Since there hasn't been much going on in the Heat forums I'd thought I post a recap of the offseason to give the Heat fans something to look forward to and be excited about as we patiently wait . I made this for people to be more familiar with certain parts of the team and learn about what are the plans for this year's team. This will also answer those famous "who do the heat have, Shaq / Wade / Eddie /?????????? pffft" questions. Post your thoughts if you think this team is just as you expected, better, worse, or w/e but no flames plz . Note: It's sorta long so it's better to just read parts at a time than reading the whole thing. <font size="3">1. The Riley Doctorine</font> <font size="3">2. The Head Coach<ul>[*]2.1 Coach Van Gundy [*]2.2 Coach Van Gundy's Goals[/list]</font> <font size="3">3. The Team<ul>[*]3.1 Starting Lineup [*]3.2 The 6th Man [*]3.3 Backup Rotation [*]3.4 NBA Draft '04[/list]</font> <font size="3">4. The Game<ul>[*]4.1 Heat Offense [*]4.2 Heat Defense[/list]</font> <font size="3">5. Summary<ul>[*]My Prediction on the Final Heat Offseason Signings and Trades[*]Overall[/list]</font> <font size="4"><u>1. The Riley Doctorine</u></font> "The only teams I've ever really won big with had dominant centers on them, and the only teams that have ever beaten my teams have been teams with dominant centers. So I'll never change my philosophy of needing to get dominant centers." <font size="4"><u>2. The Head Coach</u></font> <div style="padding-left: 20px;"><font size="3"><u>2.1 Coach Van Gundy</u></font> <div align="center"> [/list][/list] <div align="center"></div> <ul>[*]SG/SF-Eddie Jones<ul>[*]Consider to be the weakest link in the Heat starting lineup he is expected to shoot better considering all the open looks he will get. Another sniper for the Heat.[*]Although he lead the Heat in scoring during the regular season he struggled against the Pacers in the Easter Conference Semi-Finals averaging 11pts in the series compared to his 17ppg in the regular season. [*]Last season he was 40% from the field and 37% from the 3 and should carry those stats over to the playoffs this season with Shaq on the team.[*]Shaq had this to say about himself and EJ: "When you put a bunch of old lions with young lions, the old lion can do two things: run away and be old or be young like the young lions.". What this means is EJ and himself are being given the chance to be great again playing with the young talent on the Miami Heat, which translates to EJ getting his game back from when it was him and Shaq in L.A., before the young Kobe Bryant started becoming more of an option than Eddie, and Shaq had pushed for him to be traded. Now Shaq, looking for revenge on Kobe after being put in the same situation, meets up with an old friend that also had a grudge to settle with both him and Kobe, but mainly Kobe.[/list][/list] <div align="center"></div> <ul>[*]SG/SF-Wesley Person<ul>[*]Wesley's sniper shot will compliment this team very well as Shaq draws the double/triple teams and he can kick it out to Person for the wide open three.[*]He brings veteran experience which is really lacking in the Heat.[*]SVG had this to say about him: Wesley Person has proven throughout his career that he is one of the best and most reliable shooters in this league. If you really follow guys in the league you will see their percentages go up and down but this is a guy who shot 41% for three for his career and its doesnt vary much. Obviously with Shaquille ONeal in the post and Dwyane Wade penetrating, people are going to want to compact their defenses against us. We feel shooting is at a premium for us and today we signed one of the best shooters in the league". [*]Last season, Person shot 40% from both the field and the 3pt line.[*]Person's shooting will play a big part in clutch situations[/list][/list] <div align="center"></div><ul>[*]PF-Udonis Haslem<ul>[*]Another rookie for the Heat that flew under the radar undetected. Think of him as a Ben Wallace in the making that can shoot. [*]He is undersized for a PF at 6-7, but in his rookie season, he averaged 7ppg and 6rpg in 24 minutes. [*]One of the goals this season will be to surround Shaq with shooters, and to prepare for that, Haslem has been working on his jump shot by shooting 1,000 a day, at least five days a week, and makes 250 three-pointers before leaving the court. [*]Udonis is a very dedicated to making sure the Heat succeed, and unless the Heat find a veteran PF, Udonis Haslem will start and is expected to have a breakout season.