A Change I Would Make...

[Poe]

...is to start Wade at point guard.

 

 

 

To sum it up briefly - Start Wright with Wade as the point guard, move Alston to come off the bench, and increase playing time for both Beasley and Wright without decreasing Richardson and Haslem's minutes.

 

Rotation:

Wade (40m)

Wright (34m)

Richardson (34m)

Beasley (38m)

O'Neal (32m)

 

Alston (16m)

Haslem (30m)

Anthony (16m)

 

 

In Detail

I understand it's a position Wade isn't comfortable playing the majority of his time, but I think it's the best way to get more production out of the Heat's better players.

 

If I was to make an order of the best players on the Heat from greatest to least, it would be ordered something like this:

1) Wade, 2) Beasley, 3) O'Neal, 4) Haslem, 5) Wright, 6) Richardson, 7) Alston, 8) Anthony, 9) Magloire, 10) Arroyo 11) Jones, 12) Chalmers, 13) Cook, 14) Diawara. (Note: Even though the better player between Wright and Richardson is arguable, I think most Heat fans can agree that both have been more efficient than any player listed below them)

 

 

With that said, to the exception of Haslem, a starting line up of Wade - Wright - Richardson - Beasley - O'Neal would be starting all of the Heat's best players. There are more advantages to this line up other than the talent level compared to the rest of the team:

- For one, Wade, Wright, and Richardson have great chemistry when playing together, not just from knowing their history as friends, but also their trust with one another on the court.

- There's a lot of versatility with this group, with Wright's ability to defend up to 4 positions (PG through PF), Wade and Richardson with 3 (PG, SG, SF), and Beasley with 2 (SF, PF).

- There's also the team rebounding, though none of them are established as dominant rebounders, all 5 players are capable of getting a double double on any given night when given the proper amount of playing time.

- What's more is Wright's ability to play point guard despite his height and length, so Wade doesn't necessarily have to take ball handling responsibilities on every possession.

 

 

If this change is made, this would also solve a problem at the point guard position the Heat have had the entire year. Chalmers has been awful, even as a back up. Arroyo does a decent job during his limited minutes, though his lack of a 3 point shot makes him less worthy as a compliment to Dwyane Wade. Alston is easily the best perimeter defender of the three, though his field goal percentage has not been favorable. He's willing to take the three, though seldom makes them.

 

So far this year, Wright and Richardson have shared minutes at the small forward position, with the two rarely playing at the same time except at crunch time. Again, they've both have easily been more productive than any of the point guards on this team. Decrease the minutes for the point guards and increase the minutes of these two efficient and versatile players, and simply give Wade more minutes at point.

 

 

Along with the change in the starting line up, there should also be a change in the rotation:

- Use Alston as a back up point guard, with Haslem and Anthony getting their usual back up minutes at the "big" positions

- Take Cook, Jones, Arroyo, and Chalmers almost completely out of the picture.

- The wings should only be occupied by Wade, Wright, Richardson, and Beasley. That's 4 players for 2 wing positions, that should be enough for 48 minutes.

- The point guard position should be occupied by only Wade and Alston, and sometimes Wright.

- Keep the center position strictly between O'Neal and Anthony, and sometimes Magloire

 

 

Last thing I want to stress, whether a change to the line up is ever made or not, is Beasley's treatment. I completely understand why Spoelstra chooses to bench Beasley at certain times during games, but if you look at the whole picture, Beasley is the Heat's second best player. He needs to be treated like it. The Bucks game showed just how much the Heat miss his scoring. From now on, I want to see him getting 36+ minutes each and every game.

 

 

All in all, I think starting Wade at point guard will help distribute the minutes to the best players. Having the right group of guys together would not only make the most out of the abilities of these players, but may ultimately help Wade with his own production.

[SRV]

I agree that Wade should start at PG and Wright should play more. Too bad Spoelstra won't read this, and he probably isn't even considering it.

Edited February 1, 2010 by SRV

[Poe]

I agree that Wade should start at PG and Wright should play more. Too bad Spoelstra won't read this, and he probably isn't even considering it.

What the Heat are doing now clearly isn't working. With all the cap space heading into 2010, it's best to make the most out of their roster rather than make a hasty trade when things seem tight.

 

Spoelstra has hinted changes in the rotation. I feel that starting Wade at point and increasing minutes for both Wright and Beasley is a realistic and probably the best option moving forward. Even though he'll never read this, I still hope there is some chance he actually does this.

