Heading into Friday night’s tipoff between the Lakers and Heat in sunny Florida, Miami (12-12) had been struggling considerably, dropping three consecutive contests to Atlanta, Memphis and Milwaukee after a four-game winning streak.
More than anything else, Miami struggled because Dwyane Wade struggled, just as the Lakers used to be in trouble if Kobe Bryant was anywhere removed from the top of his game. Clearly, that’s no longer the case for a 21-3 purple and gold team.
But that’s just on the surface … To take a closer look at the Heat, I dialed up Charlotte Bobcats play-by-play voice Scott Lauer, who’s seen the Heat from his courtside seat in the radio booth twice already this year. Here’s what Lauer had to say:
MT: The Heat have managed to beat your Bobcats twice for two of their 12 wins, first getting 25 points from rookie Michael Beasley and last Monday getting 41 points from Dwyane Wade. What are your general impressions of Miami?
Lauer: The thing that stands out early on has been the infusion of the rookie play with Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers. You have two guys that are fixed in the rotation, with Chalmers in particular proving to be a steal. He’s been very good defensively, and shows signs of being a good offensive player as well. Beasley was a starter the first time we played and had 25 against us in Charlotte in Miami’s first win, but about two weeks ago Eric Spoelstra began bringing Beasley off the bench, from where the former No. 2 pick has added an offensive boost.
MT: How is Miami different with Joel Anthony starting at center and Beasley coming off the bench?
Lauer: I think they were looking for more offense off the bench, and also stabilizing the defense up front with Anthony, who is limited offensively, but anchors them defensively. I think when you’re dealing with a rookie like Beasley, you have to take his ego into account, but from what I gather there weren’t any waves created by the move. Miami has positioned itself to be a competitive team around .500 with a healthy Wade, Shawn Marion and the injection of two rookies especially, but I don’t see them being a legit contender in the Eastern Conference playoffs. However, they might receive a boost if Alonzo Mourning completes another miraculous comeback, which has been reported a bit.
MT: Miami has really struggled in its three games since beating the Bobcats, getting smoked by Atlanta, Memphis and Milwaukee. Was that because you talked some trash to them after your game and put them into a mental funk?
Lauer: We just seemed to be the elixir for a lot of teams, but that was in the midst of our seven-game losing streak. It was a competitive game until Wade pulled them through it at the end, though I can assure you that Bobcats radio wasn’t involved in their struggles after our game.
MT: Let’s get back to Wade for a second – he’s putting up monster numbers with 28 points, 7.2 assists, 5.1 boards, 2.17 steals and even 1.54 blocks. Even though he’s struggled in his last three games, how astronomically better does he look this year than last?
Lauer: He’s been fantastic. He lets the game come to him so easily, and has doesn’t force the issue just like Michael Jordan. In addition to those numbers, he’s shooting and making more threes, and he’s just a special player. To be fair, there were three or four questionable calls that favored Wade, but that’s OK … He’s earned that.
MT: What’s the deal with The Matrix? He’s at 12.4 points and 8.9 rebounds, but do you think it’s lack of effort or lack of the Suns system from what you’ve seen of Miami?
Lauer: He’s somewhat of an enigma. You hear a lot of negative drama swirling around about him, and out of the Heat camp you’ve been hearing about them waiting to scoop up Carlos Boozer when he’s available next season. Plus, Boozer just announced that he’s definitely going to opt out of his contract. But with Marion, you wonder if there’s anything troubling him in the locker room? He had those issues in Phoenix as well.
MT: You mentioned being impressed with Chalmers, Miami’s rookie point guard out of Kansas? He posted 20 points, eight assists and seven boards in Miami’s most recent game. But is defense where he makes his money?
Lauer: He definitely has poise, and is a very smooth player. More importantly maybe is that it makes for a dynamic defensive backcourt with him and Dwyane Wade, and their stealing the ball has led to a lot of fastbreak opportunities for them. In fact, his athleticism has impressed me as well, and we know he’s a clutch shooter.
MT: Finally Scott, give me a quick breakdown of the Bobcats deal with the Phoenix Suns, who acquired Jason Richardson and Jared Dudley for Raja Bell, Boris Diaw and Sean Singletary.
Lauer: This deal had the makings of what Larry Brown wants – his imprints are all over it. Brown had Raja Bell in Philadelphia, and is all about rebounding, defense and hustle, which Brown covets. Bell’s off to a slow start in Charlotte, but Brown’s happy to have him. Diaw has actually impressed me in many ways, and gives traditional fours a lot of trouble at times because of his skills. Some coaches and players have questioned Diaw’s assertiveness, but he’s shown that he has a pretty full game both offensively and defensively. Singletary had some ties with Larry Brown as well coming from the Philadelphia area, though he’s only played in one of the three games since the trade. To get those guys, you gave up arguably the best trade asset for the Bobcats in Richardson and a guy I loved in Jared Dudley, but ultimately Larry Brown turned over the roster to get guys he feels play better in his style. We’ll be in town on January 27, so you can take a closer look then.