[/list][/list] <div align="center"></div> <ul>[*]C-Shaquille O'Neal<ul>[*]When the Heat were in the market to resolve their height issue they got more than what they bargained for. Coming off the worst season in his career, he still has posted great numbers that are only bad when compared to his previous seasons. [*]After being ousted by his own student from the Lakers, he feels he has something to prove. He's been criticised for being overweight, missing more than half his free throws, being selfish, fouling out early, criticising others around him, and never taking the blame. But he's looking to do a complete 180 after leaving the Lakers, saying he is looking forward to playing in a team environment, he will not give advice to others unless they ask him, he will do whatever is asked of him, and dropping down to 331lbs with a goal of 325lbs.[*]He still leaves questions to be asked, like can he really improve his FT% to reduce Hack-a-Shaqs and will he be able to lower his fouls so he doesn't leave his team stranded towards the end of crucial games? [*]With all that said, he posted some nice numbers in the playoffs scoring 21ppg, 13.8rpg, and 2.5apg.[*]When he asked about playing his former team: "For me, it's not about getting 40 points when I face L.A. To me, it's all about winning."[*]Considering what he's gone through with his critics, his former team, and the ones that doubt his abilities, what he's done so far to change his attitude and get better, there is little to no doubt he will have an MVP season.[/list][/list] <font size="3"><u>3.3 The 6th Man</u></font> <div align="center"></div> <ul>[*]PG-Damon Jones<ul>[*]IMO, he will be the 6th man for the time being as the Heat try him out to see if they can keep him at starting PG and move Wade up to SG; another scenario would have Damon Jones play PG minutes while Wade gets to play SG and Person/Eddie Jones move to SF and one of them rests.[*]Another sniper for the Heat; deadly from the 3.[*]Added to the team because he has proven to be a starter after playing the bench for most of his career and for the numbers he put up in the playoffs.[*]He was one of the top rated PGs in the playoffs last season.[*]Pat Riley had this to say about DJ: "I think he's a perfect complement to what we're trying to do because he can flat-out shoot the basketball, and that's what we need to put around Shaquille." [*]Jones put up good numbers against the NBA Champ Pistons, averaging 10.0ppg, 7.4apg, and shot 48% on 3's in about 28mpg, which will come in use when facing the Pistons in the playoffs. [*]One thing to note, while Rafer Alston's stat's declined during the playoffs from the regular season, DJ's stats increased from the regular season to the playoffs, more than filling the gap that Alston left as our backup PG.[/list][/list] <font size="3"><u>3.4 Backup Rotation</u></font> <div align="center"></div> <ul>[*]PG-Keyon Dooling<ul>[*]Signed to the Heat to be one of two Backup PGs for Dwyane Wade after Rafer Alston left, the Heat fell in love with his speed, quickness, and think he'll provide this team with great energy. [*]The Heat also decided to take him under their wing because they believe he has a chance to develope into a great player, and if they learned anything from LO's experience, he'll do just that. [*]In his last season with the Clippers, he averaged 6.1ppg, 2.2apg, and 1.4rpg in 19.6mpg as a backup. In his 24 starts during last season he averaged 8.1 points, 2.9 assists, and 1.8 rebounds in 26.9 minutes.[/list][/list] <div align="center"></div> <ul>[*]SG/SF-Rasual Butler<ul>[*]Expected to compete with Wesley Person for the starting SF spot, this guy is another sniper who shot 47% in FGs and 46% from the 3pt line last season for 15mpg in 45 games.[*]What's holding him back from the starting position is he needs to improve on defense,ball handling skills and lacks the experience over WP.[*]He will get more minutes than previous seasons as the Heat want his game to continue to develope and will be a great role player once he does.