Heat Draft an A+

Yes, the Heat's performance in last night's draft merited an A+ from TSFF favorite/non-favorite Chad Ford. He pretty much fluctuates in our esteem.

Here were his words:

"I hate to break it to what looked like a very sober, perhaps disappointed Pat Riley, but the Heat won this draft. They walked away with arguably the best player in the draft and then got a second-round steal at point guard, a position at which Miami really needed help.

Beasley has a chance to be a superstar. With him and Dwyane Wade, the Heat have a terrific future. On top of that, Miami got a player at No. 34 who I had ranked as a potential mid-first-round pick. Chalmers is perfect for Riley: He is tough, plays defense, can shoot the lights out and is a winner. Once the Heat find a way to trade Shawn Marion, they'll be in great shape to make a big run at a young free agent next summer.

And according to John Hollinger's statistical formula, Jackson is one the biggest sleepers in the draft."

Right on, Chad Ford! I completely agree with him. I am THRILLED with this draft. I never imagined getting Mario Chalmers, and if Darnell Jackson materializes into something, watch out. The Heat should be a playoff team next year, and I personally can't wait to watch them in action.

Rousing Draft Success For Heat

After the many seemingly endless weeks of speculation about what Pat Riley would do in the 2008 NBA Draft, he made the biggest possible splash he could by just playing it safe. The Heat is now a viable contender to be a high playoff seed next season, if it remains healthy. A nucleus of Dwyane Wade, Michael Beasley, and Sean Marion is a force to be reckoned with. Flash is the tried-and-tested superstar, Marion is a tried-and-tested double-double machine and all around energetic pogo stick, and Beasley outshone Kevin Durant's Big XII numbers as a freshman in every way last season and there's no reason not to think he'll make every bit the impact or more as Durant made in his first NBA Rookie of the Year season.

But as many people suspected that the Heat would go with Beasley as that they would not. What WAS surprising was Riley's masterful 2nd Round moves. The Heat traded for the rights to Kansas national championship legend Mario Chalmers, the Most Outstanding Player of the 2008 Final Four. Chalmers was deeply impressive the past couple of seasons at Kansas. He is as smooth a shooter as they come, and we know that he won't shrink from clutch situations - you will remember that he was the ice-vein who hit the 3-pointer that sent the national championship game against Derrick Rose's Memphis Tigers into overtime with time expiring. The Heat weren't done, deciding to pick another Kansas player, Darnell Jackson, but then trading him to Cleveland for their second round pick in 2009.

In the end, Riley, master psychologist, played us all. The talk about Beasley being an immature prankster and about Miami's overwhelming infatuation with O.J. Mayo was all a smokescreen. Riley said, "I don't think there was any question on our part. We love Michael." New coach Erik Spoelstra described the rampant speculation the last few weeks as "a little humorous." You can play me like a fiddle anytime you want Pat, if you can deliver studs like Beasley and Chalmers.

NBA Draft Notes

A couple quick hits on tonight's draft.

The Heat did not trade their 2nd pick, and selected (surprise!) K-State frosh Michael Beasley. For some reason, Miami seemed reluctant to take the most-NBA-ready-looking player in the draft, and thoughts are that they still may seek a trade. Their 2nd round pick was "the other Jayhawk" Darnell Jackson.

The Orlando Magic (you know, the other Florida team?) used their 22nd pick to select Hilltopper Courtney Lee. Lee is a solid guard (what the J.J. Reddick pick was supposed to bring Orlando) and could be a good option off the bench. A little curious that the Magic didn't go bigger.

Marreese Speights of the University of Florida (the lone Florida schooled player taken in the draft), went 16th overall to the Philadelphia 76ers. While I thought Speights could have benefited from another year in school, enough fortune tellers told him he had a good chance to be drafted. And lo and behold, he was. As a Gator alum, I wish he would have stayed. But it's not quite the same feeling I had when Christian Drejer or Matt Walsh left. I actually wish Speights all the best.