NOW INTRODUCING YOUR 2010-2011
MIAMI HEAT!StartersPoint Guard
STEVE NASHShooting Guard
STEPHEN JACKSONSmall Forward
JAMARIO MOOOOOOOOOOONPower Forward
LAMAR ODOMCenter
CHANNING FRYEHead Coach
PHIL JACKSONReservesGaurds: Lou Williams, Shannon Brown, Anthony Carter
Forwards: Bill Walker, Lazar Hayward, Darius Songaila
Centers: Chris Anderson, Kwame Brown
'09-'10 Season Statshttp://yfrog.com/ncstatsspj*sorry about the link, couldn't get the image big enough
Minute Breakdown:PG – Nash (31), Williams (12), Carter (5)
SG – Jackson (30), S. Brown (15)
SF – Moon (24), Walker (14), Jackson ( 8 ), Hayward (2)
PF – Odom (30), Frye ( 8 ), Songaila, (6), K. Brown (4)
C – Frye (2O), *Anderson (23), Brown (3), Songaila (2)
*Although originally expected to make a full recovery in the offseason, it appears that Chris Anderson will miss a small portion of the regular season after knee surgery. The lineup pictured above will take effect once Anderson has made his recovery. Until then the lineup will be much more fluid. The Heat will likely run out a smaller lineup while awaiting Anderson’s return as to take advantage of its depth at the smaller positions and to limit exposure to Kwame Brown and Darius Songaila while they fill in in an increased role.
Outlook:I’m not going to sugarcoat this team and its outlook. Yes – this team is small on the inside, especially while the Birdman recovers. Yes – this team is asking a lot out of Lamar Odom and Channing Frye. Yes – the season could potentially hinge on Jamario Moon stepping out of his comfort zone. All of those things combined should make for a rocky first few weeks; however, the reason why this team WILL overcome these obstacles and in fact be a playoff team comes down to one word: Leadership.
Originally I had crafted this team to extenuate the strengths of, and work seamlessly with, Steve Nash. This strategy was in effect until the coach selection round, when Phil Jackson fell to the Heat with the 3rd selection. Although I’m not sure how much emphasis people put on this round, I knew that despite the differences between my drafting strategy and Phil Jackson’s coaching philosophies, just his presence alone would be enough to elevate this team and make it a candidate to proceed deep into the playoffs. With Phil Jackson on the payroll, I moved David West for Stephen Jackson in an attempt to give Phil the dynamic wing player that he needs in his offense. After that I surrounded Nash/Jax/Odom with the right attitudes, personalities, and skill set in order to achieve “zen” on and off the court.
The trio of Phil Jackson, Steve Nash, and Stephen Jackson provides the Heat with arguably the best cast of vocal and by-example leaders in the CBNBA. Further, the roster itself is flooded with playoff tested individuals; the Heat roster boasts a ‘playoff games played’ total of 464, with playoff minutes surpassing 13,000. Phil Jackson has also been provided 3 current or former players to help institute his offense and defensive philosophies. Again, we in Miami understand there will be detractors, but in our minds, the trophies, rings, and leaders speak for themselves.
Player Expectations (by position):PG – Despite the pure talent that has accumulated in the SE division, The Heat have a distinct advantage at the point guard position. Two time MVP Steve Nash will face a learning curve dealing with the triangle offense, but there should be little doubt that the combination of Phil Jackson and Steve Nash will translate into a smooth-flowing offense. A wealth of talent backs Nash up in Lou Williams, Anthony Carter, and if/when needed, Shannon Brown. We feel that Lou Williams will be explosive off the bench and provide a big spark when needed. Anthony Carter will see relatively limited action during the regular season, but should prove instrumental should any injuries occur in the backcourt. As we know, Nash’s best defense is a good offense, but the opposing SE PGs of Felton, Hinrich, Duhon, and Terry shouldn’t create much of a hassle for Nash defensively.
