Miami Heat/ NBA Draft

[Fau Teixeira]

sorry .. the heat were clearly the A++ draft last night .. not only did they get the #1 player in the draft .. they also aquired a highly rated PG for peanuts in Chalmers .. NJ can clear all the cap space it wants .. it isn't getting Lebron in 2010 .. not a chance.

[BingeBag]

he can't be any worse than who they have

I just hope they spend some money on FA for a center, even if its just a role player that is going to take the majority of the minutes to keep Zo fresh.

[AZ Fins Fan 55]

Beasley and Chalmers.....great draft for the Heat!!!!!

[DolFan619]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/basketball/heat/sfl-0627beasley,0,6278015.story

Miami Heat's Michael Beasley ready to let actions speak

By Ira Winderman
Sun-Sentinel.com

4:58 PM EDT, June 27, 2008

MIAMI - It has been such a whirlwind that the NBA Draft, a day later, left Michael Beasley in a most unusual state.

Upon his formal Miami Heat introduction Friday at AmericanAirlines Arena, the gregarious No. 2 pick was nearly speechless.

"I guess I'm just happy to be here," the former Kansas State forward said, his smile still radiant.

So was the Heat, which was quite effusive during the media session beside a lowered scoreboard in the middle of the arena.

"This guy has done it," General Manager Randy Pfund said. "This is not a potential type of thing. This guy has proved at the college-basketball level that he can do it each and every night. And that's very, very impressive.

"This guy's a great player."

Beasley arrived with goals as lofty as his college statistics.

"I want to make an impact early," he said. "I would like to be the go-to guy."

That, of course, will be up for discussion, with the 19-year-old acknowledging he has yet to speak to All-Star teammate Dwyane Wade.

"It's a dream come true to even be in the same organization," Beasley said.

While he might have to defer more than at any point in his budding career, what Beasley said won't change is his effervescent approach.

"I think in order to do what you do well, you have to love your job," he said, "and I think basketball is the funnest thing in the world to do. As long as I continue to play, I will smile every day."

Heat President Pat Riley said the goal is for Beasley to emerge as a one-of-a-kind.

"We will never ever draft a No. 1 or a No. 2 again, because we're going to win," Riley said a day after exercising the highest pick in the franchise's 21 years. "There'll be no more lottery pick, we hope, in your career, Michael."

Pfund said there were no red flags with Beasley during the team's deliberations.

"There wasn't anything, at all, that came into this situation that gave us a pause in terms of what kind of a player this guy is, how he performs," Pfund said.

Coach Erik Spoelstra said he is ready to get to work.

"Michael's game is something that we've already succeeded with in the past," Spoelstra said of Beasley's post-up approach, "and it's a game that fits with our best player, with Dwyane Wade, and it now it's just a matter of continuing to add pieces to what we have this summer."

[bsmooth]

Anyone heard anymore about the supposed Pistons/Sonics trade? I haven't seen anything more on it finality.

[DolFan619]

http://www.miamiherald.com/592/story/586217.html

Beasley more than just court jester

BY MICHAEL WALLACE
Miami Herald

The young boy had been attending Kansas State games for weeks, determined to make his way near the court from the arena's upper-level seats to meet the school's biggest basketball star.

Freshman forward Michael Beasley was more than the high-scoring, rebound-snagging giant of a ballplayer and personality in Manhattan, Kan., a university town of about 50,000 residents.

Way before the Miami Heat introduced him as the co-face of Dwyane Wade's team Friday at AmericanAirlines Arena, Beasley was essentially a messiah to kids who regularly attended KSU games during his lone season at the school.

''This particular kid had worn Mike's jersey and was begging security to let him get close to the floor during our warm-ups,'' said Bruce Shingler, a former administrative assistant on KSU's basketball staff. ``Security wouldn't let him. Somehow, Mike noticed what was going on and told the guard to let the kid through. He ended up sitting on the bench with Mike for a while before the game.''

