Heat get Chalmers!

[Flash3]

Nice.

He's a PG that can play defense, and not be an offensive liability by any stretches of the imagination; both things we need from our 1 with Wade on the floor....

[Wade2k6]

I don't see how he's a clear-cut backup. I see him as a starting PG in this league. If Rondo can be a starting PG on a championship title team, so can Chalmers, because he shoots the ball much better and can play just as well defensively.

[DayofMourning]

Chalmers was a fantastic pick and you could see his disappointment at falling to the 2nd round. That could prove to be a motivating factor as he slid 20 spots down from most mocks.

His stats are as good as ANY point coming into the league, including Rose, Augustin, Bayless, etc.

He is the top thief in the draft and will be a great asset to the fast break. I'm really surprised that Westbrook was rated so much higher than him. The disparity between their selections was not a true indicator of talent disparity. I actually like Chalmers more than Russell.

The only thing Mario needs to work on offensively is creating his own shot, which in my mind will be as simple as finding open seams from mid range. He's not a top flight court vision point, and never will be, but he'll have no problem finding the open man, just don't expect the unexpected when it comes to passing.

A wonderful pick in the 2nd round.

[BlaZeN27]

Chalmers Interview

-- Never worked out for the Heat.

-- Disappointed to drop out of first round.

-- Chalmers played on a team with Beasley at a camp in high school. Said there was no rivalry anymore (Kansas/Kansas State), "because college is over and done with."

-- Played point guard his entire life, even though he played off the ball often at Kansas.

-- Said he patterned himself after Chris Paul: unselfishness, passing ability, willingness to take the big shot.

[Flash3]

Why did he fall so much?

He was slated to go in the top 20...

Health reasons? Size?

[Wade2k6]

I don't think there really was a reason for him to fall so much. Probably the same for what Jay Bilas said about CDR for dropping, there really was no reason.

[heat4life]

We could thank Charlotte for picking Augustin and Bayless dropping to 11 and Sacramento picking out of their a$$es (Thompson?). At that point most of the teams did not need PG's (except Denver but they traded away) and teams in the late 1st were playoff teams who were looking to fill needs, find specialists or avoid adding salaries. They weren't too concerned with picking the best talent. How he dropped to #34? I don't get it. I thought he would've been gone by pick 20. All those trades at the end of round 1 and beginning of round 2 also helped.

Chalmers will be in this league for many years. At best I could see him developing into a Derek Fisher-type.

[CaliHeat]

Yea I think Derek Fisher is a good comparison.

I think the need of a PG will slowly fade once Chalmers gets on the court and begins to show what he can do. The guy is automatic with his feet set, I can see Chalmers having some big games, even eary in his career. Defensively he is great. To me, he is the perfect compliment to Wade and his abilities.

Note: The Heats summer league team is actually gonna be good this year with Beasley and Chalmers along with Cook, Anthony, Lasme.

[Lane1974]

Anthony is missing summer league to be on the Canadian Olympic team

[CB4MiamiHeat]

Why did he fall so much?

He was slated to go in the top 20...

Health reasons? Size?

because for some reason..GMs still love white guys and euros with potential

[TrueRain]

I don't know why he fell so low but this definitely a steal for Miami and I definitely see him and Banks in the main rotation for PG.

[GameTime_3]

Chalmers is the perfect PG for this team. I remember wanting him if we got a mid to late first rounder. The guy is perfect for wade. Chalmers is a above avg shooter but his strength is his defense. I remember watching acouple of games, where he would lock up the other teams top player. One problem that i can see in his game is that at times he dribbles alittle high and seems out of control, needs alittle bit of work if he wants to be a full time PG.

[Lane1974]

fwiw, for the flak Arison gets for being cheap, Jon G reported the Heat ponied up 1.5 million in addition to the 2 draft picks to get Super Mario

I'm lovin the Chalmers acquisition more every minute


http://www.palmbeachpost.com/heat/conte ... _0628.html

By CARLOS FRíAS

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Saturday, June 28, 2008

MIAMI — Late in the evening Thursday, Pat Riley went out and got just the kind of player he values in the NBA Draft.

Riley, the Heat president who prizes heart and effort as much as skill, said the steal of the draft came in the second round, when the hero of Kansas' national championship team, Mario Chalmers, fell to Minnesota at No. 34.

The Heat traded two 2009 second-round picks for Chalmers, then got back a second-rounder in '09 by sending Chalmers' former teammate, forward Darnell Jackson, to Cleveland. Miami had taken Jackson with the 52nd overall pick.

