The Point of Guarded Patience

Another day has passed and another potential point guard target apparently has come off the board for the Miami Heat.

This time it was serviceable ex-Bull Chris Duhon, who reportedly agreed to a two-year deal with the New York Knicks. The same kind of deal the Heat is dead set on offering. Which leaves in question just how much interest Miami ever really had in Duhon.

Duhon's deal came a day after another stopgap option, Tyronn Lue, removed the Heat from the list of teams he's considering, which is now down to Phoenix, Dallas and Boston.

Lue's comments came a day after Sacramento's restricted free agent Beno Udrih pledged to re-sign with the Kings, which came a day after similarly restricted Jose Calderon said he's sticking with the Raptors.

All of this window-shopping - only to watch other patrons swoop in and scoop up point guards as if they were on a clearance rack - could only mean one thing for the Heat: Team president Pat Riley and general manager Randy Pfund must be up to something big. I mean huge.

That's as in trade. Or sign-and-trade. Only that could explain why the Heat has bypassed - or has allowed itself to be bypassed by - several economical point guard options when everyone in the NBA knows it is the team's biggest position need.

Sure, there are still some uncommitted free agent prospects out there who would fit the Heat's requirement to come cheap and on a short-term basis. By now, you know those names. Keyon Dooling, Carlos Arroyo, Anthony Johnson, Flip Murray, Sebastian Telfair and the like.

No offense to anyone in that group. But who among them would provide significantly more to the Heat than the current options on the roster? Has either Dooling or Arroyo proved to be anymore productive than Banks might be if given similar playing time?

Would the Heat be any better off with Telfair than it would by investing those minutes into the development of promising second-round pick Mario Chalmers, who just might be Rajon Rondo but with a far more effective jumper?

Johnson and Murray might make sense for the Heat because both are veterans who can penetrate and pass but aren't necessarily consistent shooters. Can't blame the Heat for not jumping out of the gate to sign prospects who probably would still be available when NFL training camps are in full swing.

Which brings me back to my point: Don't confuse this inactivity from the Heat for, well, inactivity.

Riley, Randy and crew just might be biding their time. Maybe Stephon Marbury shakes free from New York by way of a buyout. That might also be the case for Jamaal Tinsley, who also has worn out his welcome in Indiana. Considering the sizable parting pouch they might land, it's possible both would come even cheaper on the open market than a reduced mid-level rate. Plus, they'd command little more than a one-year commitment. 

It's not as if Riley hasn't partaken in similar reclamation projects at the point. Remember Jason Williams? How about Gary Payton? Tim Hardaway ring a bell? If not, might Rod Strickland?

I'm not saying that's Riley's route this time. I'm just saying it might not totally be out of the question. Or totally out of left field. Miami was willing to go there with Steve Francis last year before he chose Houston. And Jalen Rose before that.

My guess is that Riley, Randy and crew have something bigger up their sleeves. That they're waiting on what might happen with Kirk Hinrich in Chicago or Kyle Lowry in Memphis or Andre Miller in Philly or even Monta Ellis in Oakland. As long as Shawn Marion's expiring $17.8 million contract is in play like the last Ace you'd have in the old War card game, there's still the possibility of a major Heat move and makeover.

If Riley and Randy are in midseason form at anything right now, it's misdirection and smoke-screening. A week ago, they had the NBA world thinking Dwyane Wade might be traded and Beasley might be bypassed. We saw just how that all worked out.

So don't mistake this lack of free agent movement from the Heat for inaction by the Heat. The guess here is that it very well might prove to be the very opposite.

 

Comments

[pugtv]

Please Please Please Don't take Dumb-bury.

[Shawn]

This is starting to sound like last summer's off-season. excitement slowly diminishes as we got lower and lower down the rung to the Keyon Doolings and Smush Parkers of the world.

" (PG)..when everyone in the NBA knows it is the team's biggest position need."

NO WAY, center is by far our biggest need.
We have Chalmers, Banks, J. Will & Quinny at Point. At center Blount, Barron and a rehabed ZO.

9/11 was an inside job

checkout wtc7.net & watch the collapse videos

learn the truth

[shivam]

man this offseason should be abt three main things..... 3 point shhoter who can also play defense.... a center who is more defensive minded..... and a point guard who can score and distribute to our high flying scorers....... keyon dooling would help out and would come cheap a trio of banks dooling and chalmers would be good enough to contend.... the center position i think we will have to trade for because the market is weak now that diop is going back to dallas..... and for a 3 pointer shooter there are 3 guys i really think would help... matt barnes,, michal pietrus.... or bringing back posey..... posey would be the best option and pietrus after that...... the heat needs to be active by july 9th so they can swing in and do there business.... if anything like last year happens..... we will probably be a 1st round playoff team... but a good free agency puts us back in the running for the championship

[Michael Heck]

The NBA is not so different than the NFL in that the mantra, "defense wins championships" also applies. I think that you need two consistent scores along with several defensive minded athletes who make the shots when they count and can take the reins when others are cold. I believe this describes the champions of the past 5 years, maybe even more. The Heat are slowly putting together this mix. As you can tell it's easier said than done, especially when management is waiting to see what younger players are made of.

All earthquakes are really set off by George W. Bush see the website: www.I'm an uneducated and gullible citizen who's bored.com

Michael

[k diddy]

Miami's gonna tade marion to chicago for hinrich and noah or hinrich and tyrus thomas

[Rafael (brazil)]

How about Damon Stoudamire? Cheap salary and he has experience.