Shingler said a letter arrived from the boy's parents a week later thanking Beasley for the gesture -- and describing how much it meant to their child, who was battling cancer.

''Mike didn't know until then how much his actions really affect people, how much he means,'' said Shingler, who traveled with Beasley and his family to Miami on Friday. ``It was really sad to see how he got characterized during this [draft] process. There's a lot more to him than people really know about.''

By now, many are familiar with Beasley's other side -- the one that did as much to tarnish the power forward's reputation as his incredible talent has done to build it since the Washington, D.C., native was age 13.

For those who care to look, those closest to Beasley insist there's more to the 6-8 power forward than some of the immature and troubling antics that have followed him to the NBA.

PRACTICAL JOKES

Sure, there was the dead rat he reportedly left in a teacher's drawer during a short stay at one of the five high schools he attended. Then there's the graffiti contest he had with a teammate on school property -- including a principal's vehicle -- that got him kicked out of another.

But Heat president Pat Riley and general manager Randy Pfund said a thorough background check into Beasley's past turned up nothing more than a playful 19-year-old who now faces the challenge of growing up quickly in the fast-paced NBA.

''We're more conscious than we ever were in the past about the nurturing and the mentoring of your young players,'' Riley said of a roster that also includes guard Daequan Cook, 20, and forward Dorell Wright, 22. ``You can't ride herd on somebody -- once they go outside of that [the player's parking garage]. Michael wants to disprove all of these so-called character flaws.

``The things he did -- it had nothing to do with his character. It had to do with having a good time. Whether they were immature or not, we never felt it was detrimental to his game or to his future with us.''

Beasley is familiar with the concept of having to grow up fast. His mother, Fatima Smith, was a high-school dropout who had five children by four men. But Smith, 40, later completed her education and has worked as an office manager in the medical field. She moved her family to Manhattan for the year Beasley spent at Kansas State and said Friday she is considering living at least part-time in South Florida.

Beasley's father hasn't been in his life in several years. Beasley once told reporters that he was as close to his father ``as Manhattan [Kan.] is to Manhattan [New York].''

All Beasley has had to rely on since birth, when he checked in at 10 pounds 9 ounces and nearly 23 inches long, have been his family and the physical gifts that quickly made him a basketball prodigy.

Even the pranks were part of his DNA, according to his mother.

''When he was little, he grew up in a house where we all played practical jokes on one another, so he gets that side of himself from me,'' Smith said Friday. ``So when the questions about his past came up, it didn't affect me because I know my child. I have a thick skin. I'm going to play pranks on my kids until I'm buried. And then, I might come back and do it again.''

But Smith also knows her son is at a critical stage and must grow up while ``keeping it real with himself.''

INSTANT MILLIONAIRE

Beasley will earn more than $3 million in the rookie year of his contract with the Heat. And significant money could be on the way in endorsements with shoe, sportswear and beverage companies. Seattle SuperSonics forward Kevin Durant, the second pick in last year's draft and one of Beasley's best friends, reportedly has a $60 million endorsement deal with Nike.

''I understand who I am and where I am,'' Beasley said. ``It's a business. It's my job now. Basketball is a fun job. I'm going to smile every day.''

Beasley insists he doesn't have any practical jokes or pranks in store for his new teammates.

''Not right now,'' he said. ``Maybe my second year. I'm a rookie. I'm going to come in and just focus on working hard and helping the team.''

Beasley comes to Miami looking to fill the Heat's void for a low-post scorer that was created by Shaquille O'Neal's departure. He averaged 26.2 points and led the nation with 12.4 rebounds a game last season, leading Kansas State to its first NCAA Tournament victory in 20 seasons.

There might be questions about whether his maturity level will transfer to the NBA. However, there aren't many doubts about whether his game will translate.

''He is the most NBA-ready player in this draft,'' ESPN analyst and former NBA coach Jeff Van Gundy said during Thursday's draft telecast. ``He is a Hall of Fame talent.''

And he won't be a world-class knucklehead along the way, Beasley's closest associates said.

