in the offense on time.

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J-Will's career 3-pt fg% is (drum roll please) .315. Last year he shot .324 so, obviously, he's quite a threat as well. He also showed restraint in tossing up only 330 shots from deep last year. Do columnists have access to player statistics anymore? ESPN sure has lowered the bar on writers these days.

After all his "glass-half-full" homeristic optimism, he then concludes that these perennial playoff failures will stay in line on the Heat because of Shaq. After all, there's no conflicting precedent is there?

Oh, and Gary Payton sends his regards.

Welcome to the board Reggie Miller. Hope you enjoy your stay.

Indiana looks to be a force to be reckoned with this year. Truth be told, I excpect us to meet in the finals this year. I think with Artest returning and the Jasikevicius signing, they became the favorites in the east. If Granger gives you meaningful minutes, look out.

Detroit has likely been weakened with Brown's departure because I feel you need a coach to preach defense religiously to play defense at the level they were at. Take away Detroit's defense and they aren't all that talented although they might become better offensively under Saunders. Their offensive droughts remind me of the Spurs of 2001/2002.

The Heat have probably spoiled the broth with too many unproven cooks. They only needed tweaking not wholesale changes. That leaves Indy at the top of the heap in the east when the dust settles imho. The 64K question is can the combustible players on that roster keep their cool in the playoffs. To me, Artest, Jackson and even Tinsley and O'Neal to some extent can lose their focus in pressure situations. If they can show that they can keep an even keel when the going gets tough, they'll be very hard to beat.

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Originally Posted by HeatChamps

Why all this hate on Shaq? He is a nice guy. He is like a kid. He doesn't try to hurt people or anything. I don't get it.

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Shaq's not a dirty player, I'll give you that. But he talks too way too much trash. I don't like trash talkers.

My Pistons quited him down for the second straight year and I'm hopin' we'll get the "shut-up Shaq" trifecta this year.

One thing I will always have to hand to you Piston fans: Your guys prevented Hell from freezing over and saved many a flying pig.

Thank you for winning the title in 2004. For one sweet playoff series, I was a bandwagon Piston fan.

Miami actually got weaker with their offseason moves. They have a guy in Shaq, who wants the ball, a guy in Wade who does nothing but shoot the ball, a guy in Walker who won't pass the ball, and another loser in Williams who doesn't know what to do with the ball. This season will be a worst debacle for Miami then the Lakers experiment with Payton and Malone. Should be fun to watch though and when they get eliminated, I'm going to laugh :lol and laugh :lol .....and then laugh some more. :lol