[thejuandiggler]

I dont think we would givw up Marion for Hinrich's loaded contract, plus a eastern rival , the availability of PG'S is starting to show we might ever really get one....we are gonna save $$$ for Carlos Boozer , re-sign Wade and hopefully have $$$ to entice Marion to sign long term at about 10mil per....we are gonna have to bank on Chalmers turning out to be a solid PG , i like the guys potential !

[David]

Well, I don't think the Heat were in a position to sign any of the point guards who have already left the market.

The Knicks gave Duhon the ENTIRE midlevel exception for 2 years. I don't think many people believe he's worth that.

Calderon was a restricted free agent. Toronto wasn't going to let anyone pry him away.

Udrith was given a 5 year deal by the Kings. The Heat wouldn't seem to be interested in giving anyone offers longer than 2 years (unless we're talking about a much better player than Udrith).

Lue wasn't going to come here anyway.

I hope you're right that we're working on a big move. I'm just not sure us passing on those four PGs means anything other than that they were out of our price range.

[Wizardraz]

None of the point guards mentioned nor signed are high caliber point guards. Udrith....come on...he had a good second half for the Kings. Waitaminit...did the Kings make the playoffs...I don't think so. Duhon....backup to heinrich...I believe the Bulls were not that good last year right...so what impact did Duhon make (same he had in college, NONE).
Except for Calderon all the others are scrubs. Not much more than Marcus Banks or their teams would be trying to keep them. If the Heat so badly wants Banks gone, then at least get some youth. Dooling didn't prove much more than he was a bench player here and in Orlando. So what makes you think he's gotten any better....Yup, I thought so...Nothing. All things being equal, I'd raid Minnesota again and pick up telfair. he's young (23) and has more upside than Dooling and he's more athletic than Quinn. Don't know much about him but hey the others on the board don't appear any better.

[heat2010]

The Wade trade stuff didnt come from the heat. It didnt come from Paxson either - based on his strong public denial. This was all manufactured by the press. When Riley caught wind of it - he called wade and said "not in my lifetime"

[Josh Siegel]

you mean Penny Hardaway, not Jalen Rose

[Gabriel]

I don't think the Front Office is actively
scouring the NBA for a 1-guard inasmuch as they are more searching for a defensive-5. I
really and truly hope the Heat will have an
opportunity @ Disanga Diop. He'd compliment the other pieces perfectly with his defensive
mindset. Miami doesn't need another 1-guard if they can settle the center position.

Get Chalmers into the starting rotation, have Marion @ 3, Wade @ 2, Beasley @ 4, and then get a defensive-minded 5 and you have the making for at least a playoff team in the Eastern Conference, considering how atrocious it is.

Does anyone know which centers are available?

[shivam]

the centers that i think would be a good fit for the heat and our available are kwame brown for his defense.... jamal maagloire..... theo ratliff..... dj mbenga... kurt thomas.... franciso elson... and lorenzen wright..... but i think the best ones for us to go after and will provide some leadership with defense are kurt thomas or theo ratliff.... also why not go out and try to get a robert horry someone who can be a little dirtyy when needed..... salim stoudamire can shoot the ball and would be a decent option at the one.... but we need three point shooters so miami should be looking at james jones, mickal pietrus, matt barnes and should be able to get at least one of them...... otherwise i like chalmers starting and banks a back up would be an okay backcourt for the time being and i think chalmers is gonna turn into a gem....

[ya boi lucas]

diop's already a maverick, and i do think chalmers can be our rondo, ide actually be okay with starting banks or quinn, then later switching to chalmers. whats odd to me is that i dont think anyone has thought, what is our starting lineup gonna look like? Haslem has started for the heat for the past, what? 5 years? and hes been solid ever since, so unless he's traded for some value, i dont see him being benched by the heat. marion is a proven starter and came here after being tired of being the 3rd option in pheonix, so benching him is obviously outta the question. look to see marion in a 3 player deal this offseason, as much as i would hate to see him go, its an imminent decision to me. although marion is a phenomenal player and fits into this new offense very well, he can bring in 2 players of value to us, maybe another 3 point shooter and possibly a center.

[maxie]

So maybe they are playing it cagey. More probably they are going to do what they did last year -- wait till all the decent prospects are gone, then make a desperate deal that mortgages some more of whatever future riley has left them with after his recent misguided antics.
what about staying pat and trying to let chalmers and even banks develop, spending money on a center, and giving the new combination something of a chance? that's also better than the kind of hopeless trade they made last year.

[Raymond]

marion is a good player but miami will benefit if they use him to get 2 or even 3 quality players. I like the idea of trading marion for hinrich and deng; how about marion and banks for hinrich, thomas and nocioni. now that will benefit both teams.

[phil]

We need a Center people, and if we trade marion we need a scoring and defensive minded center. I think that we can trade marion to Wariors for their center Bierdrisand Monta ellis if we add banks and Blunt. or to the Clippers Marion/Blunt for their center C.Kamen i think this one would work because they would get Marion which would fit well with them, Banks to back-up Davis, and Blunt in the middle since they drafted a pretty good center this year any way and they already have Camby. We would get rid of three of our largest contracts, Get a center, Ask for thei PG Livingston eventhough he is recovering from injury he would be worth while, and maybe pick-up another peace we can release after the trade. miami would then look for a temp vet point guard and start james Jones at the Three or have Udonis start at PF and Put Beasley at SF to give us this line-up

Wade/Cook/davis
Chalmers/Quinn/Livingston
Beasley/James/Wright
Udonis/Stephane/Kasib
Kamen/Padgett/Joel