Heat Trio Needs Room To Grow

Just one year ago, all Heat fans heard about was the rigorous summer program planned for Michael Beasley, Daequan Cook, and Mario Chalmers.

Riley, the ultimate salesman, sold the promise of the Heat's youth movement. As a result of his efforts, one was almost willing to forget that the Heat made zero moves last summer while teams such as the Cavs (Shaq), the Magic (Vince Carter), the Celtics (Rasheed Wallace), and the Hawks (Jamal Crawford) all significantly strengthened their rosters.

Riley's sales pitch was seductive after Mario Chalmers' exciting rookie season, Daequan Cook's drastic second year improvement, and Michael Beasley's late season stretch of consecutive 20-10 games.

Unfortunately, this season proved what I have been saying for years: Pat Riley's teams do not allow young players enough room to grow.

Everyone will point to Dwyane Wade as a success story, but this is not fair. Despite the fact that many underestimated his pro potential, Wade came into the league NBA ready and only was given a shot to play because the Heat did not have a proven veteran at point guard that season.

More accurately, one has to look no further than Caron Butler (lost his confidence in his sophomore season and regressed), Wayne Simien (never saw any action and is out of the league), Dorell Wright (has taken years to develop and still plays scared at times), and now the three amigos (Cook, Chalmers, and Beasley) who all have failed to develop their games.

There is no room for debate. The three players on which the Heat's season hinged were all huge disappointments.

It is hard to say which of these three players was the most disappointing, but all three left the Heat with more questions than answers going into this critical offseason.

For the past few days, I have seen countless articles bashing these players for failing to rise to the occasion in the playoffs or failing to contribute more to the team this season. I think the Heat's front office and coaching staff must look inward before assigning blame to any of these players.

Riley's famous impatience and distrust of rookies, a mindset demonstrated by Riley's latest disciple Erik Spoelstra, really serves to hinder the development of raw talent.

Beasley, Chalmers, and Cook all played as though they were in fear of getting yanked at any moment for making a mistake and often looked stiff and unnatural with the ball in their hands as a consequence. Does this sound at all like Dorell Wright's first three years in the league to anyone?

Sure enough, all of these players were routinely yanked from games for extended periods of time after making mistakes that most teams would expect from young, developing players.

Kevin Durant, Michael Beasley's close friend and arguably the best NBA player under the age of 25, opened his NBA career with a 7-22 shooting performance while playing a leading role on an inaugural Thunder team.

I watched Kevin Durant's rookie season closely, and recall him having a string of nights where he hoisted 22 or more shots and made fewer than 8 of them. At the time, I really suspected that he might have been grossly overrated coming out of Texas.

The Thunder continued to give Durant free reign and starter's minutes and by his second season he had rewarded his team by averaging over 25 points and 6.5 rebounds per game on almost 48% shooting, including over 42% from behind the arc.

He followed this performance by averaging over 30 points and 7.6 rebound per game in his third season, while leading the team to its first ever playoff appearance.

Durant's team also patiently developed raw but talented players like Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, James Harden and Jeff Green.

The Heat, on the other hand, keeps its young players on a short leash, breaks them down mentally and physically until they have lost all confidence in their games, and signs aging veterans with whom to replace them every time they make a mistake.

Football guru Bill Parcells refers to aging veterans who play the same position as raw, young players as "progress stoppers." This term applies equally well in the world of basketball.

Until the Heat understands and embraces such a philosophy, it will never be a good place for young, raw talent to develop.

While some may blame Michael Beasley, Daequan Cook, or Mario Chalmers, I think their shortcomings are as much the result of a failed ideology as they are a lack of character or determination.