SG – Stephen Jackson will join Steve Nash in the starting backcourt. Joe Johnson and Jason Terry provide a great tandem in Orlando, but we feel that there is a clear cut leadership advantage on the Miami side. The size and grit of Stephen Jackson should give opposing guards, such as Johnson, Ginobili, Stuckey, and Redick, a lot of trouble when he has the ball. His defensive savvy should allow him to battle them without giving up too much. Our top reserve is Shannon Brown; Lou Williams and Bill Walker will also see occasional minutes at the 2. Phil Jackson has shown an increased trust in Shannon Brown over the last two seasons, and allotted Brown roughly 14 mpg in last years NBA Finals. His pure speed and energy has been harnessed well by Jackson in the past and we expect Brown to bring the same tempo to Miami.
SF – As noted, this will be a trial by fire for Jamario Moon. He will most certainly have to prove people wrong, but thanks to the scoring options surrounding him, Jamario’s main task will be to bring energy to the starting unit and play harassing defense – two things that he is known for around the league. The group of SFs in Gay, Durant, Carter, Chandler, and AK47 are very talented, but at 6’8’’ 200 lbs we feel that Jamario measures up well to these athletic wing men. His length and athleticism will allow him to stay in front of his man, which is all you can ask for against top scorers like Durant and Gay. Certainly he will lose the +/- battle against those wings, but if he can limit their production he will have done his job. His tasks will be similar to those given to Ron Artest and Trevor Ariza on the last two championship Laker teams. Offensively Jamario will be required to hit the open look when he gets it as well as help out on the glass. Jax will see time here as well and will man up guys like Durant for stretches. Bill Walker is the primary reserve here. As is the case with most of our reserve men, Walker brings instant energy as well as the potential for high-octane offense as his time in NY (54% fg, 43% 3p) proved. Lazar Hayward will be brought along slowly, but we hope that he can contribute later into the season.
PF – Lamar Odom’s familiarity with the triangle, as well as his unique skillset of ballhandling and passing make him perfect for this offense. Steve Nash will fall in love with Odom’s vision and cerebral understanding of how to be a playmaker. Odom has never played with an elite point guard and will certainly create a rapport with Nash sooner rather than later. Although he is a bit undersized, Odom’s quickness and length will be enough to challenge Amare, Scola, and Aldridge. Odom registered a +305 in production by position at PF last season, a number that is a testament to how well he battled the talented bigs in the western conference. Until birdman returns the reserves here will be a mix-n-match of bigs. Lamar will be counted on heavily early in the season.
C – Channing Frye will start here until Anderson is recovered. We feel that Anderson probably goes best with Odom in the starting rotation and will create a very long, athletic, and solid defensive/rebounding first unit. Phil Jackson is used to a more conventional 5, but Steve Nash proved last season that he knows where to find Channing Frye and how to get him involved properly. Offensively he will be a great weapon, defensively – though he will get out-produced on the glass – he does not face many formidable offensive centers in the SE. Mehmet Okur is a very good scorer, but he and Frye are virtually identical in the way they play, we don’t expect him to outplay Channing Frye in a head-to-head matchup by much, if any. Other than Okur, Frye is looking at Bynum, Okafor, and Biedrins. He will lose the rebounding battle, but point production wise we expect him to outscore that group more times then not. Once Birdman returns we expect him to even out the rebounding total and provide an interior defensive presence that, along with Odom, will create havoc for penetrating guards/forwards. Until he returns, Kwame Brown will be the body called upon to do most of the banging. His familiarity with Coach Jackson should help him step in and contribute to an extent.
Other Commentary:Due to the timing of my vacation earlier this month, I was unfortunately unable to make several selections either myself or at the time they were due. This created some problems with my roster, but in the end I’m satisfied with the result. The lack of big man depth is clear, but the depth at the small positions, as well as Steve Nash’s experience playing with smaller lineups, should allow the Heat to battle every night. Touching on the Heat outlook a bit more – I would think that this team would struggle initially with a unique coaching scheme and Anderson’s injury. Despite that, I would expect that this team would find its way into the playoffs, though perhaps in the lower half. Bottom line is any team that has both Phil Jackson and Steve Nash is going to make the playoffs; it’s just a matter of how far. The SE division is loaded, but can each team say that they will get 82 games out of 2 superstars and 82 games out of one of the all-time great coaches? The Miami Heat can.
FEEL THE BURN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Topic: 2010 CB Draft: Southeast Division Press Conferences (Read 54860 times)