[/list][/list] <div align="center"></div><ul>[*]PF-Malik Allen - <ul>[*]He works hard, has a great post-up jumper, but his overall offense isn't great. [*]His second season in the NBA he posted decent numbers averaging 9ppg, 5rpg, and shot 42% from the field in 29mpg. [*]If he can continue to work on his offense, defense and rack up rebounds he will challenge Doleac for minutes as the backup PF.[/list][/list] <div align="center"></div> <ul>[*]SF/PF-Jerome Beasley<ul>[*]Did not get much playing time in his rookie season, he's a great shooter that runs the court very well and has guard-like athleticism, but needs to work on his rebound game and his defense. [*]In his Senior year with North Dakota he averaged 26.6ppg, 9rpg, shot 51% from the field and 45% from the 3. Although the numbers he posted are nice he has never faced any serious competition. [*]He will get more playing time as his defense improves and he proves himself worthy.[/list][/list] <div align="center"></div><ul>[*]PF/C-Michael Doleac<ul>[*]Doleac will be the backup center for the Miami Heat, and while there are questions as to his ability in being a replacement for the giant gap that Shaq will leave when he is on the bench, Coach Van Gundy had this to say: We are really excited to have Michael Doleac on board, I think he was one of the best big men on the market this year. He can back-up Shaquille and at other times will play along side him. We feel with Shaquille and Michael at center we have now fortified the toughest position in the league". [*]He only averaged 4.5ppg and 3.7rpg but shoots well from the field at 45%. [*]He will be competing for minutes at the PF spot and will replace Shaq when he is on the bench.[/list][/list] <div align="center"></div><ul>[*]PF/C-Wang ZhiZhi<ul>[*]Not a great player but he's 7-1 and has shot 41% from the field throughout his career. [*]He didn't play much due to injuries but he can serve well as a role player considering his height. [*]If he show's improvement he can earn minutes this season for the backup PF/C position.[/list][/list] <font size="3"><u>3.4 NBA Draft '04</u></font> <div align="center"></div> <ul>[*]SG/SF-Dorell Wright<ul>[*]Selected in the first round of the NBA Draft (19th pick overall), Pat Riley had this to say about Dorell Wright: I sort of actually fell in love with him. [*]The first High School player to be drafted by the Heat, he has a lot of work to do before he will earn his time on the court; he is only 18 yrs old, has a slender frame, must start building muscle, must gain some weight, and does not have enough experience yet to even be trusted with the Backup SG/SF position. [*]Wright dominated the countrys toughest prep school league last season, alternating at PG, SG and SF for South Kent, Wright averaged 29 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks to earn Ocean League Player of the Year honors. [*]He scored 53 points and pulled down 20 rebounds in South Kents 106-94 win over Lafayette Colleges JV team on Nov. 15, 2003, and was tabbed as the top prep school player in the nation by Basketball Times. [*]He will be competing for minutes at the SG and SF spot.[/list][/list] <div align="center"></div> <ul>[*]SF-Matt Freije<ul>Selected in the 2nd round (53rd pick overall), he is known as the "college Dirk Nowitzki" because his proficiency from deep[*]Vanderbilt's All Time Leading Scorer.[*]In his Senior year with Vanderbilt, he averaged 18.4ppg and 5.4 rebounds.[*]He is a good player to have come off the bench to land some 3pters or to grab some boards and help out with defense. [*]He will be competing for minutes in the SF spot.[/list][/list] <div align="center"></div> <ul>[*]PF-Albert Miralles<ul>[*]Miralles is considered to be a bigger version of Luis Scola (ARG). [*]Miralles will be playing in the Euroleague this season but the Heat hold his draft rights.[/list][/list]</div> <font size="4"><u>4 The Game</u></font> <div style="padding-left: 20px;"><font size="3"><u>4.1 Heat Offense</u></font> <ul>[*]The Heat will have plenty of options this season although Shaq will be getting the most points and for good reasons too.[*]Van Gundy does not want to diminish any one player's role and he shouldn't. He will also be enforcing team work that the 03-04 team displayed last season.