--F Michael Beasley, the No. 2 pick of the 2008 draft, said his one NBA season has taught him to view the game differently.
"When you play it and you've lived it, you understand," Beasley said. "I can watch the game and see who missed a rotation or who messes up the play, who was supposed to be there on the other end of the pass. "You understand why coaches get so intense and so emotional toward you on the court because when you see something go wrong that could have been so perfect, of course you get mad."
Beasley, a power forward, has spent part of the summer working on small forward skills. But more than anything, he's learning.
"I've become a student of the game," Beasley said. "At this time last year it was all raw talent, and (the attitude), 'I can beat him so I don't really have to watch the game.'"
--The Heat's payroll for next season is at $70 million right now, well beyond the $57.7 million salary cap and right at the $69.9 million luxury tax. Miami has said it doesn't want to be a tax team unless it's for an "over the top" player, in other words someone that can get the Heat a championship. Miami isn't close enough to winning a title that it could land a single "over the top" player, so it spent the early part of free agency on the sideline.
The Heat has the $5.5 million mid-level exception and the $2 million veteran's exception but utilizing either without shedding money triggers the punitive dollar-for-dollar luxury tax Miami wants to avoid. Most likely the Heat will look to older veterans to fill holes at power forward/center and point guard/shooting guard.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "There can't be any major franchise-changing moves on our part this year without his commitment." -- Heat president Pat Riley, on the possibility of Dwyane Wade signing a contract extension.