Shingler, who has known Beasley for six years, resigned from his job at Kansas State to move to Miami to serve as Beasley's personal advisor and roommate. Shingler plans to help Beasley avoid potential distractions off the court, especially with South Beach serving as a backdrop.

''We always talk about how failure is not an option,'' Shingler said. ``He's come too far. He's come through every obstacle and every adverse situation you can to get to this point. You can't turn around now.''

[DolFan619]

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/basketball/story/586250.html

Chalmers will vie for spot in rotation

BY SARAH ROTHSCHILD
Miami Herald

After helping propel Kansas to the national championship, point guard Mario Chalmers is expected to make a push for a spot in the Heat's rotation as a rookie.

Chalmers, a native of Anchorage, Ala., figures to be in the mix because the Heat lacks depth at point guard.

President Pat Riley raved Friday about acquiring Chalmers during the second round of the draft.

''We have a legitimate perfect fit,'' Riley said.

Marcus Banks is the Heat's only point guard under contract. Miami extended a qualifying offer to reserve Chris Quinn, meaning it can match any offer he receives in free agency.

Riley said Banks is ``at to the top of the depth chart, it's really sort of his job to lose.''

But Riley indicated the Heat is high on Chalmers' ability.

Chalmers, 22, was projected as a lottery pick in several mock drafts but fell to No. 34. Minnesota drafted him for Miami, as the Heat had brokered a trade to land the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.

The Heat sent two future second-round picks anad cash to the Timberwolves for Chalmers. The Heat tried to acquire Chalmers in the first round but ended up lucking out when teams continued passing over him.

Chalmers did not work out for the Heat before the draft.

''I was shocked, but just happy to be in that situation,'' Chalmers said of coming to Miami during a teleconference Friday. ``I was pretty surprised when they drafted me.''

Chalmers, nicknamed ''Super Mario,'' hit a game-tying three-pointer that sent the national title game against Memphis into overtime. Chalmers ended up on the cover of Sports Illustrated for hitting ``The Shot.''

''I think it just showed I'm not afraid to take the big shot when a team needs it most,'' Chalmers said. ``I have confidence in myself to hit the big shot, when the situation gets tough I can still handle it.''

Chalmers said he believes his game resembles that of NBA MVP runner-up Chris Paul, one of the point guards selected to play in the Beijing Olympics. Chalmers said their similarities are unselfishness, passing ability and willingness to take big shots.

Chalmers led the Big 12 in steals during his three seasons at Kansas, and last season earned codefensive Player of the Year honors in the conference.

INTEREST IN DAVIS

Riley said the Heat has an interest in re-signing swingman Ricky Davis, who becomes a free agent July 1.

''We don't have shooters, we don't have players that have his kind of ability,'' Riley said. ``It depends on where we are financially and how we look at our future.''

Davis repeatedly has said he would like to remain with the Heat but prefers a multiyear deal.

WRIGHT UPDATE

Forward Dorell Wright said he is pleased the Heat extended a $2.4 million qualifying offer this week, which gives Miami the right to match any offer.

Wright becomes a restricted free agent Tuesday.

''Miami is where I want to be so I can't wait to get out there next year,'' Wright said Thursday at Madison Square Garden, where he was attending the draft.

Wright is rehabilitating from season-ending knee surgery and said he is about a month away from being ready to go.

SUMMER PLANS

Erik Spoelstra revealed the Heat's summer league plans, saying Friday that assistant Keith Askins will coach the team and Chalmers, first-round pick Michael Beasley, forward Stephane Lasme and guard Daequan Cook would play in Orlando next month.

The players will report for their first day of practice Wednesday and the games will run July 7-11.

[DolFan619]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/columnists/sfl-flspskolnick28sbjun28,0,6218349.column?page=1

Homework by Pat Riley, GM Randy Pfund pays off in keeper pick of Michael Beasley

Ethan J. Skolnick
Sports columnist

June 28, 2008

MIAMI - He grinned sheepishly, paused briefly, rubbed his left eye slowly, peeked quickly at his giant likeness on the giant screen behind him. Yes, the "rock star," as Michael Beasley's young new coach calls him, seemed a little jittery on this giant new stage. Just as he's been admittedly "scared" about his ascension to the NBA.

