Making a Point in Miami
Should LeBron play point guard for the Heat? Can LeBron play the point? The answer to the second question could make the first question moot, but with the pool of potential starting PG’s in free agency pretty much dry, Erik Spoelstra has to make sure LeBron isn’t a better option over Mario Chalmers and Carlos Arroyo (who is talking to Miami about re-signing). LeBron came into the NBA hyped as another Magic, but after seven years as his team’s primary scorer and probably losing some of that automatic trust he had in his teammates from high school, can he move to point guard right now? What do you think of LeBron at the one, D-Wade at the two, Mike Miller at the three, Chris Bosh at the four and, um, somebody at the five? … The latest candidate to be that fifth somebody is Jamaal Magloire. Word is Miami is close to signing the oldest 32-year-old ever to a vet’s minimum deal, which could result in Magloire and Joel Anthony rocking championship rings back home in Canada before Steve Nash. That’s just wrong … The Rockets have reached an agreement with Brad Miller on a 3-year, $15 million deal. Good move by Houston to get insurance in case Yao Ming gets hurt again, and Miller works as a knock-off version of Yao: Solid jumper, good passing skills, and he moves like he’s underwater … How mentally checked out is Chris Paul going to be in New Orleans next season? Byron Scott — who might just be angling to get CP traded to Cleveland — said he’s been talking to Paul lately and that he’s not happy, and new Hornets coach Monty Williams said he wants to sit down with CP and basically sell him on the new regime. Still, we’re seeing a lot of frustration techs and 1,000-yard stares from CP unless David West gets back to an All-Star level, Peja‘s body stays intact, Emeka Okafor slips on a 2004 suit, and Marcus Thornton and Darren Collison are beasts in their second season … Promising N.O. rookie Quincy Pondexter dropped 26 points (12-15 FT) in a summer-league loss to Toronto yesterday, while Ed Davis put up 14 points and 6 boards for the Raptors; Toney Douglas went for 19 points and 6 assists in New York’s win over Washington, a game John Wall sat out; Al-Farouq Aminu had 16 points in the Clippers loss to San Antonio, while Eric Bledsoe continued to struggle with 7 points (1-5 FG) and 8 turnovers; Omri Casspi hit the Bulls for 22 points and 5 threes in Sacramento’s win, while DeMarcus Cousins finished with 10 points (3-15 FG) and 7 boards; Luke Babbitt scored 15 in Portland’s win over Minnesota; Jordan Crawford scored 18 and Jeff Teague scored 19 in Atlanta’s win over the D-League Select squad; and Danny Green scored 17 in the Cavs’ loss to the Heat … We have a feeling that Miami/Cleveland matchup will be 100,000 times more emotional when it happens for real. And it’s probably the only national TV game the Cavs get next season. Has it ever happened before where a 60-win dropped off the mainstream radar so fast? … Saturday tweet from Sean May: “I just ran into a Dude at the mall and he had the Shake Weight! WTF.” Ummm, he might have been trying to sell you one, Sean … We’re out like Magloire’s lame hide-your-eyes dunk …
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July 18th, 2010 at 2:27 am
YW says:
hahaha, dont forget jamaal was a one time all star
July 18th, 2010 at 2:28 am
Legend 33 says:
LeBron can play anywhere he wants dude is that good. Point forward kinda like the Lakers and the triangle in which the pg is a shooter and don’t really distribute or penetrate.
July 18th, 2010 at 3:55 am
Sambuu says:
Magloire was the reason I won my fantasy league few years ago…
July 18th, 2010 at 4:02 am
Stunnaboy09 says:
All this talk about moving Bron to point, why not move Wade? He’s about the size of some points anyway at 6’4, got the handles and passing ability to man it and allows Miller to go to the 2 spreading the floor.
Also does anyone deserve the “Former NBA All-Star” thing less than Magloire? 13.6 ad 10 are solid numbers but All-Star worthy? Don’t think so.