[Real Deal]

82games says Wade, Wright and Richardson aren't even part of a top five unit.

 

http://www.82games.com/0910/0910MIA2.HTM

 

I think the Heat are having two major problems: Jermaine O'Neal isn't playing any defense, and Udonis Haslem is way too inconsistent. Also, from all the Heat games I've watched (probably about 25-30), Richardson isn't that great of a one-on-one defender. His help defense is okay, but only because he recovers and closes in on shooters well.

 

Miami will have trouble scoring the ball with Beasley out, and that's a given, but the train derailed long before Beas' injury.

 

Also, I don't want to put too much on Wade's shoulders...but he's been inconsistent as well, and sometimes completely disappearing in the fourth quarter of games.

 

Playing Wright more would help, though, as he gives the Heat a long player that's versatile on offense and defense, but I don't think he's the answer when guys like Jermaine and Richardson are allowing more production than they are putting out.

[Flash]

I like the idea but I don't think even that is enough to save us. We either need to make a big move at the deadline or get a new coach. I firmly believe that a lot of our problems stem from poor coaching.

[Poe]

82games also says that Chalmers is in 6 out of the top 10 units. I wouldn't trust that site.

 

 

I'll also have to disagree with the "major" problems you brought up (not that I don't agree that there are problems, just not the ones you mentioned, nor are the problems the Heat are facing as severe as they may seem):

 

-O'Neal is good defensively, at least from what I can tell from him. I think his problem has been getting physical and rebounding the ball. He looks timid out there.. almost as if he's afraid to get injured.

 

-Haslem is far from inconsistent. He had a bad game against the Bucks when the Heat really needed him, but that's more of an "off" game rather than a usual inconsistency. He has been a guy you can always rely on to give solid minutes, even if his numbers don't reflect it. Plus, his overall numbers are nearly identical to that of his career, even though he's playing less minutes with a bench role.

 

-Richardson is a good defender for his size. He is neither tall nor long and will not bother jumpshots, but he does a good job keeping his body on his man and cutting away drives to the basket. Along with that, he is a very good team defender and is very reliable when it comes to being at the right place at the right time. His defense has kept him in the starting line up despite Wright outplaying him offensively, though Wright's length, versatility, and athleticism makes him a very good defender himself.

 

-Wade is on par with his career averages. His only lacking has been the spectacular fourth quarter performances that fans have become so accustomed to. Anything less and Wade is considered a slacker.

 

-Giving Wright more playing time won't magically fix all of the Heat's problems, though they will be making more use out of a very good, yet underused player. He would certainly do a much better job than Alston, or any of the other point guards that have received more minutes than him when they started.

[Poe]

I like the idea but I don't think even that is enough to save us. We either need to make a big move at the deadline or get a new coach. I firmly believe that a lot of our problems stem from poor coaching.

I don't like the idea of a big move, personally, unless the Heat keep their large cap room to sign a big time FA while still keeping their core players - Wade, Beasley, Wright, Haslem, and even Q-Rich.

 

More about making moves, I think the biggest gaps are at the point and center positions. I think starting Wade can fix a part of that problem for now and may improve the Heat from their consistency for at least the short term. Next year the Heat can focus on moves and solidifying all of the positions while grabbing an all star (which will be a must in order to keep Wade).

 

 

I don't think the coaching is the issue, though. Spo hasn't been perfect, but I think he's done a good job with the tools he has.

[Real Deal]

Superstars put their foot on the gas in the fourth, no matter the teammates they have surrounding them. There have been many games where Wade was needed to maintain a Heat lead, but he just didn't contribute at that superstar level.

 

And Jermaine isn't playing good defensively, according to his numbers...and neither is Richardson. Both are allowing more than they are contributing, and their opponents' eFG% is a little too high. Q-Rich has never been a defensive player to begin with, one thing that the Clippers' fans absolutely hated about him and the biggest reason why he was dealt 3-4 times last summer, according to team reports.

 

As far as Haslem goes, his shooting is inconsistent, and so is his rebounding...very evident here:

 

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/udonis_haslem/game_by_game_stats.html

 

By just looking at that, I have no idea what Haslem will give you the next game. Same with you, I'm sure, because even in that Bucks game, you assumed Haslem would contribute right off the bat, like he did against the Pistons...but what did he do? Not much at all. Plus, before the Detroit game, he did MUCH better on the glass against the Raptors, but shot badly against the Cavaliers, shot decent but didn't do anything on the glass against the Kings, had a streak of bad shooting in seven consecutive games, grabbed just two boards against the Thunder and just one against the Clippers, five fouls in 17 minutes against the Pacers...and it's like three different players with the same name.

