khandor’s sports blog

How good are the Miami Heat at the moment?

According to this corner, good enough to say, “No Deal,” to all potential suitors for Shawn Marion [PF/SF] … even those prepared to take Marcus Banks‘ bad contract off the Heat’s ledger. 

Why is that?

At the moment, Miami has a 24-29/.558 W-L Record, is in 3rd place in the Southeast Division, and in 6th place in the Eastern Conference, with a 7-6 mark since Jan 1, having picked up two Quality W’s in their most recent games vs Orlando [1st Southest] and Atlanta [2nd Southeast].

However, when you examine these respective Box Scores more closely:

GAME 1

Orlando
Starters		Min	FG	3Pt	FT	+/-	Off	Reb	Ast	TO	Stl	BS	BA	PF	Pts
J. Nelson	G	34:49	4-11	3-6	5-6	+4	0	4	7	3	1	0	0	2	16
C. Lee	G	33:02	3-9	1-4	0-0	+8	0	5	2	1	0	0	1	2	7
D. Howard	C	37:41	9-11	0-0	4-7	+2	0	10	0	2	0	3	0	5	22
H. Turkoglu	F	40:06	6-13	1-4	5-5	+1	0	6	6	3	0	0	0	2	18
R. Lewis	F	36:59	6-12	3-6	6-8	-2	3	8	2	2	0	1	0	3	21
Bench		Min	FG	3Pt	FT	+/-	Off	Reb	Ast	TO	Stl	BS	BA	PF	Pts
A. Johnson		13:11	1-3	1-2	0-0	-10	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	4	3
J.J. Redick		11:09	1-3	0-2	2-2	-8	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	4
M. Gortat		10:18	1-1	0-0	0-0	-8	2	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
B. Cook		8:21	0-3	0-0	0-0	-1	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	0
K. Bogans		7:23	1-2	0-1	0-0	-11	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	2	2
T. Battie		7:00	1-1	0-0	0-0	-5	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	2
A. Foyle		DNP - Coach’s Decision
Totals			33-69	9-25	22-28		5	41	17	14	1	4	1	24	97
Percentages:			.478	.360	.786		Team Rebounds: 9

Miami
Starters		Min	FG	3Pt	FT	+/-	Off	Reb	Ast	TO	Stl	BS	BA	PF	Pts
D. Wade	G	36:13	11-21	0-1	5-9	+3	0	8	6	0	0	1	0	2	27
M. Chalmers	G	32:38	8-12	1-3	3-3	+1	0	1	6	0	3	0	0	2	20
J. Anthony	C	6:34	1-1	0-0	0-0	-4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2
U. Haslem	F	31:41	5-8	0-0	2-2	0	0	4	0	1	0	0	1	3	12
Y. Diawara	F	24:02	1-4	1-4	0-0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	3	3
Bench		Min	FG	3Pt	FT	+/-	Off	Reb	Ast	TO	Stl	BS	BA	PF	Pts
D. Cook		30:02	3-8	0-2	2-3	+8	1	4	0	0	0	0	1	2	8
J. Magloire		22:07	1-4	0-0	2-4	+4	3	7	1	1	0	0	1	3	4
M. Blount		19:19	3-8	1-1	0-0	+6	0	1	1	2	0	0	1	2	7
M. Beasley		16:19	1-6	0-0	8-8	+6	1	5	1	0	0	0	0	3	10
C. Quinn		15:22	3-5	2-2	2-3	+5	1	4	1	0	0	0	0	0	10
J. Jones		5:43	0-1	0-1	0-0	+1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
M. Banks		DNP - Coach’s Decision
Totals			37-78	5-14	24-32		6	36	16	4	3	1	4	21	103
Percentages:			.474	.357	.750		Team Rebounds: 5

———-

GAME 2

Atlanta
Starters		Min	FG	3Pt	FT	+/-	Off	Reb	Ast	TO	Stl	BS	BA	PF	Pts
J. Johnson	G	44:18	7-15	0-2	5-6	-14	1	4	4	5	2	0	0	0	19
M. Bibby	G	32:11	1-6	0-4	0-3	-18	0	4	0	5	1	1	0	1	2
Z. Pachulia	C	21:11	0-2	0-0	1-2	-9	2	4	0	1	1	3	1	2	1
M. Williams	F	37:58	4-13	2-4	7-8	-15	6	8	1	1	0	1	3	1	17
J. Smith	F	36:31	5-10	1-2	3-6	-7	2	10	2	4	1	1	2	3	14
Bench		Min	FG	3Pt	FT	+/-	Off	Reb	Ast	TO	Stl	BS	BA	PF	Pts
F. Murray		24:32	5-11	0-2	4-5	-5	0	0	0	1	4	0	4	5	14
M. Evans		21:36	0-4	0-2	4-4	-1	1	7	0	0	1	0	0	1	4
S. Jones		13:13	4-5	0-0	0-0	-1	1	3	0	2	0	1	1	5	8
A. Law		8:30	0-2	0-0	0-0	-10	0	2	0	0	0	0	1	1	0
O. Hunter		DNP - Coach’s Decision
R. Morris		DNP - Coach’s Decision
M. West		DNP - Coach’s Decision
Totals			26-68	3-16	24-34		13	42	7	19	10	7	12	19	79
Percentages:			.382	.188	.706		Team Rebounds: 9

