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Translation: Ray Allen signs for the Miami Heat.

Miami with Lebron, Wade, Bosh, Battier AND Allen? Dare I say... 73-9 is a real possibility.

Last edited by Jay (OTT) at 7/7/2012 3:53:22 AM

Imagine if Rashard Lewis and Marcus Camby sign with Miami as well. More knock-down open 3's, interior defense/rebounding, and depth; addressing most of their weaknesses.

the impossible 82-0?


just kidding it'll never happen. I say they go 69-13

You're all smoking something.

Miami won last season. Kudos to them. Allen signs with them - a pretty good signing. Doesn't address their major holes (center particularly).
But a lot of people are forgetting how it happened: Chicago gutted in game 1 of the playoffs... barely getting past Indiana... a different OKC team showing up to the one that played against San Antonio.

And Rashard Lewis? Who the hell cares...

Last edited by malice at 8/17/2012 11:31:33 PM

Miami's a different team offensively when their role players actually hit open perimeter shots, signing the career leading 3pt shooter and prying him away from the Celtics is pretty good.
Lewis is still a good and versatile player, not bad for like the veteran's minimum. Gives them some kind of depth in the front court, if Bosh goes out again, instead of having to rely on Ronny Turiaf.
I agree though, center will always be a need. Omer Asik got a 3yr/25mil deal from Houston, but they can probably sign a better serviceable veteran center with the minimum. Riley's addressed they'll probably always be a small team, with Bosh at center, during closing minutes - due to cap limitations, make-up of their roster, style of play, etc.

I very much doubt they will sign a "better center" than Asik.

Maybe "better" wasn't the right word, but someone who's a better fit and brings more bang for the buck.
I could see Chris Andersen fitting in nicely.

Maybe "better" wasn't the right word, but someone who's a better fit and brings more bang for the buck.
I could see Chris Andersen fitting in nicely.

You can take him and his... disturbing interests.

Chris Andersen's not a particularly good basketballer - never was. He gets blocks, but at the expense of team D, which is what makes Miami nigh on formidable on D, and he's nowhere near strong enough to play at C. I think he'd be a terrible fit. But given that I'd welcome the Heat to add his 5pts/4 boards per to their roster.

The reality is that with the money Miami have available, there'll be no decent big added to that roster. Josh Harrellson ok with you?

Andersen is pretty decent. With the way Miami plays defense, a lot of times they funnel penetration into help defense, and it's an area he probably excels in, coming from the weak-side and contesting penetration. Pick-and-roll defense, they probably have more liberty than most teams to switch everything, and Andersen is mobile enough. Guy runs the floor well, and finishes pretty well near the rim on lobs, put-backs, and gimme's. Those are the only kind of shots he'll be expected to make, as a recipient of others' penetration.

Spoelstra and the other players don't ask much from their bigs outside of Bosh and Haslem, they actually dumb down the game as much as they possibly can for them. That's all they ask for, hustle plays, hitting the boards, denying penetration, contesting shots, help defense, etc. With the veteran's minimum, that's a welcome addition.

Strength and size though is a problem. It's not something they have to worry about against most teams, but they'll have to address it when they go up against Andrew Bynum and Roy Hibbert, potentially in the playoffs on the East side of the bracket.

I actually like Harrellson's game. Although, I only watched him during March Madness, I was impressed with his mobility and motor for a guy of his build. Someone will probably get waived or bought out, and ended up being a "value" pick-up for them. There's no rush for the Heat at the moment to go and sign someone, stuff happens during the course of the regular season, as you know.

At the end of the day, we're talking about players for the veteran's minimum. We can get into these technicalities of whether the Heat can sign a center "better" than Asik, but my original point a couple of posts ago was, yes, that I agreed with you that center will always a be a need based on their salary structure. Even though they only have the veteran's minimum to offer now, I still believe they can find a serviceable center, at a better value than Asik was, given that they're the defending champions, and will always be contenders for years to come barring injury. You're free to agree or disagree, I don't really have much more to add besides that.

Some interesting use of terminology there.

Andersen is pretty decent. With the way Miami plays defense, a lot of times they funnel penetration into help defense, and it's an area he probably excels in, coming from the weak-side and contesting penetration. Pick-and-roll defense, they probably have more liberty than most teams to switch everything, and Andersen is mobile enough. Guy runs the floor well, and finishes pretty well near the rim on lobs, put-backs, and gimme's. Those are the only kind of shots he'll be expected to make, as a recipient of others' penetration.

Andersen *was* pretty decent. Now, he will be exactly what the money he gets determines - that is to say, not much indeed. Anything remotely resembling 'team defense', the Birdman will be relatively 'meh'. I think your memories of him are several years old. Even then, his defense - beyond his blocking - was awful.

At the end of the day, we're talking about players for the veteran's minimum. We can get into these technicalities of whether the Heat can sign a center "better" than Asik, but my original point a couple of posts ago was, yes, that I agreed with you that center will always a be a need based on their salary structure. Even though they only have the veteran's minimum to offer now, I still believe they can find a serviceable center, at a better value than Asik was, given that they're the defending champions, and will always be contenders for years to come barring injury. You're free to agree or disagree, I don't really have much more to add besides that.

"Better than Asik" is no 'technicality'. It's a simple reality of what is affordable. I get what you're saying as to 'value-for-money', but given the dollars available, it is going to be a significant weakness for the Heat - this season and the foreseeable future.

I'm not really surprised, to say the least, that you dissected everything I wrote. But anyways, Andersen's also going to get like 3-4 million (you can look up the exact # if you want) in addition from the Nuggets, from being amnestied. Just thought I'd throw it out there, at this point.

I'm glad you understand the point I was getting at. I'll just leave it at that, for the sake of argument.