Next up is Miami at #20.

Feel free to discuss potential players to be selected, team needs or any other topics related to this pick in this thread.

Once you know who you think they should pick, post your selection in this thread in bold red type. Only vote once per thread.

At 2 pm, whichever player has the most votes will be Miami's pick in our mock draft.

Players selected so far: http://wtfdetroit.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9551

Best available players: http://wtfdetroit.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9601

Current players under contract for 2007-08
Shaquille O'Neal
Dwyane Wade
Jason Williams
Antoine Walker
Udonis Haslem
Alonzo Mourning
Dorell Wright
Wayne Simien
Chris Quinn

Player option
Michael Doleac ($3.1m)

Free agents
James Posey (UFA)
Jason Kapono (UFA)
Earl Barron (RFA)
Eddie Jones (UFA)
Gary Payton (UFA)

Picks in this draft
#20
#39

Another team that really needs help at PG.

Problem is, with the top 4 PGs already off the board here, they'd be better off waiting until #39 to try and address that area.

Hmmmm...Well, I'm going to assume they resign Jason Kapono, and possibly count on The Glove coming back for his finale. They definetly need a big, IMO, Shaq can't be counted on to play a full season, and Zo only has so much gas left in the kidney tank, and although Doleac will likely exercise his Player Option, he may play in only 10 games. That being said I say they draft SEAN WILLIAMS out of Boston College, despite his off the court issues, his stock seems to have considerably risen like mad since his workouts, if he didn't get suspended BC would've been stacked with him and Dudely up front

I think they definately go big. Wade can run the point, so you really only need 1 other PG on the team. Shaq can't stay healthy and Zo will retire.

Will they go Williams, or will they convince Zo to play another year OR sign a guy like Dale Davis, and go with Splitter knowing they'll have him next year for sure?

LOL I told this kid I knew that Chris Quinn was Brady Quinns brother, and he believed it.

I'm leaning towards Splitter since Williams is more of a defensive player, and Haslem doesn't do much offensively. I also think they can buy another year behind Shaq with either Zo or another vet like I mentioned.

Interesting on Splitter, Miami doesn't have much of the International Flavor...plus he's more of a finesse player isn't he?

Riley doesn't coach for the future.

And Shaq and Zo would be mighty pissed if they used their only #1 pick on a guy that can't even play this year.

That's a wasted year of their dwindling careers.

I can't see Splitter here.

Good point on Riley. He'd want help now. I don't think Zo would care. If they draft Williams that means Zo has no role anyway.

Agreed, good point, you draft Tiago, he may want to pull a Pecherov to get some more seasoning in the home country...

Well if they draft Williams, Zo may have to be counted on as the spot starter for all those days Shaq's legs tighten up...


You know Shaq isn't gonna give you 82...Zo will probably be counted on for a pretty big role again like last year...

he's a block machine still.

They like Earl Barron a lot (7' C).

I'm between Byars and Almond (both are SG/SF).

If they lose Posey/Kapono/Jones (all UFA), they'll be in trouble at SF.

Fatoine is a fat PF these days, not a SF.

true if they lose both Jason and Posey...they're gonna need to get some 3's from somebody...

Byars lit it up at Vandy from the 3...just to point that out...he was lethal in the NCAA' Tourney

I think Williams is probably the better bet with Riley there. Zo could probably help mentor him a little on shot blocking (and maybe flexing too). They'd have to hope Kapono continues to develop and that he and Wade can handle the scoring load eventually. When Shaq retires you'll have a lot of money to spend on a scorer anyway.

Miami selects Sean Williams

They like Earl Barron a lot (7' C).

I'm between Byars and Almond (both are SG/SF).

If they lose both Posey and Kapono, they'll be in trouble at SF.

Fatoine is a fat PF these days, not a SF.
I don't think they lose all of them. between Posey/Jones/Kapono someone will be back. And you still have Fatione there too.

If they all leave then grab Mo Pete. I think there will be enough SF's out there that you'll have one in the mix with Fatione. I think they bring kapono back. Hill, Mo Pete, VC, Lewis, Poser, EJ, Barnes...there will be a ton of SF's on the market.

Plus you can get Almond, Tucker or someone else at #39.

If you wait until 39 to get a center you let almost every team have a chance at filling that need, and you'll be looking at some 7 foot foreign prospect that won't play for a few years.

This team doesn't have alot of years left in the tank, I believe they are by far the oldest team in the league (could be wrong on that), but I'll give Shaq maybe 2 more years where he can actually contribute in some sort of way, this team could be fading into obscurity VERY fast, but they can still win that division this year...man they have alot of needs now that I think about it...


they make the Pistons problems look easy

Why not take Nick Fazekas? He would be perfect in their system. He is just like Udonis Haslem, and would allow Udonis to be fresher and play less. He spaces the floor and Alonzo hides his defense. Fazekas is ready to play right now. No brainer pick for me.

Heat select Nick Fazekas

Sean Williams

This seems a team that stuck between two philosophies. They have an extremely old team, except for their star SG. They really have to make the decision to go for it once more, hoping everything falls in place and everyone stays healthy, or they need to start focusing on developing their youth now, before everyone's gone and they struggle to win 30 games. I think Williams is the right pick because their big men are ancient, and D-Wade can handle perimeter on his own.

Why not take Nick Fazekas? He would be perfect in their system. He is just like Udonis Haslem, and would allow Udonis to be fresher and play less. He spaces the floor and Alonzo hides his defense. Fazekas is ready to play right now. No brainer pick for me.

Because he's a PF, and they have Haslem, Walker and Simeon that can play there. They are horribly old at center. If Nick could play center I would agree, but he isn't very bulky at all.

Sean Williams

He can be developed for the future and he can probably contribute a bit now to keep Zo and Shaq fresh for the future. If there's a top PG left on the board here they take him for sure though.

Simeon is more of a center, he is too slow. Sean Williams to me is useless, they have Earl Barron for that.

My irrelevant pick is Morris Almond

Simeon is more of a center, he is too slow. Sean Williams to me is useless, they have Earl Barron for that.

I thought he was only 6'9" though. I haven't seen much of him since college, has he done a thing there?

That being said I say they draft SEAN WILLIAMS out of Boston College, despite his off the court issues, his stock seems to have considerably risen like mad since his workouts

Actually there are some teams that have so completely soured on him that they will not draft him at all.

Apparently, his refusal to work out and answer questions about his off-court issues has broken some kind of "code". I saw where one GM said something like "Sean Williams should not be drafted anywhere in the first round of this draft on principle, based on his unprofessionalism".

Sounds like they are trying to blackball the guy.

edit: found the passage that I was talking about...


Some in the league are wondering about the message that is being sent, when a player who has barely been seen by top-decision makers and has such a troubling track record is given a free pass on being scrutinized and drafted in the first round regardless, solely off his athletic ability. “It’s an absolute joke,” one executive lamented to us privately this week. “For the sake of our profession, and the NBA in general, Sean Williams should not go in the first round,” the executive said. “What kind of message does that send? He has done absolutely nothing to show that he’s a pro, starting with the decisions he’s made, picking marijuana over the obligations he had to his team, and now not being bothered to travel to NBA cities and explain himself. It’s not even a matter of weed…it’s a responsibility issue. Life doesn’t get easier once you reach the NBA.”