Heat Still Not Good Enough

[CaptainLate]

Big moves won't turn up the Heat enough
by Sean Deveney - SportingNews

In the course of a day last week, the offices at AmericanAirlines Arena became so hectic, so overheated with activity that word is three of Pat Riley's hairs came out of place. That's the price you pay when you agree to give Shaquille O'Neal $100 million and you acquire three starting-caliber players for Eddie Jones and a pair of spare parts. And you do it all with time for a nap before dinner.

Despite the flurry of activity that brought Antoine Walker, Jason Williams and James Posey to Miami, though, a frosty fact hangs over the Heat: It's hard to envision Miami getting much further than it did last season, not with the Pacers back at full strength, not with the Pistons preparing to add veteran help off the bench and not with the Cavaliers having such a bang-up offseason. The Heat still has one more shot to add talent with its full midlevel exception, and how it uses that money could be a make-or-break decision.

Miami's plan calls for Williams to play point guard, with Dwyane Wade at shooting guard, Posey (or, possibly, a player to be signed) at small forward, Udonis Haslem at power forward and O'Neal in the middle. Walker would be the sixth man. That's a better lineup than last season's, and with O'Neal heading into the twilight of his career, there's no doubt the Heat must do all it can to win now.

But it won't be good enough to win the East, even in the unlikely event that the addition of Walker and Williams -- known as much for boneheaded antics as for their talent -- creates no chemistry problems. The Heat sorely is lacking in 3-point shooting. Williams and Walker are very willing to take 3-pointers, but, mind you, that's much different than being able to make 3s. Williams is a career 31.5 percent shooter from beyond the arc, and Walker is at 32.6 percent. O'Neal is at his best when he is surrounded by quality perimeter shooters. The Heat has none.

Miami also lacks the backcourt defense to stop the likes of Detroit's Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton, who killed the Heat last postseason. If Cleveland goes with a big backcourt of Larry Hughes and LeBron James or if the Pacers go with Jamaal Tinsley and Ron Artest, the Heat will face similar problems.

Miami hopes adding Williams will induce the team to run more. But Williams' reputation for running the fast break is overblown, thanks to his trick-passing past. He's turnover-prone and prefers to pull up for jumpers rather than attack the rim. Besides, no team with a big lug such as O'Neal in the middle truly can be a running team.

Ultimately, even with all the tinkering the Heat has done, Miami's championship hopes will rest with the same thing they did last season: health. The Heat will need the cosmic forces of injury to nip other top teams in the East and clear a path to The Finals, much as injuries to Wade and O'Neal torpedoed the Heat's chances at beating the Pistons last season. The flood of early-August personnel moves was nice but not enough.

END

[Trainwreck2100]

Despite the flurry of activity that brought Antoine Walker, Jason Williams and James Posey to Miami, though, a frosty fact hangs over the Heat: It's hard to envision Miami getting much further than it did last season, not with the Pacers back at full strength, not with the Pistons preparing to add veteran help off the bench and not with the Cavaliers having such a bang-up offseason. The Heat still has one more shot to add talent with its full midlevel exception, and how it uses that money could be a make-or-break decision.

They should be better than the Cavs

[HeatChamps]

Miami didn't have crap last year other than Wade and Shaq and they should've won it if they they were healthy. This guy is an idiot for saying that adding depth is a bad thing. Your in good shape when you can have a 6th man in the first place. Walker will be instant offense coming off the bench. If they keep Damon Jones they are the best team. They would go 8 deep which is all they need in the playoffs. Mourning at center, Walker at PF and SF, and Damon Jones at PG or SG. This team is going to be awesome.

[nkdlunch]

Eddie Jones is very underrated. Walker + Williams for Jones is not an improvement.

[batman2883]

Walker is an old player now, and JWilliams is a nice improvement enabling Wade to switch to shooting guard. I think just Shaq and Wade will be able to carry the team again.....Toine was a mistake

[HeatChamps]

Walker can carry a team when Shaq or Wade are out of the game. The key to this is that Miami doesn't lose a lead like they would if they had their normal bench players in the game. Walker as a 6th man is genious because he can still get his shots while not taking them away from Wade and Shaq. Walker is 28 by the way. He is not old. Bruce Bowen is old though at 34. Eddie Jones doesn't do anything special that James Posey can't do. You spurs fans are in denial.

