Every year at this time, I start combing the NBA unemployed list for veterans who can help Miami. Last year it was Ruben Patterson. I wore out Momma with pleas for Miami to sign Ruben Patterson. He is strong, he is aggressive, and he lowers his head and goes in a straight line to the rim. He had averaged 15 and 5 in 31 minutes a game the previous year in Milwaukee (54% from the floor!). Plus, we had no small forward as evidenced by D. Wright's starting stint. As usual, my pleas went unheeded. The Clippers signed him late. He only played 20 games, averging 5 points in 16 mimutes per...Sometimes The Team knows better.
This year, however, I suspect they don't. Jamal Magloire is in town. He was in this position last year, coming off a bad stretch, signing a one year deal with a bad team (in New Jersey) to revive the career. The Plumber, of course, touted his arrival. As per usual, I watched much Net action to help the Plumber temper expectations. Magloire was dreadful. He was beyond dreadful. On a bad team with a thin frontcourt he couldn't even get on the court - when he did he was awful, shooting 30% from the floor and 45% from the line. Plumber kept blaming Coach Lawrence Frank for not getting him regular minutes, but that was Plumber-talk. There was no way to justify keeping him on the court. He kept catching the ball just inside the elbow, turning, and firing line drives off the backboard with no rim. Plumber championed his ability to lay the wood on the other end, but he couldn't get near enough anyone to do so.
Magloire is talking the talk coming in to camp, as is Spoelstra. Ira reports this from the first day of Heat practice:
"The staff spent extra time with Jamaal Magloire working on agility and strength drills in the post. The Heat's smallest offseason signing could prove to be one of the most significant. Erik Spoelstra said Magloire was mowing down teammates during the high-energy session."
I think the "mowing down" comment was meant as a positive...I mean, he is big. And I want to believe. But realistically, his last good season was 2003-04, and his only two good seasons were that year, and the one preceding it. So it probably isn't going to happen. Though, considering the options up front, I am game to try.
In other news:
As we head in to October, it warrants mention that the Red Sox are in the playoffs again. However, it looks as if this year that Tim Wakefield will be relagated to the bullpen for the postseason. This is a blessing. The knuckleball is an abomination, an absolute transmogrification of the art of pitching. Tim Wakefield, are you a man or a mouse? Butch up, throw a fastball, and accept what comes, like a man.
