Miami Heat Blog – Page 128 – NBA Blog

Heat sign Erick Dampier, waive Jerry Stackhouse

April 10, 2010: Erick Dampier of the Dallas Mavericks during the game between the Sacramento Kings and the Dallas Mavericks at Arco Arena in Sacramento, CA. Ben Munn/CSM.

The Miami Heat announced today that they have signed free agent center Erick Dampier. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Dampier, a 14-year NBA veteran, has appeared in 921 regular season games (749 starts) and averaged 7.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.46 blocks and 25.1 minutes while shooting 49.7 percent from the field. Last season he appeared in 55 games (47 starts) for the Dallas Mavericks and averaged 6.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.40 blocks in 23.3 minutes of action while shooting a team-best 62.4 percent from the field. Besides leading the team in field goal percentage, he finished second on the team in blocks (77) and offensive rebounds (128) while finishing fourth on the squad in defensive rebounds (272) and total rebounds (400). He currently ranks among the Mavericks’ all-time leaders in field goal percentage (1st – .591), blocks (4th – 546), offensive rebounds (4th – 1,224), defensive rebounds (7th – 1,987) and total rebounds (7th – 3,211).

Additionally, he has appeared in 57 postseason games (36 starts) and averaged 4.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.04 blocks and 22.2 minutes while shooting 54.1 percent from the field.

The Heat has waived guard Jerry Stackhouse. Stackhouse appeared in seven games (one start) and averaged 1.7 points, 1.0 rebounds and 7.1 minutes.

Phil Jackson ponders possibility of Heat changing coaches

Miami Heat's head coach Erik Spoelstra (L) listens to LeBron James during a break in the first half as they met the Detroit Pistons during their NBA pre-season basketball game in Miami, Florida October 5, 2010. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

ESPNLosAngeles.com reports:

With expectations so high going into the season after team president Pat Riley assembled his dream team, the pressure is on Erik Spoelstra to deliver. When the Heat struggled to an 11-10 start to the 2005-06 season, Riley shocked the league by replacing Stan Van Gundy on the Miami bench. He hadn’t coached since the 2002-03 campaign but led the Heat to the NBA championship.”The scenario that sits kind of behind the scene, is that eventually these guys that were recruited — Bosh and James — by Pat Riley and Mickey Arrison, the owner, are going to come in and say, ‘We feel you [Riley] can do a better job coaching the team. We came here on the hopes that this would work,’ and whatever, I don’t know,” Jackson said. “That’s kind of my take on it, is that eventually if things don’t straighten out here soon, it could be the Van Gundy thing all over again.”

The two-time defending champion Lakers are cruising along again at 12-2. The Boston Celtics, whom they faced in the 2010 Finals, are still the beast of the East, according to Jackson.

“The Celtics have a defense you have to plan for. Their defense is overwhelmingly a factor in the ballgame,” Jackson said. “They’re going to smother. They’re going to really contest. They’re going to body guys. There’s going to be double-teaming underneath the free-throw line. There are a lot of things that go on there that you have to start planning for.

Report: Heat will sign Erick Dampier

The Miami Heat have been hit with a few key injuries, losing Mike Miller before things even got started, and a few days ago losing Udonis Haslem for what coudl be months.

Haslem, a power forward, provides rebounding, defense and toughness that few players on the current roster are able to replace.

Also, center Joel Anthony, who had been starting, hasn’t lived up to the Heat’s high hopes and now spends plenty of time on the bench.

Enter free agent center Erick Dampier.

Ken Berger of CBS Sports reports:

Erick Dampier has a one-year offer from the Miami Heat and is expected to sign it Tuesday, CBSSports.com has learned.

The 35-year-old center arrived in Miami Monday night and, pending his passing of a medical exam, will join the team to replace Udonis Haslem, who is out until at least February with a torn ligament in his foot. The deal is for one year at the prorated veteran’s minimum, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

The Heat will have to release a player to create a roster spot for Dampier, likely Dexter Pittman or Jamaal Magloire.

It’s a good move for the Heat, and not particularly shocking. The team has reportedly been considering adding Dampier for a long time now, long before Haslem’s injury.

Read fan reaction and share your own opinion in this forum topic.

LeBron, Wade, Heat offense is all jump-shots

John Schuhmann of NBA.com reports:

James Jones has attempted 72 shots this season, and not one has come from within 15 feet of the basket. No dunks, no layups, no runners and no floaters. It’s been strictly jumpers for Jones thus far.

Jones is a specialist, of course. As part of the Miami Heat’s supporting cast, it’s his job to complement the Superfriends by spreading the floor and knocking down open shots. To date, Jones has done that job effectively, shooting 48 percent from 3-point range. But Jones’ paint allergy is representative of the Heat as a whole.

Miami ranks last in the league in both points in the paint per game (33.6) and percentage of points scored in the paint (32.2). Points in the paint have been tracked since 2000 and in the 11 seasons since, only one team — the 2002-03 Knicks (30.9 percent) — has scored a lower percentage of its points in the paint than the Heat have thus far.

Miami is also second (behind only Washington) in mid-range percentage (25.4). (Mid-range percentage is the percentage of a team’s points that aren’t scored in the paint, at the free throw line or from 3-point range.)

League-wide, mid-range shots are the most inefficient shots on the floor.

