Day-After Disappointment

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.)

Pistons 87, Heat 83 (Preseason)

AUBURN HILLS - As preseason openers go, the Heat couldn't have looked worse at times. It was almost as if this team made little progress from the Game 7 loss against the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs last season.

After the playoff ouster, Heat president Pat Riley questioned how much firepower the Heat had aside from star guard Dwyane Wade. You could ask that same question after Monday's 87-83 loss to the Pistons in the preseason opener for both teams.

Wade was in midseason form. But he seemingly stood alone on both ends, outside of the 10 points and six rebounds Udonis Haslem added despite early foul trouble. Missing in addition to support for Wade was any form of consistent defensive effort. Point guard will be an issue for this team. On both ends. So will rebounding and protecting the rim. The Heat did neither well against the Pistons, who dominated the glass and made frequent trips to the free-throw line in the key stages of the game.

D. WADE'S DOINGS: Wade finished with 18 points, five assists, two steals and one block in 26 minutes. He was 6 of 13 from the field and 6 of 8 from the foul line.

TURNING POINT: The Pistons used a 21-10 spurt to open the second half and pull comfortably ahead. The run was capped by a Ben Gordon 3-pointer from the corner. You know it's a bad night defensively when you struggle to keep up with Will Bynum and Kwame Brown, who fueled the run with aggressive plays off the dribble and in the lane, respectively. Yes, Kwame Brown.

LOSING EDGE: The Pistons dominated the paint early, scoring 24 of their first 47 points in the paint. They added another 14 points from the free-throw line. "We were sloppy," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "Keeping them off the free-throw line, and don't forget about rebounding. We didn't do any of those well."

HEAD-SCRATCHER: Yes, this was very much a game officiated by replacement refs. With a little more than a minute left, the referees stood by and watched the wrong Piston shoot free throws. Will Bynum stepped to the line and made two free throws. The only issue was that it was supposed to be Maceo Baston. After complaints from the Heat's bench, the play was reviewed and Baston went to the line. He missed both attempts. "Everybody is learning," Wade said. "Our team is learning. The refs are learning. Hopefully, it'll get better as the season comes for everybody."

KEY CONTRIBUTION: It came late. But it was one of the few encouraging stretches for the Heat. Third-string point guard John Lucas III sparked the end-of-the-bench unit in the fourth quarter. That five, which consisted of Lucas, Anthony Tolliver, Dorell Wright, Yakhouba Diawara and Joel Anthony, rallied from a double-digit deficit and closed to within 85-83 with 12 seconds left. Lucas finished with 7 points, 2 assists and 2 rebounds in 16 minutes.

DAMAGE DONE: Will Bynum was unstoppable. And he's the Pistons backup point guard. Bynum got around Mario Chalmers, sped past Chris Quinn and had his way anytime he got into the lane. He finished with 15 points on 5 of 7 shooting from the field. On nights when Chalmers struggles, there just isn't another solid answer for the Heat at point guard. It's a need that must be addressed.

NEXT UP: Heat at Magic, Wednesday.

(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.)

Camp Confidential (Wrap-up)

SUNDAY, OCT. 4 - The Heat closed out its final official training camp practice Sunday by making it pretty obvious that the team has settled on a starter at small forward.

Michael Beasley, by all indications, is The Man. Surprising? No. But was this a sure bet? Hardly. Not considering everything Beasley had to go through during an offseason that included a month-long stay at a Houston-area rehab facility as part of the league's substance-abuse program.

There were no sure bets with Beasley when camp opened a week ago. There was hope. There was a certain level of expectation. There also were no guarantees. Over the course of a week of camp practices, Beasley showed that he put in the work this summer to expand his game.

You knew the talent was there. Were the work ethic, focus, professionalism and attitude? While there's still work to be done with Beasley in a lot of areas, there's no denying that he's made tremendous progress - at least on the court - when it comes to his impact with the Heat.

Sunday's scrimmage saw Beasley open alongside Mario Chalmers, Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem and Jermaine O'Neal in a 12-minute game against a second-team unit of Chris Quinn, Daequan Cook, James Jones, Anthony Tolliver and Joel Anthony.

What we saw was Beasley battle his way to rebounds. What we saw was Beasley take the ball off the glass and initiate the fastbreak. What we saw was Beasley confidently step into a spot-up jumper or two from the wing. What we saw was Beasley get back to his power roots and drive the ball strong to the basket. But mostly, what we saw was a work in progress.

Despite the signs of a much-improved skill set in an already talented player, Beasley still has plenty of work to do to make this small forward ordeal work. James Jones, Beasley's stiffest competition for the starting job, made a few crafty plays that left Beasley lost out there.

Jones beat Beasley on a pump-fake to draw a foul. He also beat Beasley on the baseline to get to an offensive rebound. And Jones also delivered the final dagger of the scrimmage, dropping a 3-pointer over a late-arriving Beasley to lead the "white" team of backups to a 17-16 win over the "black" team of starters.