What is up with the Hornets and screwing over CP? Ever since they were 2nd out West every season they just kept going down and down and down. Just watch it; when eventually he bolts, the city of N.O. gonna treat him like he screwed them instead of the other way round.
July 18th, 2010 at 4:13 am
sh!tfaced says:
The fuck… Jamal Magloire is only 32?!
Magloire and Joel Anthony getting a ring before the NASHional Treasure is just really unfair, man…
Miami-Cleveland game has got enough hype and bad blood for it to be scheduled in a Christmas Day game.
July 18th, 2010 at 4:17 am
Stunnaboy09 says:
@ sh!tfaced
ANd have the NBA turn down a LA-Miami Chrismas day game? No freakin likely.
July 18th, 2010 at 4:18 am
Stunnaboy09 says:
Actually take that back
Cavs-Heat and LA-Bos would put rating thought the motherfucking roof
July 18th, 2010 at 5:20 am
Austin Burton says:
Nah, you gotta go Lakers/Heat for Christmas Day. They could go Cavs/Heat for Opening Night, but only if it was in Miami. They don’t want a LeBron hate-fest in his big debut.
July 18th, 2010 at 5:25 am
J says:
Is Lebron still gonna do his chalk toss when he returns to cleveland?
July 18th, 2010 at 5:25 am
Stunnaboy09 says:
@AB
Isn’t is an NBA tradition to get a finals rematch on Christmas Day? And you gotta go Mia-Cleveland in Cleveland for Christmas. I’m actually convinced LeBron gets “flu-lie symptoms” the week before the game cuz his security may be threatened if he shows up.
July 18th, 2010 at 5:37 am
the_don_mega says:
@Stunnaboy09
don’t think so… i remember 2 or 3 Christmas day games between Miami and LA several years back… all ‘coz of Kobe vs Shaq…
July 18th, 2010 at 6:03 am
yoda says:
bulls dropped out of national view after jordan left for second time
July 18th, 2010 at 6:55 am
sans says:
I can imagine some dude hounding Sean May: “Hey Chunky! Hey Chunky! This here is the dumbest easiest-ass shit a fatboy can do [starts shaking the shakewieght garbage at him]! Hey Chunky, this shits less difficult than the thigh master yo momma got you when you went diabetes 2…”
Lebron could play point forward…they’d have to put Miller’s slow ass on whoever they feared the least and defend that way…
July 18th, 2010 at 7:23 am
JHov says:
This story will change the way you feel about Lebron guaranteed! http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=aw-heatfreeagency071610
July 18th, 2010 at 7:36 am
Diggity Dave says:
HAHA, stop hating on Magloire, dude. Big Kat is an enforcer, and I’m pretty sure he’ll be busy watching dude’s backs this season.
“Good move by Houston to get insurance in case Yao Ming gets hurt again.” IF? Safest best in the world.
July 18th, 2010 at 7:59 am
marian says:
yeah im down with what diggity said. get of big cat. He was one of if net the most beloved teammate for the last two heat teams. sure he aint no stud anymore but if in the game is going all out in the best of ways, doin all the little things. and sometimes still a good finisher if feed right…and that wont be a problem when playin with dwade and james(who should wear 33 as a tribut to pippen….)
July 18th, 2010 at 8:17 am
That's What's Up says:
I’ve always said, CP3 ain’t nothing but a whiny little cheater. fuck him.
July 18th, 2010 at 9:29 am
CCB says:
@ JHov Man, that is a really powerful article. I had to pop that onto my blog just because it finally delivers a strong statement against the brand of James. Peep http://www.centercourtbasketball.com. Derrick Rose is my choice as the new King of the NBA. Rose is quietly becoming a force, not by manipulation but by the better guidance of his brothers. Not taking Nike money in my book is the first sign of a true King. It’s hard to turn down the Godfather, but LeBron is a real reflection of the AAU/Travel problem in hoops that has made its way to the League. We will never be able to compare our generation to the 80′s and LB will never be Jordan, but DRose could be.
