ORLANDO - For the most part, the Miami Heat is a team of great talkers. So it came as little surprise that everyone said all the right things in an attempt Tuesday to put behind Monday's disappointing 87-83 loss to the Pistons in the preseason debut.
Mario Chalmers, the undisputed and, for now, unchallenged, starting point guard, took his share of the blame for a lackluster showing by the starting unit.
"It was a test that showed us what we really need to work on," Chalmers said after Tuesday's practice at Amway Arena, where the Heat plays Orlando on Wednesday. "It all starts with me. It's not too much pressure at all on me. I wanted this position, so I've got to prove that I can handle it."
But this is not all about Mario. In some ways, Pat Riley has put the kid in an unfair situation. He's given Mario a starting job he really hasn't had to work too hard to earn - or keep. And Riles hasn't brought in a veteran who can ease some of the mental and physical burden on Wade of having to do everything in the backcourt on nights when Chalmers struggles. Rio is a keeper. But he needs a veteran helper at the point. It's that simple.
Riley was at Amway Arena on Tuesday, presumably keeping a close watch on the development/performance of this team he chose to leave mostly intact after last season. And that's despite last season's limitations that were exposed in the playoffs.
If the point guard play remains inconsistent this preseason, Riley will almost certainly have to make some sort of move. There's too much veteran help available. Brevin Knight. Jamaal Tinsley. Ty Lue. Bobby Jackson. There are trades to consider. The return of Rafer (Alston) for that $4.2 million trade exception the Heat still holds. Rafer for Quentin Richardson. At some point, something's gotta give. Doesn't it?
Then there's Jermaine O'Neal. He took responsibility for that one rebound he finished with Monday. He grabbed that board in the first 30 seconds of the game. And then played the final 21 minutes without snagging a single rebound.
"Anytime you don't play to the level you're capable of, you're going to be disappointed," O'Neal said. "Obviously, you don't want to panic and jump ship after one preseason game. But you do take it personal. One rebound in 22 minutes is something we've talked about and I've thought about."
Then there's Michael Beasley, who owned up to the preseason stage fright. He was lost on defensive assignments on Monday, but spent Tuesday chasing everyone everywhere they went during the team's practice-ending scrimmage session.
Beasley, who had 9 points and 4 rebounds but little impact on Monday's outcome, said Tuesday's film session wasn't too scary. But it was eye-opening.
"All through the week, we worked on all of this stuff," Beasley said. "And then when the lights turned on (against Detroit), I think we sort of forgot about it. First-game jitters came on, and that was the game. But you do a little of both. You learn from your mistakes. And you have to put that one behind you."
And then there's Jamaal Magloire, who had yet to hear from the league regarding potential disciplinary action for his tussle under the basket with Pistons rookie Jonas Jerebko. Magloire was accused of punching Jerebko in the nose as the two fell to the ground to battle for a loose rebound.
Magloire, never one to back down, said he has to maintain his tough approach. But he also said he has to better harness his emotions and elbows and fists and feet when in a pile.
"Anything I did was unintentional," the Big Cat said Tuesday. "It happened so fast. I didn't think anybody hit anybody. I've been playing now in the NBA for 10 years. I've never been accused of throwing a punch. I find other ways to get my point across."
Of course, Dwyane Wade had his say. He's trying to find a balance between practicing patience with a roster that has obvious limitations while also preaching urgency.
"I know it's not going to be miraculous overnight," Wade said. "I think the main thing is I want to see it get better every day. You want to see effort. The offense and defense is going to come. But we can't really afford for too many people to struggle."
After a preseason debut that left Miami with plenty of explaining to do, the Heat offered all the right things from the preseason hot seat. They talked the talk Tuesday. On Wednesday, they get another chance to walk the walk.
INJURY UPDATE: Dorell Wright was held out of practice as part of a routine maintenance schedule the training staff has in place to be proactive with his surgically repaired left knee. Wright played 20 minutes on Monday and did not report any swelling on Tuesday ... Unfortunately for the Heat, Wright was joined on the sidelines Tuesday by Daequan Cook, who bruised his right thumb during a practice collision. He will be reevaluated before Wednesday's game. With Wright and Cook questionable, expect James Jones and Quentin Richardson to get extended playing time at small forward as part of Spoelstra's plan to rotate the rotation candidates in game-to-game shifts during the preseason.
(For live news, notes and updates on the Heat, follow me on Twitter @ twitter.com/wallacesports. To post a question or join our live Heat chat each Thursday from 1-2 p.m., click here.)
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