What If: Miami Heat 2000-01

twix2500 · Post #1 » by **twix2500** » Sat Sep 28, 2013 10:34 pm

Lets revisit the Miami Heat 2000-01. The summer of 2000 the Heat made a big splash by attempting to revitalize the roster built around Hardaway and Zo. The Miami Heat trade Jamal Mashburn and PJ Brown to the Charlotte Hornets (among others) in exchange for Eddie Jones, Anthony Mason and Ricky Davis. Miami also picked up Brian Grant to go along with the core of Mourning, Hardaway, Majerle, Bruce Bowen and Anthony Carter. And sadly as the worse moment of the Heat franchise we found out about Zo illness. And to top it off Hardaway knees were damage goods. Because of the lost of Zo Riley trades Ricky Davis for a mistake in Chris Gatling

If that team stayed healthy (Zo no kidney illness and Tim knees stayed healthy) how would the season may have played out? Give us a story, what would have happen and how far would they have gone.

How far would have Ricky Davis developed?? Would we have made the finals or how would we have matched up against the Lakers? For the young bucks, here what the roster would have been.

Roster
PG: Tim Hardaway - Anthony Carter - Eddie House
SG: Eddie Jones - Dan Majerle - Eddie House
SF: Ricky Davis - Bruce Bowens
PF: Brian Grant - Anthony Mason
C: Alonzo Morning - Duane Causwell

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R-adJCteBs&list=PLqFENYtl1agVH4EmoHzWm7dplueFWEmW-[/youtube]

RJM · Post #2 » by **RJM** » Sat Sep 28, 2013 11:05 pm

Because of the infusion of youth and scoring without much of a drop in defense, Miami would have faced the Sixers in one of the ugliest Eastern Conference Final series of all time. I think Majerle starts in front of Davis for the time being, and you have yourself an interesting combination of youth and grizzled age.

Mason would have been an interesting bench player, as he was an all star that year from what I remember. The Bucks, Sixers and Heat would have made for an interesting postseason for sure, but I think Milwaukee's big three makes it past Miami.

Post #3 » by **Flash3** » Sat Sep 28, 2013 11:06 pm

NBA Finals.

I've always wondered this same instance for years. Because that forever changed the direction of this franchise in different ways and how that situation led to Epic Sucking ---> Butler/Wade ---> Odom ---> Shaq ----> LeBron/Big 3.

Post #4 » by **mopper8** » Sat Sep 28, 2013 11:26 pm

I think Finals, but mowed down the Shaq/Kobe Lakers, even with Bowen/Majerle/Jones rotation to throw at Kobe.

Now, if Miami had managed to nab T-Mac that summer and paired him with a healthy Zo, now you're talking a legit threat to challenge LA if you can keep PJ as well. Tim Bug - T-Mac - Majerle/Bowen - Brown - Zo is a monster

Post #5 » by **BFRESH44** » Sun Sep 29, 2013 12:20 am

We most certainly would've beaten the 76ers and been in the Finals. That was a down year for the East in terms of the depth of quality teams.

HEATVols865 · Post #6 » by **HEATVols865** » Sun Sep 29, 2013 3:17 am

Mason was envisioned as the starting 3, same position he played for the Knicks under Riley...he played the 4 when we shifted Grant to the 5...

The starting 5 was Zo, Grant, Mason, Jones and Hardaway
Majerle, House, Carter and Davis were the men off the bench...

Causewell was a joke...

Was Lenard still on the team back then?

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HEATVols865 · Post #7 » by **HEATVols865** » Sun Sep 29, 2013 3:22 am

AC Green was also part of that team and with Zo's injured player exception we signed or traded for Cedric Ceballos which Riley never played and it used to drive us all on here crazy!

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HeatFanSince87 · Post #8 » by **HeatFanSince87** » Fri Oct 4, 2013 4:18 am

mopper8 wrote:I think Finals, but mowed down the Shaq/Kobe Lakers, even with Bowen/Majerle/Jones rotation to throw at Kobe.

Now, if Miami had managed to nab T-Mac that summer and paired him with a healthy Zo, now you're talking a legit threat to challenge LA if you can keep PJ as well. Tim Bug - T-Mac - Majerle/Bowen - Brown - Zo is a monster

Crazy... I'll never forget that was a "done deal". It was on the ESPN ticker at the bottom. It was Mashburn, PJ, and someone else for TMac, Antonio Davis and Alvin Williams.

Felt in the end TMac just used us to get the max from Orlando. It all worked out because we land TMac the whole future of the franchise changes.

