After countless rumors of PGs going to Miami dying down, heat fans are left with the question “Who Will it Be?” Will we made a big move to grab a star or are we going to settle for a young guy who hasn’t proven himself? Are we even going to make a move? Nothing has been answered yet and all we have gotten are more rumors, this time something has to happen.

The first rumors we heard were about Mike Bibby, the starting Point Guard from Sacramento. Bibby would be the dream guy for us in Miami but chances are that it’s not gonna happen. Though the Heat are looking for a reliable scorer who can distribute the ball and Bibby is exatly that, one has to wonder what’s in it for Sacramento? Would they really want to trade possibly their best player for Dorell Wright, a guy that is full of potential but hasn’t played much since he was drafted three years ago? I wouldn’t get my hopes up about a possible Bibby trade although it would fit perfectly.

The next possibility is Steve Francis. I always liked Steve Francis when he was in Houston but something changed about him when he was in Orlando and New York. He was a different player when he was younger and has turned into a turnover prone, injury prone player who will hurt the team more than help it. While Francis would be a major risk for the Heat, we do need to do something and fast. Miami needs scoring, plain and simple, and no matter how much you dislike the guy, he can score. The question is can he fit in and take his role behind Wade and Shaq, our previous attempts at a third scorer have gone up in flames as J-Will can’t stay healthy and Anwoine Walker is going downhill quickly, what about Francis makes us think that he will be good here? I don’t know if it will work out but something has to be done and right now we are running out of options.

Finally, the last possibility is Juan Carlos Navarro. Most Heat fans are probably asking themselves “Who?” I’ve never seen Navarro play but from what I hear he is a good shooter from deep and is a combo guard. “How will we get this guy?” you might ask and the answer is not one that will make you jump for joy, not me atleast. The way to get Navarro is to trade James Posey in a sign-and-trade. Although I agree we need a Point Guard, why trade one of our best shooters and our most reliable defender? With Kapono gone, we will need Posey now more than ever. Even if Navarro is a good shooter, he will take a while to adjust to the NBA game before he can do much of anything for Miami. This just doesn’t seem like our best option.

So what do we do? I say we go after Bibby, though it’s easier said than done, we have to offer all that we got and then some. The Kings will likely want Haslem and Wright in return and while I’m skeptical in giving up Haslem, it seems like he is leaving Miami anyway so we might as well get what we need for him. After Bibby I’d suggest going after Francis, while that is a risky move, it could pay off quite nicely and give us that third option we’ve been looking for without giving up anything except a few million dollars. Navarro would be nice but right now giving up a proven shooter and defender for a young guy like that wouldn’t be our best option.

Although not much has happened for Miami this off-season, one thing is certain, last night at Zo’s annual Summer Groove, the 14 year veteran announced that he will be returning to Miami for one last season. Many thought that Mourning was going to call it quits this season after getting his coveted championship ring in 2005 but the Center has come back to redeem himself from the “embarassment” of last season when the Heat got swept out of the play-offs.

Although Zo’s returning brought good news to Miami, there was plenty of bad news as well. It seems the Heat are going to find another PG as Zo said “Payton wont be in Miami next year” and they might also need another wing man as Posey seems to be leaving the Heat as well.

Mo Williams has finally made a decision about his future and has decided to return to Milwaukee next season. Miami and Milwaukee had been trying to beat each other out in the Williams Sweepstakes but Milwaukee lured the young point guard back giving him a six year contract worth $52 million.

Now that Williams is gone, Miami has reportedly been looking at guards Steve Francis and Mickael Pietrus. While I think Pietrus would be a good fit, I think the Heat should look elsewhere to find a PG other than Francis. Francis is purely a scorer who doesnt distribute the ball much and is injury prone. If Francis can go back to playing like he did in Houston, Miami could strike gold with his signing but if he plays like he did in New York, I smell trouble in the Heat locker room.

According to league sources, the Miami Heat are very interested in guards Mo Williams (Bucks) and Mickael Pietrus (Warriors).

