Will Pat Prove Pat Correct?

Don't call him Patrick Beverley.

He simply wants to be know as Pat. Furthermore, he'd like to be regarded as the Miami Heat's backup behind soon-to-be second-year starter Mario Chalmers. If not the outright starter. He has that kind of potential and confidence.

Amid all of the midnight hour draft fallout, Heat president Pat Riley made an interesting comment when he talked about his expectations for newly-acquired guard Patrick Beverley. Not only did Riles suggest that Beverley had a better-than-decent shot to make the team, he also envisions him slotted between Chalmers and Chris Quinn, presumably as the No. 2 guard on the depth chart.

Beverley now looks forward to a chance to secure a roster spot when he and fellow second-round pick Robert Dozier arrive in town next week to start offseason workouts in advance of the July 13th rookie/free agent minicamp.

The Heat's current predicament - it will enter the July 1 free agency period already over the luxury tax, but will likely have two roster spots open - certainly increases Beverley's chances. He's certainly valued.

Riley said the team rated Beverley, the 2007 SEC newcomer of the year, as high as the 20th best prospect on the team's draft board.

The Heat pursued Beverley, who spent last season playing in the Ukraine, in the same fashion it went after Chalmers in last year's draft. Both were considered first-round talent. The Heat spent much of the early stages of the draft lining itself up to take both.

Now, the competition at the point begins. I still say the Heat needs to find some kind of way to get a veteran point guard who brings playoff experience. But there seems to be a genuine enthusiasm around Beverley. I'm sure the move sort of got Chalmers' attention.

If it didn't, I'm sure these comments from Riley will.

"This guy (Beverley) will compete against anybody," said Riley, who tracked Beverley across the country during pre-draft workouts. "This guy is a bulldog that can defend, can shoot. He will disrupt. He'll do anything you need."

First, he's gotta make the team.

(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports)

Comments

[JDOG]

Rest In Peace Michael Jackson! The world might put you through hell and I ask for forgiveness from all of us! YOU WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED IN OUR HEARTS THROUGH YOUR WONDERFUL MUSIC!

[thejuandiggler]

Nobody gave a rats ass yesterday about MJ . stop the phone johnny come lately love .
Act like you would have yesterday and say , yea that MJ is a weird freak.
Great memories as a youth but just as n real life you were a freak at the end of the day.
Some other molesters were good kids and maybe even great parents before they did what they did.
Too bad they couldnt pay off the abused parents.
On the Heat note , dont do anything until Bosh talks heat up.
Vince carter to the Magic is fine with me if they loose Turkoglu , one dimensional non cluthch ball hog.
Jamal Crawford to Hawks ??????? Who cares Joe Johnson is gone 1n 2010 cause who wants to bank there career alongside Josh ( i shoot threes all day) Smith.
Shaq defending pick and roll vs Garnett , or D Howard ???????
Please he couldnt defend against Antonio Mcdyess ...hahahahahaahahahha
GO MIAMI HEAT !

[d-rock]

JDOG, we vilified the guy for being a little different :(

[jpejeff]

Your a freak Buttdiggler.Who attacks the dead?
Let Michael rest in peace. Shaq is part of the
living,so the bum can be attacked.

[pugtv]

Has anyone seen Pat Beverley defend? Can he stay in front of his man or does he just gamble for steals?

[Stormn Crawford]

THE HEAT NEED TO MAKE A BIG TRADE TO KEEP UP WITH REST OF THE NBA . THEY CAN HAVE A THREE TEAM TRADE WITH THE JAZZ AN PISTONS, THE HEAT WILL GET STUCKY AN BOOZER. THE JAZZ WILL JAMES JONES AN R.HAMILTON. THE PISTONS WILL GET BEASLEY , HASLEM AN COOK. AN THAT FIRST ROUND PICK THE HEAT HAVE FROM THE RAPTORS.