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twix2500 · Post #9 » by **twix2500** » Fri Oct 4, 2013 12:05 pm

I actually believe that Ricky Davis would of been a starter by the end of the year. I remember Riley was providing a lot of one on one teachings with Ricky Davis during the preseason. Local writers were taking notice of it during camp. I think Ricky would of been a hellava defender for us with Bowens backing him up at the Small Forward position. I also think he would of became a efficient 14pt a game player for us. Brian Grant, Zo and Mason would of dominated in the post would of been a perfect complementry to the quick potential trio of Hardaway, Eddie Jones and Ricky Davis. Remember Zo was at his best prior to the diagnosis.

I highly believe it would of been an epic battle between the Lakers and Heat in the NBA finals.

coolnerd88 · Post #10 » by **coolnerd88** » Fri Oct 4, 2013 5:03 pm

I'm not sure we beat the sixers, that was Allen Iverson's MVP year and he was absolutely ridiculous. In a playoff series it because about Superstars. It would have been a ugly, ugly series with 2 great defenses but I believe Iverson would have been the tipping point. It doesn't matter anyhow because no one is beating the Lakers that year

Tim_Hardawayy · Post #11 » by **Tim_Hardawayy** » Fri Oct 4, 2013 7:10 pm

We were going to the Finals in just about every experts preseason predictions, a few even had us beating the Lakers.

One thing to keep in mind, the previous year was easily the best of Zo's career, everything was coming together for him both physically and mentally. He was finally playing smarter on offense, not turning it over as much, not being as much of a black hole, less jumpers. I think because of this, no doubt we move past Philly, but yeah, the Lakers would've been too much.

Also, Ricky Davis would not have been starting, it would've been Anthony Mason or Thunder.

Also also, anyone remember how hyped the crowd was when Zo came back that year? Or that game he won with an alley oop dunk? It really made that awful series with the Hornets hurt that much more, I couldn't believe what was happening, and to have Mash and P.J. doing it to us too...

Post #12 » by **unowen85** » Fri Oct 4, 2013 10:45 pm

I was at Sunset Place that summer with some friends, after we had gotten Grant, Jones, and Mason, and saw Pat Riley standing in the lobby of the movies. We went up to him and asked him if this was our year, and said this was the year we were getting past those freaking Knicks and going to the Finals. I was like, hells yeah! And then Zo went down.

HeatFanSince87 · Post #13 » by **HeatFanSince87** » Sat Oct 5, 2013 12:58 am

Tim_Hardawayy wrote:We were going to the Finals in just about every experts preseason predictions, a few even had us beating the Lakers.

One thing to keep in mind, the previous year was easily the best of Zo's career, everything was coming together for him both physically and mentally. He was finally playing smarter on offense, not turning it over as much, not being as much of a black hole, less jumpers. I think because of this, no doubt we move past Philly, but yeah, the Lakers would've been too much.

Also, Ricky Davis would not have been starting, it would've been Anthony Mason or Thunder.

Also also, anyone remember how hyped the crowd was when Zo came back that year? Or that game he won with an alley oop dunk? It really made that awful series with the Hornets hurt that much more, I couldn't believe what was happening, and to have Mash and P.J. doing it to us too...

Trip down memory lane. Remember it all like yesterday. I remember the excitement when the news was spreading Zo was "Back"!. We eneded up losing to the Raptors but the game was epic due to the excitement of his return. I remember that play exactly. Thunder threw it from out of bounds to Zo at the buzzer to lock up 3 seed. What a great feeling! Seemed like we were about to go on a roll.

Then karma hit us for whatever reason and our two former studs beat us down...that series was so bizzare! We got blown out in each game! 3-0 sweep!

On a side note it really felt like Miller was becoming our new age Thunder. Not just for the obvious white guy thing but how both their careers kinds of evolved when on the Heat. They both were always known for the 3 ball but they became a jack of all trades for us.. Tough, fought like crazy for every loose ball.. Also always hurt but came up big in big moments.

Anyone remember the 3 at Chicago, thunder hit back in our great 96-97 run to win it on the road?

Post #14 » by **LEIF** » Sat Oct 5, 2013 1:41 am

I love threads like this.
If we are really speaking honestly about that team with a healthy Zo AND a healthy Timmie....we win a ring that first year together. It was the perfect timing to make that run, the East was pretty weak and it would have had a very "06" feel to it. Remember Riley built the 06 team very much how he built the 2000-01 team. swapping out 3 or 4 key players for others to surround his superstars. Zo was heading for MVP caliber season and that cast was perfect pieces surrounding them. AI and the 76ers would have been tough but Zo would have been too dominant on both ends in that series.

I remember driving up to FAU (I lived in NMiami at the time) for the intrasquad scrimmage...the buzz in the room was unbelievable. First time you felt like "hey we REALLY are talented enough to go ALL the way" but Zo didn't play at that scrimmage. It was very hush hush..then the news broke...