Dorell Wright expands his offensive game

John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle reports:

Aside from Joe Lacob, Peter Guber and David Lee, Wright has been the most influential Warriors newcomer. The small forward, who arrived as a free agent, has started all 11 games and is one of the reasons the Warriors are 7-4. Wright, who turns 25 in December, is averaging 15 points in 38 minutes after averaging 6.5 in 19.5 over six seasons in Miami.

Known previously as a defensive-minded player, Wright has proven to be far more while complementing Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry and providing help under the boards.

In his first eight games, he sunk more than half his three-pointers. Twice, he topped 20 points – after reaching 20 just three previous times in his career – and he makes more than 80 percent of his free throws. Plus, he averages 5.4 rebounds, nearly two more than his career average.

“It’s been good,” Wright said. “Finally, I get a chance to do everything, not just be one-dimensional anymore. I’m able to handle the ball, take open shots, get guys involved – instead of every time I get the ball on the rebound, hold up and look for the point guard as if I can’t dribble. It’s good to get an opportunity, and I’m taking advantage of it.”

Mike Beasley scoring like crazy lately

The AP reports:

For a player who was labeled irresponsible in his first two seasons in Miami, Beasley is embracing his role as the go-to guy in his first season in Minnesota. He scored a career-high 42 points in a win over the Kings last week, followed that up with 35 in a win over the Knicks and is averaging 32.5 points over the last four games.

Beasley’s scoring binge has helped the Wolves go 2-2, showing a feistiness that wasn’t there early in the season — or for the last five years, really.

Beasley welcomed a baby boy into his family on the same day he hung 42 on the Kings and is quickly settling into his new surroundings after two so-so seasons to start his career.

“I feel at home,” Beasley said. “I definitely feel at home, on the court and off.”

Early in season, Heat lack rebounding

Tom Haberstroh of ESPN reports:

Along with their propensity to turn the ball over, rebounding has been a documented chink in the armor for the Heat. Currently, the team’s 23.0 offensive rebounding rate places them third to last in the NBA. It’s unfair to knock 7-foot-3 Zydrunas Ilgauskas for not collecting offensive boards, considering he’s typically roaming the perimeter for pick-and-pops. But Joel Anthony’s a different story. The 6-foot-9 center has been a below-average offensive rebounder this season, collecting 8.6 percent of available Heat missed shots. This, despite being firmly planted around the basket in offensive sets.

For all the energy Anthony brings, his hyperactivity doesn’t translate to beating others to the live ball. On the defensive end, the UNLV product is too busy fly-swatting others shots, rather than preventing the opposition from acquiring second-chance points. In fact, the Heat’s defensive rebounding rate soars from 61.5 percent while Anthony’s on the floor to 70.9 percent after he exits the game.

Udonis Haslem adjusting to Heat bench role

The Miami Heat are still adjusting to each other, and the process will continue for much of the season.

One of the most important pieces of the supporting cast is veteran forward Udonis Haslem, who is learning to contribute in big ways coming off the bench.

Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald reports:

Haslem’s role off the bench has expanded gradually over the past six games. Beginning with his 24-minute contribution against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 2, Haslem’s minutes have increased steadily in each game. On Saturday, he played 37 minutes in the Heat’s 109-100 victory against the Toronto Raptors. Only starter LeBron James (40 minutes) logged more time on the court…

For now, Haslem will continue to provide a spark off the bench. Officially, Haslem is Bosh’s backup at the power forward position, but many times through the first 10 games of the season both Haslem and Bosh have been on the court together late in games.

“I like having Udonis in the game but right now I don’t plan on starting him,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I don’t plan on starting Chris at the center. I like having a veteran warrior who knows our system, who knows what’s important to us coming off the bench.”

Said Haslem: “I feel like when I come in, I think I got to get more done faster, instead of just coasting into the game. Coming off the bench, it’s just full speed ahead automatically because you don’t know how many minutes you’re going to get or what’s the situation. When I come in the game, I’m real aggressive. I’m attacking the boards.”

The Heat have started the season exactly how I thought they would. They’re beating the bad teams, and losing to the really good ones. It’s still super-early. Keep watching the development.

Chris Bosh still learning to fit in with Heat

Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports:

Bosh admitted to playing passive the first six games. He realized a change was necessary heading into the New Jersey game. It didn’t help he faced criticism for being nearly non-existent in a loss to the New Orleans Hornets the previous night.

So Bosh reverted to the player who was a five-time All-Star with the Toronto Raptors.

He played aggressive. He showed passion. It resulted in a season-high 21 points, easily his best effort with the Heat. After the game, Bosh confidently stated the Nets caught him on the “wrong night” because his frustrations reached an all-time high.

He was having difficulty adjusting to a new role of being the third option behind LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

“This process hasn’t been easy for me,” said Bosh, who is averaging 14.4 points and 5.4 rebounds.

James Jones benefitting from absence of Mike Miller

Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports:

James Jones (Miami Heat) has benefited the most from the absence of Mike Miller, who had thumb surgery and is out until January.

After struggling with open looks against Boston in the season opener, James has been effective the past two games.

He was 9-of-14 on 3-pointers against the 76ers and Magic.

“I’m just doing what they brought me here to do and what I’ve done my entire career, which is shoot the ball,” Jones said.

“I look at it as I’m an NBA player, I’m a skilled player and I just have to be ready capitalize and I have to take advantages of the opportunities that I’m given.”