1) Well, he did it. I don't know how my dad, Pat Riley, snuck in there and ended this lockout for all of us without attracting any attention - that's almost impossible in our twittery-googlish society - but he did it. We're good to go, with games scheduled to begin on Christmas Day - Miami will be in Dallas, to watch the Mavs receive their rings. That's brutal - but thanks to tivo I'll never see it, just like I never saw Dallas actually win the title, because I turned the game off a few moments before the final buzzer. For all I know, the Heat came back and won the championship. Anyways, we'll have some season-y preview-y stuff as we get closer to starting the games, but for now, here's what you need to know. C'mon, LeBron James, let's get it...Let's Go!
2) Nothing will really change for Miami this season. At times during the lockout, there existed the possibility that the new collective bargaining agreement would contain rules which would lead to Miami having to alter the structure of the team, perhaps even having to jettison one of the Big Three. And by "one of the Big Three," I think we all know I mean, "Chris Bosh." That didn't happen. No matter what does happen during the abbreviated free agency period which begins December 9, essentially Miami is going to use the exact same formula they used last year - try to win a title with Dwyane, LeBron, and Bosh providing the bulk of the scoring, rebounding, and defending. The role players may change some, but championship or no championship is going to come down to those three. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't - I don't think you could say it can't work. They were pretty darn close last year...
3) "Samuel Dalembert" is going to be trending in Miami for the next two to three weeks, until he signs a contract elsewhere. A lot of people think that this Sacramento King free agent center is going to sign in Miami for the new mid-level exception, like 4 years for 20 million. I don't think this will happen - I think Sacramento will keep him for more money than Miami can offer. People seem to think that Dalembert wants to sign in Miami because, one, he has a house in Boca; and two, Miami is closer to his native Haiti than Sacramento. Half the NBA has a house in South Florida. And Miami is closer to Haiti than Sacramento, yes. But there's, like, an ocean in between, and he'll be working during the season - it's not like he's going to be able to pop home for dinner. He's a solid rebounder and defender - I'm not going to complain if somehow Miami ends up with him - but if Udonis Haslem is back healthy this year, that goes a long way to addressing the front court rotation without having to spend all your available money on Dalembert. On the other hand, Heat play-by-player Eric Reid is a huge Sam Dalembert fan - never fails to point out how excited the South Florida Haitian community gets whenever Sammy returns to play in Miami! My former co-worker GD grew up in Haiti - "Hey, GD, how do you feel about Haiti's favorite son, Sam Dalembert, potentially joining the Heat?" "Sam Dalembert is Haitian?" So there's that...Also, it would be nice to have a starting center who doesn't naturally ooze dairy products from his pores...
4) Mike Miller put his house on the market a few weeks ago. It's been assumed for months that there would be an "amnesty clause" in the new CBA, allowing each team to waive one existing player without having that player's remaining salary count against its salary cap. Miller, who signed a five year deal before last season, had the most injury-plagued season I've ever seen a human being experience: broke one thumb at the beginning of training camp, then the other thumb at the end of the season; in between, suffered back-to-back concussions in a ten day span, sprained his ankle, and suffered a shoulder injury which required post-season shoulder surgery. If he's healthy, he's a big help - he can shoot, and he rebounds well for a wing. But last year he was essentially worthless. Rumors are that Miami let him know weeks ago that they would probably have to amnesty him to free up money to bring in more help, prompting him to put his house up for sale - sweet house, too:
He lives, for some reason, in North Broward, not too far from me. It's on the market for like nine million dollars - thinking of making a lowball offer of about $370,000, with an escalation clause which could push it north of $400,000. 'Course, if I go over $400K, I'm asking him to pay some of the closing costs. May not sound like a great offer to him right now, but if he has to pack and move in a hurry to, say, Portland, having an offer already on the table could look pretty sweet.
5) If I had to guess, I think the starting day point guard will be Tracy McGrady. Yes, that Tracy McGrady - he's still alive! Sort of! First, I think Mario Chalmers, who is a restricted free agent, is going to leave. He had his moments in the Finals last year, and I think he thinks he is good enough to play a bigger role on another team. I mean, he's not - but he's half-wackadoo, half-unconscious - he doesn't know he's not! See: Beasley, Mike ("This Dwyane Wade is taking all my shots and holding me back!"). Mike Bibby, while arguably my favorite point guard of all-time, even in his current radically-diminished form, isn't really a viable option - I mean, his season highlight was throwing a towel off the bench while Derrick Rose shot a free throw, possibly causing him to be distracted and miss. There aren't any good available free agent point guard on-the-ball defenders available, which is really the only thing they need at that spot (since LeBron is the offensive point guard). They drafted a rookie point guard, Norris Cole, at the top of the second round. That's a flyer, that's just a prayer - you hope maybe he does something...someday. So, I think they are going to end up signing grouchy, old, used-up Tracy McGrady to play the point. He isn't much of a playmaker, his wheels are shot, and even at his peak, his primary skill was bad shot-making, because he either couldn't, or didn't care about, creating good shots - which is not a skill Miami needs at all. His main two selling points? He had a decent season for a terrible and depressing Pistons squad last year, and he thinks he is good. Sounds enticing, I know. I think he starts opening day, with either Bibby, or some other scrap heap veteran backing him up (Jamal Tinsley? TJ Ford?), and rookie Cole as the emergency third option. I'm not advocating any of this, I'm just guessing that this is what will happen. By the way, before free agency last year, I predicted the team would end being Wade, Dalembert, and Andre Iguodala - and I was psyched! - so really, I know nothing.
6) Bradley Cooper is People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive. This is news? Ummm, duhhh!!!
Okay, free agency, and training camps, etc, begin December 9th. We'll try to check in around that time. If you need me before then, I'll be out buying kayaks and jet skis - M.Miller's house is right on the coolest little inlet ever!!! Later!
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