[*]The Heat need to get Wade, EJ, Wesley Person, and Udonis Haslem to be consistent shooters, this will surround Shaq with many options to kick it out to when draws the double/triple teams and will give their opponents plenty to think about what they should do every time the Heat posses the ball.[*]The Heat need to get their passing game on lock as they have a lot of players that can shoot and passing will wear the defense out.[*]Wade and Shaq need to share the ball between each other, and they will, as they both will be our biggest scoring options. EJ, Haslem, and Person will need to step up when the defense focuses on both Shaq and Wade and to bail em out if they get cold.[*]Players must practice setting up screens and pick-n-rolls for our snipers which will upset the defense and lead to easy points[/list] <font size="3"><u>4.2 Heat Defense</u></font> <ul>[*]Although this will be one of the biggest areas of concern for the majority of the Heat players, the important thing is Van Gundy has acknowledged this, and it will be one of the main issues to work on when training camp starts.[*]Even though defense is a concern, I trust that Shaq will handle any player that drives to the paint and Wade will annoy perimeter shooters and force turnovers that will lead to fast breaks.[*]Players must learn how to work through screens and pick-n-rolls as they will be used to exploit the weaker defenders.[*]Udonis Haslem (as well as others, but him in particular) will have to step up and take over the gap Odom left of being a great defender and rebounder.[/list]</div> <font size="4"><u>5. Summary</u></font> <div style="padding-left: 20px;"><font size="3"><u>5.1 My Predictions on Final Heat Offseason Signings and Trades</u></font> <ul>[*]Eddie Jones will not be traded. Yep, his contract and age is what prevents him from being traded, and since he fits well in this team but not in others, the Heat don't think they will get anything of equal or greater value, and they likely won't.[*]IMO, Karl Malone will sign with the Miami Heat. It's based on:<ul>[*]If he wants to be a starter or get a lot of minutes, AND make it to the Finals <u>to play</u> (which he wants to), the East is the place to be. With the lack of big men and competition in the East, he stands a better chance of doing what he wants to do without risking his health; he wants to earn the ring by playing in the finals.[*]He said he would stay with the Lakers if GP stayed, and GP did stay, but then GP got traded by the Lakers; he probably doesn't trust the Lakers staff.[*]After the Shaq trade, he felt stripped of the only reason he came to play in L.A.[*]I'll say it again: Judging by what O'Neal has done to bring up SGs (or any player for that matter) in the past, Shaq and Wade can well be the Kobe and Shaq that never were. Wade is unselfish and only cares about winning so he can coexist with Shaq he's also posted up nice numbers and hit clutch shots in his rookie season. Playing along side O'Neal and Wade only sweetens the deal.[*]Kobe Odom Vlade, Ginobili Bowen and Duncan, or Shaq and Wade[/list][/list] <font size="3"><u>5.2 Overall</u></font> <ul>[*]Riley has finally brought in the missing piece, a dominant center, that he has used to build all his championship teams and truly believes that this is the year the Heat will win it all.[*]If Shaq and Kobe can tear up the West I can only imagine what Shaq and Wade will do to the East.[*]Riley and co. have done a good job to surround Shaq and Wade with a nice supporting cast that can shoot the ball well[*]This team will be the most watched throughout the season.[/list]</div>
yeah you are so hard core...it all makes sense though...kenyon dooling will be a stud...they should upgrade PF though Haslem is ok but Beasley and Doleac and Wang dont even deserve a roster spot
"The only teams I've ever really won big with had dominant centers on them, and the only teams that have ever beaten my teams have been teams with dominant centers. So I'll never change my philosophy of needing to get dominant centers." -- Riley Wait, I'll let him get away with calling Robert Parish a dominant center. He was an above average center for the Celitics. But Pat Riley's teams repeatedly got smacked down by the Bulls, and when did they ever have a dominant center?