The Heat, which selected Kansas State forward Michael Beasley with the No. 2 overall pick, desperately needs help at point guard. Oft-injured Jason Williams is expected to leave and Chris Quinn and Marcus Banks have not proven themselves as starters.

Chalmers, who played both guard positions in three seasons at Kansas, averaged 12.2 points and 3.8 assists a game as a junior for the Jayhawks. He put together a highlight reel for his suitors in the NCAA final against Memphis.

Kansas scrambled back from a nine-point deficit and, with 2.1 seconds left, Chalmers made a three-pointer to tie the score and force overtime. Kansas won and Chalmers was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player.

"It wasn't just that (shot)," Riley said Friday. "It was his overall fearless approach in that game to compete and to win. ... He makes big shots. He makes big plays. When you're the Most Outstanding Player in the Final Four, you've accomplished something on a bigger stage."

And that was one reason Riley wanted Chalmers in a Heat uniform. Chalmers, who is 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, oozes competitiveness.

"I think it just shows I'm not afraid to take the big shot when the team needs it the most," Chalmers said during a conference call Friday. "It just shows that when the situation gets tough, I can still handle it."

Chalmers, who was expected to be taken in the first round, had to handle disappointment when the second round began and he still was available.

The Heat closely tracked his fall. Riley said the team looked at 35 mock drafts: 33 had Chalmers going in the first round, with 14 projecting him to go 20th or sooner. Six mock drafts even tabbed him as a lottery pick.

Riley said several members of the Heat staff were "beside themselves" when Chalmers dropped.

Now he is particularly motivated to show his value. He will be reunited with Beasley, a former AAU teammate who was a rival at Kansas State.

"There's a little tension between me and him, him being a Jayhawk and all," Beasley joked. "But we are going to have to get over that."

Chalmers already has told Riley to expect his best in the summer league July 7-11 in Orlando.

When they spoke in the late hours of the draft, Chalmers said he was looking forward to challenging Beasley. And that's the attitude Riley loves.

"He told me last night he can't wait to get Michael out on the court for a 1-on-1 game, finally, just the two of them," Riley said. "He is another perfect fit for us."

[Heat11114]

Chalmers has real good size for a PG too. in 2004 he meausred 6'0.5" barefoot, which puts him just below 6'2" with shoes and a 6'6" wingspan.

[magicfan4life05]

Chalmers was considered the best defensive pg in the draft and a player who can take and hit big shots ie ncaa championship game. I think he was the steal of the draft along with CDR, but I think he's going to fit in great with you guys with his defense and shooting alongside Wade, and once again I think heat had a great draft.

[KCBen]

I've even seen places that list him with a 6'8" wingspan. None the less he has all the physical tools to be a defensive terror in the NBA at the PG spot. Yet to close, he isn't just a defensive specialist, but a VERY GOOD offensive player from the outside and has good explosive leaping ability around the rim.

[SmushedPennies]

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Just-by-the-Numbers--Evaluating-this-year-s-Point-Guard-Crop-2919/

His numbers put him above all the top prospects at PG. Amazing what hype will do to draft stock.

[pramis123]

Frankly, I really did not follow Chalmers prior to the draft because I was focused on other players. After we drafted him, I've gone back and taken a look at his stats and write ups and he really seems to be a heck of a talent who should have not lasted as long as he did in the draft, but someone who is a perfect fit for what we need on our team. I commend all of you who mentioned prior to the draft that he would be a great fit for us if we could trade back into the first round, because getting in the second is a steal.

[rgw]

He had the misfortune to play on a very deep and talented Kansas team where he didn't have to be a superstar to lead his team to victory. What is important though is that Chalmers realized this and only asserted himself offensively when his team needed it. That is maturity which many college points simply never show.

[girlygirl]

As a KU alum I love all the Jayhawk players but Mario is one of my favorites. In three years at KU he made so many big plays and hardly ever had me shaking my head going "WTF was that?" His ballhandling and decision making improved as his career progressed -- for instance, his A/TO ratio jumped from 1.36 last year to 2.25 this past season. He also had more steals (283) than he did turnovers (259) for his career -- he holds school records for both single season and career steals. He also really improved his shooting -- this year he shot 51.6% overall and 46.8% from behind the 3-point arc -- and he definitely has NBA 3-point range. He was 1st team Big 12 All-Defensive all 3 seasons at KU and takes a lot of pride in being a lockdown defender.

But most of all, he was great in the clutch. In addition to being the Final Four MOP, he was the MOP of the Big 12 Tournament -- as a freshman. He could have won it again this year, as he scored 30 points and added 6 assists in the title game vs. Texas.