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.

Then the Heat, wishing to retain the other remaining member from the 2006 season, re-signed Udonis Haslem. In fact, UD took much less to stay in Miami – a four year deal that is worth $20M (Haslem made $7.1M last season). Most likely, it will be the last contract of his career and will keep him in Miami with the possibility of adding hardware.

“That’s my college roommate,” Haslem said. “He’s like Dwyane is to me, just a different color.” In signing both Miller and Haslem, the Heat not only gain two quality players to bolster this roster but they also keep building a locker room culture that is very palatable – it is quickly becoming a dynasty that is being built among friends. Haslem turned down bigger offers from the Jazz, Mavericks, and Nuggets to play with Miller who he calls “my boy from day one.”

Haslem will look to wrap up his NBA career in his hometown, averaging 10 points per game and 8.1 rebounds. He came to Miami as an undrafted free agent that lost a ton of weight after his college days. Meanwhile, Mike Miller has earned a reputation for being a very good scorer and shooter, averaging 13.7 points per game throughout his career. Both will reunite in Miami, recalling their Gator Final Four appearance back in 2000 while contending for championships in the NBA.

Discuss this latest move with us on the MiamiHeatwave forum!

So, officially, this is not Dade County but Wade County until July 8th – when the free agents are officially allowed to put their signatures on contracts. The Heat have not been shy in trying to show their appreciation for Dwyane Wade in the hopes of keeping him in Miami. There is the WeWantWade.com website which is the official hub for the Heat’s pursuit of keeping Wade. Then there is also this promotion:

The Heat certiainly aren’t showing that a re-signing of Dwyane Wade is something to take for granted, and that is a good thing. Udonis Haslem seems to think Wade will stay in Miami even though he admits anything can happen. Fans of the NBA know this – see Carlos Boozer and his Cavs contract and also the Juwan Howard “signing” back in ’96 for the Heat.

The key thing here is to gauge Pat Riley – he seems to be extremely confident in the process right now. The Plain Dealer in Cleveland has noted that Riley has even already met with James’ agent last night in anticipation of today’s official meeting. Riley didn’t show his hand with any comments to the media, but with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade having dinner in Chicago last night together at the end of the day, there has to be something brewing.

If the Heat are able to land all three marquee free agents, a coup the likes of which the NBA has never seen, there will still be the issue of how to round out the roster. Riley must be on top of his game to convince Lebron James to come out of Cleveland, where he is very comfortable, and come to Miami to win titles and establish a dynasty. The issue of who will make the lion’s share of salary must be tread carefully, too. There is talk that the three will actually take a slight pay cut to make this work – highly doubtful despite the good feeling that it would invoke. The Heat would be left with a mid-level exception ($5.8M last season) which can be used on one or split among several free agents and an minimum salary exceptions (“veteran” exceptions at about $1.5M each and max up to two years).

An interesting sidebar to this is that Haslem shares the same agent as Wade and Bosh. If indeed both sign with Miami, then where does this leave Haslem? Would he be willing to come back at a paycut just to have a chance to get another title with the home town team? Another key possibility is putting Haslem at center to spell whomever takes over that position because if Bosh is going to play in Miami, most definitely it will not be at the center position.

But let’s not get ahead of things. Riley still has to meet today with Lebron and the Heat still have to ink Wade to a deal. Getting Bosh to commit to a sign-and-trade will be crucial for bridging these two possible events together. If that is the case, will the Heat do all signings at once or spread them out?

Stay tuned: jonnylons@twitter and miamiheatwave@twitter

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.

Let’s look at the Heat’s situation – they just failed in their attempt at signing Odom to the mid-level exception. It was a gamble, sure, but it didn’t work out. Heat fans might feel reminded of the Mo Williams sweepstakes just over a few seasons ago. The Heat also let Jamario Moon walk without getting any compensation. Perhaps it was overlooked by the Heat’s attempt to land Odom, but that would be too simplistic. If the Heat re-signed Moon they would be faced with paying double – since they are currently over the league’s $69.9 million dollar luxury tax line.

The Heat have several options on the table. They are reportedly looking at Jamaal Tinsley, who would be an affordable addition to the Heat’s roster as he would provide a veteran point guard at roughly $1 million – which raises the total cost to $2M when considering the luxury tax penalty. He would compete with Mario Chalmers for the starting spot and provide more depth. Milwaukee Bucks restricted free agent Ramon Sessions remains available, but reports are that the Knicks are leaning towards extending him an offer which means the Heat’s chances to nabbing Tinsley increase.