[nkdlunch]

Walker can carry a team when Shaq or Wade are out of the game.... You spurs fans are in denial.

look who's talking

[Taking it to the Hole]

I posted something similar to what Deveney said in another thread. This is all I have been saying and I am glad somebody else said it too. Miami doesn'thave enough and they are in for a tougher season because they are going to miss Dooling and Jones more than they think they will.

[HeatChamps]

I didn't know that Walker is such a bad player. It is funny hearing this because this guy is instant offense coming off the bench. He can't hurt the chemistry when he is playing off the bench. The one weakness Miami had last year is as soon as they went to the bench they were in trouble. With Walker you can at least expect some points that can sustain a big lead when Shaq or Wade is out. I don't expect him to dominate but do a decent job.

[Taking it to the Hole]

Miami didn't have crap last year other than Wade and Shaq and they should've won it if they they were healthy. This guy is an idiot for saying that adding depth is a bad thing. Your in good shape when you can have a 6th man in the first place. Walker will be instant offense coming off the bench. If they keep Damon Jones they are the best team. They would go 8 deep which is all they need in the playoffs. Mourning at center, Walker at PF and SF, and Damon Jones at PG or SG. This team is going to be awesome.

You know, you can't help Heat fans when they are this crazy.

[HeatChamps]

Last I heard Damon Jones hasn't made up his mind if he is coming back. It is a big decison for Miami what he does.

[Pistonfan1]

Same crap I heard from Heat fans last year "oh we werent healthy blah blah blah' still in denial that we thrived under the pressure while your team choked. UP 6 WITH 7 MINUTES TO GO IN THE 4TH HEALTH IS NOT AN EXCUSE. Sorry Shaq had 27 pts cant use health as an excuse. Wade had a nice 3rd quarter cant use health as an excuse. If you are contributing on the court with a chance to win health is pure BS then. I am sorry deal with it. As far as the moves Miami made this year makes them better agreed. I am still not scared of them because they still wont beat us.

[Taking it to the Hole]

As far as the moves Miami made this year makes them better agreed. I am still not scared of them because they still wont beat us.

Hey Pistonsfan, I rather play you guys again. You guys are some tough SOB's. I have nothing but respect for that Pistons team. Miami won't beat you guys because they still don't have an answer for Rip or Chauncey, and Shaq and Wade are going to get there points but it isn't enough, because the one thing that HeatChamps doesn't understand is that in the playoffs, your stars cancel each other out. The role players are the ones who win games for you. I don't see one single role player on that team with the exception of Damon Jones.He might be the only guy who might do something for you, but everybody else on that team is really nothing to worry about. McDyess gave the Pistons lifts during the series and Robert Horry and Brent Barry did the same for us. The Heat won't win because they don't have the bench to win with. Just plain and simple.

[HeatChamps]

The bench of the heat is on fire. Most teams in the league would love to have Walker, D. Jones, Mourning, S. Anderson, and etc. coming off their bench. As for role players James Posey has to be one of the most underrated role players in the league. This guy can play tenacious defense while being able to hit 3 pointers at a high percentage. Posey will take out Hamilton or Prince and Wade can hold his own either. Shaq will even be more hungry next year to prove that he is the best player in the nba. Don't get Shaq angry and that is what Nash did by winning the mvp.

[1Parker1]

Shaq will even be more hungry next year to prove that he is the best player in the nba. Don't get Shaq angry and that is what Nash did by winning the mvp.

I thought Shaq was supposed to be even more hungry LAST year to prove that he is the best player in the NBA and can make it without Kobe? I thought getting outsed by Kobe and Co. got Shaq angry?

[HeatChamps]

Same crap I heard from Heat fans last year "oh we werent healthy blah blah blah' still in denial that we thrived under the pressure while your team choked. UP 6 WITH 7 MINUTES TO GO IN THE 4TH HEALTH IS NOT AN EXCUSE. Sorry Shaq had 27 pts cant use health as an excuse. Wade had a nice 3rd quarter cant use health as an excuse. If you are contributing on the court with a chance to win health is pure BS then. I am sorry deal with it. As far as the moves Miami made this year makes them better agreed. I am still not scared of them because they still wont beat us.