If Jones gave Beasley those kind of problems Sunday, what might be in store for him Monday when he faces Tayshaun Prince in the preseason opener at Detroit? After that, Rashard Lewis awaits in Orlando on Wednesday. All told, Beasley will also have to face Rudy Gay, James Posey and David West, Jeff Green and Kevin Durant, and Marvin Williams over the course of the preseason.

That's a pretty good test run at the position defensively to get prepared for the season.

"Part of the process is learning situations," Spoelstra said of Beasley's transition between small and power forward. "The reps this summer helps. He felt comfortable. He's still learning and he'll tell you that."

For Beasley's part, he's smart enough to know that he doesn't have it all figured out just yet. But he appears to be well on his way. He can create  a mismatch just as often as he might be a victim of one during this on-the-spot learning process.

"I'm just playing my position and making sure I'm rotating right and being in the place I'm supposed to be," Beasley said. "When you try (too hard) to make it happen, it's going to be a disaster. You let it come to you."

INJURY UPDATE: Forward Dorell Wright was the only player on the 18-man camp roster who did not participate in the 12-minute scrimmage at the end of practice. Spoelstra said the team continues to monitor swelling in Wright's left knee that required two surgeries in the past 18 months. The team typically measures the amount of swelling in Wright's knee to help determine how hard he should be pushed in practices. Swingman Quentin Richardson practiced Sunday after injuring his ankle Saturday.

SCRIMMAGE SPOTLIGHT: Jermaine O'Neal had two impression moves in the scrimmage. He made a jumper from the elbow and also made a nice power move in the lane to spin away off a post-up for a turnaround jumper in the lane ... Dwyane Wade was his typical explosive self. He raced in for a two-hand dunk set up off a steal from Mario Chalmers. Unfortunately, Chalmers got called out by the coaches for gambling and getting out of position before he made the steal. Evidently, he went about doing the right thing the wrong way ... Jamaal Magloire is still a beast at the basket. Wherever he goes, pain is certain to follow. There is no simple way to box out the Big Cat ... Daequan Cook, who appears to be ahead of Richardson as Wade's backup at shooting guard, struggled with his jumper. I remember him taking at least four or five, but can't recall one going down ... Shavlik Randolph will be difficult to cut if he defends the way he did Sunday. The former Duke big man drew two charges in five minutes ... Sunday's scary moment came when Wade drove along the wing and was inadvertently pummeled by Tolliver. Wade hit the deck and would get up slowly. But he would continue.

NEXT UP: Heat at Pistons, Monday. Preseason opener. 

(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.)

Camp Confidential (Day 4)

FRIDAY, OCT. 2 - You know him as Dorell Wright. But to the Miami Heat, after all that's transpired with him over the past two-plus seasons, he's considered the oldest young dude on the roster.

In a bit of a surprise development, Wright's name repeatedly rolled off coach Erik Spoelstra's tongue after Friday's morning practice session at AmericanAirlines Arena. But it wasn't for anything Wright necessarily did right on the court. As has been the case the past 18 months, Dorell was mentioned in the context of continued concern over the status of his surgically repaired left knee.

Wright was held out of the late stages of Friday's morning session because of continued concern/treatment/precaution with his knee. Wright has done several remarkable things to get himself ready to jump-start his career again. Yes, he was the Heat's first-round draft pick in 2004. But we hardly know him.

His first two seasons were limited by a lack of development after he was drafted directly out of prep school. His next season and a half saw his tremendous athletic potential get undercut by a bout or two of immaturity. And his past season and a half have been plagued by injuries.

Here's all you need to know about Wright. In six seasons, he's played a total of 139 games. In two seasons, Daequan Cook has played 134.

Bad breaks. Missed opportunities. Unfavorable roster circumstances. Injuries. Take your pick. They've all been equal parts responsible for Wright truly being on his last leg with the Heat entering the final year of his contract this season.

And he's not yet even 24 years old. This is why you can't just give up on the kid.

Spoelstra tempered his concern over Wright's knee on Friday, the same knee that limited him to just six games last season. The official word was that his absence from the end of practice was precautionary and designed to place him in better condition to compete in the day's afternoon workout.

But Spoelstra also revealed that there is continued swelling. He also said that Wright has been on the same treatment program Dwyane Wade went through last summer with noted trainer Tim Grover. If Wright can ever get right, it would be a big bonus for the Heat. It's not too late for him to be considered a steal.

But the clock is about to run out of ticks. Still, there is faith.

"Yeah," Spoelstra shot back Friday when asked if Wright can truly get past his predicaments. "Why not? He got hurt. That's what last year was about. He never had enough days where he could string enough (consistently impressive work) together. He put in a lot of work this summer. That's no guarantee. He lost 10 pounds, but kept his strength. He's put himself in position to get through camp."

But then what? Where will Wright go from there if he can get through camp? That's a question the Heat has been waiting for Wright to answer since a GM (Randy Pfund) who is no longer here signed off on picking a player who has yet to really arrive for the Heat.

