Bosh shot 10/15 from the field on yet another quiet but offensively dominating performance. For the first game, against the Pistons, Bosh quietly added 20 points and 8 rebounds. Last night’s performance came in only 28 minutes of play.

Let’s put this in perspective – what does this win signify? Not  a whole lot other than the fact that the Heat should be beating the Thunder. That isn’t to say the Thunder are a weak team – Kevin Durant is the new posterboy for future NBA greatness, helping lead Team USA to the FIFA title this summer while also becoming basically the youngest player in the modern era of the sport to lead the league in scoring. The Thunder have a strong, young team that went 22-8 last season against the East while the previous season they were the opposite of that (8-22 against the Eastern Conference).

In beating the Thunder, the Heat took on a team that had superior chemistry but was still able to succeed on the court. The defense looked pretty solid again, which is to be the hallmark of this team according to coach Erik Spoelstra’s repeated messages during press conferences. Beyond that, what is to be expected from the Heat’s roster?

It looks like Mike Miller is going to be a virtual lock to lead the NBA in three pointers made. He is a sharp shooter on any team, but with Wade, Lebron, and Bosh working the offense and demanding a lot of attention, Miller will be getting open looks. James Jones also can fill the same role and may even offer a bit of flexibility should coach Spo want to run Lebron at the point and get some more shooters around him.

The point guard spot continues to be the most contentious, if not, in some way, the most irrelevant. With Wade and Lebron on the floor, the offense will most likely go through them. There is very little need for a ball handler to set up the offense which means the Heat may not be using a traditional point guard as often as other teams might. That said, Carlos Arroyo seems to provide the better option as he has an ability to play without the ball and can stick open threes better in pressure moments. Chalmers, however, does have an impressive resume of hitting the clutch shot, but his ability to play off the ball is still questionable and in need of work.

This Heat team looks extremely good considering the short amount of time it has been together. Obviously, the natural chemistry between the members of Run DLC (Dwyane Wade, Lebron James, and Chris Bosh) is a large part of that success. The ceiling for this team can remain high.

Tonight the Heat take on the Spurs, but there is no TV coverage in the Miami market. So, Spurs fans, let us know what you think!

Haslem’s attorney attests that his client will be vindicated and was wrongly arrested. The Miami Herald reports that it was a passenger in Haslem’s car that actually possessed the drugs. He fessed up to it, too, by all reports.

There is not an official comment from the Heat yet, and as charges are pending there is no issuance of a penalty coming from the NBA – yet. If the charges stand, it would be a black eye on what was an historic offseason for the Heat. If Haslem is acquitted, it may serve as not just a relief for the Heat but perhaps a wake up call that should permeate a little more deeply into the Heat’s clubhouse. Some have suggested that Haslem has had a hard time coping with the recent death of his mother, but nothing to indicate whether or not this incident would have been effected by his loss.

The past two offseasons the Heat have been faced with a drug scandal. Last year it was Michael Beasley, which ended up getting some confused reporting about how serious it was and whether or not Beasley enrolled himself into rehab. In 2008, it was Mario Chalmers who was under the gun as there was suspicion over marijuana use while at a rookie introduction program for the NBA.

Sure, the Heat fielded a competitive team to try and repeat for 2006-2007 season, but the Bulls had other plans that season, sending the Heat out of the playoffs in the first round. It was clear Miami’s championship runs had finished with that squad. It was, after all, the acquisition of Shaquille O’neal that lead to Miami’s title runs during the mid 2000′s.

Coming off the heals of a successful 2003 campaign that watched a young team built around Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, and a young rookie Dwyane Wade, the Heat pulled the trigger and gambled it all for Shaq. The architect? Pat Riley. In fact, every significant run the Heat franchise has made has been done with Riley’s sleight of hand.

He is why Miami is in the best position to control this off-season with over $45M in salary cap free to spend. The potential of this offseason is also why Riley curiously said that coaching was not something he would rule out – much to Erik Spoelstra’s surprise. Riley also is the reason why Miami is a legit destination for Lebron James; some even go so far as to put Chris Bosh in Miami despite the impossibility of a sign-and-trade.

This is not something that happens without foresight. Pat Riley has had to shrewdly keep in mind this offseason when acquiring players. Take James Jones’ contract. He had an option for over $4.5M – but it was a team option. Riley had to final say on whether or not to extend James’ contract and since they needed the extra cap space, the answer was “no, thanks”.

Daequan Cook is a solid, promising shooter off the bench. His contract, however, got in the way. Riley shipped him off undervalued, to be sure, along with the 18th pick to get out of the first round for the 32nd pick. Clearly no one would make that deal – unless you are Pat Riley and you have a plan.

Now, the plan is a tough one, but one that Riley has been looking forward to for years. He has to re-sign Wade, and to do that he has to convince him Miami is the place to be. Which means, Riley has to make a splash right away – either a sign and trade for Chris Bosh or a straight up signing of either Carlos Boozer or Amare Stoudemire. Toronto has scoffed at the idea of getting Michael Beasley, Mario Chalmers, and Joel Anthony in return for Bosh, but they are open to getting a trade exception (about $16M!) and their first round pick back (which was dealt as part of the Jermaine O’neal deal) so don’t rule them out.

