Off And Running: Thoughts On Heat's Future Prospects

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Well...it's no secret I am a Miami homer, so I might as well air out some thoughts about the Heat's rather anticlimatic exit from the postseason.

Before I can get into any criticism, I have to say; kudos to Eric Spoelstra, his staff, and the Heat players for going from worst record in the NBA to 5th seed in the East, and for sniffing the second round. The practical fan in me very much appreciates what was accomplished...

...of course, what fun would talking sports be if we were practical fans? Let's face it, we follow from game 1 every year because whether the practical fan in us knows better or not, we want to win it all. That's why they play it, that's why we watch.

What us Heat fans got was a long, drawn out dose of reality. The Hawks series left one explicit message to us--while there is reason for optimism, they have a LONG way to go. My concern is whether or not there is enough time. 2010 is looming on the horizon, and with Lebron looking happy in Cleveland, and 'Melo thriving with Billups by his side in Denver, that makes D-Wade (in my opinion) the most likely to depart from his original team. It may very well turn out that Anthony and James will sign before the end of the 2009-10 season.

So now this begs the question, what needs to be done to keep Dwyane Wade? Ultimately only Wade knows what he wants, but I will attempt to put myself in his shoes and assess the situation.

If I'm D-Wade I am happy with alot of the current pieces. We did great in the draft this year, got two young guys who are capable of being starters in the league. Mario Chalmers has the hands and instincts to be a strong defender. He's not terrible with the ball, though he needs some work on decision making. Michael Beasley is a potentially great scoring supplement to me, but he has got to get better defensively, and improve his shot selection. I like my coach Eric Spoelstra, he's a no nonsense guy who is a true basketball intellectual. I like that he is young and is deeply rooted in the organization, which will probably translate to stability there.

Now for what would concern me. First of all, Udonis Haslem should not be a starter. I want him on my team as an energy guy off the bench with more than 20 minutes, but him being the starting 4 is disconcerting. Also, I need a center, or someone who can DOMINATE the boards. Think back on how many times Shaq cleaned up missed shots or layups because #3 completely brokedown the defense. Now think about the Hawks series...so many of those drives which should have resulted in a score, were rebounded by Pachulia and Horford. Why? No dominant, aggressive rebounders. Haslem is the most aggressive, but 7-footers can rebound over him even if they're boxed sometimes--he just isn't big enough.

Wanna keep me? I need to see some size added...I want to hear our names in the running for Carlos Boozer this Summer. If we can't land him, let's take a look at his teammate Okur. Bring in a high energy rebounder like Varejao, Drew Gooden or Antonio McDyess (who can also bring an offensive spark). I want some point guard depth. Perhaps a savvy veteran whom Chalmers can learn from, and can bring a calming influence to the floor off the bench. At the very least, maneuver some contracts to free up enough money in 2010 to not only pay me, but bring one of those big names to Miami...say, Chris Bosh? Amare Stoudemire?

Whatever you do, do NOT stand pat, Riley. This team is incomplete, to say the least. Front office apathy will be a good way to lose a franchise player. Thankfully, Riles tends to be anything but apathetic. Sometimes one would think he's playing an NBA Video game with the volume and magnitude of some moves that he makes, so I am certainly excited to see what the Heat's next moves will be. This Summer could very well be the most important in the history of the franchise; what will they do for Wade? Will it be enough? Stay Tuned.