NEWS OF THE DAY: Spoelstra said he would like to play veterans such as Dwyane Wade, Jermaine O'Neal and Udonis Haslem about 24 minutes in the Heat's initial preseason games, which begin Monday night at Detroit and conclude with a pair of back-to-back sets in advance of the Oct. 28 season opener against New York.

Haslem said NBA players approach the preseason in a different way than NFL veterans, who typically see increased playing time gradually over the first three games before resting for the final exhibition.

"The consistency is different," Haslem said. "NFL guys play one quarter the first game, two the second, and so on. But in basketball, it's hard for guys to pace themselves like that. My mind state is to get myself ready to go as many minutes as I'm given the opportunity. I can't pace myself. I only know one way to play. Preseason basketball is still basketball."

FRIDAY'S SOUNDBITE: Wade, a Chicago-area native, was asked for his reaction to the Windy City suffering a shocking blow Friday, when it was quickly passed over by the IOC for the right to host the 2016 Olympics. That prize went to Rio de Janeiro, which beat out Madrid, Japan and the U.S.

"It's simple. It sucks," Wade said. "We were hopeful we could have gotten the Olympics. To (finish) in the fourth spot is not ideal. So it's unfortunate."

With his international appeal on the rise again after ranking in the top five among NBA players in world-wide jersey sales, Wade was then asked if he wished he could have traveled to Copenhagen, Obama-style, to help his hometown make its pitch. "No," Wade said. "That wasn't going to happen. Not with us being fourth." 

(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.)

Camp Confidential (Day 3)

THURSDAY, OCT. 1 - Dwyane Wade set the record straight. He won't be leaving basketball anytime soon for a career in movies or music. Especially music.

By now, you've probably seen the YouTube clip of Wade murdering the Boyz II Men hit, End of the Road, during his Wade's World Foundation celebrity weekend bowling event last month in Chicago. Even worse, you may have actually turned up the volume and heard his karaoke version of the song.

In short, Wade probably owes Boyz II Men an apology. Wade improved his defense to an All-World level last season. But he may have been at his defensive best after Thursday's practice, when he tried to explain his performance on the mic.

His publicist and friend, Lisa Joseph, re-posted the less-than-grammy-worthy performance on the Internet earlier this week to give Wade's friends another round of laughs after the initial wave wore off. Wade took it all in stride and said the video probably got 20,000 more hits in one night.

"Everybody was scared to get up there, and I decided to get up there and be a leader," Wade said of his decision to take the stage and flex his vocals. "Unfortunately, it was a camera around. It (sounded) a lot different in my head. When they put the music on and the words, it turned out a little differently."

It wasn't Wade's first venture into the entertainment industry. He has a cameo role in a soon-to-be-released movie starring rapper Common and Queen Latifah. Wade said during the Heat's media day earlier this week that he didn't have the patience to be in the movie business. He's cool with commercials.

But ...

"I'm glad I make my money over here (in the NBA)," said Wade, who recently joined Nike's Jordan Brand team. "I'd love to do Space Jam II, but I just couldn't do it."

THURSDAY'S NEWS: The league office is prohibiting coaches from commenting on the issue of using replacement referees in games. The league and veteran officials continue to be far apart in negotiations on a new deal that would end the lockout. Preseason games start this weekend, with the Heat set to open its seven-game exhibition slate on Monday at Detroit.

"Not even going to go there," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after Thursday's practice.

In other camp-related developments Thursday, Spoelstra said a team of "young" players beat the "veterans" in the final scrimmage of the day's workout session. That young team consisted of Mario Chalmers, Daequan Cook, Dorell Wright, Michael Beasley and Joel Anthony.

"They actually won the last game and they did it quietly, which is what I like," Spoelstra said of the yong group winning without much taunting or celebrating. "It wasn't a lot of talk. There was a better focus today."

INJURY UPDATE: Jermaine O'Neal became the first injury casualty of camp, missing Thursday's workout with a sprained left ankle he sustained late in Wednesday's practice. O'Neal said he expects to return to practice on Friday and will play in Monday's preseason opener at Detroit.

THURSDAY'S SPOTLIGHT: James Jones, 6-8, 220. 7th season. Jones has a lot to juggle in training camp. Not only is the Broward County resident dealing with the rigors of twice-daily practices this week, he's doing so while also balancing enough time in his day - and night - to spend with his newborn baby girl.

Jones and his wife welcomed their third child on Aug. 11, a bouncing baby girl named Jodie Marissa Jones. Just before camp started, Jones said the baby was on a sleeping pattern that had her waking up at midnight, 3 a.m. and 6 a.m. With two other kids ages 4 and 2, there's no doubt that Jones' most valuable teammate is his wife Destiny.

"For me, it's easy, because I know I put a lot of time in with my family," Jones said. "I spend as much time as I can with my kids before I come to work in the morning and before they go to bed at night. That's one of the joys about playing in your hometown. Right now, I look at it as sort of being on a West Coast road trip, where I've got to devote a lot of time to work right now. But my family is always with me."

(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.)