Then, after all of that, King James awaits. Perhaps he stays in Cleveland and nothing happens. But most likely, he is waiting to see how things will shake out. If the Heat can keep Wade, land a marquee power forward, then Riley has everything in place to pull off yet another major acquisition: his biggest yet. Alonzo? Shaq? Drafting Wade? Signing Lebron James just may trump all of those considering all the competition out there – but it wouldn’t have been done without a solid plan and vision in place running on years of creation.

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Call me crazy, but I’m not buying it.

Remember back in the offseason of ’96 when Juwan Howard became the first player to sign a $100M contract? It was on TV and everything. There was Juwan Howard, holding a Heat jersey and all smiles. Then, the NBA rejected the contract, stated that the Heat miscalculated how much money they had to spend against the cap and poof! Howard was back in Washington where he claimed he “always wanted to be”. The Heat were going to pursue litigation but then dropped the charges (boy, there is a story there, huh?).

One of the things about these rumors is that they cannot be validated. Why? Tampering. No player or official can comment on free agency or trades because, well, the NBA has mandated that nothing is allowed until after the July 1st moratorium deadline. So, 12 hours from now – wait and see what hits the blogosphere.

But if any team wants to get the inside track on Lebron, getting Chris Bosh would garner his attention. The Heat need to keep Dwyane Wade and getting Chris Bosh would be a nice way to start the offseason. With Bosh in house, the Heat could lock down Wade and then turn their attention to getting Lebron James. I still think Lebron is going to be one of the last ones to sign – he is going to wait this out and see how things shake out. Getting Bosh may give a franchise the significant leg up it needs to land the King.

We’ll try and sort things out on our twitter feed: Miamiheatwave@twitter

The max contract that can be offered for free agents is $16.6M. Currently, the Heat only have Michael Beasley ($4.9M) and Mario Chalmers ($847K) on the books. They had a payroll of about $72M last season, which leaves basically $66M free to field a team.

It seemed that Riley is staunchly fixed on waiting for this offseason to re-sign Dwyane Wade and add someone else to the mix. This has forced the Heat to be very crafty in regards to its financial picture, which the Heat have been able to do. They have tons of money coming off the books as only Michael Beasley and Daequan Cook are guaranteed to be on the books after this season.

So it’s audition time for this team – and the entire franchise is trying to show Wade that this is his current and future home. What to expect?

First of all, who’s in and who’s out. In: Carlos Arroyo, Quentin Richardson and Shavlik Randolph. Out: Mark Blount, and Jamario Moon. The Heat finished 43-39 last season, and lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs.

What about who’s playing when and where? Expect to see the shift is on as Michael Beasley is going to start at PF while fan favorite Udonis Haslem shifts to the bench. Also, it has been rumored that Q-Rich has jostled his way into the starting lineup at SF, where Beasley was playing last season. Rounding things out will be Jermaine O’neal at C, Mario Chalmers at PG and Dwyane Wade, as always, at SG.

The bench looks intriguing. Questions abound over the role that Carlos Arroyo, Daequan Cook and even Dorell Wright will play. What kind of minutes will they get? When Chris Quinn returns, what is the point guard situation going to look like? Haslem will try his hand at coming off the bench, but it will only be successful if Beasley can show that he can rebound and defend better. Beasley, coming off a tumultous offseason, has seemingly gotten things on track in his personal life and is looking to take the next step in his professional career. Again, the growth potential of this young team is what will be assessed, and the result will be how far they can reach into the playoffs.

This is an audition of sorts. Dwyane Wade wants to be in Miami but only if it is in his best interests – he wants to win, not just make money. If this team can show growth, perhaps get into the 2nd round or deeper, then Wade should be a lock to stay. Who will remain with him, however, will remain to be seen.

Expectations: This team has enough youth to create a higher ceiling. Cook, Beasley, Chalmers – all can take drastic steps forward. The bench is stronger as there are more options to play with – let’s not forget James Jones’ ability to contribute to this team. There doesn’t, however, feel like there is too much of a difference between last year and this year so it is reasonable to expect a 40+ win season and a berth to the playoffs. The difference might be once the Heat reach the playoffs – I’m expecting at least a 2nd round appearance. Can Wade play another MVP-like season? We’ll soon find out.

The kid from Puerto Rico grew up down here and played at FIU – which now sports Isiah Thomas as their head coach these days. He is competitive and physical – something the Heat could use as they look to get back to the playoffs and improve this season.

The question is, would any of this occurred had not Chris Quinn sustained a sprained right foot? You bet. At least, I would hope so. Arroyo became eligible for free agency on Monday and the rumor has long been the Heat would give him a look. What’s not to like about his game? On a team like the Heat, in a reserve role, Arroyo will shine. The question is, will it affect Chalmer’s playing time.

Either way you look at it, you have to be happy about the Heat improving its roster this offseason and sticking to the plan that Riley has set in place – keep the finances free for this offseason to try and retain Dwyane Wade and add another free agent while also staying competitive. Riley made it look easy, trading for Quentin Richardson and now adding Arroyo to the mix. I’s also like to add that Shavlik Randolph is an intriguing prospect who had a pretty tantalizing game coming out of Duke a few years back. Who knows what he adds.