Chris B
http://www.arch-usa.com
July 18th, 2010 at 9:58 am
jzsmoove says:
Fucken dan gilbert will be writing an open letter apologizing about the annoying and frustrating sounds of pindrop everybody hears at the Q hardwood floor.
the second open letter will be about the tumbleweed littering the floor even when a game is being played.
July 18th, 2010 at 10:22 am
jackie moon says:
lebron will demand to play 1 so he can earn some cheap style points on all those chase-down blocks on opposing PGs. ESPN will do a 50-minute special on his move to point guard. Book it.
Even if he does move to the point, I bet he still ain’t posting all those PGs to capitalize on the mismatch. What a waste.
July 18th, 2010 at 10:25 am
alex :robocop" murphy` says:
60 win team that dropped off? think 99′ Bulls after Jordan and Pippen and Phil left.
Poor Tim Floyd.
July 18th, 2010 at 11:50 am
oo wee says:
i agree with lebron playing the point. other teams will have a hard time defending and scoring points against that lineup.
July 18th, 2010 at 12:30 pm
dgtheengima says:
The easiest — and smartest way — for LBJ to rehab his image is to beg and plead with Coach Spo to let him run point for this team.
It will instantly redefine him as a player and make his ceiling Magic — instead of MJ — and it could position him best to average a triple-double (yes, LBJ can average 10 boards from the point), which would justify “The Decision” and put LBJ in a vaulted historical catagory.
Add a ring to this equation, and the calamity and fallout from “The Decision” will be a distant memory a la 2010 Kobe vs. 2004 Kobe.
I’ve never been a big LBJ fan, but I do think a move to the point would change the game again. I can’t help but to think about when MJ took over the point for Chicago in ’89.
July 18th, 2010 at 12:53 pm
UncheckedAggression says:
Heat-Cavs on Christmas? How stupid are you guys? The NBA tries to schedule good games on Christmas, not blowouts.
And Lebron playing point would probably work fine. He’ll be a nightmare for defenses no matter what position he plays, but if he’s at PG then he’ll impose himself even more. He’s such a smart player that you can count on him making better decisions than almost every other PG in the league.
jackie moon–You’re an idiot if you think teams are gonna match their PG up against Lebron on D. Did you even think about that before writing? Didn’t think so.
July 18th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
Arno says:
LBJ at PG would have trouble getting to the rim against very quick defenders and his J can be shaky. Of course, he should post them, but never worked post moves.
July 18th, 2010 at 1:29 pm
Dagger says:
Lebron played point for a good part of last season, and he dominated. The bigger question is who he’s got on defence if he plays the 1. Still, Bron, Miller, Wade and Bosh are a killer foursome for an up-tempo game.
July 18th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
Balla says:
@JHov I read that story and it didn’t make he change how I felt about LeBron. It made me change how I felt about Cleveland organization for them to really think he was going to stick around. The way I see it is, if Miami/Knicks/Clippers can dump their whole roster to get superstars alongside each other, than Cleveland should have too. Cleveland should have been pursuing Wade and Bosh since last year so it would have been automatic that those 2 go to Cleveland this season. Cleveland’s whole organization (and coincidentally Byron Scott with the Hornets), have a bad “star” management, in which they give too much control to the stars of the team and let them run the show. Bron wanted a superstar in Cleveland, but he was so loyal to his teammates all those years, that he didn’t want to see them go….Thats when a real owner would step in and say “We can not win with Jamison/Parker/and a 37 year old Shaq as our 2,3,and 4th options.
July 18th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Dagger says:
JHov: are you at all aware of Adrian Wojnarowski’s “reporting” history? If so you’d know he only writes tabloid-style hack pieces, with James his particular focus. I assume his sources consist primarily of disaffected former insiders, because I doubt anyone relevant would actually want to talk to him.
