Roster Speculation Vol. VIIII

[daleja424]

Like the last couple posters, I see Harrellson making the team over Varnado.

Aside from the players with guaranteed contracts, it will probably be Harrellson and Harris for the last 2 spots.

I fail to see the value in keeping Harris. He is an undersized wing on a team with a glut of wings. Roster spot would be better served with a developemental big (not named Dexter Pittman)

[MiamiLoyal926]

I fail to see the value in keeping Harris. He is an undersized wing on a team with a glut of wings. Roster spot would be better served with a developemental big (not named Dexter Pittman)

Because Harris is a darn good player and a much better player than any developmental big available. Harris' development may make a player like cole expendable and is a great option at the end of the bench.

[therealwd27]

"@IraHeatBeat: Chamberlain Oguchi, the swingman from the Nigerian national team, back working with Heat. Two camp spots remain. http://t.co/UxCXgY5q"

[IndyHeatjman]

Malcolm Thomas to workout with Heat and may gain a spot on the training camp roster. As long as they don't decide to keep Juwan Howard, he could very well make the list. IMO, they need to trade a wing, Jones please, along with somebody or some pick to get a big. I do like harrelson's potential but harris is not needed on the active roster. And there only real need is a big man. If they can package Pittman and Jones for a bigman, im sure everyone would be happy with that minus the players and their agents...

[HiphopRelated]

[justinnum1]

Would love to have Malcolm Thomas. Dude was a beast in summer league

[beasted86]

I fail to see the value in keeping Harris. He is an undersized wing on a team with a glut of wings. Roster spot would be better served with a developemental big (not named Dexter Pittman)

I don't know where it began in people's mind that 6'5" is undersized for a SG. I hear that all the time, yet I can name more starting SGs in the NBA under 6'5" than starting SGs over 6'5"....


Anyway, I digress.... If Varnado shows he is a better project than Harris, then he should make the team out of positional need... but I expect Harris to play decent and Varnado to flat out disappoint. I've learned my lesson via Dexter Pittman and to lesser extents Jamaal Magloire and Eddy Curry about useless big men... so I could care less whether Varnado is a PF and Harris is a SG. If one guy is NBA caliber, and the other guy is useless and only being looked at because of height and some lofty prayer that someday he "gets it"... I'll take the NBA caliber player thank you very much.

[therealwd27]

Decisions loom in Heat training camp; Discouraging Fins news; UM, Marlins talk

WEDNESDAY BUZZ COLUMN

Four decisions facing the Heat during training camp, which opens Saturday:

### Starting power forward: With Chris Bosh expecting to remain at center, the options are natural small forward Shane Battier, who handled the job for most of the final three rounds of the playoffs; Rashard Lewis, looking to resuscitate his career; and Udonis Haslem. Using Battier or Lewis with the other starters would spread the floor; Haslem would provide more rebounding.

Battier and Lewis aren’t big rebounders -– the 6-10 Lewis has, at times during his career, ranked among the lowest rebound-per-minute starter for a player of his size -– but LeBron James’ work on the boards could compensate for that. The question is whether Battier, at 225 pounds, can sustain a full season at power forward.

“I think I could get away with it,” he said. “The regular season is not as physical as the playoffs. Guys aren’t hitting as hard.”

### Which two young centers to keep: Two likely will make the team from among Dexter Pittman (a front-runner), Josh Harrellson, Mickell Gladness and Jarvis Varnado. Pat Riley opted for youth over a veteran such as Mehmet Okur or Darko Milicic. Juwan Howard is still working out with the Heat, hoping for a one-year contract.

Pittman is the only one of the four with a guaranteed contract, but Riley made clear he expects more from him than his uneven, foul-plagued performance in summer league. The Heat likes his rebounding and offensive growth but has grown exasperated, at times, by his penchant for fouling: one every 4.1 minutes last season).

Harrellson, 6-10, is the best shooter of the four: 20 for 59 on threes, but probably the worst defender. But here’s what intriguing: In four of the five games when he played at least 27 minutes for the Knicks, he produced 14 points and 12 boards; 11 and 7; 8 and 7; and 18 and 9.

