Miami Heat: 2012 NBA Champions

Pat Stood Pat

I'm actually relieved that the Heat did not make any moves before the deadline. As it stands, Miami still has the most cap space for the offseason in the entire NBA. I didn't think Booz or Amare would have made that much of a difference really. (Plus 5 or 6 in the W column perhaps?) Besides the cap space, I really didn't want the Heat to part with either Beasley or Wright - good production for cheap contracts.
Of course, all of these will be moot if we don't get Wade and another max contract-worthy player or if... gasp... Wade bolts.
(Take note of maximum contract "worthy" - a few players will be worthy of a max contract, James, Bosh, Wade ... but another group will get max contracts but really should just be a notch under it, Joe Johnson, Amare, etc..)
Go Heat!

Looking Forward to the Lottery

Since Miami has been officially out of the playoff picture for quite some time now, I can't help but be a scout-slash-NCAA-brackets-aficionado for the time being. There is a possibility that the Heat will get the overall pick. Actually they have the best chance of getting the overall pick for next draft (becasue of their current W-L record), but if history says anything, they'll probably be picking between 2 and 5.
So that got me to visiting different web resources checking out who is eligible for the draft, who is the projected top pick, other projected lottery picks, as well as some gameplay videos of these players. This thing also got me watching NCAA games even closer than before. Out of all the lottery picks i've "scouted," three players stood out with their talent and potential. Not surprisingly, these three are projected to go 1, 2, and 3 in the draft.

Michael Beasley (6'10" PF Kansas State Freshman)- he has been the consensus #1 pick among sportswriters and scouts. I see him sort of like a player with Shawn Marion's athleticism, Ray Allen's shooting, and Elton Brand's strength down low. Those are either the 2, 3, and 4 positions you can immediately fill when you draft this kid. The thing I keep hearing about him though, is his work ethic and that sometimes he coasts through entire games. Which is probably why this next guy gets considerations for the #1 pick as well:

Derrick Rose - (6'4" PG Memphis Freshman) - his athleticism and his speed is already one notch above everyone in the NCAA tournament. He also has the size and strength to be a good starting PG for any team. To say that he is NBA-ready is an understatement - he is ready to dominate the next level. Only thing is, this is exactly what everyone was saying about Kevin Durant last year, and he still hasn't impressed me that much.

Brook Lopez - (7'0" C Stanford Sophomore) - out of all lottery-bound players in this year's NCAA tournament. Brook Lopez is the one I probably watched the most. He has exceptional touch inside and has a nice range for a big guy. He also rebounds the ball extremely well, although not as much a defensive presence like his twin brother, Robin. Brook however, is the more offensively gifted of the two. Brook Lopez should not go any higher than the 3rd pick, not because if his game, but because Beasley and Rose is just way out on another level with their talent and potential.

Let's say Miami does get the ping-pong balls to bounce their way, and I am magically transformed into the Miami Heat GM. Given the number 1 pick, which player would I choose?

I am going with Derrick Rose.

First of all, I think that in the long run he will be a better player overall. Besides, it is extremely hard to pass up a point guard in the draft as gifted as Rose. Anyone, remember where Chris Paul and Deron Williams landed on draft day? Exactly. While I admit Beasley is a special individual, I think that Marion already fills his role on the Heat - a 2, 3, and 4 multi-positional player. What Marion lacks in Beasley's offensive game, Derrick Rose can more than make up for it. And if Marion, decides to bolt after the next season or during the offseason, the Heat will be better of with a Rose-Wade combo, than a Beasley-Wade pairing.
Anyway, the bottom line is, you cannot go wrong with either player. Both guys will be studs. If the Heat gets the third pick, it should be automatic - Brook Lopez. If they fall to the 4th or 5th pick - i'd just rather trade the pick and get good vets and/or protected lottery picks for next year's draft. I'm going to kill myself if the Heat chooses Bayless or Mayo in this draft - they are two of the most overrated players in the tournament. The talent is there, but they're playing entire games without you knowing that they are there. Unlike the first three, they make their presence felt from the get go. But with the circus that is the NBA, and what Miami has been through, bad luck and bad decisions can happen. Hopefully, it doesn't get to be the "NBA: Where shit happens."

The 2007 Playoffs are getting... Boring

With Detroit up 3-0 over the Bulls, Cleveland ahead 2-zip over the Nets, and playoff-history-makers Golden State now down 2 to nothing against the Jazz. It seems that the NBA Playoffs are getting... yawn... boring. Maybe it's just that my team isn't playing anymore. Or maybe we're getting nearer and nearer to a repeat of the 2005 NBA Finals San Antonio versus Detroit, which most say was the most uneventful and boring finals series for the past few years.
Anyway, what I really mean is: there are no more subplots to hold the story. Last year, we had Wade, Nowtzki's 3-point play against the Spurs, Detroit's collapse against Shaq and the Heat, Kobe against the Suns, a number of Game 7s. Last year's NBA Playoffs was the best. Ever.Now that the 1st round upsets are over. There are no more side stories to hold it all together. Sure there's Amare whining against San Antonio's "dirty" players. There are even articles about how the Jazz-Warriors series reperesnts the old vs. new style of NBA Playoff basketball. But is that it? Pfft. For a die-hard NBA fan, it's getting harder to watch the playoffs. I couldn't imagine what a casual fan would like this year.


'N Sync?