Miami
Starters		Min	FG	3Pt	FT	+/-	Off	Reb	Ast	TO	Stl	BS	BA	PF	Pts
M. Chalmers	G	36:05	5-14	1-4	1-1	+12	0	2	6	5	1	0	0	3	12
D. Wade	G	34:12	13-19	0-0	9-10	+9	0	5	4	4	2	2	1	2	35
J. Magloire	C	16:58	3-4	0-0	0-0	-2	2	6	0	0	0	2	1	3	6
U. Haslem	F	43:03	2-6	0-0	4-4	+12	5	13	4	1	0	2	0	2	8
Y. Diawara	F	18:26	2-7	1-5	0-0	+2	0	2	0	0	0	0	1	2	5
Bench		Min	FG	3Pt	FT	+/-	Off	Reb	Ast	TO	Stl	BS	BA	PF	Pts
D. Cook		30:51	5-13	3-7	3-3	+6	1	4	1	0	1	1	1	0	16
M. Blount		19:08	3-4	1-1	1-2	+9	2	4	0	2	0	2	0	3	8
J. Jones		12:30	0-1	0-1	0-0	+15	0	2	1	0	0	1	0	2	0
C. Quinn		11:55	1-4	1-2	0-0	+4	0	0	0	1	1	0	2	1	3
J. Anthony		8:37	0-0	0-0	0-0	+5	0	2	0	1	0	2	0	3	0
M. Beasley		8:14	1-4	0-1	0-2	+8	0	2	0	1	0	0	1	2	2
M. Banks		DNP - Coach’s Decision
Totals			35-76	7-21	18-22		10	42	16	15	5	12	7	23	95
Percentages:			.461	.333	.818		Team Rebounds: 4

———-

… what you’ll see is that an interesting transformation is taking place with this team right now, in the absence of Shawn Marion.

* After playing “0″ minutes in the month of December …

Mark Blount [C, 7-0, 250] averaged 19 MPG against Orlando & Miami.

* After receiving “0″ minutes during the Heat’s first 15 games this season, and then only sporadic minutes through the month of December [during their next 13 games], since Jan 1, 2009 …

Jamaal Magloire [C, 6-11, 265] has averaged 15.4 MPG and got his first start of the season against the Hawks.

* After working as the Heat’s Starting Center for the month of December and averaging almost 18 MPG, on the season as a whole …

Joel Anthony [C, 6-9, 260] did not start at Center for the Heat vs Atlanta and averaged only 7.5 MPG against the Magic and the Hawks.

* After playing sporadically in Nov-Dec-Jan …

Yakhouba Diawara [SF, 6-7, 225] averaged 21 MPG against the Magic and the Hawks.

* After playing “0″ minutes at all prior to Jan 9, 2009 …

James Jones [SF, 6-8, 200], an UFA acquisition from Portland this past summer, averaged 8.5 MPG against the Magic and the Hawks.

Using a revamped 12-Man line-up:

STARTERS

PG - Mario Chalmers [6-1, 190] 
OG - Dwyane Wade [6-4, 212]
SF - Yakhouba Diawara [Shawn Marion, when healthy?]
PF - Udonis Haslem [6-8, 235]
C - Jamaal Magloire

KEY BENCH SUBS

PG - Chris Quinn [6-2, 185]
OG - Daequan Cook [6-5, 210] [or James Jones]
SF - James Jones [or Yakhouba Diawara]
PF - Michael Beasley [6-8, 235]
C - Mark Blount

RESERVES

PF/SF - Shawn Marion [or Daquan Cook or James Jones]
PF/C - Joel Anthony

the Heat, under the direction of Eric Spoelstra [1st-yr], is plenty big and tough and good enough to challenge for a berth in the EC Finals or, at least, the Semi-finals, this season … carried by a healthy D-Wade.

Then, once the off season arrives, Pat Riley [GM] will be sitting in the catbird’s seat, in position to:

1A. Re-sign Shawn Marion, if both parties are so inclined;

1B. Execute a Sign & Trade with Shawn Marion, if a suitable deal is on the table for Miami;

1C. Allow Shawn Marion to walk away … and use the available capitol instead to sign a player or two or three who might be a better fit upfront with the Heat than an injured former All-Star like Jermaine O’Neal [C/PF, Toronto] or a serviceable but strictly ordinary Big like Brad Miller [C, Sacramento];

2. While adding another Key Rotation Player to the mix for the Heat from the 2009 NBA Draft.

Come on Pat … Show this corner what you’ve got! … When it comes to being an authentic TOP NOTCH Executive in the NBA.

Have some patience, ride it out, and the Heat will be rewarded BIG TIME, down-the-road.

Afterall, that’s exactly what building an upper echelon team is all about, in the NBA, when you’ve got the right type of Basketball Acumen, in the first place.

Tags: Brad Miller, Chris Quinn, Daequan Cook, Dwyane Wade, Eric Spoelstra, Jamaal Magloire, James Jones, Jermaine O'Neal, Joel Anthony, Marcus Banks, Mario Chalmers, Mark Blount, Michael Beasley, Pat Riley, Shawn Marion, Udonis Haslem, Yakhouba Diawar

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 28th, 2009 at 1:11 pm and is filed under Basketball, NBA. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.