"I didn't know I was going to be giving a speech," the Heat's first-round pick said softly, in his first of many memorable appearances inside AmericanAirlines Arena.

No stress.

Next time here, he won't be giving speeches. Just fits to defenders.

He won't be choosing words. He'll be scoring points.

The franchise won't regret this day. It will recall the restart of something great.

This hope's no hoax. This kid's no joke.

"Let's get us another championship," Beasley said.

That won't happen next season, even if minor roster tweaks and Dwyane Wade's healthy return should assure a postseason return.

Still, you can see another parade somewhere down the Boulevard.

You can see it because Pat Riley heard the pleas of his scouting consiglieres, who begged the team president not to pass on such a productive prospect for a handful of lessers. You can see it because the Heat was smart enough to trust what it saw during Beasley's historically prolific freshman season, rather than what it heard from chirping critics.

What it saw?

"A great player," General Manager Randy Pfund said.

Pfund had first-hand knowledge. He was at chilly Manhattan, Kan., to watch Beasley score 35 points with 13 rebounds against Nebraska on Feb. 6.

A month later, he watched Beasley thoroughly enjoy a ceremony for his teammates on Senior Night, then honor them by scoring 33 with 14 boards.

Before Friday's news conference, Pfund rechecked his scribbles from those scouting trips.

The first thing he'd noted: "Not as big as you'd think."

So he wasn't surprised when Beasley measured smaller than his listed 6 feet, 10 inches at the Pre-Draft Camp in Orlando, where just about everyone shrunk. Nor was he alarmed. After all, Pfund had also noted that Beasley had "hands like manhole covers," a remarkably soft touch, and didn't need to shoot over defenders because he was so skilled at creating contact before release. He saw a wingspan similar to David West, the Hornets' undersized All-Star.

Still, the Heat needed to touch as well as see. Team officials needed to like him, trust him. Several dined with him at Prime 112, where he bonded with new coach Erik Spoelstra.

For all the chatter about Riley, that registers as the most critical relationship. Spoelstra is the one now leading practices, working sidelines, pushing buttons. Spoelstra will only be twice Beasley's age on Nov. 1, and will still be the league's youngest coach. That gives him a better chance to relate and reach. That gives them a chance to grow together. At Prime 112, they played a trivia game. One question: the No. 1 pick in 1998? Beasley guessed Michael Olowokandi.

"He has a history for the game, too," Riley said.

Yet Beasley won't make the same sorry history that Olowokandi did. He won't become an all-time draft bust. He has too much game. He has too many factors in his favor.

Help on the court, in Wade. No need to serve as sole savior.

Help off the court, too.

After the draft, Riley acknowledged organizational negligence in easing the NBA transitions of teenagers Dorell Wright and Daequan Cook. At least this time, it can outsource some of the burden.

When Bruce Shingler met Beasley six years ago, the latter was "a big stiff that could just shoot threes." Even as that stiff became a star, he sought Shingler's guidance. Beasley summoned the former coach of the AAU Washington D.C. Assault to join him at Manhattan as a Kansas State administrative assistant.

Now Shingler will move to South Florida, where Spoelstra will welcome his influence.

"I will live with him, or real, real close," Shingler said after the news conference.

He may not successfully enforce the edict of Kansas State coach Frank Martin ("Stay away from South Beach"), but he can calm Beasley's nerves while checking his ego.

"You've got a tattoo that says 'married to the game,'" Shingler reminded Beasley after the draft. "You are truly married to the game now."

Married to the Heat. It's only for better. Don't worry about worse.

[DolFan619]

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/basketball/heat/sfl-flspheat28sbjun28,0,7652022.story

Riley likes Chalmers' shot

Jayhawk didn't think he'd slip to 2nd round

By Ira Winderman
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

June 28, 2008

MIAMI - After making the long shot, Mario Chalmers never figured he'd turn into a long shot.

