Heat seek help for Wade within
MIAMI (AP) – Dwyane Wade took an assertive and unusually public stance this offseason, openly imploring the Miami Heat to improve the roster.
His teammates got the message, loud and clear.
It wasn’t merely a coincidence that the summer break was practically nonexistent for every Heat player, all of them seeming to log countless hours in the gym and weight room, primarily spurred on by the memory of losing a playoff Game 7 in Atlanta last spring.
So, no, there wasn’t a splashy summer acquisition for the Heat. Instead, they tried to improve from within, hoping that’s enough to aid the NBA’s reigning scoring champion and give Miami a serious chance of improving on last season’s 43-39 record, which was good enough to earn the Heat the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. There, they lost to Atlanta in the first round.
“Losing Game 7 in Atlanta last year is something that we all remember and will not forget,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We thought about it all summer long. … It was about being committed to each other this summer, commit to our conditioning, commit to improving.”
While other teams in the East added parts, the Heat decided to make their parts stronger.
It’s not like Miami didn’t try to make some adds; the Heat lost out on free agent forward Lamar Odom, who decided to stay with the world champion Los Angeles Lakers. The only significant move the Heat ended up making was trading for Quentin Richardson, who figures to be a key part of the rotation whether he’s starting or coming off the bench.
Roster continuity, for a team that went from a 15-win club to a 43-win club last year, is a huge plus, the Heat say.
“Our motivation is that people are still counting out the Miami Heat,” veteran Miami forward Udonis Haslem said. “From what they read and watching TV, they think that teams are automatically going to be better because of the moves they made. They don’t understand the game is played between the lines. So who knows how all these different moves and trades will help these teams?”
Cleveland got Shaquille O’Neal; Miami had Jermaine O’Neal rehabbing more than he ever had in a summer, putting two years of injuries behind him.
Boston got Rasheed Wallace; Miami had Michael Beasley – his offseason workouts not even derailed by a stay in a Houston rehabilitation facility – getting stronger and faster, with eyes on transforming into someone who can play both small and power forward.
Orlando got Vince Carter; Miami had Mario Chalmers, Daequan Cook, James Jones and Dorell Wright in the gym, all getting 10,000 dribbles down and 10,000 shots up over the offseason, trying to find someone who’ll take some of the scoring load off of Wade.
“We all know each other personally and on the court, so there’s going to be a lot of things better for us,” Wade said. “When you’ve got a new team, you’ve got to start all over. We’re coming in ahead of the curve a little bit, and that’s actually a positive.”
The schedule could give Miami a chance to build momentum quickly.
Starting with the Oct. 28 opener against the New York Knicks, the Heat begin with eight of their first 10 games at home, although three of those contests are against teams widely picked to be playoff contenders, including Cleveland, Denver and a Washington club that could take huge strides forward this season with a healthy Gilbert Arenas again.
Naturally, everything Miami does starts with Wade, who was as good last year – maybe even better – than he was during the run that carried the Heat to the 2006 NBA title.
He averaged 30.2 points and 7.5 assists last season, and enters this year saying he’d love to get closer to the 10-assist-per-game mark.
“I think we can definitely be better,” Wade said.
Either way, it’ll be an interesting year in Miami. Wade could become a free agent at season’s end, although he says he wants to stay in South Florida regardless. The Heat will have a slew of salary-cap money available for next summer’s long-awaited NBA player bonanza, plus potentially two first-round picks as well.