I agree heatfan83 riley has brought the missing piece in and the heat will win it all. My playoff predictions will be the Heat beating the timberwolves in 6! a little early but hey...
Riley's dominant center <div class="quote_poster">Quoting durvasa:</div><div class="quote_post">"The only teams I've ever really won big with had dominant centers on them, and the only teams that have ever beaten my teams have been teams with dominant centers. So I'll never change my philosophy of needing to get dominant centers." -- Riley Wait, I'll let him get away with calling Robert Parish a dominant center. He was an above average center for the Celitics. But Pat Riley's teams repeatedly got smacked down by the Bulls, and when did they ever have a dominant center?</div> Ever heard of Patrick Ewing or Kareem Abdul Jabaar ?
Heat 04-05 Nice Thread Man! Great research and input. It's nice to know I'm not the only true Heat Fanatic out there. I'm frantically counting down the days till the season opener!!! Comments: I thought Udonis Haslem was closer to 6'9" but who really knows. If he is indeed 6'7" he is without a doubt the hardest worker on the team. As I have stated before I have no problem with Udonis starting. I don't know how much Karl Malone can contribute to this team. Remember we still want to be able to run a bit like we did last year. Even though the offense will obviously have to slow down to wait for Mr. Shaq. I am not too familiar with Wesley Person. I do know that he is an excellent shooter, but I would really like to see Rasual Butler get the starting spot. Rasual really impressed me last season and has shown signs of greatness. You said it: 47% in FGs and 46% from the 3pt line last season for 15mpg in 45 games. Those are ridiculous numbers for a guy coming off the bench. And lets not forget he's as athletic as they come. I am anxious to see Jerome Beasley play. He had great college numbers but word out of Heat summer league was that they were not pleased with his progress, especially on the boards. Maybe he's a very long shot, but I wouldn't give up on Wang Zhi Zhi just yet. I am content with the team we have assembled for this season but of course any clear upgrades are welcome. We definitely have a stronger team than last year. I still can't believe we get to see this team play for Miami !!!!
Wow, just wow. Great job man, I don't think anyone will ever ask another question again after reading your post.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting heatfan:</div><div class="quote_post"> It's nice to know I'm not the only true Heat Fanatic out there. I'm frantically counting down the days till the season opener!!!</div> I'm a real Heat fanatic, too. You're not alone lol.
Thanks a lot to everyone it took me quite a while to research and write it up so I'm glad that it didn't go unappreciated <3 <3 Heatfan, as to whether if we're better with or without off with Karl Malone, I think we still need to add a few players to the team and Karl Malone brings veteran experience which can help raise our younger players, finals experience, great defense, can still score, and he can take on most of the players in the East. These are qualities in a player that the Heat need to be adding to the team and Karl Malone will not take away from what we have now. If you remember, the only 3 vets we have are Eddie Jones, Wesley Person, and Shaq. Also, let's not forget he is <u>hungry</u> for a ring as well. For Rasual Butler, I will like to see him start too, but his overall game hasn't developed although he will find himself coming off the bench to shoot and develope his game. But with Shaq here I'm sure him and every other player have been busting their ass off to prepare for the season. If anything Wesley Person is a good teacher for this kid because they both excel at shooting it's just that WP has the experience over Butler. As for Wang ZhiZhi, I agree that there is gotta be a role for this guy on the team, I mean, he is 7-1 so maybe Shaq can work with him on his game so he can come off the bench and we won't hurt as much without Shaq. All starters should be working with their bench counterparts but in Shaq's case this is really really important. Jerome Beasley is a great shooter but like you say he hasn't developed on the defensive end and if put to play there is a chance the opponents offense will exploit his weaknesses to their advantage. One of the players to keep your eyes on is Udonis Haslem. He doesn't get much attention but he works just as hard as any of the best players. He's been called the 'Anti-LeBron James' by hoopsworld.com and he's made the NBADraft.net Rookie Watch list plenty of times. He used to lead in Rookies with the most rebounds but fell to second place to Chris Bosh after seeing less playing time. He has the work ethic of a champion and the best way to think of him is as a Ben Wallace in the making. But with all that I think that Shaq has put that hunger in em to start working hard and prepare for this season as they are focused on winning the title. I hope you all are as hyped up as I am to see how this team performs
