s_knight8
2005-08-04 01:40:21 UTC
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-heatshakeup&prov=ap&type=lgns
The Heat believe they made a steal of a deal, and they may be right.
``I thought it was a day that we moved toward that goal of achieving what it
is we want, `` Riley said Wednesday. ``It's a day that we moved toward
putting together a core that's going to be together for a while.''
Williams and Posey arrived from Memphis, and were in South Florida on
Wednesday to become acquainted with their new club. Emmett also comes from
the Grizzlies, who received Jones in the deal that also included the Boston
Celtics, New Orleans Hornets and Utah Jazz.
The deal means Williams gets to play with O'Neal, a longtime friend who was
excited about the move.
``Any player would want to play with a center of his caliber,'' said
Williams, a true point guard. ``Until you really play with one, I don't know
what it's like. I can only imagine -- and my imagination is amazing.''
Walker got a $53 million, six-year deal from the Celtics in a sign-and-trade
maneuver; the three-time All-Star forward is scheduled to be introduced by
the Heat on Thursday. Hours before the trade, the Heat signed O'Neal for
$100 million over five years, plus inked Udonis Haslem to a $30.7 million,
five-year deal.
``In our continuing, and seems like never-ending, effort to win a
championship, I thought yesterday was about as good a day as I've ever had
in basketball,'' Riley said.
In his first seven NBA seasons, Williams averaged 11.7 points and 6.8
assists per game, albeit on just 39 percent shooting from the field, 31.5
percent from 3-point range.
Those numbers could easily rise. With O'Neal and Dwyane Wade as teammates,
Williams should find himself open more than ever.
``It just made me feel so good, knowing that these guys down here wanted me
to come here and Shaq wanted me to play with him,'' Williams said.
Posey, a small forward, averaged 13.7 points and 4.9 rebounds while starting
all 82 games in 2003-04; injuries held him to 50 games -- 18 starts -- last
season, and he averaged 8.1 points and 4.4 rebounds.
He said the trade stunned him.
``Wow,'' Posey said. ``Shaquille O'Neal. Dwyane Wade. They have a great cast
here. They did big things last year, so I'll just try to come in, see how I
fit in and do my part.''
When the dust settled Tuesday, the Heat had an unbelievably different look.
Young stars Wade and Haslem have the longest current tenure in the Heat
locker room -- each have been there two full seasons. Only one player,
Alonzo Mourning, isn't under contract after next year. And the biggest news,
naturally, was O'Neal agreeing to play five more years in Miami.
``Now we're finally in a position to build a core,'' coach Stan Van Gundy
said. ``And now our job as both coaches and players is to fit the pieces
together and figure out how we're going to make it work.''
What Miami had last season worked -- to an extent. The Heat won 59 games and
took Detroit to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals, with O'Neal slowed
by a bruised thigh and Wade hurting because of a pulled rib muscle.
But Riley said he never thought of the Heat as a team that was just a rib
and thigh away from a title, and was determined to do something to improve
the roster.
``Standing pat was not the best thing to do,'' Van Gundy said. ``It doesn't
mean that you're saying last year's team couldn't win it. What it means is,
you think there might be a better way to go.''
The Heat believe they made a steal of a deal, and they may be right.
``I thought it was a day that we moved toward that goal of achieving what it
is we want, `` Riley said Wednesday. ``It's a day that we moved toward
putting together a core that's going to be together for a while.''
Williams and Posey arrived from Memphis, and were in South Florida on
Wednesday to become acquainted with their new club. Emmett also comes from
the Grizzlies, who received Jones in the deal that also included the Boston
Celtics, New Orleans Hornets and Utah Jazz.
The deal means Williams gets to play with O'Neal, a longtime friend who was
excited about the move.
``Any player would want to play with a center of his caliber,'' said
Williams, a true point guard. ``Until you really play with one, I don't know
what it's like. I can only imagine -- and my imagination is amazing.''
Walker got a $53 million, six-year deal from the Celtics in a sign-and-trade
maneuver; the three-time All-Star forward is scheduled to be introduced by
the Heat on Thursday. Hours before the trade, the Heat signed O'Neal for
$100 million over five years, plus inked Udonis Haslem to a $30.7 million,
five-year deal.
``In our continuing, and seems like never-ending, effort to win a
championship, I thought yesterday was about as good a day as I've ever had
in basketball,'' Riley said.
In his first seven NBA seasons, Williams averaged 11.7 points and 6.8
assists per game, albeit on just 39 percent shooting from the field, 31.5
percent from 3-point range.
Those numbers could easily rise. With O'Neal and Dwyane Wade as teammates,
Williams should find himself open more than ever.
``It just made me feel so good, knowing that these guys down here wanted me
to come here and Shaq wanted me to play with him,'' Williams said.
Posey, a small forward, averaged 13.7 points and 4.9 rebounds while starting
all 82 games in 2003-04; injuries held him to 50 games -- 18 starts -- last
season, and he averaged 8.1 points and 4.4 rebounds.
He said the trade stunned him.
``Wow,'' Posey said. ``Shaquille O'Neal. Dwyane Wade. They have a great cast
here. They did big things last year, so I'll just try to come in, see how I
fit in and do my part.''
When the dust settled Tuesday, the Heat had an unbelievably different look.
Young stars Wade and Haslem have the longest current tenure in the Heat
locker room -- each have been there two full seasons. Only one player,
Alonzo Mourning, isn't under contract after next year. And the biggest news,
naturally, was O'Neal agreeing to play five more years in Miami.
``Now we're finally in a position to build a core,'' coach Stan Van Gundy
said. ``And now our job as both coaches and players is to fit the pieces
together and figure out how we're going to make it work.''
What Miami had last season worked -- to an extent. The Heat won 59 games and
took Detroit to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals, with O'Neal slowed
by a bruised thigh and Wade hurting because of a pulled rib muscle.
But Riley said he never thought of the Heat as a team that was just a rib
and thigh away from a title, and was determined to do something to improve
the roster.
``Standing pat was not the best thing to do,'' Van Gundy said. ``It doesn't
mean that you're saying last year's team couldn't win it. What it means is,
you think there might be a better way to go.''