The Official "Super Team" (Heat) Thread & How far do they get next year poll

[babyskyhook]

I've taken the liberty of inserting a few of their potential opponents into playoff slots. How well do you think they will do in the first year ?

[worcester]

Do these comparisons make any sense?
KG is better than Chris Bosh overall, when one considers defense. Even though Bosh scores more points, he gives up more than KG. I'd say give the Celts a five point advantage here.
Rondo is better than any point guard Miami will have. Give the Celts 10 points here when considering Rondo's scoring, passing, D, and rebounding.
Ray is 10 points less a player than Dwayne overall.
Paul is 8 points a player less than LeBron overall.
Including D and O, Perk and Jermaine and Baby are 5 points better than whoever the Heat find as a center.

Net result, starters to starters - Celts plus 2.
How's that for bleeding green?

[swedeinestonia]

Will have to wait and see on how much they were willing to reduce their contracts and who they can get for that extra money.

[sinus007]

Hi,
My understanding (from Yahoo article) that they took about 2M less each. Therefore. Heat'll have about 6M to get a center and the bench. Are there any exceptions they're entitled to? Gyso and others please chime in.
IMHO, they will go all the way IF a) there is chemistry and b) they're lucky to find good second unit on the cheap; if not - they'll fall in the first or second round of playoffs.

AK

[gyso]

Here are some numbers:

0.9mil, Chalmers
4.9mil, M. Miller
14.5mil, James
14.5mil, Bosh
14.0mil, Wade
48.8mil

http://www.realgm.net/src_wiretap/

With the cap set at 58mil, the Heat have 9.2mil to spend on one or two good players. Once they reach the 58mil, then they sign the vet min guys, as many as they need to get to 13 or 14 players.

It is important to get the 9.2mil cap space money spent on the one or two good players first, then get the vet min guys. The vet min is the only exception available to them once they go over the sal-cap.

They may split the 9.2 between Shaq and Brad Miller. That may solve their hole at the 5 position. I really hope I am wrong with the 9.2mil, someone, please tell me I am wrong and it is less!!

PG Chalmers
SG Wade
SF James
PF Bosh
C Shaq

Bench: Mike Miller, Brad Miller, Jason Williams

That's 8 so far. The rest will be vet min players.

gyso

[Sam]

This is the period when money is virtually everyone's focus. Hence the line of reasoning that the bench will be thin because it'll be loaded with vet minimum players.

Partly because I get easily bored with the economics of the NBA, but mostly because I'm so interested in the mechanics and rhythms of the game itself, I find myself thinking that there's no more guarantee they'll play well together than there was that Shaq, Lebron and Jamison would take the world by storm.

It all goes back to my "toy soldier" theory that you can't necessarily plunk three guys into a lineup and guarantee great chemistry. They'll have to arrive at a system that can optimize the productivity of each one of them. One's tendencies cannot be at odds with another's tendencies. It's sort of like taking a lot of medications and having to be cautious about possible cross-medication problems.

As for conjecturing how well they'll fare, it might not hurt to see what the entire team will consist of rather than focusing primarily on three "known" quantities. It's always about the team.

Sam

[swedeinestonia]

Lebron/Bosh or Wade/Bosh would mix fine I would say, it is Wade and Lebron that will be the big clash.

Lebron on the Bulls might very well have been a better team.

[NYCelt]

So far it looks like Wade, James, Bosh, Chalmers, Mike Miller, Jason Williams, Haslem (probable).

The three whatever-they're-going-to-be-called have taken $15 mil less each over the life of each contract in order to help out and shedding Beasley opened up $5 mil of room so this is very much a work in progress.

Based on what we saw in the Olympics I have no doubt about those three playing together and adapting their games to each other and a new system. Spolestra may be a good guy to handle the three egos since he doesn't need center stage himself like Riley. He does however seem to demand discipline.

Oh, the question...

Let me get back to you when they fill out the roster, but I'll lay money on reaching the conference finals from the little we already know. In the early going this is looking like another version, likely stronger when it's done, of what we did in '07.

It's going to be fun to play them, of that much I'm sure.

Regards

[dboss]

Don't know how far they will go and I definitely do not believe that LA is an automatic bye.

The Heat have assembled some significant talent. at the 2,3 and 4 spots no team in the NBA can really match up with them. Chambers is an adequate PG and all they need is to stick a slab of meat in the middle and they will win a ton of games.

It will take them a while to gel because both D Wade and James like to pound the ball. To win, one superstar has to defer to the other superstar.

It is important to note that they are not entitled to a championship. they will have to earn it and I am certain that the Boston Celtics will have something to say about that.

dboss

[gyso]

Mike Miller signs:

Miller signed his long-awaited five-year contract with the Heat on Thursday, becoming the latest player to take less money than he could have made elsewhere to play for Miami. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Udonis Haslem all did the same in recent days, all with eyes on winning a championship.

