Heat intersted in TJ Ford / Jose Calderon(Update Page 5)

[MartyConlonJr]

So we should emulate a team that finished 40-42 in the Leastern Conference? Not actual contenders and title-winners? Wow.

Besides, that's still a better shooting team than Rose/Wade/Marion/Haslem.

Not that that was meant to be my point but:
Rose will shoot better 8.8%
Wade shot 0.1% better than Willie Green
Marion shot 1% better than Igoudala
Reggie Evans was actually the starter most of the season and has no shot whatsoever

So they aren't a better shooting team. My point was 3 point shooting is not as big a PG factor as you are making it. Philly, who has a far less capable star in Igoudala than we have in Wade, and no outside shooters of any note, got to the playoffs with possibly the worst three point shooting PG in the entire history of the NBA.

The end game is obviously not a 40 win record, but being a playoff team next season would be amazing progress from being the worst team in the league.

What people are saying is you have to have BALANCE. A Wade/Rose backcourt, especially with Marion at SF, is in no way balanced. No shooting, no post presence. Just drive-and-kick guys who have no one to kick to.

Again, nobody's saying "be like Toronto and just launch jumpers all day." We're saying be like the ...

- LAKERS who have a post presence (Gasol), a penetrator (Kobe), and shooters surrounding them to spread the floor (Fisher, Vujacic, Farmar, Vlad, Walton)

- HORNETS who have a penetrator (Paul), a post presence (West), and shooters surrounding them spread the floor (Peja, Mo Pete, Pargo, Mike James)

- SPURS who have a post presence (Duncan), a penetrator (Parker, Ginobli), and shooters surrounding them to sperad the floor (each other, Bowen, Finley, Udoka, Barry, Horry)

- SUNS who have a post presence (Stoudamire), a penetrator (Nash), and shooters around them to spread the floor (Bell, Barbosa, Giricek)

- JAZZ who have a post presence (Boozer), a penetrator (Williams), and shooters around them to spread the floor (Korver, Okur, Kirilenko, Miles)

- CELTICS who have a post presence (Garnett), a penetrator (Rondo or sometimes Pierce/Allen), and shooters around them to spread the floor (Allen, Pierce, Posey, House, Cassell)

- PISTONS who have a post presence (Rasheed/Tayshaun), a penetrator (Billups), and shooters around them to spread the floor (Billups/Hamilton/Tayshaun/Sheed all top notch shooters)

I could go on and on obviously. The point is, no one is saying "let's build the Toronto Raptors" ... LOL. We're saying let's build the Lakers, Spurs, Jazz, Hornets, etc. To me, that makes much more sense than mimicking the 76ers.

We have our supreme penetrator. Now he needs his post presence and his defenders/shooters to spread the floor, just like all the contenders have.

You're making it sound like we can build a contending team in one draft move or one season. Clearly we need a post presence, clearly we need shooters. I wasn't as sold on Beasley as being a bonafide PF that can dominate in the post as I think Rose can be a top notch PG who can dominate other PG's. It's all well and good to say 'let's build to be like the Lakers/Spurs/Jazz/Suns/Celtics/Pistons/Hornets' (note that all the teams listed have an All-Star scoring PG except the ones that absolutely butt raped another team in a ridiculous franchise player purge to have 3 all-stars on their roster - something we can't rely on) but if you say "We need a dominant post player" and you get a guy that turns out to be a tweener or a guy that was abusing smaller players in college and can't do the same in the NBA, then you end up with Joe Smiths Golden State Warriors or Shareef's Grizzlies. Toronto tried to emulate Phoenix's offense so got themselves T.J Ford to be their Nash. Problem is - Ford is no Nash, and the Raptors are therefore, no Suns.

You can find a lockdown defender at PG with your MLE. One who has a 3-point shot defenses have to respect so Wade has room to do his thing.

You cannot find a post presence with your MLE.

Again, I'm not looking for a PF with the MLE, I'm looking at next season to get a legitimate PF when we have max cap space, or even during this offseason or this trade deadline when Haslems contract or Marion's expiring deal is a great trade chip.

I don't know what guy you are planning to get at PG for the MLE, but if I remember correctly there was Beno Udrih, who I think gets re-signed by Sac, and then there was a whole lot of junk.

Incidentally, it's nice Rose is "touted" as a lockdown defender, but if you watched him against decent perimeter players (not Conference USA!) he gets blown by very often. Mayo abused him, he got blown by in the title game on many occasions (and had his pocket picked easily a couple other times). He reminds me a lot fo Wade defensively ... he'll get in position and pull up his shorts like he's about to lock someone down, then the guy blows by him and he's left reaching from behind. Unless it's a guy who can't blow by him in the first place (Conference USA) ...

Well if Rose is a crap defender then obviously I don't want him. Thats up to Riley and the coaching staff to evaluate. All I have heard is positive, and the games I saw I had no reason to doubt it.

Look, Rose will be a good-to-great pro. But the fundamentals of basketball -- as well as NBA standings and the history of NBA champions -- tell us you need a post presence and shooters to go along with your penetrator.