July 18th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
Dunk says:
The Lakers have one last championship in them before Miami steals the show
July 18th, 2010 at 4:07 pm
king says:
Paul Silas said that the cavs werent playing to his strengths and shouldve surrounded him with scorers and let him play the point
July 18th, 2010 at 4:38 pm
Stunnaboy09 says:
So far the Miami Heat roster;
G- Mike Miller
G- Dwyane Wade
F- LeBron James
F- Chris Bosh
C- Jamal Magloire?
Bench
G- Carlos Arroyo
G- Mario Chalmbers
F- Juwan Howard
F- James Jones
F- Udonis Haslem
C- Joel Anthony
C- Big Z
Add in some rookies and thats basically your 2010-11 Miami Heat. Looking at it they REALLY need Scheyer cuz that team will have no spacing.
July 18th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
Sporty-j says:
I am glad that Lebron James is with my Heat but can we please stop with this B.S. about how he did not have a supporting cast. I remember when they added Jamison and everybody was just saying how they should just hand the Cavs the championships now because they have all the pieces in place to beat Orlando now and because they had already beaten the Lakers twice. Than comes the playoffs and Boston just had way more HEART than those guys and all of a sudden he has no supporting cast. Plus who wants to play with a bunch of fake friends and Owner who knew that Delonte West was banging his mom and keep it a secret… Gilebert needs to look himself in the mirror like he said and figure out where he went wrong because you should never give a player tell you to fire a coach and give a player that much freaking power. He created the Lebron monster and he deserverd everything he got. He also looked like an a$$ with his statement that Lebron quit during all those games to because i have never heard of an owner that wants to resign a player that quit on him and he should have called Lebron out on it after the Boston series instead of waiting till he decided to leave and come out with his slave talk of until Lebron does write by him and Ohio.
July 18th, 2010 at 4:51 pm
BBall EyeQ says:
Paul Silas also said that Lebron needs to be on a team like Chicago, where the ball isn”t in his hands. @balla it’s impossible to dump salaries to clear cap place and win right away also.Just ask Knicks and Clips. Miami had a lot of expiring contracts and FAs who were willing to resign later. So they did it after the season. Cleveland choose the win now system and are now suffering the consequences.
July 18th, 2010 at 5:17 pm
vince says:
@ #4 Stunnaboy09, those are all star numbers. Ask Tyone Hill. 13/10 1995. Dale Davis disagrees to the tune of 10/10 and James Donaldson made it with 7/9 in ’88. And all of them might have been more deserving than BlowJob Armstrong.
July 18th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
Badger says:
@Sporty-J — Yes LeBron had a good supporting cast on paper, but those guys didn’t come through in the playoffs. First of all, I don’t remember anybody saying “Hand Cleveland the championship” when they got Jamison; it was more like “Cleveland chances just improved.”
But as good as Jamison is on paper or as good as he was in the regular season, what did he do in the Boston series? Nothing. At that point, it only matters how well your supporting cast produces in the moment, not how good they were in the regular season or how good they were two years ago.
If Kobe got to the Finals and suddenly Gasol started playing like shit, Odom disappeared, Artest couldn’t shoot and gave up buckets to Pierce, and Fisher didn’t hit any shots or guard anybody, but Kobe averaged 30 and they lost, I’d say Kobe had no supporting cast when it mattered most.
July 18th, 2010 at 5:39 pm
Chicagorilla says:
What makes any of you think an opposing team would have their PG guard 6’8 265lb LBJ vs 6’4 220 Wade or 6’8 215lb Mike Miller? I’d put my Pg on Wade or Miller.
Also, Bron has no chance at checking above avg pg’s. Derrick Rose gave him hell when he tried to guard him in the playoffs and so did Rondo who doesn’t even have a Jumper.
July 18th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
Stunnaboy09 says:
@ vince
The fact that they were 5 more shitty people making teams doesn’t change the fact that Magloire still wouldn’t have made it on a good year. Noah averaged 11-11 and wasn’t even CONSIDERED for the All-Star team this year. Same for Bargniani who put up 17-6 or Josh Smith who put up 14-9 with 2 blocks or LaMarcus Aldridge with 17-8. In one year I just put up 4 big men with similar or better numbers on WINNING teams. When your peak is 14 points per game you don’t FUCKING deserve to be an all-star.