[Mayor]

This is for Chris Quinn. Man buy a good collection of good clothing. You will be at the bench but without Heat uniform all season. I don't thing so you will play any longer.
Now for Mario Chalmers, you have to do a very thing well. Last year you didn't have any pressure. This year you will feel it. This Patrick Beverley coming with a real hungry to demonstrate he can play and can make the different. Good pick by Riley.
Now for Wallace, can you give us a little more info about Robert Dozier.

[FLAsportsfan]

Pat Beverely joined Evan Cohen on ESPN 760 Friday to talk about his past and his future.

http://www.espn760.com/audiovault/evan_cohen.php

[Greg Gembe]

As a HEAT fan, I applaud the Cavs getting Shaquille. Maybe that will spurn ZO to come back in March, in time for the playoff run, to kick Shaq's lazy, fat, coach-killin' butt all over the floor. (He's alive...I can say that).
Vince to Orlando..as long as they don't keep Turkalo, they didn't improve. Courtney Lee looks like a baller.
Please, with the MJ stuff. The last 15 years, he just acted weird by anybody's standards. Llama-lovin-pedofile, was freakin creepy. Good riddance to bad rubbish!

[conch salad]

Wallace,

The Memphis Commercial Appeal reports that we offered Beasley to the Griz for the #2 pick and Chalmers for the #27 pick in the draft, yet I have heard nothing about it on the Herald or any other site. Do you know if this is correct?

If so, who would we be going after at 27 that we would offer our starting PG for? And why trade Beasley for Thabeet? Or, worse, Rubio?

I don't know if i beleive it just based on what we have heard from Riley. I dont think either trade would have made sense (def not the Chalmers trade)...

Here's the link...

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/jun/27/griz-clippers-swap-fails/?partner=RSS

Thoughts?

[sinyiah jade]

the Heat need to make some trades but we dont need to trade off our whole team, we need guys like (and yes i already know we are not gonna trade some of these players but....) Wade, Beasley, Chalmers, Cook, Haslem, O'Neal, Moon, Maglore, and them, (sorry if i didnt list some names, they are all important, but....) but we need a larger center, O'Neal is good, but he isnt big enough, we need to improve our rookies and they need to work HARD this summer, as well as the vets, i love them all but some trades have to be made, i hope they dont decide to trade and of the players we need or any rookies, i just hope Beasley starts next year, that would be really good, we really need that,

[Greg Gembe]

We don't necessarily need Beasley to start. We DO necessarily need him to be more patient on offense, stop shooting the ball like it's a hot potato, drive the ball to the basket more, and take some/any pride on the defensive end. Help defense, on-the-ball defense, ALL aspects of that 50% of his game. Of course, as most young players know, that effort you put into team defense seldom gets recognized on ESPN, but it does help your team win games. So then you have to decide, do I want to put that type of effort into the team, when my personal accolades (offensive stats) might diminish? We know how that played out his first year, and we'll see if it changes during his second. As a Heat fan, I hope he sees the light, or at least the bottom of ZO's sneaker.

[jpejeff]

Bottom line Beasley need to be on the court to get better. This Miami team will be better this
year. Screw a trade now if it takes away a chance at total supremecy later own. Right now
there are 3 teams in the east better than every
one else in the conference. We got 1 chance to
be better than those teams and 1 chance only.Le
t Wade and our young players grow another year
together and add another superstar next year.
Last year we had a few games that made me say
wow,what a team.We can and will build on that
with time to grow together.If you can't show respect for the dead,how about respecting the
living family members & 3 kids.

[phill]

I think that if Wade signs a three year extension like Kobe did then we can make some moves now. It is very scary to see that Chicago let Ben Gordon go and Wade is a free agent next year that would love to play at home next year. I believe that If he does not sign an extension right now he already has plans for Chicago next year and that is why they let Gordon go.

[DC]

Heat can't do much of anything...our free-agents worth sign-trade, no other valued, moveable players (Head?Wright?Cook?Jones?). Heat will doggie-paddle next year, bankin on DWade to re-sign.
PG: Chalmers
SG: Wade
SF: Beasley
PF: Haslem
C: O'Neal