The HEAT Blog: The Joy of Being A True HEAT Fan

Starting Five:

-          Mario Chalmers

-          Dwyane Wade

-          Michael Beasley

-          Udonis Haslem

-          Jermaine O’Neal

Key Reserves:

-         Jamaal Magloire

-         Daequan Cook

-         Quentin Richardson

-         Carlos Arroyo

-         Yakhouba Diawara

Significant Off-Season Additions:

-         Acquired Quentin Richardson from Timberwolves

-         Signed Free-Agent guard Carlos Arroyo

Significant Off-Season Losses:

-         Lost Jamario Moon to the Cavaliers

Man on the Hot Seat: Michael Beasley

The second overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft is in the hottest of seats this season. Coming off the lowest point in his life during the summer at rehab, Beasley is ready to prove the doubters wrong. Beasley averaged 14 points in 25 minutes of play last season as a rookie sixth man. That doesn’t seem like a lot but not many players in the league can produce that much in such a limited role. No matter what people say, Beasley is an enormous part of the Heat and hopefully he can get his act together on and off the court.

Biggest Question:

Can Dwyane Wade produce another MVP type season alone and stay in Miami after this season if that’s the case?

I believe Wade has the power to produce another type of season like last season. The problem this time around is will he want to do it alone? This year Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers are not rookies anymore and Wade should be expecting more help from them. The fact that Beasley was the second overall pick in the 08 Draft makes him a target for success.

Wade has already been public about wanting more help in Miami or else he will bail on them at the end of the season. What will Pat Riley do? Trade for talent? Tell Wade to navigate to storm alone for one more season and help will be on the way? If you listened to Wade over the off-season, he is really serious about this, he is in the prime of his career and he doesn’t want to waste it in a team that will not go back to the Finals. As of right now, The Miami Heat might as well be called the Miami Wade until we see if the rest of the team can help the One Man Band.

09/10 Record: 48-34 (4^th East, 2^nd Southeast Division)

Playoffs: Eliminated in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals by the Cleveland Cavaliers (4-3)