The Heat, however, still have lots of needs to address and they focused on several spots with this draft.  For starters, they had the 43rd pick (to complete the trade with Indiana from last year) and the 60th pick (from Cleveland). There isn’t a whole lot to do with those picks except reach for projects – and that is precisely what team president Pat Riley did with those spots. After all, they traded for Mario Chalmers who was the 34th pick in last year’s draft from the Timberwolves.

The Heat drafted Marcus Thornton with the 43rd pick, from LSU then quickly dealt the rights to Thornton to the New Orleans Hornets for future considerations, i.e. 2nd round draft picks for 2010 and 2012. The Heat then traded for combo guard, Patrick Beverley from the Lakers. The 6’1″ guard from Arkansas had some documented problems while playing at Arkansas for two seasons and spent last season in Ukraine. He has a knack for scoring and Riley compared him to Mario Chalmers and Rajon Rondo and also stressed the fact that he expects Beverley to make the team. Seeing as the Heat also extended Chris Quinn’s contract, the backup pointguard spot is definitely going to be a battle.

The final draft pick for the Heat, indeed for the entire NBA draft, was Robert Dozier from Memphis. Dozier is very long and athletic, something Riley stated the team was looking for, and is a project of sorts. He has a tangible skill in shot blocking, and at 6’9″ could play down low and possibly defend the wing.

Even though Miami had no first round picks, they were able to get solid value out of deals made on draft day in acquiring Beverley, a possible scoring threat at the guard position to come off the bench and provide energy, while Dozier could provide more length and athleticism. The Heat also aquired two draft picks for future 2nd rounds. As the Magic and Cavs beefed up on draft day deals (Vince Carter to Orlando, Shaq to Cleveland), the Heat would be hard pressed to match such moves as their agenda has to deal with focusing on 2010′s free agent market and keeping Wade in Miami. The Heat are a playoff caliber team, the only question is is there enough growth potential for Wade’s supporting cast to do a better job supporting him in the regular season and the playoffs to keep this team moving in the right direction – up. That was not going to be something addressed in this draft anyway.

Quicklook:

• Wade quietly scored 41 points (11-23 from the field, 16-17 free throws). The Heat just got out in front and never really looked back.
• Beasley came up huge with his 22 points and 15 rebounds. He was a big factor in the success tonight – especially without Jermaine O’neal.
• BBC Index – Beasley, Daequan Cook and Mario Chalmers all needed to combine to get 30 points for the win tonight. They got 36.

Tonight was a night defined by injury and who was not on the floor – but it was the guy stepping into the lineup that made the biggest difference: Joel Anthony.

Those who have been following the Heat all season, and following what we write on MiamiHeatwave, know that Anthony is a defensive juggernaut despite his size. As an undersized center, what he loses in size he tends to make up with his uncanny shot blocking ability – which, in all seriousness, rivals the skill of Alonzo Mourning. Anthony managed to get 3 blocks, but his blocks usually result in possessions for the Heat, much like Zo’s. He also grabbed 8 rebounds and had 6 points – which is not overwhelming to look at. The biggest difference is how Anthony controlled the painted area and set perfect screens that allowed Wade to get space and operate.

With Anthony’s hustle and desire to do the little things, the Heat made the jump they needed on both ends of the court. That is why tonight, I think this guy is the real MVP for the Heat. No doubt Wade did his part and played MVP – more importantly, his back looked fine out there tonight – but Anthony’s contribution paved the way.

There will be a game 7 Sunday. Many questions will surface – will Jermaine O’neal be healthy enough to play? Will Joel Anthony continue to start and get minutes? Can the Heat continue to play strong defense and frustrate Josh Smith – who clearly has a limited game that is based on dunking the basketball? Whatever question that comes up and needs to be answered the ultimate one will be answered – who will advance to play a rested Cavs team in the next round. For Miami to be that team they will have to bring a strong game and not only match but exceed the intensity and energy the Hawks bring. That has been the defining characteristic of the victor in this series.

Dwyane Wade was beaten up, booed, and held down by the officials who made several questionable calls.

But he can’t do it all himself. He needs help. Michael Beasley, Daequan Cook and Mario Chalmers have to step up and score points. Neither Cook nor Chalmers have been able to defend Flip Murray – who is the real MVP of this series right now.

Jermaine O’neal battled and is quickly showing why he was a valuable asset for those tough Pacer teams. Udonis Haslem battles but his hand clearly still bothers him.

None of this matters though as the Heat need a win tomorrow night. Game 6 in Miami has to be a statement game. The Heat need to shake off the embarrassment and come out firing in front of the home crowd. Call it the Black Hole, with every Heat fan decked out in black.

With a win, the Heat can erase the painful memories of two straight losses in this series. With a win, they can erase the achievements the Hawks think they have acquired. With a win, the Heat have an even greater chance for revenge – to close out the series on Atlanta’s home court, where it all began. What greater motivation would they need at this point?