The coaching staff likes the upside of the 6-11 Gladness; he’s a natural shot-blocker and less foul-prone than Pittman (one every 7.9 minutes).

The 6-9 Varnado, who spent the past two years in Italy and Israel after being drafted 41st by Miami in 2010, is the biggest long shot of the four but ranks as the NCAA’s all-time career leader in blocked shots (at Mississippi State) and one of two players in NCAA history (with David Robinson) to produce at least 1000 points, 1000 rebounds and 500 blocks.

“Harrellson can be exposed defensively, but he’s a better player than Gladness and more skilled,” an Eastern Conference scout said. “Gladness is athletic and long but has no offensive game. Harrellson can shoot it and plays his butt off.” That scout gives the edge to Pittman and Harrellson among the four.

### How deep the rotation goes: Besides the Big Three and Mario Chalmers, Ray Allen, Battier and Haslem will play, Joel Anthony likely will get limited minutes (unless Pittman or one of the other young centers outplays him), and Lewis will play unless he shows nothing in camp. That’s nine.

The conundrum for Erik Spoelstra is whether to regularly play Norris Cole or give those minutes to Mike Miller, with Allen or Wade as primary ball-handlers when Chalmers is out. That could depend partly on matchups. Though Miller avoided back surgery, his health bears watching. It’s difficult to envision much time for James Jones.

### Terrel Harris or Garrett Temple for the last perimeter spot (or possibly Nigerian national team member Chamberlain Oguchi, who has impressed the Heat but hadn't been offered a contract yet as of Tuesday evening):

Harris and Temple both went undrafted in 2009 and both must improve their shooting. Harris, 6-4, showed growth in summer league but shot 34.9 percent as a rookie. He spent the summer working on that and his ball handling.

"Can he handle the ball? Yes. Can he bring it up the court and enter us into an offensive set? Yes," Riley said earlier this offseason. "Can he be a point guard? That would be a stretch. But I would play him as a scoring point guard if I had to."

The 6-6 Temple, from LSU, has played 51 NBA games for five teams, averaging 3.8 points and shooting 37.9 percent.

“Close call,” the scout said of Harris/Temple. “Temple is an all-purpose guy who can play point guard. Harris is a little better athlete.”

Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/sport...#storylink=cpy

[gotoHcarolina52]

@MiamiHEAT

OFFICIAL: The @MiamiHEAT have signed Rodney Carney and Robert Dozier.

@IraHeatBeat

Heat fill out camp roster with Rodney Carney and Robert Dozier. That means no Jack McClinton or Juwan Howard. Roster at 20 max.

@christomasson

Juwan Howard's agent, David Falk, said he's "optimistic'' about his client returning to the Miami Heat. “Juwan has a very strong affinity (for the Heat),’’ Falk said. “We’re trying to work it out. He’s interested in playing another season for the Heat.’’

Juwan Howard agent David Falk stressed client doesn't want to retire, has gotten 'other inquires.' But wants Heat. “He absolutely is not considering retiring, and he would like to play another year,’’ Falk said. “He absolutely had a wonderful experience last year with the Heat . . . . He’s had other inquires (from teams), but he wants to stay where he is.’’

[SteBO]

Juwan Howard will find another niche here at some point. Just don't see it as being a player at this point.

[justinnum1]

wtf. why cant he just be an assistant coach.

[JNoel]

Just what I was thinking, he could be an assistant coach. He was a pretty good leader and provided a veteran presence, would be good to keep him around.

[HiphopRelated]

you have to pay assistant coaches and the bench is full anyway

We already have Askins and McAdoo for the old pro wisdom

[SteBO]

Spo had high praise for Pittman and the shape he's bringing into camp this year. I'm really hoping he can come through and and be productive starting tommorrow. If he can resemble anything like a Kendrick Perkins, I'd be soooo stoked.

I'd think the 15-man roster will resemble this:

LeBron James
Dwyane Wade
Chris Bosh
Ray Allen
Udonis Haslem
Shane Battier
Mario Chalmers
Norris Cole
Joel Anthony
Josh Harrellson
Rashard Lewis
Mike Miller
Terrell Harris
Dexter Pittman
James Jones

[lavilevi23]

U forgot James Jones ^^