There are other free agents that could help as well. A major need for the Heat is rebounding and Memphis has let Hakim Warrick dangle out in the free agent jetstream. The Cavs have apparently extended an offer so it isn’t certain at this time that Miami is even in the conversation. A major hurdle for Miami is the luxury tax, so if Miami is to add another player it is most likely going to be a bargain basement deal so they take a minimal hit.

There is also the Carlos Boozer situation, which has cooled substantially. Don’t expect the Heat to make a deal but then again, this is precisely when Pat Riley usually shocks people with getting a deal. The Heat have tons of contracts that are expiring after this season – the Heat would just have to be willing to take back money in return. If the Heat want to sign a player, they have to free up money. If they want to trade for another player, they have these expiring contracts which would look good to teams like the Utah Jazz – who has the highest payroll in the NBA and paying a lot in luxury tax, around $20M. Who are the expiring contracts for the Heat?

• Jermaine O’neal $22.9M
• Mark Blount $7.9M
• Udonis Haslem $7.1M
• Dorell Wright $2.75M
• Jamaal Magliore $1.2M (re-signed for this upcoming season)
• Chris Quinn $1.05M (re-signed for this upcoming season)
• Yakhouba Diawara $945K
• Joel Anthony $825K (re-signed for this upcoming season)

In order for the Heat to deal these contracts, the situation would have to be deemed an improvement for Pat Riley. That means not taking on any salary that would limit the Heat’s financial flexibility for the upcoming offseason. The Heat’s goal is to re-sign Wade to a long term deal as well as add a potential marquee free agent like a Chris Bosh or, even dare, Lebron James.

Yet right now, the Heat has to shift its focus to this offseason and the upcoming season otherwise, they may have a hard time convincing anyone to come to South Beach to play basketball.

Tell us what you think – discuss the Heat’s next move on our forum.

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?

Quicklook:

• Dwyane Wade answers his 19 point Game 1 performance with a 33 point performance in Game 2 – hitting 6/10 from three point range.
• The Heat shot 57% from three (15/26) and 55% from the field (40-72).
• Daequan Cook and Dwyane Wade become the first teammates in NBA history to hit 6 three pointers each in the playoffs.

For the Heat, this is a big win as they come back from an embarrassing loss in Game 1 to a more respectable win in Game 2. The Hawks only threatened late in the 4th, cutting the lead to 10, but never dipped into under double digits.

This was a game where Miami defended better and brought better energy. When playing on the road, you have to up your energy to exceed the home team – when the crowd starts yelling, it is hard to transcend that energy. The Heat did a better job of that tonight.

Defensively, the Heat showed some progress. They gave space to the Hawk’s bigs who rely on getting into the paint to do their damage. Josh Smith was visibly frustrated for stretches. The Heat limited the Hawks to 41 first half points, combined with the 31 of the second half of Game 1, the Heat had held the Hawks to 72 points.

The Heat also got better contributions from the rest of the team. Jermaine O’neal had a respectable night scoring 19 points and blocking 4 shots – one of which came as the Hawks were mounting a run which pushed them within 7 points (93-86). Daequan Cook had 20 points with 6/9 from three; Udonis Haslem continues to battle and put in 10 points and 7 rebounds including two huge back-to-back jumpers when Wade was out with foul trouble near the end of the 4th quarter. Beasley had 12 points and 7 rebounds off the bench and shows that he is a huge mismatch for Josh Smith.

The Heat made some adjustments but one still remains to be seen – they have to get into the painted area and draw contact. The Hawks did that successfully and were able to get 30 free throw attempts (FTAs). The Heat, meanwhile, only could muster up 18. There may have been a little home-cooking for the Hawks, but maybe coming back to Miami will help the Heat’s cause in this area.

If Dwyane Wade can get 30+ points and get to the line 10+ times, it is going to be hard for the opponent to win. He had 33 points tonight and 6 FTAs.

Great win for Miami as they take away home court and are poised to use their home court to stake control in this series.

Congrats!

Congratulations to Erik Spoelstra on getting his first ever post season win. It couldn’t have come at a better time. Here’s to the first of many more!

A couple of important references to begin with:

Our series preview thread – join in and tell us what you think of the matchups

Our game 1 thread – follow the action with us (hey, we’re on the road)

Let’s break this down and see who we like in this series, starting with the head to head matchups.

