We all already know just how good Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh are since they have put together quite an impressive resume which includes 2 MVP’s, 3 Scoring Titles, and 17 All Star Game appearances between them. But just how good is their supporting cast for next season? Now some so called “experts,” like namely Jeff Van Gundy, have already predicted that the Heat will break the Bulls record of 72 wins in the regular season. Before we anoint Miami equal to or better than the ’95’-’96 Chicago squad, maybe we should examine the quality of the supporting cast surrounding the Heat’s trio of superstars for next season.
After all, surely Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman would be the first to give credit to their outstanding role players like Ron Harper, Toni Kukoc, and Steve Kerr, to name a few, who helped them win their 4th, 5th, and 6th NBA Titles between ‘96-’98. The question of the day on South Beach is: Are players like Mario Chalmers, Juwan Howard, and Joel Anthony up to par with their Bulls contemporaries of nearly 15 years ago? They are going to have to be, if the Heat are going to fulfill the promise of bringing together 3 of the game’s biggest stars, in an attempt to win multiple NBA Titles.
Let’s take a look at the Heat’s supporting cast:
Mike Miller – The 10 year veteran sharpshooter may very well be the most important offensive player on the roster behind the “Big 3“ as he will be relied upon heavily for his 3 point marksmanship on Wade and James’ relentless drive and kicks, on the way to the basket andsince he has an underappreciated all around game. Despite having a forgettable season in Washington, Miller still remains one of the league’s better shooters. Look for a bounce-back year in a 6th Man capacity for next season.
Udonis Haslem – With so many hands on the rock offensively, Haslem will happily do all of the dirty work on the team like grabbing rebounds and playing excellent defense on opposing big men. Haslem gave up a ton of cash to return at a bargain in an attempt to win another ring. While not quite as talented from a few years ago, Haslem remains as the only holdover alongside Wade from the ‘06 championship squad, and will provide veteran leadership in the locker room.
Mario Chalmers – The 3rd year pro, who is probably most known for hitting a game tying shot that helped send the ‘08 National Championship Game into overtime, is probably the de-facto starter at the point this season unless coach Spoelstra decides do do something drastic like playing Lebron at the 1. With his production slipping a bit last season, Chalmers needs to concentrate on just not turning the ball over, and dishing the rock to Lebron and Wade.
Joel Anthony – As the projected starter at center, the Canadian born big man will have to step up his game defensively, as he will be asked to play more than 20 minutes per night as the team’s primary shot blocker and rebounder up front. Look for his numbers to well exceed his career averages of 3.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, while any points he scores will be by accident.
Eddie House – Mr “Instant Offense” will provide a spark off the bench as a career .390% three point shooter, in his return to the team which drafted him back in 2000. He also will help steady the ship come playoff time as he has already won a title with the Celtics in ‘08. House was once described as a player that “never saw a shot he didn’t like,” but just how many will be available for him next season?
Zydrunas Illgauskas – Surely “Big Z” was happy that the Heat came calling this off-season, reuniting him with James once again. The 35 year old Lithuanian will probably play a lot of minutes off the bench at the 5, helping to stretch the defense as a 3 point threat. Despite being under-appreciated in Cleveland last season, “Z” had his best year from behind the arc, hitting more than .478% of his treys. No longer a real low post threat, he still snagged more than 5 rebounds in only 20 minutes per contest, helping to keep defenses honest.
Dexter Pittman – The imposing rookie big man from Texas will be given the opportunity to play some valuable minutes against some of the NBA’s bigger centers, as he is the most well equipped physically(6’10 and 300 lbs) to defend. Dexter is an inspirational story, dropping nearly 100 lbs at Texas, but conditioning may be an issue as he played only 20 minutes per night in college.
Jamaal Magloire – The former All Star big man back with the Hornets in ‘04 has become a journeyman during the latter part of his career, after playing on 4 teams over the last 5 seasons. After once being a top 20 pick in the ‘00 Draft, at age 32, the “Big Cat” is little more than a 10 minute a night player, who can be counted on to use up his 5 fouls, defending opposing bigs. He provides additional veteran front-court leadership as the 3rd option at center behind Anthony and Pittman.
Carlos Arroyo – The now 31 year old point guard re-signed with the Heat after playing well last season, shuttling in and out of the starting line-up with Rafer Alston and Mario Chalmers. As a starter he averaged 9 ppg and 4.5 assists and had an amazing 4.27 to 1 assist to turnover ratio, second to only Chris Paul. If Chalmers doesn’t perform well early, Carlos may be the starter at the point.
James Jones – As yet another 3 point specialist, Jones will be another instant offense player off the bench in his 3rd season with the Heat. A career .395% shooter behind the arc(including .411% last season), Jones is arguably the best shooter on the roster and deserves at least a 10-15 minute run on a nightly basis.
Shavlik Randolph – As an oft injured former #1 player coming out of high school in 2002, Randolph is probably known for being one of the league’s biggest disappointments after scoring 70 points in a HS game, breaking “Pistol Pete’s” record in Raleigh, NC. As a pro, he cannot seem to stay healthy as he has played in only 95 games over 6 seasons. Little suggests that his track record will change, although he impressed in the NBA Summer Leagues.
Kenny Hasbrouck – The former Siena and D-League standout has signed a deal once again to play in Miami. In his first go-around last season, he didn’t see any game action and was told to stay away from the team during the post-season after a DWI arrest. If he can see some game time, he provide a spark at either the 1, 2, or 3 positions.
Da’Sean Butler – The former big shot maker at West Virginia should be given a shot by Miami. As a 2nd round selection in the Draft, Butler comes cheap and was an All American in college. After making numerous game-winning shots last season, he sustained a season ending knee injury in post-season play, but has reportedly re-habbed well enough to get back on the court this season. If given the chance, Butler could be a big time player providing mental toughness, NYC swagger, and an impressive offensive game to boot.
Jarvis Varnado – The NCAA’s all-time leading shot-blocker is a long shot to make the roster in spite of an NBA ready defensive game. Holding him back is a less than spectacular offensive game and a slight 215 lb frame, that would have a hard time competing against larger NBA bigs. NBA D-League or European Leagues seem like viable options.
UPDATE: Varnado has been signed to play with Carmatic Pistoia, a 2nd division team in the Italian League, with the Miami Heat retaining his rights.
Allen Moll has been a lifelong NBA and NCAA College Basketball fan who watches and studies games religiously, and coaches youth basketball in his native Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. Allen also provides content to Bleacherreport.com, Upperdeckblog.com, in addition to being a tenured NBA and NCAA columnist for TheHoopDoctors.com.