But there was the Kansas point guard, drifting through the entire first round of the NBA Draft on Thursday before the Heat rescued him by trading for the fourth pick of the second round.

Now the defensive stopper is ready to go on the offensive.

"It was a little disappointing," the cousin of NBA veterans Lionel Chalmers and Chris Smith said Friday. "It was a little shock."

Chalmers knows plenty about shock. It was his 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left in regulation of the NCAA championship game that forced overtime against Memphis and eventually led to Kansas' fifth national title.

Based on that, as well as his high-percentage shooting and lockdown defense, Chalmers figured he was ticketed for the first round.

The Heat thought so, as well. It initially tried to trade for a selection in the later stages of the first round. It eventually offered a package of two 2009 second-round picks to the Timberwolves, who had held that No. 34 overall selection.

"He makes big shots. He makes big plays," said Heat President Pat Riley, whose team was not one of the 13 to work out Chalmers prior to the draft.

The championship-game 3-pointer boosted Chalmers to Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.

"I think it just shows that I'm not afraid to take the big shot when my team needs it the most," he said. "I have confidence in myself to hit the big shot."

Although not a strong finisher at the rim or classic probing point guard, Chalmers' style makes him somewhat of a Damon Jones-type who also plays defense.

"I try to model my game a little bit after Chris Paul — unselfishness, being able to run the team, being able to take the big shot," he said.

Said Riley, "He doesn't make a lot of mistakes."

Heat first-round pick Michael Beasley joked it will be difficult for a former Kansas State Wildcat to accept a former Kansas Jayhawk.

"It's a little tension between me and him, with him being a Jayhawk and all," Beasley said with a grin, "but we're going to have to get over that."

To the point

Riley said even with the selection of Chalmers, more is needed at point guard, with only Marcus Banks under contract at the position.

"We have to continue to fortify that position," said Riley, who added somewhat cryptically of Banks, "It's his job to lose."

Keep in mind that last summer Riley said eventual free-agent bust Smush Parker was a projected starter. ...

Despite the selection of Beasley, Riley maintained there still is a place for forward Shawn Marion, who is seeking an extension.

"I'm thrilled to death that he did not opt out," Riley said. "We value him."

Riley insisted the odds of Beasley, Marion and Udonis Haslem all being on the opening-night roster are "very realistic." ...

Bulls General Manager John Paxson lashed out on Chicago radio Friday at recent reports that his team had attempted to trade for Dwyane Wade prior to the draft, labeling any such suggestion, "100 percent, factually wrong."

Summer stock

General Manager Randy Pfund said the Heat already has lined up commitments for its summer program. Among those expected to assemble next week at AmericanAirlines Arena for camp and then possibly advance to summer league the following week at Orlando are Davidson guard Jason Richards, Louisville center David Padgett, St. Joseph's guard Pat Calathes, Xavier forward Josh Duncan and former Pittsburgh guard Antonio Graves. Those players would join Beasley, Chalmers and holdovers Kasib Powell and Stephane Lasme, among others, in camp.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

Boy the knicks are a disaster. How do you select an Italian who plays zero defense. What is the fascination with these european players? Other than Ginobilli and Dirk who's really been a difference maker. Alexander, Bayless, Gordon, or Augustin would've been better selections. I don't see gallinari making the type of unstant impact you need from a number #6 pick.

The nets racked up. Lopez and they added CDR in the second round, but more importantly they cleared alot of cap room for Lebron James two years from now. Rod Thorn along with Kiki were the clear winners last night.

Come on knick fans let's here it ......DANILOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GALLINARRRRRRRNI!!! LOL.

I'm taking a cue from the guy who created Rageagainstwayne.com, and calling on all Knicks fans not to buy any tickets or merchandise until this idiot owner either puts a winner on the court or sells the team to someone who will.  I've HAD it!!!!!