Head to Head

The Heat only won 1 of the 4 meetings with the Hawks this season, but you might as well scratch that final game which came on April 14th when both teams pretty much had their post season tickets punched. From a glance at the matchups, the most troubling trend is the Heat’s inability to rebound and allowing a player like Al Horford to get 22 rebounds will not help. Also, we need to consider the impact of a Jermaine O’neal, although he is not rebounding with the tenacity the Heat would like he does defend in the post and blocks shots. This should have an impact on how the matchups shake out on the court.

When you look at the stats for both teams, it is basically a wash. Neither team seems to have an advantage over the other. The head to head matchups could have gone either way so really, the main advantage can be that the Hawks have home court advantage. Can the Heat win on the road? They were 15-26 on the road while the Hawks were 16-25. This is shaping up to be a home and home series, which favors the Hawks.

Let’s look at the individual matchups.

Point Guard

Mike Bibby vs. Mario Chalmers
Bibby has the edge in terms of his veteran savy, but does he have big game experience? Yes. He was a crucial part of those strong Kings teams that mashed the Lakers each post season, ultimately losing to the Lakers in a controversial 7 game series. He also helped guide the upstart Hawks last season to a near upset of the Celtics.

As for Chalmers, all he did was hit a cluth three to give his Kansas Jayhawks a chance to steal the title from Derrick Rose’s Memphis team. Chalmers has shown an ability to play under pressure all season and has quietly amassed some impressive defensive stats, notably steals, as a rookie. He can hit the three shooting .367 from behind the arc in his rookie campaign.

Bibby is shooting .390 from behind the three, so the advantage would go to Bibby there. Defensively, however, Chalmers is a little more effective, generating steals and working very well in tandem with Dwyane Wade to disrupt a team’s backcourt. Still, in terms of raw statistical production coupled with experience, the edge has to go to Bibby here.

Shooting Guard

Dwyane Wade vs. Joe Johnson
Joe Johnson may not have the household name, but his game demands lots of respect. He can score, defend, rebound and handle the ball. He is the leader de facto on this team and as such is the focus of their offense. Sound familiar? Dwyane Wade does the same thing for his team.

But let’s be realistic, Dwyane Wade does it on a higher level. There may be no player in the league, save Kevin Garnett, who hates losing more. It is one thing to be competitive, but also to have that rare mix of confidence that generates a will which is indomitable. That would be Dwyane Wade’s greatest asset – he won’t allow his team to lose. None since Jordan have displayed this kind of uncanny mixture of talent and competitive fire. This gives Wade the edge and in the end, may be the determining factor for the Heat’s success.

Small Forward

James Jones vs. Marvin Williams
Marvin Williams, it can be said, has not quite met the level of expectation for being a #2 pick. Sure, he has made progress this season, scoring and rebounding better and also showing an added dimension for shooting the ball, but he has not been consistent enough. There have been weeks when the guy just doesn’t factor into the Hawks success. He also missed 16 games with lower back injuries begging the question if he will be healthy enough for this series. He did muster up 15 minutes against Miami in the final matchup of the season.

James Jones started the year off badly – having to get surgery to start the year off and not playing until late December. Yet, over the last month, Jones has seen an increase in PT. His shot is starting to be more consistent and the defense and leadership is there. If it isn’t, however, the Heat also have Yakhouba Diawara and the man who has made many Heat fans forget about Shawn Marion, Jamario Moon. I give the advantage to the Heat as they certainly have more capable bodies to throw in there and counter various matchup problems the Hawks may exploit.

Power Forward

Udonis Haslem vs. Josh Smith
This is an odd matchup because both of these guys are undersized for their positions, but have unique skill sets that allow them to play the position. For Josh Smith, he has an ultra-athletic game with skying dunks and amazing blocks. He is dangerous if he gets hot from outside but his primary game offensively is around the basket. He can run and finish.

Haslem is that classic Miami Heat power forward in the mold of a Grant Long in that he will outwork you and be tenacious on both ends of the floor. Haslem’s offense is based on hitting mid range jumpers from around the floor which will provide space for Jermaine O’neal and a target for Dwyane Wade. He can defend more athletic players at the PF position, but has trouble with players who are larger.

Smith’s explosive ability to score gives him the edge, but it cannot be overlooked that the Heat have rookie Michael Beasley in their arsenal who can counter offensively what Smith might do.

Center

Jermaine O’neal vs. Al Horford
Horford has made strides and has shown an ability to rebound the basketball as well as finish around the basket area. These are going to be the primary goals for Jermaine O’neal who will be asked to limit the young center’s production. Horford’s game is similar to Dwight Howards so this is not going to be an easy task for the elder O’neal to achieve.

