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Heat is on Miami to improve
by Marc Narducci / August 12, 2007

While it's premature to assess final grades at this time, it hasn't been the brightest off offseasons for the Miami Heat.

NBA champions in 2005-2006, Miami now faces the realistic question as to whether the Heat will be one of the eight playoff teams - in the Eastern Conference no less.

This is a team stocked with former all-stars, with the emphasis on the word former. Have the Heat gotten too old too fast?

Miami won't be inspiring talks of winning a championship with the recent move of signing Penny Hardaway to a free agent contact.

This would have excited the Heat faithful a decade ago, when Hardaway made his most recent all-star appearance in 1998, but now one has to wonder how much a 36-year-old player who hasn't appeared in an NBA game since November of 2005 has left

The Heat also signed former Los Angeles Lakers guard Smush Parker to a two-year free agent deal. While the 26-year-old Parker gives Miami some semblance of youth, he hasn't been a model of consistency, especially after averaging just 1.8 points and 11.8 minutes per game during five playoff contests this past season.

So the Heat picked up Parker and Hardaway and lost Jason Kapono and Eddie Jones to free agency. Would you make that change?

The 26-year-old Kapono led the NBA in three-point shooting percentage. Jones, who turns 36 on Oct. 20, is still an effective performer, although nobody could blame Miami for not giving him the two-year contract that he received from Dallas.

Miami still has work to do and it would seem imperative that the Heat re-sign free agent forward James Posey. Not only would Posey bring defense and a solid medium range game, but at 30, he would almost be a youngster on this team.

This doesn't mean that Miami doesn't have a chance to contend in the Eastern Conference, but Miami is banking on many players who have seen their better days.

At the top of that list is Shaquille O'Neal, who can still have moments of dominance, mixed around extended time on the injured list. The 35-year-old O'Neal has missed a total of 65 regular season games during the past two seasons. During last season's four-game playoff loss to Chicago, O'Neal posted solid numbers, 18.8 points and 8.5 rebounds in 30.3 minutes.

Still, it's a far cry from the years when he was simply unstoppable, such as 2000 when O'Neal averaged 30.7 points, 15.4 rebounds and 43.5 minutes in the postseason while leading the Los Angeles Lakers to the first of their three consecutive NBA titles. O'Neal hasn't always had the reputation of taking the regular season seriously, but he might have to this season. Especially since Dwyane Wade is likely to miss the early portion of the season after undergoing surgery on his left shoulder and knee.

There are other questions as well. Point guard Jason Williams has well documented knee problems that forced him to miss 21 games last season. Even in playoffs, he struggled, averaging 5.8 points and 3.5 assists in 28 minutes.

At least Parker should provide durability if not consistency at the point guard position. Parker played all 82 games in each of his two seasons with the Lakers.

Udonis Haslem, at 27, is one of the youngsters on the Heat, but he is coming off an uninspiring playoff series where he averaged just 7.5 points and 5.3 rebounds. Antoine Walker, who turns 31 on Aug. 12, is also starting to show some mileage and has been prone to more repeated bouts of inconsistency. Last season he averaged a career-low 8.5 points and shot just 27.5 percent from three-point range. Alonzo Mourning is a solid performer who can give the Heat a defensive lift, but at 37, can he be counted on every night? Center Michael Doleac, 30, is a role player, but nothing more.

The Heat have some young players who nobody really knows how much they can help the team this coming season.

Former first round picks Dorell Wright and Wayne Simien are still waiting to prove themselves after three and two years respectively with the Heat.

This year's first round pick, guard Daequan Cook of Ohio State, is just one year removed from high school. While the 6-4 Cook has an NBA body and shows potential, he can't be expected to realistically make a solid contribution as a rookie.

Coach and president Pat Riley has always preferred playing veterans. That line of thinking may have to change.

So there are so many questions concerning the Heat, very few of which have been answered this off-season.

Assuming things work out and Wade returns quickly to the form that has made him one of the NBA's top players, and O'Neal can give the Heat the type of numbers that he posted in the first-round playoff loss to Chicago, that would be a good start for Miami.

Maybe Hardaway can find the fountain of youth and Walker can rediscover his jump shot. It's possible that Parker will be a solid addition and that Williams and Haslem can bounce back from subpar playoff performances.

Still, there are a lot of factors that would have to go Miami's way for the Heat to be in the Eastern Conference mix.

With an aging team, nothing is guaranteed. That's why Miami's offseason grade to this point is incomplete.

If the Heat enter the regular season with no more significant additions, then Miami would likely get a failing grade for its off-season work.

Marc Narducci covers the NBA for the Philadelphia Inquirer and is a frequent contributor to HoopsHype.com

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