"It's official!" Miller wrote on Twitter, thanking the Heat, owner Micky Arison and team president Pat Riley for making it happen.

After James, Bosh and Wade decided to team up, the Heat knew they needed a shooter to complement the All-Star trio, and that only raised Miller's stock in Miami. Riley met with Miller in the very first moments after free agency opened at 12:01 a.m. eastern time on July 1, sitting down with him in a Beverly Hills hotel room for a sales pitch unlike any other.

There's more:

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/articles/2010/07/15/miller_signs_heat_deal_joins_wade_james_and_bosh/

[gyso]

Check out this page once in a while. It should update itself as players are added. After the salary numbers are announced, they should get updated also.

http://hoopshype.com/salaries/miami.htm

[NYCelt]

Check out this page once in a while. It should update itself as players are added. After the salary numbers are announced, they should get updated also.

http://hoopshype.com/salaries/miami.htm

gyso,

Interesting to see that.

That's a lot of money spent on a very few players so far!

Regards

[gyso]

Check out this page once in a while. It should update itself as players are added. After the salary numbers are announced, they should get updated also.

http://hoopshype.com/salaries/miami.htm

gyso,

Interesting to see that.

That's a lot of money spent on a very few players so far!

Regards

NY,

Here's Bostons ... Ouch!!

http://hoopshype.com/salaries/boston.htm

They haven't gotten Pierce's salary numbers in yet. I wonder how front-loaded it will be?

16 + 15 + 15 + 15 = 61mil

or

18.5 + 16.5 + 14 + 12 = 61mil

The second one would help out the Celtics cap-wise in the 3rd and 4th year.

gyso

[tjmakz]

gyso,

Can you imagine having this payroll and not making the playoffs?

'The "luxury tax" for the 2006-07 season is set at $65.42 million. Teams above this level pay a dollar-for-dollar tax on every dollar by which they exceed the threshold.

The New York Knicks team salary for 2006-07 is a league-record $141,666,359.

The Knicks are $76,246,359 above the tax threshold.'

[NYCelt]

gyso,

It looks like Wyc and friends will be digging deep into their pockets.

Good thing they have deep pockets. Revenue from another deep playoff or title run would help earn some of that back of course!

I don't know about you, but that's more than I've made this month...

tj,

Can you imagine having paid 141 mil for the 06-07 Knicks?

That would be a major case of buyer's remorse.

[tjmakz]

$141m PLUS the luxury tax. LOL.

[Brandon$$]

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2010-07-15/sports/os-penny-hardaway-miami-heat-20100715_1_mario-chalmers-miami-heat-penny-hardaway

Another puppet show for the Miami Heat? Somebody call Nike.

Penny Hardaway, the man who inspired original Nike puppet in the late 90s "Lil Penny," announced he is interested in competing for a role with the Miami Heat Thursday on an internet radio show called "The Bottom Line Sports Show."

"Mentally I was retired and physically I was retired. I was playing recreational ball," Hardaway said. "But when the decision happened with Chris Bosh and LeBron, I felt like I could really be good in that system."

Hardaway last competed for the Miami Heat in 2007, but experienced his most productive years with the Orlando Magic from 1993-99, where he was a four-time NBA All-Star.

Knee injuries derailed his career, but Hardaway said he's felt healthy since his last stint with the Heat where he was promoted to a starting role before he was released in December of 2007. Hardaway said he's still in good shape with his 39th birthday just days away July 18. Hardaway said he works out four times a week and plays up to five times a week.

"I can understand where Michael Jordan was coming from coming out of retirement a couple times, I can understand where Brett Favre is right now," Hardaway said. "When you still have something in the tank it's really hard to let it go."

Hardaway said he sent text messages to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and his former teammate Alonzo Mourning to express his interest in competing for a non guaranteed, one-year minimal role upon hearing "The Decision."

Hardaway later added in the radio interview that he felt his veteran experience and leadership could be a benefit to younger players like Mario Chalmers.

He has not been in contact with Heat President Pat Riley.

"I love basketball and I didn't get a chance to finish my career the way I wanted," Hardaway said.

[bobheckler]

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2010-07-15/sports/os-penny-hardaway-miami-heat-20100715_1_mario-chalmers-miami-heat-penny-hardaway

Another puppet show for the Miami Heat? Somebody call Nike.

Penny Hardaway, the man who inspired original Nike puppet in the late 90s "Lil Penny," announced he is interested in competing for a role with the Miami Heat Thursday on an internet radio show called "The Bottom Line Sports Show."

"Mentally I was retired and physically I was retired. I was playing recreational ball," Hardaway said. "But when the decision happened with Chris Bosh and LeBron, I felt like I could really be good in that system."

Hardaway last competed for the Miami Heat in 2007, but experienced his most productive years with the Orlando Magic from 1993-99, where he was a four-time NBA All-Star.

