Who’s Warm: Dwyane Wade, Luol Deng, Danny Granger, Mario Chalmers, Shawne Williams.
The players that are warm have been average, yet not spectacular. With a nickname of “Flash,” one would think that Wade would be nowhere near this category, but he’s right where he belongs at this point. With James gone, Wade has had to regain atleast some of the form he dominated defenses with from 2004-2010, which saw him average at least 24 points and six assists per season. The former Finals MVP hasn’t shown any of that skill from before, shooting a mere 40 percent from the field. However, the three-point shot that Wade has very seldom used throughout his career is suddenly a weapon during the preseason, as he is draining 44 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. Only time will tell if Wade can carry some of his old self (with a little more touch from the three-point line) into the regular season, but an average Dwyane Wade is still a very effective one.
James’ replacement at small forward has been just small through some of the preseason, as Deng has strung together multiple quiet outings, including a mere eight-point performance against James and the Cavaliers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Deng, however, is a volume scorer at 16 points per game throughout his career. He managed to squeeze in two major performances, the second, a 19-point outing to net the Heat its first win of the preseason. Deng has the potential to relive his Chicago Bulls glory days in South Beach, given he manages to produce consistent scoring efforts night-in and night-out.
The injury-prone Granger has done well for himself during the preseason, especially from his sweet spot beyond the arc. Granger has hit a three-pointer in each of the five exhibition games played and has scored in double figures in three of them. However, two ugly games that featured a combined 2-for-15 from the field has kept Granger from being one of Miami’s hot players during this preseason. With Ennis ready to cut into valuable minutes at small forward, Granger has to maintain his effectiveness on the scoring end to stay steady in rotation.
The Chalmers-Norris Cole experiment continues into the preseason, as Head Coach Erik Spoelstra is managing to keep both players on their toes and into serious competition for the starting point guard position. While Cole has started most of the preseason at the point, Chalmers has been quite efficient in a bench role. After a dreary NBA Finals performance, Chalmers has bounced back to average 7.8 points and 1.8 steals per game, all while shooting 47 percent from the field. Chalmers has the starter’s experience over both Cole and upstart rookie Shabazz Napier, but has he convinced Heat Nation that he’s well past his Finals debacle? I wouldn’t bet on it.
Mixed in the forward rotation is Williams, who needs all the minutes he can muster while incumbent starting power forward Josh McRoberts continues to recover from offseason toe surgery. Williams has split six games as a starter and a reserve, averaging 13.5 points per game in the last two contests in the starting lineup, including a massive showing against the Warriors (19 points on 7-of-9 shooting, 5-of-5 from three). The 28-year-old journeyman obviously looks more comfortable as a starter, but the Heat’s larger investment in McRoberts (four-year, $23 million contract) doesn’t warrant any possibility that Williams will rise to the top of the lineup. Add in the fact that Williams had three consecutive games of porous shooting so far this preseason, and all signs point to Williams remaining a fixture on the Heat’s bench.
Next: Who’s cold?
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