miami

[PhillyDC]

am i the only person who doesnt like the moves the heat have made. i've never been a big fan of walker's game. he needs the ball too much and makes poor decisions on the break. jason williams is not as good of a shooter as damon jones and he also needs the ball. he is not a spot up shooter. and we all know GP needs the ball to be effective. he did better last season, but he is still too slow to guard quick PGs, i know they have Wade, but do you want D-Wade using a lot of energy on defense. only move i like is the posey pick-up. he can play D and can hit open Js and slash. he doesnt really need the ball to be effective, but the others do.

i want Wade to continue dominating and dont want the ball out of his hands. shaq has to get his also.

[chillzatl]

I don't think they will be as good this year as they were last year. They had good chemistry and were where they were because of role players who were playing their asses off. They're simply not going to get the same level of energy out of the "names" they signed.

They will learn that Shaq and a bunch of big names aren't enough to win a championship.

[Plainview1981]

I agree... And now they are going to sign Payton? I like

Stan, but I doubt he is a good enough coach to handle

all of this... Heck, Phil couldn't even handle Payton/

Kobe/Malone and Shaq when it got to the end.

[Weez]

Williams will be traded, along as possibly walker, by the deadline. that's my guess. Shaq will push for retaining GP for the year, regardless of the 'future'...and thereby JWill will be shipped.

[AHF]

I think that Shaq will keep these guys in line on the court more than you guys do. I don't like every move but overall I think the Heat will be better than last year and that their improved depth will be a big help in the playoffs.

[Weez]

I believed that...right up to maybe posey and perhaps JWill...

those are guys that are further along in their careers, who need pt and opportunities to show their skills and their worth...and playing behind Walker, or GP...won't go over well with them as the season goes along...

question: who do you think starts right now? GP or JWill?

will the newly resigned Haslem (who fits great alongside Shaq) go to the bench, so that Posey and Walker can start? if not...which one of them starts? (and keep in mind, Posey's stability and indeed overall skills...are better than I think most realize or give him credit for)...

[Diesel]

Like it or not, I think Shaq increases the chemistry of this team...

There are no Kobes trying to hog the spotlight..

These guys will fall in line and try to win because they are playing with Shaq. I believe they have added a lot of depth and they do have talent off the bench... Before, when Flash or Superman had to go to the bench, scoring became harder... Not now. Also, Jay-Will will be dangerous..

[Eeeee]

I agree with Weez. Boston didnt practically give Walker away for no reason. Williams cant be a crunch time point guard. This team nearly won the east last season on the backs of Shaq and Wade. Anything around them that is complementary is good.

Posey is a great defensive addition - a surefire upgrade on Jones (poor guy must be tired of getting traded from Shaq-centred championship contenders).

Im highly doubtful of Walker's ability to sacrifice his game for the greater good of the ballclub.

[Plainview1981]

The problem is the players they added are all bad defensive

players:

Gary Payton-He ain't The Glove anymore

Jason Williams-One of the Worst in the league

Walker-Well, we know

The only good defensive player they added was Posey.

I think this will have an effect on them.

[pathway23]

Shaq was Shaq but who was there all season, it was D-Wade, he was the engine that made that team go. Shaq wasn't himself last year and D-Wade had a career year almost took the Heat to the Finals if he hadn't got injured. What is D-Wade thinking now after these moves, with all these egos? These guys don't want to just be role players no matter what Shaq tells them. These guys are used to being stars. I don't think Miami will be as good this year and they might not even make the Eastern Conference SemiFinals, but then they could struggle early in the season badly and turn it around late like the New York Yankees appear to be doing, still even then I don't see them going to the Finals, just like I don't see the Yankees going to the World Series

[Plainview1981]

I think they'd really struggle againest a team like

Detroit... I mainly dislike the moves because of the

bad defensive players they got. It's sad that Payton

is probably even a worse defender than Jason Williams.

They might prove the doubters wrong.. But I doubt it.

[andycard69]

I see these moves like the ones the Timberwolves made a couple of years ago getting Spree and Sam. I think that it will work for one year then backfire horribly on them.

[DominiqueWilkins]

I have the Miami Heat inked into the Championship game against the Spurs. I think the team is outstanding and will continue to have good chemistry.

I don't see Antoine Walker being a problem because clearly he showed he had a mental growth period last season(matured).

[shug94]

I was on a business trip to Miami last year and I managed to catch a couple of games.

One was a loss against the Mavericks (and Nowitzki, my favourite active player), and one was a loss to Portland.