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> Judging by what O'Neal has done for Shooting Guards in the past (or any player for that matter) and the performance in Wade's rookie season, these 2 guys alone are gonna tear up the East. This is not the next Kobe and Shaq, this is better </div> What are you basing that on though? I don't mean to spoil the high hopes and all because I agree with you (great thread btw) but this caught my eye. I sincerely believe the Heat will grab the 2nd seed in the playoffs and end up in the ECF but that statement seems odd. Shaq and Wade have yet to play a game together...and you're saying that a Wade-Shaq combo will be better then a Kobe-Shaq duo. Maybe if you were talking about a young Kobe from 1996-1998 or a Shaq in that time but the millenium years combo of Kobe-Shaq was virtually unstoppable. You can't say Shaq-Wade will be better because Wade has yet to prove that he has surpassed Kobe's level of play. Until he does that, your statement is irrelavent.
Im even more hyped up and ready for this season. I cant wait to see how well the heat perform. Good Job heatfan83. This is a great thread.
Wow man thats way too long but anyways the Heat cant win the championship IMO because they lost too much depth in the trade and Shaq will get wore out by playoff time.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting spawn:</div><div class="quote_post">What are you basing that on though? I don't mean to spoil the high hopes and all because I agree with you (great thread btw) but this caught my eye. I sincerely believe the Heat will grab the 2nd seed in the playoffs and end up in the ECF but that statement seems odd. Shaq and Wade have yet to play a game together...and you're saying that a Wade-Shaq combo will be better then a Kobe-Shaq duo. Maybe if you were talking about a young Kobe from 1996-1998 or a Shaq in that time but the millenium years combo of Kobe-Shaq was virtually unstoppable. You can't say Shaq-Wade will be better because Wade has yet to prove that he has surpassed Kobe's level of play. Until he does that, your statement is irrelavent.</div> Well... Wade actually wants to pass the ball unlike Kobe... who finds it being a chore to pass the ball down to Shaq or anyone for that matter. Even though he knows that giving it to Shaq Daddy is almost a guaranteed point, or foul. Wade enjoys passing and doesn't have an ego like Kobe. He won't have a grudge against him or come to dislike Shaq... Shaq doesn't seem like the type who starts the fights, just the type who finishes the fights strong if there ever is one. Wade and Shaq's egos won't go on the court like kobes and shaqs did therefore, could lead to better play, even though Kobe is a better player than Wade. There's also coming into consideration taht Shaq is in almost the best shape of his life...
I agree. Shaq seems like he is in great shape. It also seems like Dwyane Wade isn't one to boast or showoff. He seems more like the quiet time, unlike Kobe, who always was doing his best to showoff, start fights, and just be in the spotlight. I think the Wade-Shaq combo won't be as affective this year or next year, but third year will be the breakout year for these two. They will finally learn each other's style of play and take advantage of that just like Kobe and Shaq did. I might be wrong, but this is how I personally feel.
Mega hard core, I'm pumped up, and I'm not even a Heat fan. Beg to differ on Jones being the weak link. He's a vet and a good shooter. I'd love him playing on the perimeter, he doesn't have to create, just hit the J. And you said "Shaq and Wade can well be the Kobe and Shaq that never were", well, Kobe and Shaq WERE!, and have three rings to prove it. The Heat needs to avoid any Wade/Kobe comparisons. For this to work, they need to be drastically different players.