Mo Williams

Free agent, Mo Williams has a big decision to make this off-season should he re-sign with his old team or sign with a possible contender? Williams would be a great fit for Miami as he is exactly what the Heat are looking for. Williams will bring a good shooting stroke from deep, which the Heat could use after losing Jason Kapono to Free Agency, he is also very quick and an explosive scorer. As seen in the Chicago series, the Heat need some new guys that can run and keep up with the quicker guys in the league. Williams would be the ideal Point Guard for the heat’s future.

Mickael Pietrus

Another rumor surrounding the Heat is a possible sign-and-trade for the 25 year old forward. Pietrus is still very young and has made many questionable decisions in his career. While his decision making might be an issue, the Heat have a great coaching staff that can help him overcome those issues. The positives of Pietrus are that he has a good offensive game, he is very quick, and he will be a good locker room guy. The negative side is that he is very inconsistenet and as mentioned before is not a good decision-maker. He would be a pretty good player on the Heat as he could provide a spark off the bench if he can gain some consistency.

Right now, the top priority for the Heat should be to sign Mo Williams, while I like Pietrus and I would like to see him in Miami, Williams could be just what this team needs, a third scorer who is quick and can shoot. Let’s hope Riley can bring him in!

It didn’t take Kapono long to bolt out of Miami. In the first day of Free Agency, the sharpshooter left the state and the country to sign a 4 year contract with Toronto starting at six million dollars. Kapono led the league in three point shooting and was expected to cash-in on his great season in a big way elsewhere.

The drafting of Daequan Cook is looking better than ever right now “He has the best shooting stroke of anyone we’ve brought in here.” said coach Pat Riley about the young guard from Ohio State. Daequan Cook is expected to get a good amount of minutes this year with Kapono leaving and Dwyane Wade currently recovering from knee and shoulder surgery.

With the 20th pick in the draft, Heat fans were hoping for a PG at pick #20 most preferably Acie Law or Javaris Crittenton. Unfortunately for the Heat, both were taken before they had the chance to pick them. Acie Law went to Atlanta at 11 and Javaris Crittenton went to the Lakers at pick 19.

Pick #20

With the 20th pick and the best PGs off the board, the Heat went after their second biggest need, a big man. The Heat drafted Jason Smith, a PF from Colorado State. Smith was not in Miami for very long as the Heat traded Jason Smith to Philadelphia for Daequan Cook, a 2009 2nd Round Pick, and cash considerations.

Pick # 39

With the 39th pick in the draft, the Heat dipped into a market they had never picked from before taking the team’s first oversees draft pick in the franchise’s history. The Heat drafted Bosnian C Stanko Barac. Like their previous draft pick, Barac did not stay with Miami for long as he was sent to Indiana for a 2009 2nd.

The Facts

With Wade’s recent injuries and most of our SG’s aging or expiring, Daequan Cook was a good pick. Wade could miss the beginning of the season, Cook could play a big role in the Heat’s success next season.

My Thoughts

I think Derrick Byers at pick 20 would have been a better and safer pick than Cook, while Cook has more potential, Byers is a good shooter and is more NBA ready which would help more next season if Wade does in fact miss some games at the beginning of the year.

At pick 39, I think Barac was a bad pick. Instead of picking a guy that will most likely spend atleast the early part of his career oversees, we could have picked someone we actually need, PG Taurean Green. The Heat’s scoring last year was 3rd worst in the league and adding a great outside shooter like Taurean Green wouldve been great. Instead of a good scorer and PG who couldve helped right away we get a 2009 2nd round pick from Indiana. 

If the Heat do not take one of the previously mentioned guards, the other position that needs to be adressed is the big man spot. While the franchise has already invested money in Udonis Haslem as their future Power Forward, there is still some huge question marks in the Heat’s post players. We all now that Alonzo Mourning and Shaquille O’Neal will not be here forever, so the Heat could be looking to improve their post game instead of their PG position.