In those games the team really appeared to stink. The main reason they lost was due to Shaq/Dwyane having bad nights. And last season when they both had a bad night, the team lost. Maybe this season it will be different, after these moves.

Also, Eddie Jones was terrible. He couldn't hit anything rushed his shots, couldn't play defense and appeared to be a step slow. Just getting James Posey makes this team a heck of a lot better.

If J-Will keeps a cool head on his shoulders (which I will admit is a big if), then he is an upgrade over Damon Jones (who played out of his skin last year). And I heard that Walker will be the sixth man. Haslem is an energy player anyway and might play better if given less minutes.

I think they are generally good moves, and the only issue is that Shaq isn't nearly as good now as he once was. I don't think the decline of shaq is far away. It may be this season, or bust!

[Weez]

are you sure you 'agree' with me?

JWill is a good pg. People STILL catagorize him on all flash that he was in Sactown, refusing to acknowledge his a/to ratio. Yes, he plays poor defense (which was why Watson played in crunch time, not because of offense). HE got NO press while in Memphis...so this was lost in the shuffle.

GP~ Shaq's boy. but who's better? really...GP or JWill? Haslem's great alongside shaq as the 'energy guy'...but what about the new Kansas pf as well?

DWade...with the ball out of his hands this much, will his 'growth' be stunted as many other players will be wanting the ball? Yes, DJones played out of his skin...but he also ran the point, didn't require the ball other than setting the offense up at times...that's not how GP plays (granted, I didn't watch many Boston games last year).

shaq, depsite his jovial image, wants the ball.

unless some 'fat' is cut, I just don't see how this can work out for a championship...

[Eeeee]

Weez - I agree with you inasmuch as the Heat do have too many payers that need the ball. Ultimately the Heat PG spot is covered. Williams, Payton and Wade can all play it. I dont think Williams is worth the trouble though. GP can backup whoever for limited minutes and will be better in Boston because he has Shaq to funnel the D to and can gamble more which will help overcome his lost quickness as he gets older.

Players coming in need to be told - this team- if not for a rib strained Wade last season - would have played in the finals. They need to be made understand they are supporting players and nothing more. The ability of those players to play those roles will determine their worth to this team.

Regarding Willimas - Assist to turnover ratio is such a useless random stat IMO. Williams was 3.07 last year - 13th in the league - Better than Davis, Billups and Parker - but is he really that good?

I dont thing A:TO ratio is worth anything because it is a stat composed of two variables that dont correlate with anything about a guys ability to play the point. For example - a team that is a running side or has great shooters may inflate assist numbers - however, a point guard that does not drive the lane effectively create defensive collapses and real open looks for guys while getting a few point of his own in the process is a much better stat determinant.

Therefore if you dont try and drive the lane you should be able to get 1-2 Turnovers per game only, therefore you only need 6 assists to have a 3:1 A:TO ratio. Not that great.

Therefore Im left to speculate on what actually makes a good point guard - I think it should involve something refelctive of driving the lane, something more like freethrow attempts per game for point guards.

In that category - Billups goes to the line 4.8 times per game. Parker goes 4.0. Davis goes 5.3. Allen Iverson goes 10.5 times per game.

Williams goes 1.4 - 28th in the league in starting point players, only more than Duhon and Damon Jones

As for Walker, I think he's a bad selection ( I think you were also in agreement on this?) He needs too much of the ball and I think his ego is too big. He needs to go.

Haslem is fine - great sidekick numbers last year and coes cheap. The new Kansas guy will sit, learn and wait like rookies on talented teams do.

Posey is fine - good defender, A younger version of Eddie Jones.

My to main concerns (or fat if you will) are Walker and Williams. They may need to be 'trimmed'. We will see what happens

[Weez]

so you want a pg that drives and dishes rather than creates from the 'point'? JKidd is quite low on that totem, Francis and Marbury quite high.

you can argue your point on A:TO with some validity, but then again, you have to take into account the type of team he played with. Did JWill have a 'three point shooting team?' no. what were his numbers the two previous years in Memphis, again, without such spot up shooters (on the whole).

it's a valid stat for him imo.

[Eeeee]

Weez - all the point guards you mentioned are better than Wiliams.

The Grizz were 12th in the league in 3pt FG% last year at .357, they had Mike Miller at 43% from downtown and Battier at half a click under 40% on each wing and logging significant minutes. Cardinal at 35% and Dahntay Jones at 38% also could hit it. Significantly enough to warrant a drive and dish more often than Williams provided.

Kidd averaged 2.9 ft per match, still double what Williams did.