Going for O’neal is the fact that he can still score from outside and block shots. He plays a smart game, but does not rebound the ball particularly well which is something the Heat need more of to have better success in the playoffs. The question is, will O’neal be healthy enough to play? He has said he will play in this series, much like Udonis Haslem, despite sitting out the last few games.

I’d call this a wash because the Heat have more experience and savy that will make up for any shortcomings in O’neal’s game at this point. That said, no matchup is more crucial for either team than center for the Heat since they have very little depth at the position.

Final Analysis

If we look at the tally here, that would favor the Heat in terms of matchups. Combined with the Hawks having home court advantage throughout and the fact that they play well at home, this is looking like the stats indicate – a wash.

Dwyane Wade, however, makes the difference. We saw it in 2006 in the Finals, and now we see a healthy Wade playing at an unbelievably high level – probably better than he ever has played before. The Hawks are challenged with stopping him not just one night, but at least 4 nights out of this seven game series. That is a tall order.

My pick is the Heat winning this series in 6 games, splitting the first two in Atlanta.

With a combined 81 points, Wade became the first Heat player since 1992 to score more than 80 points in back to back games.

More importantly, with the win tonight, the Heat doubled last seaso’s win total of 15 and are looking to solidify their spot in the playoff race. In fact, the Heat crept a little closer to idle Atlanta who is now only 2 games ahead of Miami for the 4th spot in the Eastern Conference.

Along with Wade’s impressive scoring was a more balanced Heat offensive attack. Jamario Moon, Daequan Cook, Jermaine O’neal, Udonis Haslem and Michael Beasley all scored double digits as the Heat rolled to a 103-91 victory. It was the Heat’s 22-8 run in the third quarter that provided the seperation they were looking for to secure the win at home.

If Rose is available it seems clear that Miami would take him right away.

This is the basic question Miami is asking itself going into their 7:40 pm slot to make their pick on this Thursday. Should Miami take Beasley, they will give themselves a very good prospect that is going to come into the league and be ready to make an impact right away. They will have themselves another front court player that can shoot, score and block shots. Currently, Shawn Marion fits that role and the Heat hope to see more from Dorrell Wright as well this season.

Yet, there are many who seem to think Miami will not take Beasley, but intensely question his work ethic and maturity. With such a high pick, the feeling is it has to be a lock for Miami. If there are doubts, they could trade down, risk passing on Beasley but instead get more known quantities in a deal.

Rumor Volat

Rumor does fly, especially on the internet. There are rumors circulating that the Heat are in talks with the Memphis Grizzlies about a possible deal that would net the Heat Mike Miller, Kyle Lowry and the #5 pick for the #2 pick, clearly as part of a package deal. There are even discussions that the Heat are trying to get Conley from the Grizzlies and that the Heat would throw in Daequan Cook.

Another possibility finds the Heat dealing with the NY Knicks, there one-time rivals. The deal would be something akin to the Knicks sending Stephon Marbury and the 6th pick overall to Miami for Shawn Marion and Mark Blount. This would give the Heat the #2 and #6 picks in the draft and there are rumblings of the Heat being very interested in Brook Lopez, Jerryd Bayless, Kevin Love and even OJ Mayo.

Then there is the Seattle possibility which is the Sonics will send Chris Wilcox and the #4 pick for the #2 and Mark Blount.

Yet there are many on the inside who think the Heat are over-analyzing this situation. The best player almost unanimously is Michael Beasley. If he does have some perceived maturity issues, it could be just a part of the fact that he is practically fresh out of high school. And as a protected jock that hasn’t had to do anything other than play basketball, his view of reality is going to be a little screwy. You don’t miss the boat on that kind of talent unless you get some serious value in return. Besides, what better way to drive down his value than to find some kind of kink in his talent and push the perceived value of Rose up. This makes Chicago all but challenged to not draft Rose and have Beasley fall to Miami.

Drafting Beasley remains the best option for Miami. They can still always work out a deal if they felt they needed to thin out the front court depth of Beasley, Marion, Haslem and Wright. In fact, that process has already begun a bit with the Heat releasing Alexander Johnson today.

Pat needs this team to stand pat. They should draft the #2 spot and hope it is Beasley that is available because he will make a better fit with Wade and will make an immediate impact while Rose has to learn the finer points of running an offense in the NBA. Not to mention, Beasley would make the Heat need Marion that much less which would drive up his value even more.

If the Heat can swing a deal for another draft pick in this draft, that would be a solid choice but not at the expense of Dwyane Wade, Daequan Cook (unless it was really high) or the #2 pick.