[Poe]

Superstars put their foot on the gas in the fourth, no matter the teammates they have surrounding them. There have been many games where Wade was needed to maintain a Heat lead, but he just didn't contribute at that superstar level.

 

And Jermaine isn't playing good defensively, according to his numbers...and neither is Richardson. Both are allowing more than they are contributing, and their opponents' eFG% is a little too high. Q-Rich has never been a defensive player to begin with, one thing that the Clippers' fans absolutely hated about him and the biggest reason why he was dealt 3-4 times last summer, according to team reports.

 

Wade has been three-happy in the fourth this year. That is something Wade will have to adjust.

 

Q-Rich has been a much improved player defensively this year, every Heat fan will tell you that. Still, even if his defense actually was bad, if you're talking a change in the Heat line up, there isn't much to look for other than Wright. Though I would agree that Wright should start, both of them have been better than any point guard on this team, therefore both of their minutes should increase.

 

The most minutes should go to the most productive players, and you can't increase two players' minutes who play the same position without decrease someone at another position. That's one reason why Wade should start at the point with both Wright and Richardson as his wing options.

 

 

Also, Jermaine is the best thing the Heat got for big men, whether he's playing good D or not. With his contract, the Heat are stuck with him until 2010. I don't think his D has necessarily been bad, but the Heat will have to wait on an improvement considering his contract.

 

As far as Haslem goes, his shooting is inconsistent, and so is his rebounding...very evident here:

 

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/udonis_haslem/game_by_game_stats.html

 

By just looking at that, I have no idea what Haslem will give you the next game. Same with you, I'm sure, because even in that Bucks game, you assumed Haslem would contribute right off the bat, like he did against the Pistons...but what did he do? Not much at all. Plus, before the Detroit game, he did MUCH better on the glass against the Raptors, but shot badly against the Cavaliers, shot decent but didn't do anything on the glass against the Kings, had a streak of bad shooting in seven consecutive games, grabbed just two boards against the Thunder and just one against the Clippers, five fouls in 17 minutes against the Pacers...and it's like three different players with the same name.

 

The glass hasn't been a problem with Haslem, at least not comparing to the rest of the team. He's the Heat's best rebounder on a good team-rebounding team.

 

Haslem's offense is a product of his teammates. His role is not a creator, and he wasn't put in position to be against the Bucks, since he kept the same role with Joel Anthony being the starter instead of Haslem, though I still expected him to be extra aggressive offensively. Overall, his shots normally come from midrange jumpshots, battling on the offensive boards, and cutting to the basket off of pick and roles. If his scoring is down, it normally isn't a fault of any sort of inconsistency. It's simply the fact that either his shots weren't falling, or his teammates weren't finding him.

 

That said, his midrange shot hasn't been as effective as usual this month as a whole. The past two months his overall field goal percentage has been nearly 50 percent, this month he's dropped to 43.8 percent. So rather than it being an inconsistency, his shooting has been down as a whole for this month alone.

 

 

Still, if there's one area of consistency you want to point at, it's not the shooting percentage or the rebounding, but maybe it's the unusual foul trouble he's faced, but that could also be a result to extra aggression from coming off the bench and knowing his minutes will be less than he's accustomed to.

[Real Deal]

You're looking at monthly stats, and then comparing season stats to career. I'm strictly talking game-to-game. Haslem is left and right, up and down, in every direction possible.

 

Haslem plays the Bucks tomorrow night, and I have no idea how he will do. I don't know if he'll do as bad as he did Saturday, or if he'll play better this time around because they are in Miami. No idea. I'm not sure if he'll give you guys three rebounds, or eleven. Not sure if he'll shoot 1-10 from the floor, or 9-10, five points or 15.

 

And that's based on his individual performances and their inconsistencies. One game he does this, one game he does something else...and yes, that has a lot to do with that monthly shooting percentage dropping, especially if he's shooting 3-9 every other game (which, again, means he's inconsistent).

[Flash]

RD, what are your thoughts on Spoelstra? I'm not a supporter and I don't think he's a good coach by any means but I'm interested to know what youre opinion is regarding him as a coach.