July 18th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
vince says:
@33 Stunnaboy09
It did answer your question however.
July 18th, 2010 at 6:25 pm
one and done says:
Mario Chalmers is going to benefit a great deal this season. He’s going to look like an all-star playing with those guys.
He’s already one of the better defensive point guards in the NBA and his 3 point shooting is only going to improve. He’s primed to have a monster season.
July 18th, 2010 at 6:29 pm
vince says:
PS @33 Stunnaboy09
And to further prove my point. The Hornets were a second year New Orleans team who had just posted a 30-20 record and came of a pretty nice year. Furthermore, Magloire went on a tear the year prior during the second half of the season, averaging 16 pts and 11 rebounds as a 3rd year big man.
You don’t have to look back any further than this years All Star game: Al Horford was selected to play. He played for the Hawks who had a 32-18 record at the AS break, and Horford averaged … wait for it … 13/13 up to that very point.
Where’s the outrage this year? It just goes to show you, hindsight is 50/50. Magloire regressed a little while after his AS season… but at that time he looked about as promising as this years back up center in the east.
July 18th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
vince says:
I’m not a believer in Chalmers. During his RC he reminded me of Nets-Blaylock a bit, but he hasn’t improved one bit. And his defense has become overrated (probably because it looks halfway decent compared to his o-game)
July 18th, 2010 at 6:37 pm
Chicagorilla says:
Yo this is kind of a hot freestyle by Tyreke
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK5zrFkMvAQ&feature=related
July 18th, 2010 at 7:17 pm
Dagger says:
Chicagorilla:
You say Lebron had trouble stopping Rose and Rondo. Exactly which PG (or any player really) in the entire league can stop Rose or Rondo? They’re only the quickest, most athletic points in the league. I’d rather have someone equally fast, much longer and much stronger try to guard them – aka Lebron – than an ordinary point guard.
About Cleveland’s players last year: no doubt Mo Williams, Anthony Parker, Varejao, 37-year-old Shaq and Jamison for half a season were solid role players and made valuable contributions. Enough to get the Cavs the league’s best regular-season record two years running. Still, playoff success is about having more than one star, and Cleveland’s overall talent was low compared to teams like Boston, Orlando and LA. To put it in perspective: with the possible exception of the Houston Rockets of the early 90s, when has a team with one star and a collection of role players ever won a title?
July 18th, 2010 at 7:23 pm
Stunnaboy09 says:
@vince
Touche’ bro I guess I kinda did overreact on the Magloire thing. I still find it funny that he merits the “Former All-Star” thing next to his name. He’s up there with Mo and Wally World as my most hated all-star selection.
But yeah I concede this victory to you vince, there are a bunch of scrubs who stole an all-star selection worse than Jamaal.
July 18th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
quest??? says:
@ one and done Mario Chalmers is not a very good point guard and I think the Heat realized it. That’s why Arroyo was starting and Chalmers was the combo guard of the bench. If you looked at the Heat’s games closely, you would see that the offense flowed better when Arroyo was at the point. I think people are underestimating Arroyo a little bit; He is not a star but he is a more than capable starting point guard. Arroyo just needs to think he is playing for team Puerto Rico.
July 18th, 2010 at 9:38 pm
Chise says:
I’ve been sayin Bron at the 1 for the heat since well before July 1st. Lebron was supposed to be the next magic not the next mj, this will be his shot.
July 18th, 2010 at 9:41 pm
ro says:
Cavs – Heat on valentine’s day.. no love lost here.. Celtics-Lakers on christmas day..
July 18th, 2010 at 10:44 pm
one and done says:
I agree that Arroyo is a better floor general than Chalmers. However, Wade and Lebron will more than likely dominate the ball. I think Chalmers’ defense and 3 point shooting will bring more to the table for the Heat. At the very least, they’ll form a pretty decent 1-2 combo at the point.
