Miami Herald On a Heat team with championship hopes, veterans assuredly will earn most of the playing time. Still, the stakes are high for the eight players in camp who are either rookies or entering their second NBA season. No more than four likely will make the team, and two of those who make it could be sent by the Heat to the National Basketball Developmental League. Of the eight, rookie forward Wayne Simien and second-year guard Dorell Wright are sure bets to stick, and two rookies -- guard Matt Walsh and center Earl Barron -- appear to have a very good chance to earn roster spots. Rookies Gerald Fitch (out with a back injury), Kevin Braswell and Darius Rice are long shots, and second-year guard Andre Emmett also seems to be facing an uphill climb. The Heat has 19 players and can keep 15 to enter the season. Feedback on some of the young players: ? Coach Stan Van Gundy said Simien, the first-round pick from Kansas, is ``the most fundamental big guy I've ever seen coming out of college. It's unbelievable. He does a great job positioning on the boards and [getting] the ball in the low post.'' ? Wright remains a work in progress. ''He has gotten better in every regard,'' Van Gundy said. ``His decisions have gotten better this week. He hasn't made as many mistakes. He's not breaking down as much [defensively]. He's gotten stronger.'' But Van Gundy added, ``He's going to really have to come on to get playing time ahead of veteran guys.'' ? Van Gundy and president Pat Riley have raved about the shooting of Walsh, who will compete with Jason Kapono to earn minutes when Van Gundy needs to call on a perimeter shooter. Walsh said coaches have worked on his technique so he's ''not leaning back'' when he shoots. ? Barron, 7-0, is ''one of the best 15- to 17-foot shooters I've seen, even better than [Michael] Doleac,'' Udonis Haslem said Monday, unprompted. ``Earl is going to be good.'' ? Rice, the 6-10 former University of Miami star, said he's ''10 times better than a year ago.'' Undrafted in June 2004, Rice, who averaged 10.5 points and 4.2 rebounds for the NBDL's Florida Flame last season, has had to overcome the knock of being a one-dimensional shooter. ''He would certainly be a very difficult guy to cut,'' Van Gundy said. ``He's making shots. He's rebounding. He's in great shape, maybe the best shape of anybody here.'' Source
i hope that barron guy sticks with them hell be realy good after spending a few years with shaq.defending him in practice will improve him and he could be a very useful contributor down the line.
^^ I totally agree I thik he is going to be our future center, he just seems like he has great potential and who better to learn from than Shaq. Simien is going to be a great player but he won't stick with us because after his rookie contract is up he'll cash in somewhere else IMO. Dorrell is our future and he will play this year I believe. As for Rice, I have yet to be impressed by him but who knows, that may change once pre-season kicks off.