 

Also, I still think Wade is coasting. Sometimes it just looks like he doesn't care out there.

[Poe]

I still don't believe Haslem is inconsistent. No, I don't know what specific numbers he will put on a single night, but I know exactly what he will bring as a player.

 

He always works hard on the boards, whether the ball goes his way or not, he's still working for them, and still the best rebounder on the team. He can be relied on to stay in front of his man defensively and always be at the right place in his defensive rotations. He'll get his points from working hard off the ball by setting good screens, finding an open spot from midrange, cutting to the basket, and grabbing offensive rebounds. Though you can't expect a player to shoot the same percentage every night, I know he'll average roughly 50% as a whole for the season.

 

That's his role, and that's what I know he'll bring on a nightly basis.

Edited February 1, 2010 by Poe

[Real Deal]

Your definition of inconsistency is different than mine, then. Simply put, he has as many bad games as he does good ones, and there is really no reason why. He doesn't play bad against specific teams, home or road, nothing really matters...the numbers just vary off and on, and that's inconsistency, in my opinion, defining it to a "T" in fact.

 

And Flash, I don't know. Spoelstra was doing a great job early in the season. From what I've seen, the only bad move on his part is not playing Wright. Dorell isn't an all-star player by any means, but he could be a very solid role player for them. I'd much rather point fingers at the team at this point, mainly because his rotations were working when the Heat were the top team in the East. Spoelstra didn't really change. Players just became tired, lineups were changed because of bad play, and the Heat couldn't maintain their composure in the clutch, which has actually lost them a few close games, including the one against the Cavaliers.

[Poe]

I think it's too early to say whether Wright can truly be developed into an all star or not. Yes, I know how long he's been in the league, but much of his time in the league has been on the bench without being given any chance to develop.

 

His first couple years, he was sitting on the bench behind Antoine Walker and James Posey while the Heat were pursuing a championship. It wasn't until his 4th year or so when he finally got consistent playing time, and he was getting better and better each game, but then he got an injury that sidelined him for the next year and a half.

 

Now he's back, and I think by now he's right where he left off. Though he may not be an all star now, his abilities show a very high upside. He is the best free throw shooter on the team, one of the best midrange shooters, he's becoming reliable at the 3 point arc shooting .400 this year, and has always been a good finisher around the basket. Combine that with a point guard-like courtvision and ball handling ability, and defensively becoming a ball hawk for getting steals, plus his size and length to block shots and grab boards... You got yourself a very, very good all around player there.

 

As his confidence and maturity continues to grow, so will his game. Spoelstra and Wade have both expressed that he has been their best player in many of their practices. It's only a matter of time before it starts to show in the real games.

[Flash]

Dorell has been huge this year no doubt but what I like is that Daequan is starting to come on again. He was great last year and if that shot starts falling like it did against the Bucks I think he might steal some minutes from Q.

 

Another thing that I don't understand is why we don't utilize Q Rich's post up ability. He's been effective all year when he posts up but we don't seem to go to him often down low.

[Poe]

Dorell has been huge this year no doubt but what I like is that Daequan is starting to come on again. He was great last year and if that shot starts falling like it did against the Bucks I think he might steal some minutes from Q.

 

Another thing that I don't understand is why we don't utilize Q Rich's post up ability. He's been effective all year when he posts up but we don't seem to go to him often down low.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/gamelog?playerId=3196&year=2009

 

Cook was only effective last year for a short period of time. From the beginning of November through midway of December was his only good shooting stretch, other than that Cook's game has been completely on and off.

 

I'm done with Cook, personally. If Spoelstra's line up stays the same, and even if he ever does become a consistent shooter, I don't want to see him replacing Dorell's minutes off the bench. Dorell's upside is way higher than Cook, and he's already a much better all around player.

 

If Wade starts at point guard like I suggested, with Dorell and Richardson on the wings, maybe there will be some more room to have Cook come off the bench in the rotation. I just don't want to see him eating up another player's minutes just for the high hopes of him "regaining" his touch.

Edited February 1, 2010 by Poe

[SRV]

I dont blame Spoelstra for much. For all we know he could coach the hell out of these guys every day, I blame the players for not doing what they are capable of. There is no reason for us to almost beat the Cavs and then get blown out by teams like the Bucks. We started the season great, and we have it in us to play that well, for some reason we just aren't doing it.