July 18th, 2010 at 10:54 pm
dagwaller says:
Calling it now: LeBron plays Center for the Warriors in 2015, Steph Curry, David Lee, and robo-Penny Hardaway, your 2016 NBA Champions!!!
July 18th, 2010 at 11:18 pm
JR says:
Just throw the ball on the court and let them play, they dont need a pg or sg!
July 18th, 2010 at 11:57 pm
bakedbeing says:
“But as good as Jamison is on paper or as good as he was in the regular season, what did he do in the Boston series? Nothing. At that point, it only matters how well your supporting cast produces in the moment, not how good they were in the regular season or how good they were two years ago.
If Kobe got to the Finals and suddenly Gasol started playing like shit, Odom disappeared, Artest couldn’t shoot and gave up buckets to Pierce, and Fisher didn’t hit any shots or guard anybody, but Kobe averaged 30 and they lost, I’d say Kobe had no supporting cast when it mattered most.”
So on point.
July 19th, 2010 at 12:15 am
That's What's Up says:
D-Cuz had a trip-dub, with 10 fouls.
Consider if that was Greg Oden it would take him two seasons to amass 10 fouls, so Sacto is good on this pick
July 19th, 2010 at 12:18 am
That's What's Up says:
Bron ain’t no point guard. In fact, he’ll be better off as a #2.
He is an unbelievable talent, but he needs to visit The Wizard…. he has no heart, no courage and it’s questionable as to whether he has a brain
July 19th, 2010 at 12:19 am
cov says:
bulls after jordan. fell off super hard. the 2nd retirement.
spurs went d-rob was hurt that season
utah was bad when malone and stock left but they kept sloan and rebuilt
boston in the 90s. wow
pacers after the brawl, still struggling
July 19th, 2010 at 12:48 pm
Joe's Momma says:
LBJ had the ball in his hands 90% of the time in Cleveland, so he basically ran the point and Mo was a shooter on the wing.
Both Wade and LBJ can run the point, Wade did it his rookie year, and the entire 2010 playoffs. I expect both of those guys to handle the rock. Chalmers? Still not sold. Arroyo, decent. Dooling, more of a combo guard. I do think they will have Mike Miller off the bench to spell both LBJ and Wade instead of starting.
And Cleveland will drop off the face of the earth because their entire existance was based on LBJ.
Miami is filling their roster with some real nice pieces. Magloire is a banger, someone who will give a hard foul. Much needed as Z and Bosh are finesse.
I hate to admit, but these guys look formidable. They should run up tempo. Defensively Spo does a good job. Will Bosh be that low post presence? Offensively he does a nice job, but defensively he will get murked. Who starts at the 5? Magloire aint, Z is like 55, Joel Anthony is 5’9″ but good shot blocker.
July 19th, 2010 at 3:07 pm
Joe's Momma says:
Was Maglore really called big cat???
The only big cat I know of was Andres Galarraga in baseball.
July 19th, 2010 at 3:08 pm
Joe's Momma says:
haha, I mean Joel Anthony is a 6’9″ shotblocker
July 19th, 2010 at 3:37 pm
JHov says:
You guys made valid points on the LBJ article! And fanhouse is not a valid source seeing how they misquoted DWade!
July 19th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
We-It Athletics says:
Lebron Stats for 2010-2011 NBA seasons
20ppg 11apg 8rpg….Similar to Magic’s 1987 or 88 campaign when the Lakers won the Chip…Magic was the third leading scorer on his team , but it was still his team!!!
July 20th, 2010 at 1:30 am
Steven says:
Their is nothing wrong with what they did! They wanted to play on the same team, so they structured their
contracts to expire at the same time. The NBA needs
more teams to join forces and rid the league of
Los Angeles Faker teams. I am sick and tired of the
Lakers buying all the talent in the league then Claim-
ing their great. They are not great their FAKE! So go
to hell Fakers super teams are ganna faze you out!