NBA Summer League 2010: Dark Horse Point Guard for Miami?

Much has been said about the Heat's lack of talent at point guard and center. With the "Three Amigos," you are bound to have some kind of drop off at the other two positions. As a result everyone has been wondering who will start at the other two spots.

We still don't know if the Heat's ultimate plan is to start Mike Miller at small forward. If that's the case then either LeBron James or Dwyane Wade will be running the point. However, if Miller indeed is tabbed as the first man off the bench, then it creates a huge opening in Miami's lineup.

One point guard who may be up to challenging incumbent Mario Chalmers is former Arkansas player Pat Beverley.

I managed to watch three of the Heat's five summer league games and Pat definitely had to have impressed Miami's coaching staff. Beverley consistently displayed a defensive tenacity and smart decision making.

Another possible summer league find at the point guard position could be Siena's Kenny Hasbrouck. His stats might jump out more at the casual observer, but while Beverley didn't average nearly as many points scored as Kenny, he did show signs of many qualities that the Heat will need in their point guard.

Beverley showed a great amount of poise in letting the game come to him. He wasn't forcing passes or making turnovers. He was creating a few, though. In Saturday's game versus Cleveland, he managed to get steals on back-to-back possessions. He got in the face of the opposing teams guard and snatched the ball just as the offense was preparing to set up.

While Hasbrouck might have had more highlights, he also had more mental mistakes. Beverley on the other hand played well within his limits. He blew one chance at a layup but the opportunity was created by a smart pass and cut to the basket. It shows he has the right idea.

While watching him in these games, I noticed Beverley's playing stood out as just what the Heat might need. Things I looked out for included: How did he look with the ball in his hands? Was he able to control the offense in a half court set? Did he show the ability to lead a fast break? Isolation defense? Free-throw shooting?

In all of this Beverley performed well. He was getting rebounds. Giving alley-oop passes for dunks. Following up misses for tip-in baskets. Most importantly he played solid defense.

Beverley, who is listed at 6'1"—but looks like hes barely 6'—also showed he has great leaping ability for a guy his size. On more than one occasion he skied for rebounds.

Another quality Beverley displayed was his hustle. He seemed to have a good motor and a nice level of quickness.

His glaring weakness seemed to be his shot. He was often hesitant to put up anything from long range. Certainly has a pass-first mentality. Fortunately for Beverley, the Heat have some of the best coaches at being able to develop a player's jump shot.

In essence what I saw was a player who could stick with the main squad—not just stick but contribute quite a bit. Whether Riley would risk allowing Spoelstra to play a rookie remains to be seen. He spent a year in Greece in order to get experience and in my mind has skills and strengths which would mesh nicely with the other starters.

In other Heat Summer League performances, John Scheyer made a clutch shot in the first game before getting hurt. Kenny Hasbrouck is a potentially explosive playmaker but doesn't seem to have the desired composure. He also turned the ball over too often, which the Heat staff will frown upon.

Antwan Robinson showed a nice stroke for a 6'8" forward. Jarvis Varnado lived up to his reputation as a solid shot-blocker. Varnado will be on the roster a year from now and will be a pleasant surprise. For now, however I see him being sent to Europe in order to get more playing time and to add at least 15-25 pounds of muscle to his lanky frame.

Frame size is not a problem when it comes to Dexter Pittman. The big man from Texas showed more in his last performance than any before it. He may actually get the nod as the third center on the Heat roster. Pittman is very reminiscent of an Andrew Bynum type. He's a beast and will be a force in the middle of the paint. I can only imagine what his game might look like in three years if he continues to progress.

The Heat may eventually end up going with a veteran-only team. If they decide to try and inject a little youth, they will have at least a couple of intriguing options. I think the staff will undoubtedly take a long hard look at both Pittman and Beverley. Both of them are certainly worth it.