Your point is the teams were equal last year but Detroit got lucky at the end. Now that Miami has gotten better I don't see even getting that close for Miami to pull a choke job. It also helps not to have Eddie Jones in big games because he is a choker. I would consider Indiana better than Detroit also.

[Taking it to the Hole]

C'mon, do you honestly think Posey can guard Hamilton. Hamilton can have his way with Posey any day of the week. Posey is too slow to guard a shooter like Hamilton. You think Posey is going to chase Hamilton through screens and out to the three point line. All Hamilton has to do is pump fake and Posey will fly by and he has a easy midrange jumper to hit. Posey is no Bowen who is willing to chase a player like Hamilton down all night and SHUT HIM DOWN. Posey can't shut down anybody like Bowen and isn't a lock-down defender. Bowen does it every night and never takes a play off. If Posey is such a great defender, then why don't I see his name on first-team all defensive team ballots? You know why, because he isn't all that great and it is time people start realizing that.

[Pistonfan1]

Your point is the teams were equal last year but Detroit got lucky at the end. Now that Miami has gotten better I don't see even getting that close for Miami to pull a choke job. It also helps not to have Eddie Jones in big games because he is a choker. I would consider Indiana better than Detroit also.

Luck is part of the game rookie but all in all the better team always wins a 7 game series. YADA YADA YADA on paper and next year i hear this crap but until you prove it on the court your words are about as valuable as Shaq's

[CaptainLate]

Walker can carry a team when Shaq or Wade are out of the game. The key to this is that Miami doesn't lose a lead like they would if they had their normal bench players in the game.

Walker "El Matador" carrying a team? <eyes rolling>

[Mr. Body]

Neither Detroit nor San Antonio, Finals opponents, would willingly take Antoine Walker or Jason Williams on their team. That's how desperate Miami is (also, how defensively compromised they will be).

Posey is another matter. Both teams would accept him.

[Dalamar_the_Dark]

First look at Detroit and the Spurs. The reason why they got to the finals was not because they had the best starting five in the NBA (Detroit) or because they had the most balanced team and deepest team (Spurs). They got that far cause they were the two teams with the best chemistry.

With the Heat adding Walker and White Chocolate, its going to absolutely wreck team chemistry if we judge from the past instances. I may be wrong and they COULD work out into the best team. But I doubt it. Walker needs his shots. Williams WILL make turnovers. unless he is there to be the back up PG. Shaq is going to demand the ball into the paint and rightly so. How long do you think Walker is going to stand for being the sixth man or giving up his 3s?

Posey is a nice pick up but way over rated. The Grizzlies never blinked an eyelid when they gave him away. Why? Cause he is replaccable. He aint that good. Hes solid. Period.

With the Pacers back, I would put the Pacers in front. They have a solid core and have a couple of young developing players. Pistons need to do something about their bench depth and add a couple more cheap vets who can contribute. The Heat will contend on the basis on Shaq and Flash only. If they cant sign Damon Jones, they will be in deep serious. Everybody will just clamp down on Shaq on the inside. The longer Walker and White Choco misses those 3s, the more frustrated Shaq will get. The more FTs Shaq will get. the less the Heat will win. And come playoff time, they will struggle.

[exstatic]

You spurs fans are in denial.

No, we're in bliss. Comes from winning a third championship. I think people here know a thing or three about the composition of a champion, while you're still excited about adding two gunners without a conscience between them. As for Walker being the answer off the bench, ask any Dallas fans about that. He was benched permanently for failing in that role. I had forgotten that he was even on that team, and we faced them in the WCFs.

[mavsfan1000]

No, we're in bliss. Comes from winning a third championship. I think people here know a thing or three about the composition of a champion, while you're still excited about adding two gunners without a conscience between them. As for Walker being the answer off the bench, ask any Dallas fans about that. He was benched permanently for failing in that role. I had forgotten that he was even on that team, and we faced them in the WCFs.

He wasn't on the team. He was still in Boston at that time. He never came off the bench though I wish he did because he was destroying Dallas's chemistry as a starter.