The Heat do have some young guys at the bigman spots. The Heat already have their starting PF spot covered with Udonis Haslem but what about the back-up role. Do we really expect Antoine Walker to hold that spot forever? Should we really put all our chips on Wayne Simien, who while might be a great kid has been plagued by injuries since he started in this league? At C, Shaq and Mourning will both be gone in a few years, do we really expect Earl Barron to be the guy when they leave? I think not. Here are some guys they might look at with pick number 20:

Josh McRoberts

While we do need a big man and Josh McRoberts will be picked around where the Heat are, I dont think McRoberts is the answer to our problems. With haslem at PF, McRoberts has nowhere to play, he is too slow to play SF and doesnt have the post game of an NBA Center. While McRoberts could turn out to be a solid ballplayer in the NBA, I dont think he fits in where the Heat need him.

Tiago Splitter

Tiago Splitter, who is slightly bigger than Josh McRoberts, could be a better fit than Josh for the Heat. I am not completely sold on Splitter as he is said to be weak both mentally and physically and is also injury-prone. Splitter however, has a nice scoring touch around the paint and if he puts on some weight and adds muscle, he could become a pretty good Center.

Marc Gasol

Marc Gasol, brother of NBA Star Pau Gasol, is another big man who could be interesting come draft day. While Marc is not much of an athlete he is very big and strong. Gasol has great upper body strangth and can establish himself as a good offensive threat in the paint. It seems all he needs to become a great player is to improve his conditioning and footwork.

I would rather see the Heat take a Point Guard with their pick, but it is important to look at all the options in this draft. After all, this could be a very important pick in the future of the Heat.

Who should the Heat take with Pick number 20? This question has been goiing through every Heat fan’s mind for the past few weeks. Its obvious that change is necessary for this team to succeed in the future, but in such a talented draft, who do you pick? Right now, the Heat have a few main spots they need to address. Their main problem is at the Point Guard spot where Jason Williams and Gary Payton are just not getting it done for this team. This will be where I think the Heat will go with their pick. Here are some possibilities at PG:

Acie Law IV

While Heat fans would salivate at the thought of Acie Law and Dwyane Wade on the same court at the end of the game, this while unfortunate, seems very unlikely. I believe Acie Law will be gone before the Heat have a chance to pick him, however if the Heat get lucky enough for Law to slip, I think he is a no-brainer at 20. Widely considered as the second best PG in the draft behind OSU’s Mike Conley, Acie Law would be perfect for the Heat. Jason Williams is losing the ability to take over a game with his play-making ability and Acie Law could take big minutes right away and be ready to make a big impact in the Heat’s starting lineup the year after when Jason Williams’s contract expires. Law would give the Heat a very good play-maker and another scoring option late in the game.

Javaris Crittenton

Javaris Crittenton is the more realistic option at the PG position. While I believe he is not as good of a play-maker as Acie Law, he has the size and athleticism to be very successful in this league where many players get by on just how high they can jump. Javaris is a very similar player to Wade, he is a good slasher and will dunk over any defender that tries to deny him from the rim. While he still needs to become a better decision maker and improve his jumper, he could turn into a great PG especially because of his size and desire.

After being swept in the first round, talk around the league was that Shaquille O’Neal would be leaving Miami. O’Neal says he is not worried about the issue. “I’ve been told that I’m going to retire here, so I’m really not worried about it,” he said. Coach Pat Riley and Owner Mickey Arison have re-assured veteran Center Shaquille O’Neal that he will retire in Miami and that they are looking for players to put around him. The question now is, how long will Shaq continue to play in the NBA.

In other Heat news, Dwyane Wade recovering from knee and shoulder injuries, is expected to have surgery some time in the next week or so. Coach Riley has said that the main priority right now is for him to rehab fully, not for him to come back by the start of the season. Could Wade miss the beginning of the 07-08 season? Only time will tell.

Miami Heat SG, Dwyane Wade recieved good news today. No he was not added to Charles Barkley’s fav. five, but he was named to the All-League Third Team. Dwyane Wade, who lead the Heat in scoring with 27.4 PPG, assists with 7.5 APG, and steals with 2.1 SPG, joins Chauncey Billups (Detroit), Carmelo Anthony (Denver), Kevin Garnett (Minnesota), and Dwight Howard (Orlando) to make up the All-League 3rd Team.

In other Heat news, Center Shaquille O’Neal did not make an All-League Team for the first time since 1993, his rookie season. O’Neal really went down hill this year and only averaged 17 PPG and 7 RPG.