Somewhere, Earl Barron is seething. Then again, he might very well be celebrating.
After all, he was a summer league legend (as well as a heck of a nice guy during his Heat tenure). And this is the time of the year when the Heat normally heads up to Orlando for the Pepsi Pro Summer League and puts its rookies and young free agents on display.
Only this year, the plan has changed. Miami Heat president Pat Riley has elected to take the in-house route to development with his young roster. So instead of heading to Orlando's practice facility for the start of games there on Monday or journeying out to Las Vegas (which the Heat considered doing), the plan is to hold a few conditioning sessions this week in advance of next week's mini-camp at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Yes, Earl Barron's (pictured right) summer league records are safe. And no, this approach shouldn't be considered a setback. Michael Beasley, Mario Chalmers and Daequan Cook put in too much time last season to have to go through playing in Orlando or Vegas.
And it doesn't make much sense to build a summer league roster around Pat Beverley and Robert Dozier, two second-round picks who aren't exactly locks to make the regular-season roster. So instead, the Heat's youngsters get more of what they've been doing already. And that's working extensively at the practice facility on weaknesses that were exposed last season.
From all indications, Mario Chalmers is emerging as a leader. Beasley (pictured left, in his summer league debut last year), despite missing time with an illness, is adding versatility to his skill set. James Jones is in the process of putting on 20 pounds to bulk up that wire-thin frame. Dorell Wright (Remember him?) is running, jumping and dunking again. Beverley is already impressing the staff with his relentless work ethic as the first one in the gym and the last one out.
And so on and so on.
Again, this is Earl Barron season. The time of year when there are significant helpings of hope and hype, pounds of potential and promise and workout wonders. Every team's undefeated again. Every player is a candidate for the rotation.
There's no doubt that Heat players are getting plenty out of the offseason program. And it makes sense that what's done on Biscayne Blvd. will be far more productive than what the team could get out of a week in Orlando or Vegas.
But again, with this current roster - and with all of the movement and potential upgrades elsewhere in the East - will it be enough to make Miami a serious threat in the conference next season?
(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports)
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