Breaking Down Miami Heat's Shooting Guard Position for 2014-15 Season
Just as he's been for the past decade, Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade remains atop the team's shooting guard depth chart entering the 2014-15 NBA season.
However, there will be some new blood backing up Wade this upcoming season. Ray Allen, who has not announced whether he will return for a 19th NBA season or retire, almost certainly won't be back with Miami now that his good buddy, LeBron James, is a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Unfortunately for Miami, it's replaced the greatest shooter in NBA history with a bunch of question marks. Shannon Brown and Reggie Williams are the top two shooting guards Miami added this summer. It's worth noting, though, that more competent players such as James Ennis and Mario Chalmers will likely spend time at the 2 this year.
Still, from a depth standpoint, shooting guard is Miami's worst position.
Let's take a full-scope look at the 2 position for the Heat.
Grading Last Year's Shooting Guard Performance
The performance of Miami's shooting guards last season took a big hit because of the maintenance plan the Heat instituted for Wade.
Wade appeared in just 54 games during the 2013-14 season as Miami tried to protect his health. This resulted in the Heat having to rely on below-average players such as Roger Mason Jr. and Toney Douglas for minutes at certain points of the season.
But when Wade was out there, he was extremely effective. He averaged 19.9 points (54.5 percent shooting from the field), 4.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game during the regular season.
For all the talk of Wade's demise, he had a very good year prior to the 2014 NBA Finals.
As for Allen, he had a down year but was still a valuable contributor for Miami. His streak of three consecutive seasons in which he shot above 40 percent from beyond the arc ended, as he connected on 37.5 percent of his three-pointers.
Allen's defense also continued to suffer, and his only real value to Miami was his outside shot.
Still, make no mistake, the Heat would gladly take back a declining Allen given who is scheduled to back up Wade now.
Grade: B+
Newcomers
"Uncertainty" is the key word when talking about Miami's shooting guard additions this summer.
Brown played in 29 games this past season with the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs and averaged just 2.2 points and 1.0 rebounds per game.
While Brown used to be an effective role player for the Los Angeles Lakers from 2009-2011, he's done little in the league since then. There's a chance he could be an effective three-point shooter and a decent defender for Miami, but he could also flame out within a month.
Going another peg down, Williams is a one-trick pony. The 28-year-old can shoot the three ball (37.1 career three-point percentage) but has proved to be a terrible defender throughout his career and is far from a playmaker.
Williams appeared in just three games in 2013-14 with the Oklahoma City Thunder, so not much should be expected from him.
As for Ennis, he will likely split time at the 2 and 3 for the Heat this year. The rookie from Long Beach State was dominant in summer league play this year, but the Heat aren't a team that loves to rely on young players, so it remains to be seen how much run he will get.
2014-15 Season Outlook
It goes without saying that Miami needs a big season from Wade given James' departure and the lack of depth at the shooting guard position.
The Heat can't afford to have Wade sit out 28 games this year; he will have to stay healthy, play in 70-75 games and return to form after his poor Finals performance if Miami is to remain competitive.
Behind Wade, Miami just has to hope that at least one of Brown, Williams and Ennis proves to be a reliable option.
But as we've talked about, that's not guaranteed. Miami needs to be prepared to make a trade if its backup 2s aren't cutting it.
Ultimately, the strength of this position comes down to Wade. If he can prove his many doubters wrong and turn in a great season, the Heat have a shot at reaching its potential of a No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