Knee injuries derailed his career, but Hardaway said he's felt healthy since his last stint with the Heat where he was promoted to a starting role before he was released in December of 2007. Hardaway said he's still in good shape with his 39th birthday just days away July 18. Hardaway said he works out four times a week and plays up to five times a week.

"I can understand where Michael Jordan was coming from coming out of retirement a couple times, I can understand where Brett Favre is right now," Hardaway said. "When you still have something in the tank it's really hard to let it go."

Hardaway said he sent text messages to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and his former teammate Alonzo Mourning to express his interest in competing for a non guaranteed, one-year minimal role upon hearing "The Decision."

Hardaway later added in the radio interview that he felt his veteran experience and leadership could be a benefit to younger players like Mario Chalmers.

He has not been in contact with Heat President Pat Riley.

"I love basketball and I didn't get a chance to finish my career the way I wanted," Hardaway said.

Brandon,

This whole thing has gone from outrageous (LBJ's handling of this whole thing) to comedic (Dan Gilbert, CEO of the Cavs and owner of Fathead, Inc, marking down all of LBJ's products to either $17.41 (the year Benedict Arnold was born) or $17.76 (the year we kicked out The King) to now just plain farce.

The next report we'll be hearing is that Charles Barkley plans to shed 90 pounds by training camp so he can begin his comeback with the Miami Heat. Barkley will be quoted as saying "I believe if I get in a shape other than globular, I can still eat the competition. Plus, Duane Wade is one of my T-Mobile Fave 5".

Sheesh.

bob

.

[swedeinestonia]

I saw just now that they got Da'Sean Butler with one of their draft picks (42nd).

If he manages to recover from that knee injury he might be a very good pickup for them, he played very good ball.

[swedeinestonia]

Saw now that they are supposedly bringing back a player they bought out.(James Jones)

What is stopping teams from buying out players and bringing them back at the veterans minimum and hence staying under salary cap/luxury tax?

They player could obviously just take the buyout and then go get a contract somewhere else but I also see how this could potentially be abused.

[dbrown4]

As far as this whole process has gone, it shows something interesting going on beneath the surface that wasn't there before and probably wasn't in place with Boston's coup.

Collaboration. Not in a bad sense yet, although that's where it will probably end up if not regulated, but agents and several players working together with management to put a team/deal (in this case, Miami) together. Most trades, FA deals, etc. up to this point have been done with one-on-one (or two-on-one with the agent v. management) hashing out a deal and adding the numbers up along the way. But not any cross-agent/player mixing like this.

Miami has taken this a step further by forcing all three agents and players to sit down (together?) and take a paycut of ~$2Mil. Could the NBA/CBA be moving toward, say, a super group of agents with players that will collaborate with each team management a larger and larger package deal than we have just seen? Is this legally possible under current conditions going forward?

[beat]

Dbrown

I offer another voting option...........who cares? Just as long as the C's win.

beat

[dbrown4]

Well, if and when the wind blows in the league, I just want the Celtics out in front of it, as you say, that's all!

It probably implies from another thread a comment from bobheckler about league contraction which I like more and more. The Celtics will be fine here, but DA going to have to be on high alert at all times to survive.

[gyso]

Miami Heat roster is a melting pot:

With Puerto Rican guard Carlos Arroyo also expected back, Miami's locker room will feature a collection of players from at least seven states, four countries, three continents and two Canadian provinces.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/07/19/1737954/heat-blends-melting-pot.html

[dbrown4]

Well from the poll, it looks like we're very predictable! I'm just glad it will be the Celtics once again playing the spoiler role. Please, bring back the '60's for the next 6 seasons, Danny and Doc! Make Miami your '60's Lakers! But this time, don't even throw them the '72 bone.

As with any potential major power shift and trying to predict the outcome, the extremes never happen. Miami won't be winning it all this next season or all six titles. They won't be going out in the first round, either.

Take for example this fall's upcoming mid-term elections, and this is coming from a Republican. The Republicans will not sweep/takeover the House and the Senate as everyone (except Joe Biden) is predicting. It will probably come to pass they will take over San Fran Gran Nan and Co. but probably not the Senate, maybe 52-48 in favor of the Dems will be the final score. If the country does any less than that, they will continue to get what they deserve. But I digress.

Throw in a potential work stoppage and you'll see the Golden Rule rise up again...He who has the gold makes the rules and the owners will once again get what they want because Miami can't afford to sit on the sidelines letting time pass with what's at stake. Neither can we.

Will I be watching more Heat games in additions to all the Celtic games? Absolutely. But I'll be watching for the same reasons most if not all of us will tune into them. It's just like the #1 reason people go to NASCAR races, although I've never been to one. I'll be watching for their crashes, fouls, injuries and their inevitable destruction by the Celtics and any other team that wants to take a swipe at them.

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