Now that two healthy Super Friends have combined to score 70 points in the same playoff game and coax their fans off the ledge, it seems like a fine time to consider the Miami Heat's summer shopping list.
Doing it when they were down just didn't seem right.
Anyway, this should seem sort of relevant around here, because plenty of NBA observers continue chanting the name "Steve Nash" as a potential tonic if Miami fails to secure this year's championship.
The Heat's greatest current need, of course, is a reasonably healthy return for power forward Chris Bosh. But let's pretend that whatever occurs between now and late June does not compel Miami roster boss Pat Riley to break up the Big Three.
With that in mind, many of the aforementioned watchdogs insist Nash would be the perfect trigger man for a lineup that co-stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. I'm not exactly subscribing to this notion but am forced to admit Nash probably would figure out a way to make the Miami offense a least a bit more efficient.
While offering a grudging agreement, one NBA front-office executive recently told me the cap-strangled Heat could put their $5 million, mid-level exception — which, barring trade, represents their most visible opportunity for a roster upgrade — to better use.
"It's hardly a secret that they need a big who can actually play a bit at both ends," the personnel guy said. "For the record, I also think James and Wade don't catch and shoot well enough to really maximize Nash's passing skills. The three of them, plus Bosh, would be great in transition and on lobs off of back screens and so forth, but when they remember to move the ball now with who they already have, they can be pretty good on offense."
OK, so just who should Miami target when the limited, unrestricted free-agent roll is called?
"Three names they probably should consider are Chris Kaman, Marcus Camby and Jordan Hill," he said.
Kaman, who recently played out his lucrative contract ($14 million and change this season) while working for the New Orleans Hornets, is a skilled 7-foot center, who is 30 years old and averaged 13 points in 29 minutes per game. He averaged a respectable 1.6 blocks and a marginal 7.7 rebounds in that time.
Camby, 38, went from Portland to Houston, where he gave the Rockets 7 points and 9 rebounds in 24 minutes each night. Hill is the kid from the University of Arizona who rode the bench in Houston, was traded to the Lakers and recently made himself marketable by working the offensive boards.
"Kaman probably could get a bigger contract than Miami has the ability to offer," the personnel insider said, "but he's made pretty good money recently and may take less to play for a contender. Camby probably would work for the mid-level, still defends at a pretty high level and can finish plays around the rim a lot better than what Miami — aside from Bosh — has now.
"They'd probably prefer someone bigger than Hill, but he certainly would be a decent option."
IRON MAN
With Bosh out and Wade recently compromised by assorted pains, we're reminded that James has been amazingly durable.
Except for his mysterious elbow injury during the 2010 playoffs, there's been little mention of any physical limitations for the runaway train who absorbs and generates considerable contact.
In his nine NBA seasons, James has missed a total of 33 regular-season games. Several of his career DNPs were inspired by late-season nights off through secured playoff seeding, including three such situations two years ago. He did miss seven games during the 2007-08 season, with six of those provoked by a minor cut on his left hand.
HOOSIER HYSTERIA
The Indiana Pacers were unable to control James and Wade in Sunday's Game 4, but it certainly had nothing to do with crowd support.
It's interesting to note how disinterested Pacers fans seemed to be during the regular season. Sure, the attendance drop has been mentioned during previous playoff telecasts, but the level of temporary abandonment was pretty serious.
For overall attendance, Indiana checked in 29th in the 30-team NBA. It was last the previous season, 27th two years ago, 28th three years ago and dead last four years ago. The Pacers' nightly seats-occupied percentage this season was 78, which put them 26th — ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Charlotte Bobcats, New Jersey Nets and Detroit Pistons.
The Pacers, it should be noted, finished the season 42-24 and seeded third in the Eastern Conference. Let's see how much goodwill they've mustered for next season.
NET RESULTS
The Brooklyn Nets put on a pre-draft workout last weekend that featured mostly second-round-caliber prospects and was attended by several NBA teams.
According to a scout working for a Western Conference team, Iona point guard Scott Machado — who led the nation in assists — continued demonstrating the potential to be selected somewhere between the lottery and the end of the first round.
"His ability to pass the basketball never was in question," the scout said. "But we're all looking to see if he can make enough shots to keep defenders honest and do a good job on the other end. So far, so good."
Our insider also had high praise — relative to the competition — for Buffalo University forward Mitchell Watt. Watt played high school ball at Desert Edge in Goodyear, Ariz.