I've said all along that at the end of the day I 'trust in Riley', but I think you are severely underrating Rose's outside shot (I consider it average you consider it a liability it would seem). Especially coming from a guy who is only 19, showed amazing progress in the course of 30 college games from start to end, and would be working under Spoelstra who is supposedly a magic man in improving jumpshots.

It would seem that the difference in our opinion is that you are more ready to declare Beasley a post dominating NBA player and the PG's in the NBA FA that will sign for the MLE to be satisfactory starting PG's, while I'm more ready to assume Rose can be a dynamic starting PG with a decent 3 point shot and that there are far more sure post presences available through trades or next years FA.

[DayofMourning]

Calderon would be the perfect fit next to Wade. He is a very high percentage shooter from every spot on the floor which would help compensate for Wade's lack of outside shooting. If I remember correctly he also has a very high assists to turnover ratio which would again compensate for Wade's. With him as a game manager Wade wouldn't have to make as many of the decisions and could really show how well he could play off the ball. He's also got decent size for a point as a bonus.

However, due to his status as a RFA he will be near impossible to acquire as Toronto values him much, much more than what he should be paid. I'd pay him 7 million a year, but I fear Toronto would want much more. Not that we can sign him straight up, but if a trade were to happen then they'd want that kind of compensation.

[Lane1974]

JCN could be an answer

[miamiballer]

1. beasley
2. rose
3. brook lopez
4. bayless
5. randolph
6. mayo

i want beasley and then rose but if we get neither, lopez or bayless would solidify the pg or c positions for a long time

[miamiballer]

note that i think mayo is the 3rd best player in the draft but is a sg and not a pg

[Flash4thewin]

But with Wade and Mayo's passing game we could get away with having a combo guard backcourt. Mayo is considered a good defender and wouldn't be a bad pick if we miss out on either Beasley or Rose.

[miamiballer]

But with Wade and Mayo's passing game we could get away with having a combo guard backcourt. Mayo is considered a good defender and wouldn't be a bad pick if we miss out on either Beasley or Rose.

i agree to an extent except that mayo is more of a scorer than spot up shooter/set up man

Bayless is also a scorer but he is also closer to a true pg than mayo is and bayless reminds me more of tony parker than mayo who is more arenas who needs the ball to be effective

[BFO]

Nowhere near enough love for WaTcHoUt. You people disappoint me.

By the way Watchie, you got any pics of you and Spoiertrslwfgiawtra at dinner? I bet you do, come on, post em young fella.

You hit your teens yet? Got a crush on any girls (or boys)? Had a shave? Sleeping in your own bed yet?

I have missed you dude. Say hi to your mum for me.

[Hoops23]

Mayo is not a bad option for the Heat at #3. He can play both guard position although he's better position is SG. We all know there is no assurance Wade will sign back after his contract is up, besides there is always the issue of health with Wade. But I'll rather trade down a few spots if the Heat ends at #3 or #4 to get some players who can help now or in the future.

[Hoops23]

Back to the Jose Calderon topic.

"As of today, the Raptors would like me to continue, however until the 1st of July we will not know anything about the possible renewal or other offers from teams interested in me for next season. What is clear is the fact that if I have to choose between a sports offer versus an economic offer, I will opt for the first. I want to be a starter and to be in a team that aspires for everything. Of course I will not be on a team in which I cannot be an important contributor nor if there is not a solid structure or if there are not options to be in the

[Lane1974]

that's nice and all, but the fact is he is a restricted free agent, so the Raptors would happily match the MLE deal we would offer in about half a second. The only possible way he could end up here this offseason is via trade, which isn't going to happen.

[Flash3]

never say never










too late i already did

[CoolD]

Eric deserves the opportunity to coach a "fresh PG", we need to stay away from FA's, seriously. Haven't we learned anything from bidding on other teams FA's, they get rich, we get desperate.

Let's just wait until May 20 to see what pick we have and draft the best player or the best PG available at the position we get. Develop that player into what you need/wan him to be.

Quick fixes is are not the way to go this time, that's too much pressure to put on Eric, he deserves a developmental year.

I agree with you that getting desperate and try to have a quick fix is not the way to go. ( us getting desperate and getting Ricky Davis, and thinking Penny will resurrect from the dead) And pulling all types of gimmicks. I want to first see who we draft. Then get rid of Blount, and then see what the market is offering. But don't get desperate. Be willing to be patient, even if the team doesn't have a strong start, trying quick fix will end up in bigger hole than we already have dug.

[DayofMourning]

Making quick, rash decisions has never really been Riley's game. Penny, Smush, and Ricky were all high risk/okay reward players he took a stab at when nothing else he took a shot at worked. Now they're all gone. Nothing left. He didn't make the mistake the Knicks did and overpay for middling players with long contracts. You won't see that here.

Riley has proven that he can draft and trade with the best of them. Getting Wade and Caron in the draft was huge and trading/signing Zo/Timmy/Mash/Grant/Jones/Odom/Shaq/etc. is truly phenomenal.