--The Heat finally gave in to its lack of experience at point guard, adding free agent Carlos Arroyo to its mix at the position on a one-year, make-good, non-guaranteed contract. Considering the Miami resident's competition at the position is Mario Chalmers and Chris Quinn, the odds are good that the eighth-year journeyman sticks around for a while. "The opportunity kind of came quick," Arroyo said. "Ever since I was in college, I always wanted to be a part of the Heat. I went to school here. My wife's from here." Out of the NBA since ending the 2007-08 season with Orlando, Arroyo spent last season with Euroleague power Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel. "It was about being in the right situation," Arroyo said. "I had to be patient to wait for this opportunity."
The Heat sought depth at the position after Quinn went down last week with a sprained right foot, an injury that is expected to keep him in a walking boot for at least a week.
--Coach Erik Spoelstra stressed that Mario Chalmers remains the team's starting point guard. Chalmers struggled through the first two exhibitions before a solid performance against the Spurs.
"I have him planned to come off the bench," Spoelstra said of Arroyo, 30. "But he'll contend for minutes. This is about bolstering our depth." The addition of Arroyo makes it less likely that free-agent guard John Lucas will be able to make the team's final cut, despite solid recent showings.
Wade said there is something to be said about increasing the competition at point guard. "He's a playmaker. He sees the floor very well," Wade said of Arroyo. "He's going to help Mario, as well. His experience is going to help."
--In a move to create the feel of a fuller arena, the Heat has opted to use a curtain to cover the balcony seats in AmericanAirlines Arena for selected games this season. According to a team spokesman, those curtains will remain in place for about a third of the regular-season schedule, for games when ticket demand is lowest. The Heat will use different capacity totals to determine sellouts for those games.
MAIN REASON HEAT CAN WIN: As long as Dwyane Wade is in the lineup, the Heat will have a player who singlehandedly can will his team to victory. The difference between 15 wins two seasons ago and 43 last season was the presence of a healthy Wade.
MAIN REASON HEAT CAN LOSE: At some point, the heavy lifting could become too onerous for Wade. Someone else has to step up, and there are huge question marks in that regard, from whether Michael Beasley can even be a second option, to Jermaine O'Neal's knees, to Mario Chalmers' standing as a playoff-quality point guard.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "It's interesting that people may write this group off. We have the tools to be successful." -- Second-year coach Erik Spoelstra, on those who question his team's ability to build on last season's 43-39 finish.
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