Category: Miami Heat Blog

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Heat waive Penny Hardaway, sign Luke Jackson

The  Miami  Heat announced today that they have requested waivers on guard Penny Hardaway  and signed free agent forward/guard Luke Jackson. Per team policy, terms of the  deal were not disclosed.
 
 Jackson, a 6’7”, 215-pound guard, has appeared in 59  games (two starts) in his three-year NBA career and averaged 2.9 points, 1.0  rebounds, 0.7 assists and 8.4 minutes while shooting 37.4 percent (58-of-155)  from the field, 35.6 percent (21-of-59) from three-point range and 75 percent  (36-of-48) from the free throw line.
 
 This season, the former 10th overall pick in  the 2004 NBA Draft, appeared in one game for the Idaho Stampede of the NBA  Development League and posted 30 points, nine assists, four rebounds, a steal  and a block in 31 minutes of action while shooting 7-of-14 from the field,  5-of-6 from three-point range and a perfect 11-of-11 from the free throw line.  Prior to that, after a stint with the Los Angeles Clippers and finishing the  season with the Toronto Raptors last season, Jackson appeared in 23 games (16  starts) for the Stampede and averaged 14.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and  1.3 steals in 29.7 minutes while shooting 48 percent (121-of-252) from the  field, 48.6 percent (34-of-70) from three-point range and 78.9 percent  (60-of-76) from the free throw line.
 
 Jackson, the former Oregon Duck, finished his four-year  colligate career as one of only two players in Pac-10 history to accumulate more  than 1,900 points, 700 rebounds and 400 assists while becoming the only player  in Oregon history to rank in the Top 10 in nine categories: free throws made  (first), scoring (second), steals (third), free throw percentage (third),  assists (fourth), field goals made (fourth), three-point field goals made  (sixth), three-point percentage (seventh) and rebounding (seventh).
 
 Penny Hardaway  appeared in 16 games (eight starts) for  Miami and averaged  3.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.2

Pat Riley statement on accusation against Smush Parker

Pat Riley made a statement today on Smush Parker: “We are currently investigating the reported incident. Until we have concluded it, Smush will not be with the team. He has not been suspended and is currently on our inactive list. This is a legal matter and we will have no further comment until the legal process runs its course.”

The statement is in response to the following, as reported by the Miami Herald:

A Miami woman accusing Heat guard Smush Parker of twisting her arm during a dispute over a valet fee is seeking criminal charges against the five-year NBA player. Yomaira McKenzie, 41, said Parker ”lost it” Tuesday morning when he was asked to pay the $12 valet parking charge he allegedly owed at a condo building at 355 Biscayne Blvd. McKenzie is an assistant manager at Standard Valet, which services the building. According to a Miami police incident report, Parker, 26, claimed he had paid the fee in advance a night earlier. He said he did not have any available cash to pay Tuesday. Tension apparently escalated when Parker, denied his keys until he settled the debt, allegedly pushed a valet podium and grabbed McKenzie’s arm in an attempt to get his keys, according to the incident report. Parker was not arrested or charged at the scene Tuesday, which is standard procedure in most simple misdemeanor battery cases that aren’t witnessed by police.

Remember, it’s just an accusation. Parker’s innocent, until proven otherwise.

D-Wade won’t become PG

With the Heat looking like they have no idea how to play basketball, could Dwyane Wade eventually switch from shooting guard to the point?

Apparently not.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports: Even as Jason Williams struggles at point guard, Pat Riley and Dwyane Wade said Monday they could not envision Wade making a fulltime shift to the position. “Absolutely not,” Wade said. “I’m not trying to go back there. My team is better when I’m able to play more than one position. “If I’m stuck to just playing the point guard, then it takes something away from my game. Then it feels like I’ve got to make all the plays. I don’t want to get back to that point-guard mentality, where I feel I’ve got to set everybody up every time down.”

Is acting in Dwyane Wade’s future?

D-Wade may get into entertainment, specifically acting and/or producing, in the future. Here’s Sports Business Journal reporting:

The William Morris Agency has signed NBA star Dwyane Wade for marketing work — including representing him in international endorsements surrounding the Beijing Olympics — and for entertainment work, including possibly acting and producing.

“It is a really big deal for us,” said WMA President Dave Wirtschafter, who will head up the team of agents representing Wade at the Hollywood talent agency. “In addition to being a superstar on the court, Dwyane radiates a charisma and accessibility that resonates with audiences across all areas of entertainment.”

Henry Thomas, Wade’s on-the-court agent and head of basketball at sports management and marketing firm CSMG, will continue to represent Wade, and CSMG will work in a partnership with WMA on marketing deals for Wade.

Wade has bigger issues to worry about first, however, Like getting healthy, helping the awful Heat win some games, and getting into Charles Barkley’s Five.

Is Shaq all washed up?

The Heat aren’t expected to do much until Dwyane Wade returns from injury, which should be this month, but even so, they are playing even worse than expected. A huge factor is Shaquille O’Neal playing like he’s ready to retire any second.

We’re just four games into the 2007-08 season but in 30 minutes per game Shaq is putting up 12.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.

That’s about the same production Mark Blount put up for the Timberwolves last season.

Shaq is also averaging 4.5 fouls per game, a lot considering his modest playing time so far.

Will Shaq be a bigger, poor man’s Blount by the end of this season? Or sooner? The horror.